Let me tap your MUni wisdom...

[ratherbekayaking]

Okay, so I've decided that the time for me to upgrade from the 24 inch Torker to a MUni is now. I was looking at the Yuni 26-inch MUni shown here:

Yuni 26-inch MUni

It comes with the Wide Bite 26 x 3.0 DH tire from Arrow Racing.

I want it to be able to have the option to someday upgrade to the 3 inch Gazzaloddi that everyone talks so much about too. I remember reading posts from a few weeks past that some 3 inch tires are wider than others and that the Gazzaloddi was the widest. Can any Yuni riders tell me if the Gazzaloddi fit this frame or will it rub? I was gonna get the double wide rim.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Ed Hansen

[Unispin]

the gazz comes in 26 x 3.0?

[Scott Stephens]

Yes, the gazz comes in 26x3. The thing is a 24x3 doesnt fit in a 24' yuni frame. When you get a yuni frame and a 24 gazz it is a 26 frame. I am not sure if a 26 gazz fits in a 26" yuni frame.
Its the tops that rubs not the sides.

Scott

[rhysling]

Originally posted by Scott Stephens
Yes, the gazz comes in 26x3. The thing is a 24x3 doesnt fit in a 24' yuni frame.

Ah, yes- and the 36" Coker wheel wont fit in a 24" yuni frame, either.

I'm sure The Source will use the 28" Lucifer/NimbusII/Yuni fork; clearance over the top will be adiquet (or a word that sounds like that), with a bit less than a centemeter on the sides. I don't have any complaints with my Gazz/Lucifer combo...

Take head, though: some say that the 3" x 26" Gazz is way too heavy. Cross country on trails or with a minimal amount of technical climbing might be better served by the 2.6 (no personal experience here, just regurgitating a bunch of past threads). If you plan on climbing a bunch, consider the 24 x 3 Gazz- with it's very high volume, the effective wheel diameter is around that of a 26" street cycle.

Anybody who actualy rides both a 26 x 2.6 or 3 have some comments?

-Christopher

[gmoore]

Christopher wrote:
Anybody who actualy rides both a 26 x 2.6 or 3 have some comments?

Just swapped out a Kenda 26" x 2.6" for a Gazz 26" x 3" and went for the first street ride (20km) this morning. Pumped up hard (too hard for me) it's more responsive on the road than I expected. Noticed the weight difference picking the uni up (heavy DH tube too) but couldn't notice the difference while riding. Hope to get it in the dirt sometime soon.

Cheers, Greg

[Checkernuts]

What kind of Muni do you want to do RBK?

Most people I think use the 24" with a 3" tire. It becomes a virtual 26" uni. If you downloaded NBrazzi's video you can see me riding his big 26" muni. I found it to be fun and fast. But I think it would be too combersome for aggressive Muni. But if your going for more XC style of riding I think it might be just thing thing to be on.

Mr. Nutz

[john_childs]

Originally posted by Unispin
the gazz comes in 26 x 3.0?

Yes. I have a 26 x 3 Gazz on my DM Vortex. There are also other 3" tires in a 26" size besides the Gazz.

[john_childs]

Originally posted by ratherbekayaking
Okay, so I've decided that the time for me to upgrade from the 24 inch Torker to a MUni is now. I was looking at the Yuni 26-inch MUni shown here:

Before you start looking at a 26x3 muni, be certain that it's the best size for you. A 24x3 is more likely to be a better size for most people. The 26x3 is a bit of an oddball and may or may not be a good choice for the type of riding you plan to do.

A 24x3 wheel is noticeably lighter than a 26x3. This makes a difference in hopping. It is not as much fun to try to jump up over a log on a 26x3 as a 24x3. The extra weight also affects how much effort it takes to pedal and maneuver the unicycle. The 24x3 has a wheel diameter close to a regular 26" MTB wheel. The 26x3 has a wheel diameter close to a 28" wheel.

A 26x3 muni is not as maneuverable as a 24x3. Trying to make switchback turns is more difficult on a 26x3. The extra weight of the wheel is one factor that makes it harder to maneuver along with the extra diameter of the wheel. Another factor is that the 26x3 tires have a tread designed for the front wheel while the 24x3 tires usually have a tread designed for the rear wheel. A rear wheel tread will do better with an action-reaction or other aggressive turn. A front wheel tread resist action-reaction type turns, if the tread design didn't resist action-reaction type turns the front wheel on bikes would washout on hard turns and the bike guys don't like that. The 24x3 Gazz has a rear wheel tread. The 26x3 Gazz has a front wheel tread.

