What wheel size for geared muni for XC?

Unicycles and Equipment
21

My g36er does climbs beautifully and lite muni, even on 127mm on this ride, Im on low gear of course. Ive gotten so used it that it barely feels any different from my standard build. If I drop it to 150 or 165mm Im sure I can even take on the rock gardens. Its currently doing about 70% of the trails that I’d normally will take the 26", or 85% of the 29er. The 36er is alot more capable than most people give it a chance for.

Before getting my Schlumpf I contemplated between building a G29 or G36. Absolutely no regrets purchasing and jumping onto the g36. Though, when I find the budget, I will build another, either a g26 or g29. They are just simply awesome in versatility.

As far a brakes goes, (especially) disc brakes are the bomb. I didnt need them when learning, but then, the better I get, the more I realize I need them to get to the next level of riding.
I settled for a used older KH36, without the disc brake tabs but a magura. Its not bad, but disc brakes are super smooth, no undulations, more control and braking power.

I tend to differ with some others opinions… My first wheel was the UDC chrome 20". Afterwards I knew I was hooked. I opted to go for the top line, and KH line with brakes does it for me. I dont like wasting time on selling and upgrading, for me its a waste of money and effort. (Particularly me, Im not good at selling and better at giving it away, whatever it is, I always end up losing money) Just go for the best you can afford and be settled with it. Good unis are, afterall, unbelievably durable , mind settling healthy, and nearly maintenance free.

22

A bit off topic:
UPD have you tried grey pads instead of the black ones on your G36 (or on another of your unis) ?
I have two HS33 (on my G36 and my 29+) and I did this change since grey pads are harder than black ones thus they are more progressive, maybe not as smooth as disc brakes (I don’t have any DB for now to make the comparison) but still smoother than the black rubber of the original HS33 pads.

23

I didnt know they have grey, I might try. Thanks for the info.

24

You’re right, in the right context. And 70% leaves 30%, of course.

I have ridden many miles off road on 36 inch. If you have space to manoeuvre and choose your line, it can be brilliant. Although you lose the torque to go up the very steepest stuff, you get in return the ability to rush obstacles and let momentum and the “rollover” of the big wheel carry you.

Where the bigger wheels fail is when your room for manoeuvre is seriously constrained. Tight single track footpaths with ruts and roots, 90 degree bends, and bushes closing in on each side and low branches that you have to duck under. Sooner or later, you reach a stage where all the little compensations of position and balance have been used up and you have nowhere left to go.

I suppose it depends on what your local riding opportunities are. Near my previous address, with river banks and the landscaped humps of the local country park, it was brilliant. Where I am now, the 24 or 29 can get me access that would either be impossible or exhausting on a 36.

25

I agree with buying the best made longest lasting stuff you can afford.

Buy nice, or buy twice.

26

15% - 30% is where my real fun is…

We had a very experienced unicyclist bring a 36 to Bellingham Unicycle Weekend on year. He insisted on riding it one of the days. So he went on the bunny trails with a few others as the main group went out to only ride the 15% to 30% you walk. Which group do you think got to ride with Kris Holm that day?

Some of us only put up with the 70% to 85% to get to the challenging conditions others walk. Some come with very cocky attitudes to ride our trails and walk most or almost all day. We are still glad to have them come and enjoy helping them. Some return and ride more each time, learning and building confidence. No one has returned with a 36 to ride muni with us. Some of them and us own 36 guni but save them for the road and cycle paths. If we lived somewhere else maybe they would see more trail time.

But what works for you and puts a smile from ear-to-ear on your face is what should motivate you, not what puts a smile from ear-to-ear on me.

JM

2 Likes
27

Hey guys, not trying to impose on anybody’s egos. I did say ‘lite’ muni. The park that I ride is not super tough. It is narrow single tracks that Im riding on. Afterall, I did ride the same trails over 50xs on the 26 and 29, after a while it just feels more fun on the flowy 36er. I can do some rock gardens that Ive memorized, with the 36 /150mm, tough and challenging, but not impossible. Now as for unfamiliar terrain, of course I will want to first practice with the 29 or 26.
…all Im trying to say is, break the stigma, the the 36er is a lot more capable offroads than most people give it credit for, that’s all. Im having a blast…I guess that’s all it matters though…:smile:

28

Bungeejoe, so sorry to hear about your Lanaboos. And of course she is your Lois Lane. :slight_smile:

But I used to get email about that ALL THE TIME!! Many were even from the UK! Sorry you never won for realz…

Yep, they’re expensive because they are basically handmade, and in Switzerland/Germany, where labor is pricey. Because they are made in very small numbers, there’s no economy of scale to bring costs down. Years ago, there was an effort to find a low-cost (China, Taiwan) manufacturer for Harper’s geared design, but they never produced any prototypes of decent quality.

That said, I’ve never worn one out, though my first one did break on me and have to get warranty repair (which took more than half a year, because it was basically a wait for the next batch to be completed). Bungeejoe rides A LOT, but I haven’t heard about many other people wearing them out yet.

I think it would be in the ballpark of a relatively low speed motorcycle crash, on whatever your riding surface, adding 2-3 feet in height of the motorcycle’s seat. Though it could be a lot worse, such as blowing out your hip bone as happened at NAUCC this year. Upping speed is upping kinetic energy; I still believe that anything faster than one’s top running speed is inherently dangerous on a unicycle.

There’s definitely something to be said for riding the same terrain on different sized wheels. The 36" can be super-fun on fast singletrack, where you can really take advantage of that big wheel, that’s where it shines the best. While it can be amazing the kind of terriain you can ride one on, it’s a lot of weight and size to drag around as well. I like it better for fast trails.

For Klaas (and anyone who remember the original topic), I would boil down all the advice in here to the question of 26" vs. 27.5". Is 26" really going away? Really? Hard to tell, I guess. If 27.5 does start to become the new 26" (or if it already has), 26" tires will be around for many more years, but when they do start to dry up, it may seem to happen suddenly. There is a simple solution to that: Find the tire you like the most, and then buy 3 or 4 of them, and store them away from sunlight. I highly recommend the Surly Knard 26 x 3.0 that came with my KH 26" last year. I think it’s magic, once you get the pressure dialed to match the terrain. And it’s so much lighter than the tires I’ve had on my old 24" Wilder!

Or just go with the 27.5", since the difference, I’m told, is minimal. I don’t have a mental picture of what trails would be like in your area, but my understanding of Holland is flat-ish, so a tiny size-up is probably fine.