19 or 20 inch uni advice

Unicycles and Equipment
#1

Hi! I started unicycling in august while I was hanging out in parking lots with my two young kids who were learning to scooter and balance bike.

I broke the first cheap second hand uni I bought. Then I purchased a nimbus 24 muni which has held up and I’ve been able to taken on some trails and I’m gradually gaining the strength and endurance to increase my distance

I’d like to purchase a uni with a smaller wheel for when I’m in smaller spaces with the kids and to be able to more comfortably travel slower speeds.

I’m about 210lbs so I’d need something reasonably robust and I wondering between the qu-ax and impact 19 or 20 inch unis if there are any recommendations or ones to avoid. Thanks!

#2

I never got the hang of unicycling on a cheap 20 inch Torker we acquired, I learned on a 24". Then I started playing around on the Torker and saw the advantage to the smaller wheel, but it didn’t feel very robust, so I wasn’t inclined to play around on it…so I bought an Athmos from Unicycle.com. The Athmos isn’t a cheap unicycle, but it’s not an expensive one (or light!), either…so you won’t feel terrible if you drop it or bang it up a bit. It is definitely robust and never complains when I fail or bail (which happens a lot when you are learning :). It definitely helps to have a smaller, closer to the ground! unicycle to play around on - I definitely feel like it helps me be a better rider on the bigger wheels.

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#3

Even at your weight, a cheaper unicycle will work, so long as you don’t plan on hopping, dropping off curbs, doing flatland maneuvers. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, I think your best bang for the buck is:

I compared the Nimbus II to the Impact Athmos. The Nimbus weighs 11 lbs, the Athmos 13 lbs. They both have steel frames.

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#4

I started riding on a really cheap 20" my Mrs got me as a joke Christmas present. As soon as I got hang of riding moved to a nimbus 2 24", then I got an impact athmos 19", then built a 29". The 24" still gets the most use though.

Without any other 19 or 20 unis to compare to, I can’t fault the athmos. Its strong and sturdy, has taken many knocks and upds, and with a second, much shorter seat post my son learned to ride on it too.

I’d think if your kids are on bikes scooters the 24 will serve you well, the 19 is good for practicing skills on and can be adapted to fit if the kids want to try! Either way, more unicycles can’t be a bad thing can it?!

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#5

Oh, and I’m 6’2",heavier than you, and not had any problems other than needing a longer seat post than it came with standard!

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#6

This is very helpful. Thanks!

The athmos and nimbus ii aren’t so cheap, but much cheaper than munis so I was skeptical of the build quality. Good to know they will hold up to the abuse