New to the board

[jefm]

Hi gang, not sure if you do intro posts here, but here goes

I want to try unicycling. I went carless a couple years ago and have learned the slower your transit, the more adventures you tend to have. I've done planes and boats and motorcycles etc etc but nothing one wheeled. I am always looking forward to new experiences in life.

To start I'll probably get a Sun 20 or 24". I know I know people talk smack about Suns. But it's what the local bike shop has, and I like supporting them. I'm not doing tricks right away, or commuting. If I stick with it at all then I will certainly get something else later. I have no qualms buying a goofball to learn on and buying what I want when I've learned what I'm looking for.

It's freezing here now but will be trying to practice whenever I can. I think this will be a hit at campouts, parks or commuting. I've never seen a unicycle in St Louis.

Just for laughs, here's my favorite youtube vid for today. Adam Savage on an SBU, anyone ride one of these yet?

YouTube - MythBuster Adam Savage + SBU...

Don't get me wrong I want a pedal uni for fun but if I could blow $1500 with no remorse I would completely get one of these, just looks too fun. With regenerative braking too, I don't think the Segways do that! How bad can it be, even Jamie tried it :}

Let me know what you think about beginner wheel diameter. I gather smaller is better for starting, but of course I still want a bigger wheel. Have fun!

[harper]

Welcome to RSU. The Sun is a perfectly acceptable learner unicycle. They're cheap and if they are at your LBS, all the better. There is no reason to get a bomb-proof high-end unicycle to learn. After you learn, and if you want to move into a specialty cycle, that is the time to make the decision.

I recommend the 24" wheel for general use. It may be slightly more difficult to learn on than a 20" but even that's questionable. The larger wheel is so much more versatile and faster. With a 24" wheel a rider comfortably travels faster than walking speed. With a 20" one has to work just to do that.

[aarons]

Suns are fine. I learned on a Sun 20" and was happy with it. You can practice indoors when you're first starting out. A hallway where you can reach the walls on both sides is ideal.

[Dane M]

haha it looks goofier than normal unicycling! And they could have used a better uni seat than a torker, ouch, I never wanna go back to that seat.

[NotSoYoungOne]

Originally Posted by harper

I recommend the 24" wheel for general use. It may be slightly more difficult to learn on than a 20" but even that's questionable. The larger wheel is so much more versatile and faster. With a 24" wheel a rider comfortably travels faster than walking speed. With a 20" one has to work just to do that.

I agree the Sun is great to learn on. But I struggled to learn on a 24" and made much faster progress once I got on a 20". After several days I finally got the hang of things (for me it took about 15 days (non-consecutive) of about an hour each on average to finally feel like I could basically ride). Then I switched off the 20" back to the 24" so I could let my daughter start learning on the 20" and because I am 6'3" tall and the 24" is, as stated, better for actually getting around.

So I ended up buying both - a 24" first, then a 20". The cool thing is that have been able to use both of them quite a bit, both for myself and to teach my daughter and my nephew to ride. At this point both are back in my possession as I have acquired unicycles for both of them. I will continue to use both for learning and fun, and for helping others learn.

Be careful with this sport, it can become quite addictive! I now have, in addition to the "cheap" Avenir 24" (very similar to the Sun) and Torker 20" (both with longer seat posts and Velo brand saddles all purchased from EBikeStop) a Nimbus 26" Muni and a Nimbus Titan 36er. All of this in less than 6 months. I don't know what is "typical" but just thought I would warn you of the potential .

So I have been way to long-winded, giving you much more than you may have wanted... In short, you may do just great learning on a 24. But if you are having a hard time don't feel too bad about shopping the local classifieds or Craigs List in search of a cheap 20".

Good luck and try to have fun learning. That is great advise above to start inside the house, that is what I did. I spent quite a while just sitting on the saddle hanging onto the stair railing gently rocking back and forth. The Klaas Bil learning document has excellent suggestions that worked great for me. http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/uni_beginners.htm See the "Learning to Unicycle" link near the bottom of the page. And of course the help and encouragement from folks here on the Community were invaluable. I logged all my learning in a post on the Just Conversation Forum called "Learning Journal" The first several posts will probably be the most helpful, and may even be entertaining!

Best to you. Once you start, don't give up!!!

[naturequack]

Originally Posted by harper

The Sun is a perfectly acceptable learner unicycle.

I totally agree. That's why after riding unicycles for 25 years I bought my first Sun. I must say it was a definite improvement over the various Schwinns that I had ridden. There is no shame in a basic functional unicycle. When you want to start pushing yourself in more specialized and extreme directions then consider getting something that better meets those needs. You'll know what to get.

Oh yeah, and Welcome to the unicyclists' secret society. You'll be glad you came.
Geoff

[Klaas Bil]

Originally Posted by jefm

Let me know what you think about beginner wheel diameter. I gather smaller is better for starting, but of course I still want a bigger wheel. Have fun!

Welcome to the forums. Adults learn on average 30% faster on a 20" wheel, compared to a 24" wheel. Proof is on http://www.xs4all.nl/~klaasbil/agelearn_short.htm, alongside with an Excel spreadsheet to estimate your own learning time.

This fact does not per se imply a recommendation to get a 20" for starters. It is perfectly possible to learn on a 24" wheel. If you think you want to buy only one unicycle, it should be the one that fits your intended style best. 20" is more suited to doing "tricks", 24" is more a jack-of-all-trades but hardly excels at any specific use - well maybe technical MUni but a fully equipped MUni is certainly not a beginner's unicycle. Larger wheelsizes than 24" are better for getting around (some distance), but are progressively more difficult to learn on. Not recommended as a first uni.

Notice, however, that I wrote "if you THINK you want to buy only one unicycle". If you are like most people here, you'll end up with a stable of unicycles. In that light, a 20" may be the best choice for now.

[Dane M]

I think if you are going to buy a unicycle specifically for learning, as I did, then you should get a 20", you will learn to ride faster, you will gain good control of your balance, and then you can buy what you really want, in whatever size you want.