| Introduction | The Study | The Tires | Download the Questionnaire | Looking for Volunteer Riders |
| Project Status | Current Volunteer Rider List | About the Sponsors |
29er Tire Study Unicyclists the world over have become excited by the advent of the "29er" -- a unicycle with a 700c rim and 28/29" tire - for both off-road and road touring, racing, endurance events, and general bombing around. It's quick, light, and agile under a variety of conditions. Although 700c unicycles have been around for a long time, the availability of fatter, shock-absorbing tires and wider rims such as the Sun Rhyno Lite ABT have propelled the 29er into general use.
Until recently, the standard tire for both applications was the Wilderness Trail Bicycles Nanoraptor, which offers a nice intermediate volume, lug size and lug pattern. With the 29er gaining ground in off-road racing, especially 24 hour events, and the dramatic introduction of the Schwalbe Big Apple 700c tire, which has some very good road properties, 29er tire choices are broadening and 29ers are specializing. Which tires are the best for off-road? Which for on-road? How do these tires, designed for a bicycle, perform on a unicycle? How do they react to various conditions, tire pressures, body weights, or riding styles?
This study gives a set of 700c-sized tires and tubes to selected volunteer unicyclists and asks them to mount the tires in turn and ride them on two courses: one road course and one off-road course. Each rider fills out a questionnaire that records his or her experiences with each tire. When the rider is finished, he sends the tires on to the next rider in the study. The end result of the study will be a summary paper.
There are currently eight tires included in the study, presented in alphabetical order:
| Tire | Stated Size | Stated Pressure Range (psi) | |
| 1. | IRC Mythos XC II front | 700c x 2.1" | 40-50 |
| 2. | IRC Mythos XC II rear | 700c x 2.1" | 40-50 |
| 3. | Kenda Klaw XT front | 700c x 2.1" | 40-65 |
| 4. | Kenda Klaw XT rear | 700c x 2.1" | 40-65 |
| 5. | Schwalbe Big Apple | 700c x 2.35" | 22-60 |
| 6. | Schwalbe Marathon XR | 700c x 1.75" | 45-70 |
| 7. | WTB Nanoraptor | 700c x 2.1" | 35-65 |
| 8. | WTB Motoraptor | 700c x 2.1" | 35-65 |
The overview paper/questionnaire given to each rider is currently open for public comment. It is in pdf format and is available here; right-click on it to download it; left-click to see it in your browser.
Please send comments on the questionnaire here.
We are currently looking for volunteer riders. Please contact us to volunteer.
There is a thread on unicyclist.com that introduces this study. Please feel free to contribute to it.
| 15 April 2004 | Tom Maxwell, also from Memphis, Tennessee, joins the study. |
| 22 March 2004 | The tires are spread between Ryan, Jeff, and Ben. They're putting on a lot of miles and threading their rides in between Motorama and Moab trips. Tommy Thompson of Memphis has joined the study. |
| 4 February 2004 |
The logistical part of the study has begun by the shipping of the tires to the first rider, Ryan Atkins. I managed to locate a WTB 700c x 47/52c tube to throw in. |
| 28 January 2004 | Kris Holm joins the study. Welcome, Kris. He is designing a KH 29er so the study should be helpful to him. |
| 27 January 2004 |
David Lowell agrees to host this site, despite lots of pressure at work. Thanks David! |
| 10 January 2004 | Ben Plotkin-Swing joins the study. Hey Ben. |
| 9 January 2004 |
I post the original thread on unicyclist.com. Ryan Atkins and Jeff Groves join the study. First in line! |
|
Ryan Atkins |
Brooklin, Ontario, Canada |
|
Jeff Groves |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
|
Ben Plotkin-Swing |
Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
|
Kris Holm |
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Tom Maxwell | Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Tommy Thompson | Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
All the volunteer riders, who are donating time, energy, expertise, and the cost of shipping to the next rider on the list.
Anybody who contributes by making contributory suggestions about this website, the questionnaire, or any aspect of the study.
Al Schaeffer of The Ordinary Bike Shop, who puts up with my shenanigans far more than he should.
Dave Lowell of The New York Unicycle Club, who is hosting these pages and offering all kinds of creative suggestions.
Myself, David Stockton, also of The New York Unicycle Club. I build high-quality unicycles and wheels of all styles from 20" to 36" (and yes, 29ers J), using components from several quality parts manufacturers and distributors, including George Barnes of GB4 Manufacturing, Steve Howard of Kinport Cycles, Rick Hunter of Hunter Cycles, the amazing unicycle.com, and Sem and Theresa Abrahams of Semcycle. See my photos of The Strongest Coker Wheel in the World at Gilby's Unicycle Community.