I have both a 24x3 muni and a 26x3 muni. The 24x3 is the best for all-round aggressive riding. The 26x3 is good for aggressive trail rides that don't involve a lot of hopping but still has rocks and drops and roots. The 26x3 is not a good choice for a trail that has a lot of sharp technical turns or switchback turns next to a cliff. There have been times where I have missed a switchback turn on my 26x3 because the muni didn't turn hard enough or fast enough. Fortunately the switchbacks were not on a cliff where missing the switchback would have grave consequences. A 26x3 can do drops, but a 26" wheel is not as strong as a 24" wheel.

Where the 26x3 is nice is for going a little bit faster and getting a little more "flow" in a swoopy roller-coastery type of trail. When I'm on the 26x3 I find that I experience "flow" more often than when I'm on the 24x3. On the right kind of trail the 26x3 is wonderful.

I've been very happy with my 26x3, but I ride my 24x3 more than the 26x3 because the 24x3 is better for all-round riding.

The 26x3 is a bit too heavy for ultimate XC speed. If your goal is to ride fast in a race a 29er would probably be faster unless the trail had lots of roots and rocks where the 26x3 could just plow through while the 29er had to slow down.

The 26x3 is an oddball and not good in all situations. The 24x3 is a better all-round size for a larger variety of trail conditions and a better choice for most people.

[ratherbekayaking]

Thanks for all the input! As you all know, I'm fairly (but not spanking), new to the unicycle scene. SPANKING new to the MUni scene.

I was plaining to mostly trail and small drops (along the trail) riding. Anyone who has been to Chaffee County in Colorado knows that we have trails in every direction. Ranging from gentle to some that are crazy steep. Dry rocky trails with a few roots here and there, not any of that lush forests you see in Washington state or Eastern USA. We do have fifteen 14,000+ foot peaks in the county. Trails include the Colorado Trail which passes about 5 miles from my home. I'm about 3-4 hours to Fruita CO, and 4-5 hours from Moab so I think I'll find myself (trying) to MUni in those areas as well this summer.

That's what I'll be looking at riding, minus the 14ers, at least for a while. (Long while).

I had been thinking that the 26 inch would make it a tad faster going and checking the PO BOX and shopping trips that I do now on the Torker 24. I would evently elevate my sights on hopping up logs and dropping off little 2-3 foot walls and such that seem to be found all over town and wherever.

Not much sense using the Gazz on pavement anyway. Kinda like when I bought Triple Stage Lug SuperSwamper Mud tires for my 4x4 when I was stationed in Georgia, then rode them bald by driving from Augusta to Atlanta every weekend.

Based of what I'm reading here, I think I'll just go for a 24 inch MUni. It sounds like that will alow me to move up and not need a 2nd Muni later. Also, as someone said, better to buy a Muni that COMES with a Gazz so you know it will fit. And I think I'll find a reasonably priced 28+ inch uni for commuting/shopping trips for on the road. (anyone selling a coker?) 3 miles to work on a newly paved county road, only 2 right-angle turnes, no houses or curbs, wide shoulder..... blah blah blah, that kind of stuff.

I think this Uni thing is gonna be alot like kayaking. Ya gotta have a kayak for playing, another for creeking, another for big water, another for downriver, etc... so I have 5 kayaks and it looks like I'll have just as many unicycles.

The Muni will be #3 and a commuter will be #4..... gotta get a 20 inch too. Okay, now I'm babbling, (and in dreamy land). Thank God I don't have a wife around here to limit me.

I'll let you know what I decide on. Now, gotta go and evaluate all the MUni 24s.

I'm stoked.... thanks again!

See you at Moab MUniFest.

ps... If any of you whitewater kayak as well, I'm leading a trip(s) down Westwater in the days before or after (or both) the MUniFest.

pps.... I tend to be long winded. You will notice this as I post more often.

Ed Hansen

[Unispin]

5 kayaks!!! jeez your rich! what do you need each one for? creeking, Squirting, rodeo, river running, surf, slolam, DR, C1, OC1, OC1 playboat, C2

god.....

LIQUID LOGIC SKIP!!!

