24" or 26"?

Hey John,
LIFE IS SHORT! Get a Coker or 29. You said you are looking to cover
distance and you already own a 20' so get a BIGGER tire. I had a 24'
and it's not much difference. You will still be squirreling around. On
a Coker or 29' it's a whole new LEVEL of riding a uni. If you ACTUALLY
want to compete with bike riders and even PASS them then get a Coker! I
PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT!! 🙂

--
leadpan

"Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever" - Lance Armstrong
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/44390

Yeah i had the Nimbus 24" Muni, no problems with the frame, I tried the
26" over the summer too, it is noticeably faster on the flat. The main
reason I chose the 24" was so I could do some trials too, the 26"
really gets too big for any kind of street/trials riding. I've broken
the hub, cranks, bearings, seatpost clamp and seat so far, but If you
don't jump around on it alot the first three should be fine (better
hubs these days) , and the seats are stronger now then when i bought it
aswell. Go for the 26", it will be noticeably quicker covering
distance, and still climb most hills you're likely to come across on
trails.

--
kington99

Dave

- what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Yeah i had the Nimbus 24" Muni, no problems with the frame, I tried the
26" over the summer too, it is noticeably faster on the flat. The main
reason I chose the 24" was so I could do some trials too, the 26"
really gets too big for any kind of street/trials riding. I've broken
the hub, cranks, bearings, seatpost clamp and seat so far, but If you
don't jump around on it alot the first three should be fine (better
hubs these days) , and the seats are stronger now then when i bought it
aswell. Go for the 26", it will be noticeably quicker covering
distance, and still climb most hills you're likely to come across on
trails.

--
kington99

Dave

- what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -
------------------------------------------------------------------------
kington99's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/9417
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/44390

Yeah i had the Nimbus 24" Muni, no problems with the frame, I tried the
26" over the summer too, it is noticeably faster on the flat. The main
reason I chose the 24" was so I could do some trials too, the 26"
really gets too big for any kind of street/trials riding. I've broken
the hub, cranks, bearings, seatpost clamp and seat so far, but If you
don't jump around on it alot the first three should be fine (better
hubs these days) , and the seats are stronger now then when i bought it
aswell. Go for the 26", it will be noticeably quicker covering
distance, and still climb most hills you're likely to come across on
trails.

--
kington99

Dave

- what a thoroughly post-modern subversion of the cycling genre -
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ditch said:

Thanks for the info on Nimbus - I had thought the main issue was around
its strength. Are there any others at a similar price? Most of the
alternatives seem to be more than £100 more, which would require some
re-negotiation!

I've had a Nimbus for over a year and it has served me well with very
little maintenance. I don't do large drops so splined cranks didn't
matter to me. I don't regret getting it, as long as you don't reckon
you'll upgrade then it should be fine.

But when that bug bites... 😎

--
unigamer

'Unigamer's Album' (http://nbog.co.uk/album/index.php)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ditch said:

Thanks for the info on Nimbus - I had thought the main issue was around
its strength. Are there any others at a similar price? Most of the
alternatives seem to be more than £100 more, which would require some
re-negotiation!

I've had a Nimbus for over a year and it has served me well with very
little maintenance. I don't do large drops so splined cranks didn't
matter to me. I don't regret getting it, as long as you don't reckon
you'll upgrade then it should be fine.

But when that bug bites... 😎

--
unigamer

'Unigamer's Album' (http://nbog.co.uk/album/index.php)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ditch said:

Thanks for the info on Nimbus - I had thought the main issue was around
its strength. Are there any others at a similar price? Most of the
alternatives seem to be more than £100 more, which would require some
re-negotiation!

I've had a Nimbus for over a year and it has served me well with very
little maintenance. I don't do large drops so splined cranks didn't
matter to me. I don't regret getting it, as long as you don't reckon
you'll upgrade then it should be fine.

But when that bug bites... 😎

--
unigamer

'Unigamer's Album' (http://nbog.co.uk/album/index.php)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ditch said:

As I am looking
at distance rather than technical, big drops etc then thought 26 would
be better, but will I regret it eg when climbing hills?

