What's the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

General
1

Mike,

The DMs I’ve ridden were heavy. And there’s no quick release, which you may like
or you may not.

I don’t like standard platform pedals. I’ve got some DiamondBack CNC pedals now
that I like better. Cartridge bearings, the surface seems grippier, and the pins
don’t pop out the bottom doing pedal grabs (because they’re actually set screws
that go in from the top.) About $45 US.

You mention 26". Keep in mind that 26x3.0 is actually 28.5 inches outside
diameter. If you’re shooting for 26" actual, a 24x3.0 is 26.5"
o.d. so it might be more what you’re looking for. Tire height is also an issue
if you’re going to use a telescoping suspension post like the Rock Shox.
The shorter the tire, the less you have to shorten the post to make it
work. But definitely 3" wide is the way to go.

The hydraulic brakes I’ve test-ridden on the Vortex were not smooth. It might
have helped if the DoubleWide stickers were taken off the “rim surface”. But in
fact, the Sun DoubleWide is not intended to be used with rim brakes, and
therefore does not have a CNC’d rim surface. So don’t expect anything close to
silky smooth with that. The equivalent of a Sun DoubleWide with a CNC’d rim
surface is the Zum Eliminator, found at www.dhbike.com. Then there’s Scott
Bridgeman’s disc MUni, which is definitely silk. But disc MUnis aren’t in
production quite yet.

Chris

Mike wrote:
>
> Well, my trusty old miyata deluxe just doesn’t quite cut it anymore for
> mountain unicycling. I have to go WAY to easy on it to keep it intact. So its
> time for a strong new MUNI!
>
> So, I want to get a new Muni and price is less of a concern than strength,
> quailty, comfort and did I say strength? I’m been looking at the few best ones
> online from Hunter and DM. I like the DM 26" vortex being ready with a
> hydraulic brake and of course the 3" DH tire. However, I want to have a
> suspension seat post with the Wilder Cycle mount/brake attachment so i can
> have the suspension, brake and a miyata air seat.
>
> Those of you who own or have any specifics on these awesome muni’s please give
> me your opinions on them and what you think is the best thing to get. Anyone
> know how good the hub and cranks are on the DM vortex??
>
> Thanks for any input you guys have… Mike

2

Well, my trusty old miyata deluxe just doesn’t quite cut it anymore for mountain
unicycling. I have to go WAY to easy on it to keep it intact. So its time for a
strong new MUNI!

So, I want to get a new Muni and price is less of a concern than strength,
quailty, comfort and did I say strength? I’m been looking at the few best ones
online from Hunter and DM. I like the DM 26" vortex being ready with a hydraulic
brake and of course the 3" DH tire. However, I want to have a suspension seat
post with the Wilder Cycle mount/brake attachment so i can have the suspension,
brake and a miyata air seat.

Those of you who own or have any specifics on these awesome muni’s please give
me your opinions on them and what you think is the best thing to get. Anyone
know how good the hub and cranks are on the DM vortex??

Thanks for any input you guys have… Mike

3

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

I have a DMATU and a DM Vortex prototype (basically a Vortex with a Hunter frame
style). They both have the beefy hub and crank setups. The prototype has a 24"
rim with 3" tire, while the DMATU has a 26" rim with 2.6" tire. I am not the
most extreme rider (no 5’ foot drops), but both uni’s are strong and it will
take a lot to hurt them. I have put many “muni” miles on both of them with no
frame or crank problems at all.

If you are more concerned with strength than weight, DM uni’s are a good choice.
The Telford and Hunter are both good Muni’s too. Too bad I can’t afford to get
one of each!

