I am a 55 year-old beginner. I am practising indoors until spring on a 26"
unicycle. I feel confident I can pass Level 1 before spring (and maybe
Level 2).
(1) At what unicycling level do I need to be in order to ride a Coker?
(2) Do I need to ride a 29’er proficiently first or is riding the Coker
straight-away a reasonable idea?
Thank you for your attention to these beginner questions.
–
Fritz Lott
220 Sunnyridge Lane
Golden Valley, MN 55422-5300
Get comfortable on your 26r.
The Coker is not ‘that much of a beast’ it just takes different style, and more time to master.
No need to take the intermediate 29r.
I agree with Sofa
Before I purchases my Coker, I only had experience on my 24’’ MUni and a 20’’. Takes a bit of getting used to the coker, but its worth the time.
Scott Kurland who, as I have posted before, is a personal hero of mine, learned to ride on a Coker. I mean, that was his first unicycle. I believe this is a feat yet to be equaled. Scott used to post here every so often but eventually we offended him enough times that he went away. His experience prompts me to ask, why wait?
Why wait getting offended? Why wait going away? You have offended me. I’m going away!
Re: Beginner wanting to ride a Coker
A Coker will feel really fast and scary at first, especially on hills. It doesn’t take too long to get used to, but you may want to get some longer cranks initially, until you become more confident. 150mm or 170mm cranks are quite good to start with, and they also make for great off-road Coker cranks later on.
A Coker has a lot more momentum too, so make sure you practice in a wide open space and keep off the road until you can stop it sufficiently.
Other than that, if you’re after a fast long distance uni- I’d say go straight to it and have fun!
Re: Re: Beginner wanting to ride a Coker
Hello I am 55 too, so just a bit of advice: wear protections (we’re fragile!)
I suggest 661 or things like that.
I went directly from 20" to Coker and I had problems for freemounting
my last try was fatal : the Coker rocketed from under me and I broke
my Achille’s tendon…
COkering is great fun but be cautious!.. when back (in April ;() I think
I’ll start with 170mm cranks
bear
Protection:
I think that wrist guards and a helmet would be a very good idea. If you hit a bump at speed you will still have 7 feet and a reasonable amount of momentum to consider. Mind you, with a little luck you can come off the front and run and have no problems.
Coker will seem odd at first but will soon be so easy you will wonder what the fuss was about.
Fool. Proud Coker Rider
i wouldn’t’ve called myself a beginner when i had my first (and only :-<) coker experience
i believe fool hit it nicely on the head
unlike a raffie, where a lot of people will suggest having certain basic skills under control before u try, i believe the coker wants to be ridden and is waiting for u
tell us how it went
One note on the momentum…
If you don’t force yourself to change your leg speed mid air (the first UPD) you are flying through the air, but your feet are still going at ‘walking speed’ make sure to hit the ground running!
Let us demiystify the Coker.
At least one person in this forum had a Coker as a first uni, and learned to ride on it before trying a smaller wheel.
I know a chap in his mid 30s who bought a 20, taught himself to ride it, then bought a Coker within 2 months and learned to ride it - and last time I saw him, he had 125mm cranks on it.
When I bought mine, I was freemounting about 70% on the 26 (my then biggest wheel) and it took me 7 goes to freemount the Coker. By later that evening, I was freemounting it on the flat about 1 time in 3, and riding it with reasonable confidence in big open spaces on the flat.
It’s the next step that is the difficult one. In many ways, it is easier to ride a Coker than a normal uni. However, it is harder to ride one well. After a few rides, you start to think, “Is this all it does?” It cruises gracefully, but you find yourself choosing easy wide routes, avoiding crowds and so on. It’s like a battleship staying out in the deep green water, while the frigates come close in.
It takes a degree of commitment to get over this “Is this all?” hump and start riding it well. Then it’s a fantastic machine, capable of barnstorming performances - huge distances, high speeds, and blasting over or through obstacles.
Don’t be afraid of a Coker. Just treat it with respect.
I’m 42, ride hills on my Coker, and have 170s on it. It feels like a big, fast schwinn. I agree with the other guys, and I suggest wrist guards.
For me the Coker is about relaxing while riding through the woods, not about any macho sport type stuff. It did take me longer than I care to admit to learn to ride it; but it is now one of my favorite things of all time. Go for it, but be patient with yourself.