This is your specification: a uni that will do reasonable distance off
road, rather than pure technical stuff. A cross country unicycle, if
you like. The tradition in this forum is for people to recommend what
-they have-, rather than what --you need--, so read all replies with
that thought in mind.

Your choices are wider than 24/26.

Your choices are 24, 26, 29 or Coker.

24 has strong wheel, light weight, reasonable tyre selection, very
manoeuvreable, good on steep hills, comparatively slow.

26 has strong wheel, slightly heavier, better at rolling over broken
ground, good tyre selection.

29 is heavier, faster, much better at rolling over broken ground. Less
manoevreable. More of a handful on hills.

Coker: heavy, unwieldy, very limited tyre selection, but barnstorming
fun.

All four sizes can be ridden aggressively off road.

A 26 is a good compromise. Mine is good for 10 -15 mile rides on tough
ground, but nimble enough to weave between obstacles. if I bought a
specialist MUni tomorrow, knowing what I now know, I might choose a 24
with a fat tyre, or I might choose a 26 with a fat tyre. I'd use a 29
as a cross country machine on wide but rough tracks, and a Coker
because it's a Coker.

A 24 is noticeable easier up steep hills. A 26 is noticeably easier
over broken and boggy ground.

Whichever you choose will be a compromise: that is the beauty of
unicycling. Every non-geared uni is a selection of wheel diameter,
crank length and tyre section. It will be good at some things, bad at
others. There is no perfect all rounder.

A 24 inch wheel will fit in a 26 inch frame...

--
Mikefule

dit dit diddle iddle dit dit... BANG! ow ow ow! that nasty
unincyclinge man has deaded me! naughty unincyclinge man!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ditch said:

As I am looking
at distance rather than technical, big drops etc then thought 26 would
be better, but will I regret it eg when climbing hills?

This is your specification: a uni that will do reasonable distance off
road, rather than pure technical stuff. A cross country unicycle, if
you like. The tradition in this forum is for people to recommend what
-they have-, rather than what --you need--, so read all replies with
that thought in mind.

Your choices are wider than 24/26.

Your choices are 24, 26, 29 or Coker.

24 has strong wheel, light weight, reasonable tyre selection, very
manoeuvreable, good on steep hills, comparatively slow.

26 has strong wheel, slightly heavier, better at rolling over broken
ground, good tyre selection.

29 is heavier, faster, much better at rolling over broken ground. Less
manoevreable. More of a handful on hills.

Coker: heavy, unwieldy, very limited tyre selection, but barnstorming
fun.

All four sizes can be ridden aggressively off road.

A 26 is a good compromise. Mine is good for 10 -15 mile rides on tough
ground, but nimble enough to weave between obstacles. if I bought a
specialist MUni tomorrow, knowing what I now know, I might choose a 24
with a fat tyre, or I might choose a 26 with a fat tyre. I'd use a 29
as a cross country machine on wide but rough tracks, and a Coker
because it's a Coker.

A 24 is noticeable easier up steep hills. A 26 is noticeably easier
over broken and boggy ground.

Whichever you choose will be a compromise: that is the beauty of
unicycling. Every non-geared uni is a selection of wheel diameter,
crank length and tyre section. It will be good at some things, bad at
others. There is no perfect all rounder.

A 24 inch wheel will fit in a 26 inch frame...

--
Mikefule

dit dit diddle iddle dit dit... BANG! ow ow ow! that nasty
unincyclinge man has deaded me! naughty unincyclinge man!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/44390

Ditch said:

As I am looking
at distance rather than technical, big drops etc then thought 26 would
be better, but will I regret it eg when climbing hills?

This is your specification: a uni that will do reasonable distance off
road, rather than pure technical stuff. A cross country unicycle, if
you like. The tradition in this forum is for people to recommend what
-they have-, rather than what --you need--, so read all replies with
that thought in mind.

Your choices are wider than 24/26.

Your choices are 24, 26, 29 or Coker.

24 has strong wheel, light weight, reasonable tyre selection, very
manoeuvreable, good on steep hills, comparatively slow.

26 has strong wheel, slightly heavier, better at rolling over broken
ground, good tyre selection.

29 is heavier, faster, much better at rolling over broken ground. Less
manoevreable. More of a handful on hills.

Coker: heavy, unwieldy, very limited tyre selection, but barnstorming
fun.

