Need Advice - newbie over 40 - Page 2

skilewis74 · 2011-09-05, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradahj

Was linked to here:

http://www.sunbicycles.com/products.php?cl1=UNICYCLES

Might be a consideration against the Torker or Nimbus. Any thoughts? I know the Sun doesn't have ISIS on all models (some do). Why might this be beneficial? They're definitely cheaper.

Those Suns are of similar quality and specks as the Torker LX, LX pro, and DX. Nimbus unis are generally slightly higher quality than those.
Looks like:
Flattop Extreme - LX
LX pro - Nimbus II
Flattop OR - DX - Nimbus Muni

Since you already have riders in the house, there are some unis too right? Why not learn on those before getting your own quality uni appropriate to the riding you want to do.

If you need to get a new uni to learn, I'd get a cheap uni, like the Club and maybe some longer and shorter cranks (especially on a 24") which are cheap on a cotterless hub. The longer cranks will make learning some of the skills easier and the shorter ones will be better for distance.

Taller people tend to preffer bigger wheels. The tipping point seems to be 6'. For me learning on a 24 was terrifying. A 20" w/ 125 cranks was a bit easier and 150 cranks helped quite a bit w/ getting over the fear and learning all the basics. I'm 5'10".

bradahj · 2011-09-05, 09:46 PM

....thank you all.....

Just a quick update. I went out today for the first time and rode my son's 20" Sun -- it's pretty old. Made it 15 feet after 30 minutes practice before a horrific spill

But I'm alright. My boys were riding all around me with big grins on their faces. I think they like being able to do something that I can't.

I did notice, however, that ........ how can I say this............

.....unless you have a forgiving seat........it's very easy to do some damage to that "especially sensitive area" -- or your NUTZ. Any idea here?

I understand some of the stock seats are fairly good......

I'll be out there again tomorrow.

DhEXED · 2011-09-06, 12:50 AM

I found that the Kris Holms street seat along with the adjustable seat post to be a really good purchase. It sounds counter intuitive but if you raise the front more it will put you more on you sits bones and less on the sensitive areas.

Nurse Ben · 2011-09-06, 12:58 AM

Get a uni that will compliment the unis your boys are riding now, ie something they can grow into, share, etc...

I previously had all sizes and some duplicate sizes for my and I to ride, but he has since moved onto teen stuff and rarely rides, whereas my riding has grown. I have recently started thinning the uni quiver so that I have a uni for every condition.

When my son rides with me he can choose one that I'm not ridng

If you and your two sons are going to continue to ride, you should probably go ahead and buy high quality unis, so double wall rims, splined cranks, chromoly or aluminum frames, etc... You can always sell a good used uni, whereas cheapmused unis are left at the dump or become $5 garage sale items.

Three riders, you need three unis, I'd start with one each:

Trials uni (19"/20")
Muni 24 or Street 24

One last piece of advice: i have found that when embracing a new sport, anything you can do to make it easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable, are well worth the expense, ie get a good seat.

bradahj · 2011-09-06, 02:03 AM

Nurse Ben & DhEXED,

Thanks for the advice.........it seems many are impressed with the Kris Holms' seat....... sounds like that is the way to go....

Will it fit any uni I get..... I'm assuming "yes"...... Very EXPENSIVE!

saskatchewanian · 2011-09-06, 02:15 AM

The only one it will not fit (without changing the seatpost) is the Torker LX.

Yah good saddles are expensive, often more than a cheep unicycle but it is a investment that your back side will thank you for.

As for your man bits, try to sort of scoop them out of the way with the front of the saddle before you sit down.

MadFurai · 2011-09-06, 09:27 PM

Once again, I seem to be the minority here, but I find the KH style saddles more uncomfortable than the el cheapo that came with my $69 Avenir. As for resale value on a nice UNI, unless you live somewhere that UNI is very popular, you are going to lose a lot of money on the resale. So, you can't really use that as an excuse to spend $300 on a nice UNI versus $100 on a cheap UNI. I highly suggest that you learn how to ride before you decide to shell out $300 on a UNI that might not fit your riding style or preferences. I would also test the KH seat before paying the money for that either.

bradahj · 2011-09-06, 11:55 PM

I appreciate all the perspectives on this.....

