Coker Discussion Thread

Hey guys, I could use a little advice.

So, I currently have a 29er set up for road ridding with a BA tire, T7,
114mm cranks. I have a blast on this thing. The only time I think I
would like a knobby tire, is for snow ridding. Other than that I don't
need to be taking this thing in the woods. I would rather ride tech muni
on a smaller wheel.

I am thinking that it is about time I upgrade to a bigger road wheel. I
have a few problems with making the jump.

*1.* I live in "the Hills" of New England. It is anything but flat over
here. I find downhills much easier with short cranks and a brake, but
the uphills can put some serious pressure on my knees. Nothing that
hurts, and I can usually push through it, but I am worried jumping up a
wheel size will prove to be a problem.
I like ridding with 114s over something like 125s. To me, my legs have
to make uncomfortable circles with 125s or bigger. So How unrealistic
are 114s on a 36er in a hilly area? I am a street rider, 23 years old,
and in pretty good shape. Leg strength, I think, is pretty darn good.
So, it will have more to do with physics then personal ability.
There is a good chance that early 2009 I will be moving to a more urban
area, like Boston MA. I know I hear a lot how a 36 is not as
maneuverable as a 29er.... of course. But how much will this effect a
good rider with lots of leg strength?

*2.* As I just mentioned I am a street rider. Most of my interest goes
to street riding. With that said I still very much enjoy going out an
cruising on a big wheel. However I do/will not give it the hours and
usage most other big wheelers put in. So spending a bunch of money on
something I may or may not get a lot of use out of is also an issue.


My options are....

*A.*Ditch the 29er and get a real road uni.
*B.*Buy a cheap 36er and upgrade if and as needed.
*C.*Save up for a Geared hub to throw in my 29er.
*D.* Save up buy a nice 36er and keep the 29er set up for hilly, snowy,
or high traffic rides.
a&b being the most reasonable choices they are the most likely.

Thanks,
-Sam


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Hey,

Some 36er riders can climb quite massive hills (mountains even) with
114s, so it is very possible. I love my 114s, BUT in rolling terrain
with some bigger hills I prefer the 125s still. What may feel
uncomfortable on a 29er does not always translate to the 36er. You can
start out with your 114s and see how they feel, but if you dont have the
technique or the ability or if you just plain hate climbing with those
cranks, it is easy to swap over to the 125s. I think that 125s are one
of the most versatile sizes to use on a 36er, you can climb mostly any
hill you will encounter on the road, and they arent that bad for light
XC. 150s on the 36er feel too sluggish for me.

As far as your options...

In my opinion, a 36er is a LOT more fun than a 29er. When I got my
36er I didn't touch my 29er for a year. I now ride my new KH 29er
offroad quite a lot though, I find the 29er to be tons of fun on muni
tracks, but if it isn't too technical or is easy XC, the 29er becomes
boring again.

I would recommend not buying a cheap 36er. You want to have a new
nightrider rim and you want to have 14g spokes. The nightrider tire
should be alright in the snow (I have no experience with that though).
Buy a nice 36er like one of the new nimbus nightriders. You can lock up
both the frame and the wheel if you are going to be moving to the city
soon.

Of course, nothing compares to riding a geared unicycle, they are
superior for speed, but they do cost a lot more and are not always the
best option for the city.

I find a 36er better for highly trafficked areas than a 29er. You have
surprisingly a lot of control on a 36er in traffic, and you are higher
up on it than a 29er so drivers are more likely to see you.

Save up for a nice 36er, and once you ride it you will probably not use
your 29er that much.

EDIT: to answer one of your other questions: A good rider with leg
strength and a little bit of practice should be able to control the 36er
very well. I really have no problem controlling a 36er, they are very
maneuverable, even more so than a bicycle for me.


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siafirede

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Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland
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agentQ;1106380 wrote:

My options are....

*A.*Ditch the 29er and get a real road uni.
*B.*Buy a cheap 36er and upgrade if and as needed.
*C.*Save up for a Geared hub to throw in my 29er.
*D.* Save up buy a nice 36er and keep the 29er set up for hilly, snowy,
or high traffic rides.




I would say C and D are your best options so far. Nimbus Nightrider,
KH36 or Coker The Big One for a 36".

Option E would be to have a 32" wheel built for you...

I actually started a thread about this idea here a couple of weeks ago:
http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72644, it is a
discussion + poll about the introduction of a new wheel size in between
29ers and 36ers. I think that maybe 32" would be ideal for that kind of
riding and also for cokermuni stuff. Check it out if you're interested.


--
munirocks

mono for bono
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angentQ wrote:
Hey guys, I could use a little advice.
...


At this point, I can climb -ALMOST- any hill with 114's and will only
go to 125's as a last resort, I even do a little -LIGHT- XC with 114's.
I love my 102's for fairly flat stuff and smooth hills. I think that
after some practice you'll be fine with 114's. 114's have been mave
favorite since about 1 month after getting my coker, and fine for almost
all hills since about 3 months in. (Now 102's are my favorite, but that
is for rolling, not hilly terrain) As for control, remeber when your
29er was HUGE, and now you can manuever it through everything; you'll be
just fine. I would go with a fixed 36er over a geared 29 (but not over
a geared 36) for most riding (not racing though, the guni wins there).

--Scott Wilton


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