Most of you will know this anyway, but for those of you who haven't
experimented:
My Pashley MUni came with a cheap knobbled 1.95 section tyre. It was
horrible. The knobbles were so far apart and soft that the central row
would smear to one side, making the uni almost unrideable on a hard
surface.
I replaced this tyre with a slightly bigger one that was slightly
better. I later made an impulse purchase of a Gazzaloddi 2.3" tyre. I
bought it primarily because I'd read the name in this forum.
The Gazz gave me loads more volume and grip, but I never really got to
like the handling. The Gazzaloddi has quite a square profile (more like
a car tyre than a motorbike tyre) and the knobbles scrub as you turn on
a hard surface. If you run it at low pressure, it deforms as you turn,
and you get a wide contact patch which "cones" making the uni unpleasant
to ride.
In early August, I had a brief ride on Rob Northcott's MUni, and found
it amazingly easy to idle and steer. His tyre has a rounded cross
section, and (from memory) the knobbles are closer together so there is
less "smear".
So, a few days ago, I splashed out yet again, and bought a Maxxis Holy
Roller 2.4". This tyre has a very rounded cross section, and a tread
made of square blocks, but with no central ridge. Fitting it was a bit
tricky, but initial tests suggest it will be loads nicer to ride. When
I turn, I'm using the profile of the tyre, rather than fighting it.
OK, so I might lose some grip in the mud (the Gazz's tread is more
aggressive) but if that makes the uni more manoeuvreable and, most
importantly, more fun to ride, that's a sacrifice I'll willingly make.
The tread is clearly grippier than the Coker's and it is rare for
traction to be the primary reason for a dismount on that!
Also, on the 20, which is a Nimbus, I just replaced the original Cheng
Shin with a Maxxis Hookworm. The Cheng Shin had a very square profile.
The Hookworm is narrower, and much rounder in cross section. The
difference is spectacular. In fact, because things happen so quickly on
a small uni (I do more idling, reversing, tight turns etc.) it's taking
some getting used to.
And on the 700c, as has been well documented, I went from a cheap 35 mm
tyre to a better 28 mm one with a much rounder cross section. Again,
the steering has become much more lively.
The net effect is that all three unis are more fun to ride. The 700c
and 20 both have narrower tyres, and the MUni now has a (slightly) wider
tyre, so it isn't the volume and bounce that's made the difference, it's
the rounded pofile.
As I said, many of you already knew this. However, for the rest of you:
the difference a round-section tyre makes to the pleasure of riding is
well worth the investment.
--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling
So, do you ride with a club?
No, but I carry a heavy spanner.
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