-Bronson

“Mike” <king@enel.ucalgary.ca> wrote in message
news:9b33jg$lkk$1@nserve1.acs.ucalgary.ca…
> Well, my trusty old miyata deluxe just doesn’t quite cut it anymore for
> mountain unicycling. I have to go WAY to easy on it to keep it intact.
So
> its time for a strong new MUNI!
>
> So, I want to get a new Muni and price is less of a concern than strength,
> quailty, comfort and did I say strength? I’m been looking at the few best ones
> online from Hunter and DM. I like the DM 26" vortex being ready with
a
> hydraulic brake and of course the 3" DH tire. However, I want to have a
> suspension seat post with the Wilder Cycle mount/brake attachment so i can
> have the suspension, brake and a miyata air seat.
>
> Those of you who own or have any specifics on these awesome muni’s please give
> me your opinions on them and what you think is the best thing to get. Anyone
> know how good the hub and cranks are on the DM vortex??
>
>
> Thanks for any input you guys have… Mike

4

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

The DM Vortex is a good muni and the Hunter with a Profile hub is a good muni.
You can’t really go wrong with either one.

I have a DM Vortex with a 26"x3" wheel. It suits me well, but I’m already
making plans for getting a second muni with a 24" wheel. I got the Vortex a few
months before the Profile hub became available. At the time the DM’s were the
only ones available with a strong splined hub. The 26x3 is good for rolling
over things on the trails, but not so good for jumping with. A 24x3 wheel is
better if you like to jump.

The DM Vortex is a good frame and DM always does a top notch job on the bearing
holders for any uni that he makes.

The brake is an interesting option but really isn’t too practical the majority
of the time. Most of the time the brake just gets in the way. 98% of the time I
ride without the brake mounted. There just aren’t very many situations where the
brake is necessary or useful. The nice thing about the Magura’s is that it is
easy to take them off and put them back on. And when you put them back on they
are instantly back in alignment. Kris Holm can make good use of a brake, but I
just don’t have the necessary skills.

My main problem with the Magura rim brake is that they jab me in the calf when I
hop and jump. It ends up leaving a bruise on my calf after a ride. A disk brake
would fix that problem, but disk brakes are still on the drawing board. The
brake lever is also something that is just begging to be broken on a ride and
the brake cable has a way of getting in the way when you try to catch the uni
after an unplanned dismount. All in all the rim brake is a bit of a pain. I
wouldn’t let the presence or lack of a brake sway your decision too much.

The Hunter is also a very nice frame and the Hunter frame is stiffer than the
Vortex. With the Profile hub the Hunter is one hot muni.

Both the DM hub and the Profile hub are strong. I don’t think anyone has managed
to break one yet. Cranks have been broken, but the hubs have stayed intact. Kris
Holm does his trials stuff on a DMATU with a DM hub.

Consider a 24x3 tire especially if you want to add a suspension post. A 26x3
tire is big (its diameter is about 28") and doesn’t leave you much room for a
suspension post unless you have real long legs. I’m 6’ tall and I’m not sure
I’ve got enough room for an effective suspension post. When you consider that
with the Wilder rail mount you loose about an inch of post and add to that a
double-thick Roach seat and I’ve only got about 3.5" of post above the neck of
the uni. A 24" wheel is also lighter and stronger than a 26" wheel. The rolling
diameter of a 24x3 tire is just a little less than a 26" standard MTB tire so
you’re not loosing very much compared to a regular 26" MTB wheel.

Any muni with a strong splined hub and a fat DH tire is going to be heavy. A 3"
tire is going to be about 3 pounds and the tube adds about another half a pound.
The hub is heavy. Add it all up and you’re going to end up with a heavy muni,
but all the weight is in the wheel. But once you try a 3" tire and a strong hub
that allows you to jump off things you’ll never want to ride anything else.

john_childs

>From: “Mike” <king@enel.ucalgary.ca>
>
>Well, my trusty old miyata deluxe just doesn’t quite cut it anymore for
>mountain unicycling. I have to go WAY to easy on it to keep it intact. So its
>time for a strong new MUNI!
>
>So, I want to get a new Muni and price is less of a concern than strength,
>quailty, comfort and did I say strength? I’m been looking at the few best ones
>online from Hunter and DM. I like the DM 26" vortex being ready with a
>hydraulic brake and of course the 3" DH tire. However, I want to have a
>suspension seat post with the Wilder Cycle mount/brake attachment so i can have
>the suspension, brake and a miyata air seat.
>
>Those of you who own or have any specifics on these awesome muni’s please give
>me your opinions on them and what you think is the best thing to get. Anyone
>know how good the hub and cranks are on the DM vortex??
>
>
>Thanks for any input you guys have… Mike
>
>

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

5

RE: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

> Well, my trusty old miyata deluxe just doesn’t quite cut it anymore for
> mountain unicycling.