All four sizes can be ridden aggressively off road.

A 26 is a good compromise. Mine is good for 10 -15 mile rides on tough
ground, but nimble enough to weave between obstacles. if I bought a
specialist MUni tomorrow, knowing what I now know, I might choose a 24
with a fat tyre, or I might choose a 26 with a fat tyre. I'd use a 29
as a cross country machine on wide but rough tracks, and a Coker
because it's a Coker.

A 24 is noticeable easier up steep hills. A 26 is noticeably easier
over broken and boggy ground.

Whichever you choose will be a compromise: that is the beauty of
unicycling. Every non-geared uni is a selection of wheel diameter,
crank length and tyre section. It will be good at some things, bad at
others. There is no perfect all rounder.

A 24 inch wheel will fit in a 26 inch frame...

--
Mikefule

dit dit diddle iddle dit dit... BANG! ow ow ow! that nasty
unincyclinge man has deaded me! naughty unincyclinge man!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/44390

I would recommend the 29er. It is a significantly cheaper than a coker,
and you can cover a lot of distance. If you are looking to do fun
things like go down stairs, wheelwalk, and do freestyle tricks...go
with a 24...or even a better 20" than the one you have now. For your
purposes...I wouldnt recommend the 26 at all.

--
siafirede
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I would recommend the 29er. It is a significantly cheaper than a coker,
and you can cover a lot of distance. If you are looking to do fun
things like go down stairs, wheelwalk, and do freestyle tricks...go
with a 24...or even a better 20" than the one you have now. For your
purposes...I wouldnt recommend the 26 at all.

--
siafirede
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I would recommend the 29er. It is a significantly cheaper than a coker,
and you can cover a lot of distance. If you are looking to do fun
things like go down stairs, wheelwalk, and do freestyle tricks...go
with a 24...or even a better 20" than the one you have now. For your
purposes...I wouldnt recommend the 26 at all.

--
siafirede
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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leadpan said:

Hey John,
LIFE IS SHORT! Get a Coker or 29. You said you are looking to cover
distance and you already own a 20' so get a BIGGER tire. I had a 24'
and it's not much difference. You will still be squirreling around. On
a Coker or 29' it's a whole new LEVEL of riding a uni. If you ACTUALLY
want to compete with bike riders and even PASS them then get a Coker! I
PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT!! 🙂

The nice thing about a 24" is that a 3" tyre works well on it- I use a
24x3 for most of my riding (3" contra rather than a Gazz)- that set-up
is definitly nothing like a 20" and will not be squirrely.

I've also had a 26x3, but found the 3" tyre wasn't as suitable as on
the 24"- faster, but, IMO, too heavy. I prefer a 29-er set-up over the
26x3.

Bear in mind that a 24x3 is not a 24"- it's actual diameter is closer
to a 26" wheel.

My favourite ride is currently the 24x3" (a Nimbus- I've never found
the frame to be anything but good), but part of the reason is that I
live in a very hilly area.

My feeling is that you won't regret getting a 24x3", but I'd definitly
stay away from a 24"-er with less than a 3" tyre- the fat tyre makes a
huge difference in ridability if you're going off road.

I also enjoyed the Nimbus 29, though, due to the hills, I installed 150
mm cranks rather than the more usual 125's; I just find the 24x3 to be
a good compromise for off-roading, moderate distance, riding amongst
pedestrians; also, if my riding gets intermittent, i find the 24x3 to
be something I can ride well if I've gone a few weeks without riding
(more so than the 29-er).

But, the extra speed of the 29-er is very nice.

--
onewheeldave

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the [censored] work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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leadpan said:

Hey John,
LIFE IS SHORT! Get a Coker or 29. You said you are looking to cover
distance and you already own a 20' so get a BIGGER tire. I had a 24'
and it's not much difference. You will still be squirreling around. On
a Coker or 29' it's a whole new LEVEL of riding a uni. If you ACTUALLY
want to compete with bike riders and even PASS them then get a Coker! I
PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT!! 🙂

The nice thing about a 24" is that a 3" tyre works well on it- I use a
24x3 for most of my riding (3" contra rather than a Gazz)- that set-up
is definitly nothing like a 20" and will not be squirrely.

