Well I was musing the other day…ok,ok, it was today actually…that it would be cool to have a uni stashed at work for some quick lunch time rides and the occassional blast home from work. I don’t want to tie up my sweet 29’er with its Big Apple and I also would want to have my MUni on hand at home at all times in case a quick off road ride opportunity was to present itself. But I do have an extra Bedford frame that would fit a 26.
So why not get a 26’er set up with a nice 2.5 hookworm and some 127 mm cranks I wonder? What do you think?
I think that’s a pretty good idea, to have an ‘emergency’ unicycle handy, just in case the urge strikes you… 
Go for it. I have a 26er that I use for most of my riding. Because it’s my biggest wheel, it’s the one that I put the most mileage on it. I would suggest getting a cheaper tire then the HW. I have one on my 26er now and I don’t think it was worth it. The Nirve Badass I used to have was able to run at a lower pressure with out adverse effects and it was much lighter, not to mention cheaper.
I have 127s on the 26er now. For distance riding without many hills, i think this is the optimal length. For a while, I was thinking about switching to something shorter, but I’m not sure the loss of control and the greater concentration needed to maintain balance would be worth the increase in speed.
i have been riding my 26er with 105 cranks and i love it! it took a little practice to figure out emergency stopping routines but i have a few down now and have already put atleast 20 miles on theis current setup. i could really use a set of handlebars and a truer wheel but that comes after i have put over 100 miles on this and saved enough on public trasportation to buy the additions.
im currnently running a kenda white wall (read:cheap tire) its virtually bald since i have ridden this tire since i got the almost a year ago. the hookworm is my dream for this uni and i have a Dyno 26" firball waiting to be put on as soon as the weather get to cruising conditions.
A 26er with 5 inch cranks and a 2.5 Hookworm measures out at 27 inches. I use one for lunch rides as well and love it!
You will find though that the 29er with a 2.35 Big Apple will still feel more nimble then the 26er with a Hookworm. The weight difference is substantial! And the 26er will plow through more stuff then the 29er.
I say go for it!
There is a 26" big apple, if that helps. I don’t know where you’d get it from in Canada, but being the standard bike tyre size it shouldn’t be too hard. There’s a 26x2.0 and 26x2.35 I think.
John
I’ve never owned a 26 myself, but one thing that I like about them is that there is a really wide range of tires available for that size wheel. The Hookworm is a great unicycle tire. Kenda makes a fat whitewall which is cheaper and probably a bit lighter weight, and is actually a really nice smooth-riding cruising tire. I had one on my 24 (sold it recently) and liked it a lot. I forget what the model name is, if there is one. Unicycle.com has it on their 24" “LARGE Adult Trainer” uni; I haven’t rummaged through to see if they have it on any of their 26’s.