Hey everyone, I am a juggler/performer/unicyclist. Right now I am borrowing a 20" Torker CX unicycle from one of my unicycling friends. I have so far spent my summer learning how to ride and can ride around my neighborhood with ease. (However, I cannot yet idle nor can I free mount…I’m working on that though) Anyways, I am looking to buy my own unicycle and return the 20" torker to my friend.
The problem I am having is that I would like to buy a quality unicycle which fits the following criteria:
-good for distance riding- [yet at the same time,]
-good for performing (eventual one foot riding and such)
-will continue to fit me as I grow
-comfortable seat (the torker CX’s child seat is horrendous)
-good pedals
-and preferably under $200
I guess my main problem is deciding what wheel size to buy. I am looking for a wheel size which would allow for ease in covering distances yet be good for performing. For example, a unicycle wheel size which would [eventually] allow me to try one foot riding and coasting, yet also permit me to go on 1-3 mile long rides with ease and decent maneuverability.
As for what brand, it seems that the Torker LX is a superb unicycle for the money; it’s seat is said to be a look-a-like miyata and the unicycle itself is said to be extremely durable. However, I have rode a Torker LX 20" before and the pedals/cranks feel strange. I read somewhere online that the cranks resemble bicycle cranks and wasn’t if this statement was true.
ANY help you could throw my way would be very much appreciated,
24" is probably as large as you want to go while keeping it feasible for performing.
Making a uni good for both performance and distance would be hard. You would be better served to get a cheap freestyle, such as the 20" Torker LX and then a better/bigger uni for distance.
You could get a Torker LX 20 for performing and a Torker LX 26 for longer rides. According to unicycle.com (US) prices, that would be about $200 plus shipping and tax. I had a Torker LX 24 as my first unicycle, and it’s great for freestyle. Don’t let the Torker haters dissuade you from a great deal.
Or, if you’re only riding 1-3 miles, a 24 inch freestyle would work for performing and go “the distance.”
You need at least a 24 to ride any distance. Yet to learn to perform on it would take a long time. For fancy small wheel tricks, it would be way easier to learn them on a 20.
I suggest getting a 24 muni. Slightly more cash then a skinny wheel, but a very fun all a rounder, and you will want to ride off road, it’s fun.
Then once you can idle on that and have some confidence, buy a giraffe
and juggle torches. That’s what all the uni riding jugglers do . This would take less time to learn then any other impressive thing you could do. To learn performing tricks on a short uni will be a much longer term goal.
Are you kidding me? He wants to perform and do distance for under $200 and you suggest a muni? He never mentioned off road riding so why would he want a muni.
He is a juggler-performer-uni rider. I recommended a giraffe, but get a 24 muni first to learn on. I was a street performing juggler for about 15 years, then I got fat.
Here’s a pic of me warming up before a show in New Orleans in '83. Note the giraffe in the back. It belonged to a friend, juggler-uni guy that I was sharing the spot with. I have met about 50 juggler uni riders, and thats what they all used.
I wasn’t inclined to drag so much gear around, so I didn’t learn to uni. Made my living out of a small bag.
Almost no one did short uni stuff then. I never saw trials tricks and stuff until you tube.
for performing and tricks, a 20 inch like the torker lx would be perfect.
you could also easily do a 3 mile ride on it, it just wouldnt be fast.
if you want something that you can go around with, just use a skateboard. they are small, light, and fast. you could just carry the unicycle while your on it too.
