I originally bought a 24’’ (unicrown) because I knew I was going to use it for moderate distance riding. I later added a 20’’ with a flat crown. The 24’’ is equipped with BMX (or should I call them “UMX” to avoid the 4-letter word “bi#@” ?) pedals and a c/f base airseat; the 20’’ still has its original Viscount seat (ouch) and rubber pedals. I am 5’5’‘: freemounting the 20’’ seems much easier. But I still prefer the 24’’ because it is so much more suitable for easy trail riding (with a regular road tire) and for running errands into town etc. To me, riding backward (I am just getting into that) is easier on the 20’‘.
Can’t wait to get my 24’’ MUni this summer.
Have fun on one wheel,
Fred
Sorry for starting a new thread - this happened by accident.
Re: 20’’ vs. 24’’ (was “What wheel size to learn on?”)
I learned to become a menace on a 24. The 20 feels like an undersized toy- like getting on a childs trike… my predjudice, I suppose. I’m 6’ and sorta leggy…
For riding backward, I like a 24 with a wide tire (3" Gazz)- the combination of the heavyer tire and longer cranks make controlling wheel wabble a sinch. The first time I jumped on Lewis’s Hunter, I rode it backward off a curb- something I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to do- because the wheel felt SOOO stable.
With my lighter 24 x 2.1, on our recent ride with Tommy in Memphis, I managed to pull a 180 hop to riding backward (maintaining ‘forward’ motion)- something I’d never done before. I just acted like I could do it, and stuck it before I knew better.
Anyway, I don’t have the experience to advize a particular wheel for a particular skill, and would take to hart the advice of advanced riders that a 20 is a good bet for skill developement- I just wish it was the case for me!