I've also had a 26x3, but found the 3" tyre wasn't as suitable as on
the 24"- faster, but, IMO, too heavy. I prefer a 29-er set-up over the
26x3.

Bear in mind that a 24x3 is not a 24"- it's actual diameter is closer
to a 26" wheel.

My favourite ride is currently the 24x3" (a Nimbus- I've never found
the frame to be anything but good), but part of the reason is that I
live in a very hilly area.

My feeling is that you won't regret getting a 24x3", but I'd definitly
stay away from a 24"-er with less than a 3" tyre- the fat tyre makes a
huge difference in ridability if you're going off road.

I also enjoyed the Nimbus 29, though, due to the hills, I installed 150
mm cranks rather than the more usual 125's; I just find the 24x3 to be
a good compromise for off-roading, moderate distance, riding amongst
pedestrians; also, if my riding gets intermittent, i find the 24x3 to
be something I can ride well if I've gone a few weeks without riding
(more so than the 29-er).

But, the extra speed of the 29-er is very nice.

--
onewheeldave

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the [censored] work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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leadpan said:

Hey John,
LIFE IS SHORT! Get a Coker or 29. You said you are looking to cover
distance and you already own a 20' so get a BIGGER tire. I had a 24'
and it's not much difference. You will still be squirreling around. On
a Coker or 29' it's a whole new LEVEL of riding a uni. If you ACTUALLY
want to compete with bike riders and even PASS them then get a Coker! I
PROMISE YOU WON'T REGRET IT!! 🙂

The nice thing about a 24" is that a 3" tyre works well on it- I use a
24x3 for most of my riding (3" contra rather than a Gazz)- that set-up
is definitly nothing like a 20" and will not be squirrely.

I've also had a 26x3, but found the 3" tyre wasn't as suitable as on
the 24"- faster, but, IMO, too heavy. I prefer a 29-er set-up over the
26x3.

Bear in mind that a 24x3 is not a 24"- it's actual diameter is closer
to a 26" wheel.

My favourite ride is currently the 24x3" (a Nimbus- I've never found
the frame to be anything but good), but part of the reason is that I
live in a very hilly area.

My feeling is that you won't regret getting a 24x3", but I'd definitly
stay away from a 24"-er with less than a 3" tyre- the fat tyre makes a
huge difference in ridability if you're going off road.

I also enjoyed the Nimbus 29, though, due to the hills, I installed 150
mm cranks rather than the more usual 125's; I just find the 24x3 to be
a good compromise for off-roading, moderate distance, riding amongst
pedestrians; also, if my riding gets intermittent, i find the 24x3 to
be something I can ride well if I've gone a few weeks without riding
(more so than the 29-er).

But, the extra speed of the 29-er is very nice.

--
onewheeldave

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the [censored] work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I would say that a 24x3 is not ideal if your goal is to ride distances
on non-technical or moderately-technical terrain. Yes, the wheel
diameter is about 26", but that fat tire is tiring to push over those
kinds of distances. On easy trails you can probably go faster on a
slick 24x1.75", or the stock Torker LX, than on a knobby 24x3", despite
the smaller tire diameter.

A 24x3" will help you on rocky, sandy, or muddy terrain, but overall
it's probably the slowest option, so if it's speed and distance you're
looking for, I would choose something else.

A 26x3" is marginally faster than the 24x3", but also has some of the
same issues with the energy required to push the big fat tire around.
I went with a 26x3" as a compromise; it is noticably faster than a
24x3" on easy trails, but still buff enough to handle technical stuff.
But it's a lot slower than a 29x2.1" on easy trails.

A 29er is a great unicycle for cross-country riding. As long as things
don't get too technical you can keep up good speed, and the lesser
weight compared to the hard-core MUni setup will help you on uphills.
But I wound up buying my 26x3" after I taco'ed my 29x2.1" wheel in
Moab; the 29er is just not as effective on really difficult terrain.
Some of the best times in 24-hour races have come on 29" wheels;
depending on the terrain, a 29er may be the fastest uni available.

I have not done much off-road Coker riding, but some people swear by
the big wheel. On really easy terrain, the Coker is faster than
anything else, and there are some kinds of lightly to moderately
technical terrain where the Coker will float over obstacles that you'd
need to deal with on a 29er. If there's a lot of steep up and down, or
sharp turns, a 29er's weight manuverability can make up for the speed
difference on flat ground.