Miyatas are light and stiff, but not strong when it comes to MUni. Their other
weakness is a narrow frame, so wide tires just don’t fit.

I have read the advice from the other MUniers. Good stuff. Believe the riders
who own the cycles, as they should know best. From there allow for differences
in taste and riding style.

I have a Roger Davies MK-5 carbon, and a DM ATU. My carbon is a beautiful
machine, with suspension post and computer on it, but unfortunately it does not
fit a Gazzalodi 2.6 (or other wide) tire. Ever since I got the Gazz on my ATU,
the poor carbon has stayed clean in the garage.

The ATU frame I have fits the 2.6 tire, but will not fit a 3.0. I don’t know if
later frames are wider. There is no comparison to riding on one of these wide
tires. As others have said, you can just plow right through all kinds of stuff,
and ride over other stuff you couldn’t with your narrower tire.

I also like my ATU because it has the splined crankset. If Kris Holm can’t break
it, I have nothing to worry about. I will probably have the axle that’s in there
until I wear out the cycle.

My ATU has a Miyata air seat and a custom post. I cut the top off the post
that came with it, and welded on a new plate with a gusset and front plate, to
keep the Miyata seat rigid. This design could have been improved by using
aluminum, but my friendly neighborhood welder (unicyclist Terrell Williams)
can only do steel.

If you get the Vortex you have the brake, and room for basically any tire. It
will weigh more, but it’s got more on it. Hunter frames are also nice and rigid.
A Hunter frame with the new splined axle from UnicycleSource will also make a
great cycle.

I think the only reason nobody mentioned Telford is that I don’t know if you
can use a splined axle on there, and it’s impossible to know the delivery date.
But in my opinion the Telford frame is the best looking, and best-finished
building job.

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com

“Are they going to use parachutes?” – my nephew Cameron, 8, watching skydivers
come out of the plane at the Beale Air Show

6

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

“John Foss” <john_foss@asinet.com> wrote in message
news:52CD02C3DAD2D411A3170002A528514206B396@SERVER…
> [bunch of good stuff]

> I think the only reason nobody mentioned Telford is that I don’t know if
you
> can use a splined axle on there, and it’s impossible to know the delivery
> date. But in my opinion the Telford frame is the best looking, and
> best-finished building job.

Well, I can tell you the Poznanter/Profile hub with 24x3 Gazz works great in my
Telford. I just upgraded on Tuesday and tested it Wednesday: 22 miles, 4600’
climbing. Verdict so far: works great. VERY solid. I am up to 3+’ drops which
seemed to be ok on my old (Telford Deluxe) hub, but now I have more confidence.
The spacing with the frame works out so well that you only have to use two of
the three supplied washers on each side, one on each side of the bearing,
meaning that the pedals aren’t so far apart as on others I’ve ridden. This
assumes you grind down the sprocket attachment thing on the right crank.

I don’t know what the “best” MUNI available is (or even what that really means).
It really depends on a lot of things. The upgrades I’ve done lately to my
Telford (carbon air seat, Wilder bracket allowing seat angle and front-to-back
to be adjusted, Poznanter hub w/Profile cranks) are great, and as soon as I can
ditch the Miyata handle for an ergo-Chris Reeder handle, I will be set. If the
whole setup could weigh 5 pounds less, I would be in heaven. I’ve also recently
upgraded my MBIKE to a Ti frame, super light and strong - if all the MUNI parts
could be made of Ti, it would be fantastic. By the time that happens though,
I’ll probably be too old to enjoy it!

—Nathan

7

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

Greetings

In message “RE: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?”, John
Foss wrote…
>> Well, my trusty old miyata deluxe just doesn’t quite cut it anymore for
>> mountain unicycling.
>
>Miyatas are light and stiff, but not strong when it comes to MUni. Their other
>weakness is a narrow frame, so wide tires just don’t fit.

Miyata is in the process of studying the various Munies out there based on onfo
on the web tec., and will release a commercial Muni onm the market – I don’t
know when.

