I think the major reason for dividing the munis up is to make it easier
for people to shop in their ability range. Or it may have been driven
mainly by the fact that there were so many unicycles fitting the muni
category that they just had to be divided up to keep the pages for
running too long.
But as the unicycles have evolved over the last few years, they have
grown and changed in ways that defy their classifications. It used to be
easy. There were "conversion" type munis, which was when you put a
knobby tire or made some other modifications to "regular" unicycles.
These were the cheap ones. The purpose-built offroad unicycles were the
more expensive ones, with Pashley at the middle-ground and the
hand-mades, like Telfords and DMs, at the high price range.
But then, Unicycle.com and others started mixing and matching an
ever-widening availability of better and better components to make all
sorts of combinations. Now there are more choices in unicycling than
ever.
But at the US Unicycle.com site, there is still a good deal of logic in
the three Rough Terrain categories:
Expert:
All these unicycles have splined cranksets. So regardless of other
details, they are all made for maximum survivability of big drops and
hard cranking.
Intermediate:
These are the higher-end of the non-splined models. These are all either
better-equipped than the Novice ones, or non-splined versions of the
cycles in the Expert category.
Novice:
These are the more-affordable, entry-level models. They have lower (less
expensive) component quality than the higher categories and are often
just right for newer riders, or light-duty off-roaders.
But yes, some of the prices today seem pretty out of whack. That's
because newer/better/cheaper unicycles are supplanting much more
expensive older models that used to be the only way to get a top quality
cycle. Things like the hand-built KH frames. The difference between
those frames and the factory-made (2004 model) versions is fairly minor,
nothing worth the difference in price. But those cycles will probably
stay listed until they sell out. At that point they will be collectors'
items.
With the new (2005) KH frames, my Wilder is no longer a unique in the
fact that it's aluminum. It's possible there may be no more of those
type of Wilders. Hopefully this will increase the future collectible
value of the one I have. At the moment, old unicycles still have very
little value except for riding...
--
johnfoss - Walkin' on the edge
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone
"jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com
"It's good to find something that makes boys into men and men into boys,
my opinion is that unicycling fits the bill." -- Lloyd Johnson
"Read the rules!" -- 'IUF Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/iuf/rulebook/) -- 'USA Rulebook'
(http://www.unicycling.org/usa/competition/)
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