--
tholub
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I would say that a 24x3 is not ideal if your goal is to ride distances
on non-technical or moderately-technical terrain. Yes, the wheel
diameter is about 26", but that fat tire is tiring to push over those
kinds of distances. On easy trails you can probably go faster on a
slick 24x1.75", or the stock Torker LX, than on a knobby 24x3", despite
the smaller tire diameter.

A 24x3" will help you on rocky, sandy, or muddy terrain, but overall
it's probably the slowest option, so if it's speed and distance you're
looking for, I would choose something else.

A 26x3" is marginally faster than the 24x3", but also has some of the
same issues with the energy required to push the big fat tire around.
I went with a 26x3" as a compromise; it is noticably faster than a
24x3" on easy trails, but still buff enough to handle technical stuff.
But it's a lot slower than a 29x2.1" on easy trails.

A 29er is a great unicycle for cross-country riding. As long as things
don't get too technical you can keep up good speed, and the lesser
weight compared to the hard-core MUni setup will help you on uphills.
But I wound up buying my 26x3" after I taco'ed my 29x2.1" wheel in
Moab; the 29er is just not as effective on really difficult terrain.
Some of the best times in 24-hour races have come on 29" wheels;
depending on the terrain, a 29er may be the fastest uni available.

I have not done much off-road Coker riding, but some people swear by
the big wheel. On really easy terrain, the Coker is faster than
anything else, and there are some kinds of lightly to moderately
technical terrain where the Coker will float over obstacles that you'd
need to deal with on a 29er. If there's a lot of steep up and down, or
sharp turns, a 29er's weight manuverability can make up for the speed
difference on flat ground.

--
tholub
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I would say that a 24x3 is not ideal if your goal is to ride distances
on non-technical or moderately-technical terrain. Yes, the wheel
diameter is about 26", but that fat tire is tiring to push over those
kinds of distances. On easy trails you can probably go faster on a
slick 24x1.75", or the stock Torker LX, than on a knobby 24x3", despite
the smaller tire diameter.

A 24x3" will help you on rocky, sandy, or muddy terrain, but overall
it's probably the slowest option, so if it's speed and distance you're
looking for, I would choose something else.

A 26x3" is marginally faster than the 24x3", but also has some of the
same issues with the energy required to push the big fat tire around.
I went with a 26x3" as a compromise; it is noticably faster than a
24x3" on easy trails, but still buff enough to handle technical stuff.
But it's a lot slower than a 29x2.1" on easy trails.

A 29er is a great unicycle for cross-country riding. As long as things
don't get too technical you can keep up good speed, and the lesser
weight compared to the hard-core MUni setup will help you on uphills.
But I wound up buying my 26x3" after I taco'ed my 29x2.1" wheel in
Moab; the 29er is just not as effective on really difficult terrain.
Some of the best times in 24-hour races have come on 29" wheels;
depending on the terrain, a 29er may be the fastest uni available.

I have not done much off-road Coker riding, but some people swear by
the big wheel. On really easy terrain, the Coker is faster than
anything else, and there are some kinds of lightly to moderately
technical terrain where the Coker will float over obstacles that you'd
need to deal with on a 29er. If there's a lot of steep up and down, or
sharp turns, a 29er's weight manuverability can make up for the speed
difference on flat ground.

--
tholub
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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tholub said:

I have not done much off-road Coker riding, but some people swear by
the big wheel.

My personal experience is that while I can go slightly faster on a
coker in offroad races, the ride is more FUN on a 29er or 26. The
exception is if the course is very smooth with no sharp corners.

I've also noticed that on the courses we've raced a given rider will
pull off almost identical lap times on a coker and 29er (in some cases
the 29er is actually faster). A 24" wheel produces significantly
slower lap times.

For pure cross country a 29er is a good choice. If you plan on
tackling a few technical obstacles which require largish drops then a
26 or 24 inch wheel is a better size. I've ridden both a 24" and 26"
offroad and find that the 24" is easier going up hills but the 26"
rolls over things nicer.

--
peter.bier

-Peter Bier
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