I thought of a compromise....for example, I noticed the Nimbus II has some sort of gel seat.......I'd assume this is somewhere in between the KH and a cheapo seat.

Secondly, can someone explain all the attention given to whether or not a uni has an ISIS hub. What exactly does this do....and would it be necessary in my situation?

unihopper · 2011-09-07, 12:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradahj

I appreciate all the perspectives on this.....

I thought of a compromise....for example, I noticed the Nimbus II has some sort of gel seat.......I'd assume this is somewhere in between the KH and a cheapo seat.

Secondly, can someone explain all the attention given to whether or not a uni has an ISIS hub. What exactly does this do....and would it be necessary in my situation?

ISIS hubs are much stronger than cotterless or square taper hubs. They can handle drops and hopping. ISIS isn't necessary for riding around the neighborhood, but if you plan to do a lot of hopping ISIS is a good idea.

rpt50 · 2011-09-07, 12:48 AM

I'll toss in my opinion. I'm 49 (5'9" and 185lbs), and I just learned this February after getting my 13 year old son a uni for X-mas. I actually learned on his club 20 (he learned in a flash so we quickly upgraded him to a Nimbus MUNI), but I could only go a little ways down the street. I then bought a Nimbus II, which was a huge help! I found it much easier to ride than the 20, and putting on 145mm cranks (stock was 125) helped even more.

A couple of other things that I've learned:
1. I ride almost every day, but until very recently, I found my son's Nimbus Muni 24 much harder to ride because of the weight and inertia of the wheel. I finally seemed to have developed my skills enough that I can handle the weight. The Nimbus Muni is very nice, but I think the much lighter Nimbus II is a lot easier to ride for the novice.
2. If you buy a Nimbus II, at purchase upgrade the seat to a KH, and the pedals to something a little bigger, and I think the longer cranks help if you live in a hilly area like me (Atlanta). Doing this at purchase will save a good bit of money.
3. The tire makes a huge difference. For example, the stock tire on the Nimbus II is very nice on the street, but not in the dirt. The first dirt type tire I bought was virtually unrideable! It just did not work on a unicycle. With the help of folks on this forum, I settled on a Kenda K-rad, which works pretty well on both the street and for my mild Muni riding.
4. I would rule out the 20. As an adult you probably will want to ride around the neighborhood, etc. The 20 is great for tricks (my son juggles while riding his 20), but it's just to slow to go anywhere.

Nurse Ben · 2011-09-07, 06:36 PM

The Nimbus seat has a lot more curve than a KH, so not great if you are worried about jewel issues, also the cover is stapled onto the base so it can't be easilly replaced nor can the foam be trimmed.

$320 for a Nimubus muni. Think of it as an investment, worse case scenario is that you and your boys don't ride it, then in a couple years you sell it for $225-250, total cost $100 or less. In the meantime you have a wonderful uni that'll help you learn to ride in comfort.

I did what I am suggesting to you, bought a Nimbus muni 26er, one week after my son and I started on a Sun 20", now three years later I have:

KH 36
KH29
KH 26 Guni
Nimbus Oregon
and of course, a Sun 20

It's just money.

bradahj · 2011-09-07, 06:51 PM

Nurse Ben,

I like the "it's just money" line......... that just might push me over the edge. I always like to say of my children and deciding to go the extra mile with them, "They're only little once"......so I better get ordering.

Speaking of ordering....... is unicycle.com the best place. I know there are some others --- allunicycles.com, for example......I think their price is a bit cheaper on the Nimbus Muni......... any leads in this area?

kamikaze · 2011-09-07, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradahj

Secondly, can someone explain all the attention given to whether or not a uni has an ISIS hub. What exactly does this do....and would it be necessary in my situation?

Square taper hubs are fine for freestyle and ungeared road riding. I've been using square taper hubs for 13 years without issues.

