Hi,
Was wondering if anybody could give me any advice on choice of unicycle for a marathon, I’ve registered for the one in Dusseldorf in April. I have a 24’’ Muni with 170 cranks. My basic question is: can I get away with putting shorter cranks (ie 125) on the uni I have or should I really get a 26’’? I’m not bothered about time, as long as I finish, and don’t really want to buy a new uni. I’d be interested to know if anybody has seen a marathon done on a 24’’ or has any thoughts on the matter.
You could certainly do a marathon on the 24 but I would definitely go for shorter cranks. 125 or even 100 depending on your skill level. For longer distances the shorter cranks don’t put as much strain on the legs. But if you do , make sure to change them over well before the race to allow plenty of tme to get used to them as it often feels weird and out of control when you first try short cranks. At least it did for me.
If you were going to get a bigger uni just for the race you would not just go up to a 26. A 29 or 36 would be more appropriate.
Unless you are using it as an excuse to buy a new 26er (maybe with a nice little schlumpf in it?)
I am doing the marathon too (did it last year for the first time) … the bigger the wheel the better 
The best uni for a marathon, assuming it’s on road, is a 36" with a Schlumpf hub. If the race has divisions for different wheel sizes, this can help. Otherwise, a 24" with any size cranks is basically going to get killed. If you have access to a 29", I recommend using that with 102mm cranks. Depending on how hilly the course is. I used 102mm cranks on a 36" in the Unicon XIV Marathon (flat course) and was very happy with my results; possibly the fastest Marathon race I’ll ever do!
Jana rode 2010 a 24 with 60mm cranks and she was very fast - 2:06:51 
but she was unlimited because of the short cranks although she rode 24"…
I can provide you with a 29" schlumpf 140mm cranks for the marathon, but if you are not used to ride schlumpf it might be not possible to ride second gear.
you should have some practise with wheelsize and crank lenght you plan to ride…
Hey jogi,
Are you offering loaner unicycles for the Duesseldorf Marathon?
Hmmm.
yes, i have a 29" schlumpf with 140mm cranks (i have also some other cranks for it) so if someone comes with airplane i would loan it:)
Hi All,
Thanks for all the responses so far, has given me plenty to think about. Think I’ll try some short cranks and a slick tyre and see how it goes.
I would agree very much with what has already been said. I will just add that I rode without a schumpf gearbox last year. I rode a 36" with 100mm cranks and regretted putting them on. I wish I had left my normal 90mm cranks on… yes you do need to consider smooth tyre and shorter cranks.
Roger
Hahahah, but you’re a beast!!!
Last year in Düsseldorf I rode my 36 Nimbus also ungeared but it was very windy and the 114 cranks were the perfect choice for me!! I’ve practised with 100 mm.
Despite the conditions I finished 1.5 minutes quicker.
New personal record: marathontime: 1.53.30h
When is the deadline for registering for the Duesseldorf marathon this year?
What is the elevation profile like? If Roger is suggesting 90 mm cranks, may I assume that it is fairly flat?
Scott
Its as flat as a pancake!! there is a profile on this page:
Last year there was a strong cross wind on the bridges which a few people struggled with a little
Also, if Roger is suggesting 90mm cranks, than most people will want to be in the 100-110mm range. 
LOL… Jogi, I assure you its rocket fuel!!!
This is a good place to mention that whatever you ride, it’s only going to be fast if you’ve spent a lot of time riding it. Don’t try a new setup in a race! It can be an “adventure”, but it won’t be as much fun.
I actually borrowed a unicycle from Roger (at UnicycleDotCom) for the Unicon XIII Marathon. It was a 36" Schlumpf. At the time, he was faster/more comfortable riding his ungeared 36". So was I, but beggars can’t be choosers. My 36" was in California and the race was in Switzerland. I think I was the first person to do a marathon race on a geared 36". I practiced some, but there was no time to actually get comfortable with it. So it was a struggle for 42 km, but not a bad “adventure”. I think I may have finished last in the group I started with, but this was still better than not riding it at all.
ha ha, yes that is true… I had broken my arm 4 days before the race and could not ride it comfortably.
What John says is right about riding. Don’t race on a configuration you have not trained on. You should have your race configuration set, weeks before the race.
Roger
Loaner Unicycle?
It looks like I will be in Germany for the Duesseldorf Marathon. Yeah!
I would like to ride in it if I can borrow a unicycle. Jogi, are you serious about loaning me a unicycle for the Marathon? Is anyone else willing to loan me something? A 36" would be great. Jogi was talking about a 29" Schlumpf, which sounds very interesting, except that it violates the Foss Rule: never do a long race with a new setup. I would give it a try anyway.
Please contact me if you can let me borrow a unicycle for the Duesseldorf marathon on April 29th.
Thank you.
Scott
