rec.sport.unicycling archive · Public discussion

26er vs. 29er... help!

Daino149 · 2004-04-02T13:13:15+00:00

I currently ride a 26 Road Uni. It has a Semcycle 26" frame, a 26 Nirve BadAss tire on a RhinoLite rim laced to a Suz hub. My cranks are 127mm and my saddle is a Torker/KH. Over all, I really like the performance of the Uni on the roads and some XC. I really want to put a brake on it, or get a frame that accepts brakes, but before I do I thought I would come here and ask about 29ers. I have never rode a 29er. The vast majority of my riding is on the street. How big a difference is there between a 26er and a 29er? I’m wondering in terms of speed, maneuverability, and climbing ability. I know the simple answers are: It’s faster It’s less maneuverable It doesn’t climb as well (on the same length cranks) But I want to know a little more then that. I have a 20, 24, and the 26. Putting it in terms of..."It's a bigger difference then movig from the 24 to the 26" would be nice. If I do get a 29er it will be after a MUni, unless I see a crasy deal. Like the 26er I have now I got (slightly) used for $70. If I do go with the 29er, I assume I would need brakes. My normal rides include some very hilly sections. What uni would you guys suggest? I’d like to have it at least as good quality as my sem. Daniel -- daino149 - How's it going, Texas? there ain't enough body armor in the country for me to try that. -- Ken on the mtbr forum in reference to MUni ------------------------------------------------------------------------ daino149's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/933 View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/30042

Started by Daino149 · 2 April 2004 · Last activity 2 April 2004 · 3 posts · 1,104 views

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Original section: rec.sport.unicycling archive
Published: 2 April 2004
Last activity: 2 April 2004
Original author: Daino149
Posts: 3
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 1,104
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Frame sizing Short cranks

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Original post
Daino149
Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:13 UTC #1

I currently ride a 26 Road Uni. It has a Semcycle 26" frame,
a 26 Nirve BadAss tire on a RhinoLite rim laced to a Suz
hub. My cranks are 127mm and my saddle is a Torker/KH. Over
all, I really like the performance of the Uni on the roads
and some XC. I really want to put a brake on it, or get a
frame that accepts brakes, but before I do I thought I would
come here and ask about 29ers.
I have never rode a 29er. The vast majority of my riding is
on the street. How big a difference is there between a 26er
and a 29er? I’m wondering in terms of speed,
maneuverability, and climbing ability.
I know the simple answers are: It’s faster It’s less
maneuverable It doesn’t climb as well (on the same
length cranks)
But I want to know a little more then that.
I have a 20, 24, and the 26. Putting it in terms
of..."It's a bigger difference then movig from the 24 to
the 26" would be nice.
If I do get a 29er it will be after a MUni, unless I see
a crasy deal. Like the 26er I have now I got (slightly)
used for $70.
If I do go with the 29er, I assume I would need brakes. My
normal rides include some very hilly sections. What uni
would you guys suggest? I’d like to have it at least as good
quality as my sem.
Daniel
--
daino149 - How's it going, Texas?
there ain't enough body armor in the country for me to try that. -- Ken
on the mtbr forum in reference to MUni
------------------------------------------------------------------------
daino149's Profile: unicyclist.com933
View this thread: unicyclist.com30042

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Onewheeldave
Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:13 UTC #2

tinyurl.com2ydeq
this will take you to posts I've been involved with that
concern my 29-er experiments.
'last straw, goodbye 110's' is the low point, and '29-er
update' is a recent and more positive report on my 29-ing.
Many of the threads cover my feelings on the difference
between the 29-er and my 24x3 muni; remember that a 24x3 is
effectively very close to the diameter of a 26" wheel.
Another thing I mention often is the extreme hilliness of
Sheffield where I ride, the hills are an issue with a 29-
er, but i've never been tempted to fit brakes on my 29-
er. As a general rule I never ride down anything that I
can't ride up.
The fact that you're currently using 127s on your 26" is
going to make the transition to 29" much easier; i initailly
went from the 24x3 with 150s, to 29"with 125's, later on I
rode with 125s on the 24x3 and that helped when iwent back
to the 29-er.
I like the 29 a lot, i find it takes more concentration than
a muni but love the speed and grace of it.
--
onewheeldave - Semi Skilled Unicyclist
"He's also been known to indulge in a spot of flame juggling - but it's
the Muni that really fires him up."
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Mikefule
Archived post

2 April 2004, 13:14 UTC #3

A 29 is 3 inches bigger than a 26.
A 6 is 3 inches bigger than a 3.
A 6 is twice as big as a 3.
A 29 is 11% bigger than a 26.
The point being that with larger wheel sizes, the
proportional difference of a small change in diameter is
less significant. Put simply, all other things being equal,
a 29 will be 11% ( about a ninth) faster than a 26. So if
you do 9 mph on your 26, you will do 10 mph on your 29.
But there are smoothness issues, comfort issues and control
issues. The bigger wheel will be smoother over a rough
surface, and you will therefore be more comfortable. On the
other hand, you will find the bigger wheel that bit more
difficult to control.
2 important variables: the weight of the wheel/tyre
combination, and the length of the cranks.
All other things being equal, the tyre of a 29 will be about
11% heavier, and 11% further from the centre of the hub, so
changing the speed of the wheel will be about 24% (say a
quarter) harder to speed up or slow down. I say "all other
things being equal", but this is a little artificial as it
assumes similar rim sections and tyre sections. The
principle is true, but the percentage will vary.
The fact that the wheel is harder to accelerate or
decelerate means that you will ride distances better, more
smoothly, a little faster, and be less worried by uneven
surfaces. You can get away with quite short cranks. I find
110 mm ideal on a 28. I'd perhaps go for 125 mm on a
29.
A Coker is also an option, if speed and distance is
your thing.
--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling
Sometimes I ride like a demon, sometimes like a lemon. It's an L of a
difference.
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View this thread: unicyclist.com30042

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