Looking for a good MUni.

[XWonka]

Wow! Thanks again for all the feedback. Once again I'm kinda leaning back tword the Onza, knowing i can put a 3.0" wide tire on it, and that it has a pretty decent splined hub, but i'm still wondering why I need a Gazz.

[mango]

Originally posted by XWonka
... but i'm still wondering why I need a Gazz.

It's grippy and the size allows you to run it at really low pressure. My first muni had probably a 2.6 tire or so (it was thinner) and the difference between that and the gazz was day and night. I could roll over much crazier stuff and get my trials on with the gazz.

The fact that gazzaloddi has such a reputation amongst muniers alone should be proof that its great! dude

As for the rest of the muni: You are going to break some part of a cotterless hub crank setup. YOU WILL! Probably over and over too.

I'd really urge you to go for something splined. If you are a normal human, you probably won't have to replace it.

have a nice day.

[carjug]

As you could easily guess, if you read my Pashley essay, I don't own a real muni, I have a 29er. It is great for trail riding, but there have been a lot of times when I wished I had a three inch tire on the ground instead of the 2+1/8 raptor. I have only ridden a three inch tire once, and they are every thing Mango said. Gazzy rocks.

[danger_uni]

Originally posted by carjug
As you could easily guess, if you read my Pashley essay, I don't own a real muni, I have a 29er. It is great for trail riding, but there have been a lot of times when I wished I had a three inch tire on the ground instead of the 2+1/8 raptor. I have only ridden a three inch tire once, and they are every thing Mango said. Gazzy rocks.

Interesting to hear you say this. I don't have a 29" but to me it seems like they should be better (ie. faster with less rolling resistance) than a 24x3" for easy cross-country riding, where you are not hopping a lot or negotiating overly rocky or rooty sections.

Kris.

[hell-on-wheel]

Originally posted by XWonka
but i'm still wondering why I need a Gazz.

Is your question here "Why do I need a $60 gazz, when I could just get a cheaper 24X3 inch tire like the Savage or the IRC Kujo?

I would say it's all about tread pattern and rubber quality. The Gazz has some pretty extreme knobs, though I haven't really tested out any of the other 24X3's so maybe they're just as good. Also, I've ridden my gazz on asphalt quite bit, yet there is hardly any tread wear to speak of. When I picked up Trip Glazer from AU on the way to the NJ Muni Weekend, I was surprised at how much the knobs had been worn off his Savage (that's the tire, not the crappy unicycle company), which he had owned only a few months.

But yeah, the only reason I got a gazz was because everyone else seemed to use them. But, who knows, perhaps there's a better 3" tire out there that simply doesn't have the same name recognition.

[danger_uni]

Originally posted by hell-on-wheel


Is your question here "Why do I need a $60 gazz, when I could just get a cheaper 24X3 inch tire like the Savage or the IRC Kujo?

I would say it's all about tread pattern and rubber quality. The Gazz has some pretty extreme knobs, though I haven't really tested out any of the other 24X3's so maybe they're just as good. Also, I've ridden my gazz on asphalt quite bit, yet there is hardly any tread wear to speak of. When I picked up Trip Glazer from AU on the way to the NJ Muni Weekend, I was surprised at how much the knobs had been worn off his Savage (that's the tire, not the crappy unicycle company), which he had owned only a few months.

But yeah, the only reason I got a gazz was because everyone else seemed to use them. But, who knows, perhaps there's a better 3" tire out there that simply doesn't have the same name recognition.

The Gazz has pros and cons to it. I've used one for a few years, but currently have a stock Duro on my 2004 KH24.

The big knobs, huge volume and stiff sidewalls of the Gazz make it the best tire for technical downhill and big drops in my opinion. Also, the square profile means that you have a lot of leeway when riding narrow logs- you can be practically off the log and still have the square profile gripping along the tire edge. It also seems to help prevent slipping sideways when diagonaling across muddy/slippery slopes.

However, the Gazz has some disadvantages as well, compared to the Duro or Kujo or Arrow or other 3" tires. It's heavier, only slightly but you do notice it. Also the round profile that's an advantage for log riding is less friendly for cornering than the rounder profile tires- it feels noticeably more sluggish in my opinion.

All in all, I'd say that if you focus on technical downhill or ride somewhere with really sharp rocky terrain and are worried about pinchflats, spend the extra $$ and get a 3" Gazz. If you are worried about weight or want more of an all-round tire, the other 24x3" options may well be better.

Kris.