Now that I've decided to push myself in more directions I have a KH20 with an ISIS hub. I'd also choose ISIS for anything geared and/or Muni.
As soon as my wallet recovers from the last onslaught of unicycle (related) purchases.

SalManilla · 2011-09-08, 04:16 PM

I'm another newbie to the sport who is also over 40 (49 next month). I'm 6'0", 180lbs. and went with the Torker LX Pro and love it. I feel that $172.00 was well spent. It's a very solid machine and I don't feel like need to upgrade anything (although I did get an aluminum Kris Holm seatpost just to add a bit of bling to it). I plan to buy and second uni (after I'm comfortable with my skills) for off-roading. That will be a 24 or 26'er, but for now the 20 is great to learn on.

2011-09-05, 09:46 PM	#17
bradahj Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 49	All great advice....... ....thank you all..... Just a quick update. I went out today for the first time and rode my son's 20" Sun -- it's pretty old. Made it 15 feet after 30 minutes practice before a horrific spill But I'm alright. My boys were riding all around me with big grins on their faces. I think they like being able to do something that I can't. I did notice, however, that ........ how can I say this............ .....unless you have a forgiving seat........it's very easy to do some damage to that "especially sensitive area" -- or your NUTZ. Any idea here? I understand some of the stock seats are fairly good...... I'll be out there again tomorrow.

2011-09-06, 12:58 AM	#19
Nurse Ben XC Muni Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Southeast USA Age: 47 Posts: 3,950	Get a uni that will compliment the unis your boys are riding now, ie something they can grow into, share, etc... I previously had all sizes and some duplicate sizes for my and I to ride, but he has since moved onto teen stuff and rarely rides, whereas my riding has grown. I have recently started thinning the uni quiver so that I have a uni for every condition. When my son rides with me he can choose one that I'm not ridng If you and your two sons are going to continue to ride, you should probably go ahead and buy high quality unis, so double wall rims, splined cranks, chromoly or aluminum frames, etc... You can always sell a good used uni, whereas cheapmused unis are left at the dump or become $5 garage sale items. Three riders, you need three unis, I'd start with one each: Trials uni (19"/20") Muni 24 or Street 24 One last piece of advice: i have found that when embracing a new sport, anything you can do to make it easier, more comfortable, and more enjoyable, are well worth the expense, ie get a good seat. Last edited by Nurse Ben; 2011-09-06 at 01:00 AM.

2011-09-06, 02:03 AM	#20
bradahj Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 49	seats Nurse Ben & DhEXED, Thanks for the advice.........it seems many are impressed with the Kris Holms' seat....... sounds like that is the way to go.... Will it fit any uni I get..... I'm assuming "yes"...... Very EXPENSIVE!

2011-09-06, 02:15 AM	#21
saskatchewanian ERIC P Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Denare Beach, Saskatchewan, Canada Age: 27 Posts: 5,244	The only one it will not fit (without changing the seatpost) is the Torker LX. Yah good saddles are expensive, often more than a cheep unicycle but it is a investment that your back side will thank you for. As for your man bits, try to sort of scoop them out of the way with the front of the saddle before you sit down. __________________ My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world. - Jack Layton

2011-09-06, 11:55 PM	#23
bradahj Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 49	compromise I appreciate all the perspectives on this..... I thought of a compromise....for example, I noticed the Nimbus II has some sort of gel seat.......I'd assume this is somewhere in between the KH and a cheapo seat. Secondly, can someone explain all the attention given to whether or not a uni has an ISIS hub. What exactly does this do....and would it be necessary in my situation?

2011-09-06, 12:50 AM	#18
DhEXED n00bie Join Date: May 2011 Location: McKinney, Texas Age: 44 Posts: 141	I found that the Kris Holms street seat along with the adjustable seat post to be a really good purchase. It sounds counter intuitive but if you raise the front more it will put you more on you sits bones and less on the sensitive areas.