[U-Turn]

Just to throw in another option... I have a Pashley MUni with a Tioga Factory DH 26x2.5 tire on it. The 2.5 is lighter than the Gazz 26x3.0 and the Tioga has a non-directional tread. I spent some time looking for a 2.5/2.6 with a non-directional tread and it was worth it. It has a rounder profile too which seems to track better for me than the Kenda Kolossal. The Tioga rides dry, mud, and snow nicely and hops nicely as well. It's less expensive too! I'm not hopping over logs with it yet but it's just a matter of time; no equipment change required.

[ratherbekayaking]

Originally posted by Unispin
5 kayaks!!! jeez your rich! what do you need each one for? creeking, Squirting, rodeo, river running, surf, slolam, DR, C1, OC1, OC1 playboat, C2

god.....

LIQUID LOGIC SKIP!!!

Yep, I'm a "boat-slut".

THe Wavesport BigEZ is THEE bigwater/playboat. I have 2. I broke the first.
I have a Prijon Embudo for creeking/self-supported multi day trips. Only got to use it a couple times last year, with the drought and all. Hoping for better luck this year.
My older boats are the Riot Slice and the Prijon Samurai. Sold the Dagger Crossfire long ago, my first boat.
No OC here! I went straight to the darkside.

And yes, the Skip is a nice boat. But can you loop it?

Oh!!!! I almost forgot! THe Embudo is pillarless, which means that the whole back end is one big giant hole. I might be able to fit a 24 inch Uni in there! Actually, no, cause it's not as wide in the back. But A 20 inch for sure! I'll have to check this out ASAP. I'll get a 20 inch soon. The boat is 26 inches wide in the middle so I should have room to play with. I can just see it. We all stop for lunch in the middle of the canyon. They all pull out granola bars and apples, and I pull out a unicycle and start riding/hopping around.

Maybe I'll come out with the first kayak/uni porn video.

oh, and beofre I forget..... Here's what I just finished ordering on Unicycle.com:

"Yuni 24-inch MUni
An affordable complete off-road unicycle with 24 x 3.0 downhill tire!
Base price $299.00
Features/Options:
Frame Finish Gloss Black paint (upgrade) Add $10.00
Tire Preference Nokian Gazzaloddi 3.0 (upgrade) Add $32.00
Rim Preference Sun Doublewide (upgrade) Add $40.00
Saddle Color Red"

....and a keychain.

I understand that when you buy the 24 inch with the Gazz upgrade, they send you the 26 frame anyway. Get me a 26 inch whole-wheel-assembly to swap out and I have a street uni for going to work. killer.

I think I'll have a drink to celebrate. Dang! No beer in the house!

Ed

[john_childs]

Originally posted by ratherbekayaking


I think I'll have a drink to celebrate. Dang! No beer in the house!

Nice muni. My first MUni was a Pashley with several upgrades (cranks, saddle, wheel, etc.). Overall it cost more and was less MUni than your YUni. You're gonna have fun.

But you might want to change the order to the Velo saddle instead of the Miyata. I'm not at all impressed with the current Miyata saddles (especially the cracking handles). The Velo should last you longer than the Miyata.

Don't worry about the lack of beer. I'm finishing off a bottle of wine that I got for Christmas for ya.

[ratherbekayaking]

Originally posted by john_childs

Nice muni. My first MUni was a Pashley with several upgrades (cranks, saddle, wheel, etc.). Overall it cost more and was less MUni than your YUni. You're gonna have fun.

But you might want to change the order to the Velo saddle instead of the Miyata. I'm not at all impressed with the current Miyata saddles (especially the cracking handles). The Velo should last you longer than the Miyata.

Don't worry about the lack of beer. I'm finishing off a bottle of wine that I got for Christmas for ya.

I got a Kris Holm seat that I recently added to my Torker. It's coming off the Torker and onto the Muni, and the Torker gets the hand-me-down. The Savage giraffe already has the torker seat. I still need to get around to dowsing the savage seat with gasoline and have a B-B-Q..... Maybe I'll wait till there are more uni-people around to enjoy it. Moab?

[joe]

I have a UDC MaxTraction with a 26 x 2.6 Gazz on. I was thinking at first of putting the 3" on, but i dont really need it! I do some really muddy MUniing, and ive found that the 2.6" is fine.
Yes it is a bit bulky to Jump around on, (thats why i got a UDC Trials), but its really fun downhill streches.

Im about to go out on it now, so see ya's later,

Joe