Hi,
I am looking to buy unicycle to play hockey and for general use. I recent had the fortune to buy a new KH 24 MUNI; now I need to find a cheaper uni to play hockey on.
I was looking at the Nimbus II 24". Is there any reason I should look elsewhere? Are there other cheap options?
Thanks!
toh
Get a smaller uni. A 20" freestyle or one with a skinnier tire would work fine. Most of the cheap unis would suffice, really since you aren’t going to need it to be super sturdy.
A 20" would be better than a 24 because it’s more maneuverable and agile.
+1.
I have an axis learned basic uni with a white tyre and 90mm cranks for its super fast and wont mark floors if playing inside
I’ll throw in my opinion to muck things up!
I’ve been using a 20" since day one for hockey. Recently I switched to a 24" with 135mm cranks. tyre choice is limited (be prepared to not be allowed to use it indoors if the tyre isn’t white) but it’s much better for goalkeeping due to the bigger wheel.
Yes it’s not quite as manoeuverable as a 20" with 114s or shorter cranks but I very quickly came to prefer it.
However in your situation I’d go for a 20", as it is good size to have for learning freestyle skills that could be translated to MUni.
And to answer the question you actually asked, the Nimbus II is ideal, whatever size you go for.
Thanks for the advice! I hadn’t really thought much about the 20" unis, because I just figured that 20" wouldn’t be fast enough for hockey.
But if I could get a uni to do both hockey and basic trials stuff, that would be ideal.
Is it worth paying a bit more for the Nimbus X, rather than the Nimbus II? I think it weighs a lb more, but it must be stronger too.
Thanks!
Hockey has traditionally been played with 20" wheels, but the rules allow up to a 24". The vast majority of players here in the UK use 20", and with short cranks can be plenty fast enough around the pitch.
At the Southampton tournament, I commented on the fact that of the 7 teams playing, 6 of them had a player with 24" wheel. The 24" does seem to be growing in popularity.
Like Mike, I have recently tried using a 24" wheel, and I really love it compared to the 20" I used to use. It is almost as manoeuvrable, but just feels much more solid and thus gives me more confidence.
STM
I’ve never played unicycle hockey, but have tossed down a ball, grabbed a stick out of my trunk, and played it around the arena parking lot whilst waiting for my ice time. I have always done this on my 24", and can’t imagine how you would get up enough speed to compete on a 20".
I found it quite challenging to focus on stick-handling without upd-ing, but with a bit of practice I was able to shoot on the fly, getting under the ball and wristing it up where I wanted it to go. Are slapshots allowed in uni hockey?
I’ve always used a 24" wheel for hockey just because it was what I had, and because it was better for getting around London to get to where we used to play hockey.
I don’t think it has a massive advantage in speed on the pitch, as I use slightly longer cranks than the 20" guys, or manoeuvrability with the slightly longer cranks. It is maybe slightly better in goal, and it does feel slightly like you have more oomph when the inevitable crashes into other riders occur, although that is possibly not a good thing.
If I was getting a new one, I’d maybe get a 20" just because it is more convenient to take around places, but I don’t really know. I’ve only ridden borrowed 20" unis, and they always just weren’t quite set up right for me.
Joe
Interesting opinions there. I used to play with a 24" and liked playing on a 20 so much better. One of the biggest benefits was that when there is a crowd going after a ball, it’s much easier to sneak out with a 20 than a 24. A 20 is also much more beginner-friendly and easier to control too (imo). But yes, we’ve always preferred goalies who’re on 24" wheels for obvious reasons.
I did try playing on a 24 in my very early days of hockey and hated it. A 20 seemed much more controllable and easier to play with, and for hockey newbies I would certainly recommend it in preference to a 24.
These days, though, I ride either a 29" road unicycle or 24" muni, and only really used a 20" for hockey, so it felt slow and clumsy. The 24 feels so much more natural now.
At the end of the day, the best unicycle is the one you feel most at home with.
STM