2011-09-06, 09:27 PM	#22
MadFurai Skateboarder to Marine to Unicycler Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Central Virginia Age: 42 Posts: 536	Once again, I seem to be the minority here, but I find the KH style saddles more uncomfortable than the el cheapo that came with my $69 Avenir. As for resale value on a nice UNI, unless you live somewhere that UNI is very popular, you are going to lose a lot of money on the resale. So, you can't really use that as an excuse to spend $300 on a nice UNI versus $100 on a cheap UNI. I highly suggest that you learn how to ride before you decide to shell out $300 on a UNI that might not fit your riding style or preferences. I would also test the KH seat before paying the money for that either.

2011-09-07, 12:48 AM	#25
rpt50 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Atlanta Posts: 81	I'll toss in my opinion. I'm 49 (5'9" and 185lbs), and I just learned this February after getting my 13 year old son a uni for X-mas. I actually learned on his club 20 (he learned in a flash so we quickly upgraded him to a Nimbus MUNI), but I could only go a little ways down the street. I then bought a Nimbus II, which was a huge help! I found it much easier to ride than the 20, and putting on 145mm cranks (stock was 125) helped even more. A couple of other things that I've learned: 1. I ride almost every day, but until very recently, I found my son's Nimbus Muni 24 much harder to ride because of the weight and inertia of the wheel. I finally seemed to have developed my skills enough that I can handle the weight. The Nimbus Muni is very nice, but I think the much lighter Nimbus II is a lot easier to ride for the novice. 2. If you buy a Nimbus II, at purchase upgrade the seat to a KH, and the pedals to something a little bigger, and I think the longer cranks help if you live in a hilly area like me (Atlanta). Doing this at purchase will save a good bit of money. 3. The tire makes a huge difference. For example, the stock tire on the Nimbus II is very nice on the street, but not in the dirt. The first dirt type tire I bought was virtually unrideable! It just did not work on a unicycle. With the help of folks on this forum, I settled on a Kenda K-rad, which works pretty well on both the street and for my mild Muni riding. 4. I would rule out the 20. As an adult you probably will want to ride around the neighborhood, etc. The 20 is great for tricks (my son juggles while riding his 20), but it's just to slow to go anywhere. Last edited by rpt50; 2011-09-07 at 12:49 AM.

2011-09-07, 06:36 PM	#26
Nurse Ben XC Muni Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Southeast USA Age: 47 Posts: 3,950	The Nimbus seat has a lot more curve than a KH, so not great if you are worried about jewel issues, also the cover is stapled onto the base so it can't be easilly replaced nor can the foam be trimmed. $320 for a Nimubus muni. Think of it as an investment, worse case scenario is that you and your boys don't ride it, then in a couple years you sell it for $225-250, total cost $100 or less. In the meantime you have a wonderful uni that'll help you learn to ride in comfort. I did what I am suggesting to you, bought a Nimbus muni 26er, one week after my son and I started on a Sun 20", now three years later I have: KH 36 KH29 KH 26 Guni Nimbus Oregon and of course, a Sun 20 It's just money.

2011-09-07, 06:51 PM	#27
bradahj Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 49	Nimbus Nurse Ben, I like the "it's just money" line......... that just might push me over the edge. I always like to say of my children and deciding to go the extra mile with them, "They're only little once"......so I better get ordering. Speaking of ordering....... is unicycle.com the best place. I know there are some others --- allunicycles.com, for example......I think their price is a bit cheaper on the Nimbus Muni......... any leads in this area?

2011-09-08, 04:16 PM	#29
SalManilla Peddle Pushing Papa Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Highland, California, USA Age: 50 Posts: 179	I'm another newbie to the sport who is also over 40 (49 next month). I'm 6'0", 180lbs. and went with the Torker LX Pro and love it. I feel that $172.00 was well spent. It's a very solid machine and I don't feel like need to upgrade anything (although I did get an aluminum Kris Holm seatpost just to add a bit of bling to it). I plan to buy and second uni (after I'm comfortable with my skills) for off-roading. That will be a 24 or 26'er, but for now the 20 is great to learn on. __________________ "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." -- Albert Einstein

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