Regards, Jack Halpern President, The CJK Dictionary Institute, Inc.
http://www.cjk.org Phone: +81-48e$B!]e(B473e$B!]e(B3508

8

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

Nathan Hoover wrote:

> I’ve also recently upgraded my MBIKE to a Ti frame, super light and strong -
> if all the MUNI parts could be made of Ti, it would be fantastic. By the time
> that happens though, I’ll probably be too old to enjoy it!

It could be available very quickly if you want it. The problem isn’t
availability. I live in a place where there is tons of aircraft manufacturing,
and therefore lots of businesses who can do custom fabrication with exotic
materials like titanium. I’ve been told it would be very easy to find a shop
here that would make titanium unicycle frames. I haven’t really investigated it,
but I expect that the problem would be a prohibitive price.

If someone wants to shell out for that, and can provide a reliable design, I can
look into fab shops.

Greg

“Wow, I didn’t know being a super hero could be so painful.”

9

RE: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

> Miyata is in the process of studying the various Munies out there based on
> onfo on the web tec., and will release a commercial Muni onm the market – I
> don’t know when.

I hope they will talk to us (riders) first…

I highly recommend Roger Davies, Kris Holm, Bruce Bundy, Nathan Hoover, Geoffrey
Faraghan, me, etc.

John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com

“Are they going to use parachutes?” – my nephew Cameron, 8, watching skydivers
come out of the plane at the Beale Air Show

10

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

Greetings

In message “RE: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?”, John
Foss wrote…
>> Miyata is in the process of studying the various Munies out there based on
>> onfo on the web tec., and will release a commercial Muni onm the market – I
>> don’t know when.
>
>I hope they will talk to us (riders) first…
>
>I highly recommend Roger Davies, Kris Holm, Bruce Bundy, Nathan Hoover,
>Geoffrey Faraghan, me, etc.

I will convey the message.

>John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com www.unicycling.com
>
>“Are they going to use parachutes?” – my nephew Cameron, 8, watching
>skydivers come out of the plane at the Beale Air Show
>

Regards, Jack Halpern President, The CJK Dictionary Institute, Inc.
http://www.cjk.org Phone: +81-48e$B!]e(B473e$B!]e(B3508

11

Re: What’s the best MUNI available. Opinions please?

In my case the problem isn’t prohibive cost (I think!) but time to deal with it
all. It’s not just the frame, but the seat adapter and maybe cranks etc etc. I
also think we probably need another year or two of refining to get a design
that’s really worthy of such a project. I look forward to the day!

—Nathan

“Greg House” <ghouse@spammenot.southwind.net> wrote in message
news:A3GB6.799$3n4.352616@nntp2.onemain.com…
> Nathan Hoover wrote:
>
> > I’ve also recently upgraded my MBIKE to a Ti frame, super light and strong -
> > if all the MUNI parts could be made of
Ti,
> > it would be fantastic. By the time that happens though, I’ll probably be too
> > old to enjoy it!
>
> It could be available very quickly if you want it. The problem isn’t
> availability. I live in a place where there is tons of aircraft manufacturing,
> and therefore lots of businesses who can do custom fabrication with exotic
> materials like titanium. I’ve been told it would
be
> very easy to find a shop here that would make titanium unicycle frames. I
> haven’t really investigated it, but I expect that the problem would be a
> prohibitive price.
>
> If someone wants to shell out for that, and can provide a reliable design, I
> can look into fab shops.
>
> Greg

12

TITANIUM

> If someone wants to shell out for that, and can provide a reliable
> design, I can look into fab shops.

I would love to have one of those! Back in 1985 when the Semcycles first
came out, I joked about someday having a “Fosscycle”, which would of
course have a titanium frame.

If prototypes are to be made, they should probably start simple, with
a design that may not be the most elegant but that is guaranteed to be
functional (because it will be expensive). I don’t have designs of my
own to offer, but I might offer to jump in if somebody else wants to
go for it.

Stay on top, John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone jfoss@unicycling.com
www.unicycling.com

“Are they going to use parachutes?” – my nephew Cameron, 8, watching
skydivers come out of the plane at the Beale Air Show