So you’ve had your first unicycle for a while and are starting to get the hang of things. You’re also starting to come to terms with the fact that, lacking a chain drive, the main determinant of unicycle speed and handling is tire size.
If you want more agility and a friskier ride, you go with a smaller unicycle, such as one with 20” tires.
If you want speed, you go with a model that has larger tires, like 29” or even 36”. These are the speed demons of the unicycle world.
If you want control with a little bit of speed, you choose something in the middle range. Rides with 27.5” tires, for instance, offer a good bit of balance across the two.
So where does that leave unicycles with 32 inch tires?
In the perfect middle ground. Here’s what you need to know, if you have no experience with them.
Speed and Agility: The Perfect Pairing
Most riders looking for speed skip right over unicycles with 32 inch tires, whereas most people looking for agility and maneuverability skip right under them to unicycles with 29-inch tires or smaller.
This is a mistake. Unicycles with 32 inch tires offer all of the maneuverability of 29” models and most of the speed of 36” models. It’s the best of both worlds.
First off, a 32” model is going to handle (for all intents and purposes) just as well as a 29” model. Some riders might even consider the size just as agile with a bit more stability.
There is hardly any tradeoff in terms of speed by shooting under a 36” model, too. While a unicycle with a 32” tire is going to be 2 to 3 MPH faster than one with 29” tires, it will hardly be slower than one with a 36” tire – by about 1 MPH or so.
Also, since a smaller wheel carries less rotational momentum, it will be both easier to get a 32” model going and to stop it. This is another advantage over a 36”, which carries energy like a flywheel and can be tough to get going and bring to a stop.
All in all, the 32 inch tire, as a general size, deserves a lot more praise. It is fast and fairly easy to handle, and offers all of the best attributes of both 29” and (much larger) 36” tires.
So if you can live with that compromise of about 1 MPH, you just might want to take a closer look at 32 inch tires for your next unicycle.
Where Can You Learn More About Unicycles with 32 Inch Tires?
Interested in learning more about the relative virtues of 32 inch tires before you buy your next unicycle? Visit Unicycle.com. They have all the information you need and their staff is just a call away at 678-494-4962.
They also carry a wide range of unicycles, tires with different tread patterns, tools, and safety gear. If you need something for riding, they have it.
