Hey folks. I’ve been wanting to learn to unicycle for a while now and can’t figure out which one to buy. I read a few beginner threads but didn’t see many unicycle recommendations. I did see that 20" or 24" is recommended. I myself am 5’11 240 lbs (biggy!). Nothing funnier that watching a fat guy trying to learn how to unicycle I wager.
Anyways… I got a $40 gift card for amazon so I figure I can find a unicycle there I like. But doesn’t have to be from amazon I guess. Just looking for a unicycle that’s sturdy and fun to learn on. Not going to be using it to travel anywhere or go offroading. Leaning toward a 24" but not sure if that’s the best size for me or not. Seeing as I’m a beginner I don’t want to spend more than $130 if possible.
You might call the company and talk with them. They will give you good advice.
Let me be the first to mention that there is a search function at the top of the page. Your question has been answered many times on the forum, and if you search carefully you will find many relevant responses.
I’m sure you can get a Torker LX with a 24 inch wheel on Amazon. It should be in your price range. A lot of people learned on those and were happy with them.
Go with a club from Unicycle.com. Right at your price range and comes with a nimbus frame and pretty decent parts. However, I only weigh 155 lbs so I don’t know if weight would be an issue with it or not. If you could afford a Nimbus like Scott suggested that would be a lot better.
I started riding a unicycle in mid February of this year. I bought a 20 in Avenir on ebay. It was cheap and not that well made but I knew my ultimate goal was to buy a 29er after I learned to ride one. (I wanted to ride long distance) That’s what I did. The Avenir still works and I use it when I want to learn something new and then I learn to do it on my 29er. Just a thought…
Welcome to the community… Here’s an important lesson to learn. The search function is your best friend… And ours, because this comes up way too much. Searching for “beginner” is too generic, search for “beginner unicycle” and “learner unicycle”. You may even try “first unicycle”.
Of course, there are always people who will keep these posts going but as the years go by, they get annoying because there is SO much info in the archives of this forum, it would be a shame not to find it
I would lean towards a 24 for general riding around or a 20 if you plan on learning some of the freestyle tricks.
Looking at the unicycles on Amazon with your $40 voucher a LX pro is slightly over your budget if you add in shipping but I think that at your weight a splined hub/cranks is a good idea. Unfortunately the LX pro is only available in 20" but does come in a long-necked version which is a plus, there is virtually no advantages to using a short neck.
A standard LX should be OK for basic learning and riding around but once you get better and want to be able to just ride off a curb at the end of a sidewalk instead of getting off, stepping down and re-mounting you might want something a bit stronger.
The UDC club is about equivalent to a standard LX but you don’t get to use your voucher.
I really don’t believe in getting something cheep and replacing it with something better when you break it, you should get something you won’t break in the first place. I would go with the tall LX Pro for now and you will have a good solid freestyle that will last you many years.
Yeah, we need more space in the forums for “O-U-T the game Super-Beginner” where they’re doing body varial crankflips.
There’s nothing wrong with discussing something that’s been discussed before. The search function rarely comes up with information that would be useful to someone who doesn’t already know the lingo, and equipment recommendations go stale quickly. I don’t see any need to bump a thread from five years ago on beginner unicycles.
The last trick was hopping up 4 stairs and then riding down them
Totally agree, and it’s nice to talk fresh about things sometimes. For instance, if he hadn’t posted, then I wouldn’t have referred him to Meijer.com and told him to search for “unicycle” and find the 20" K1’s that went on sale again. (Also search google for meijer.com coupon codes)
I’d recommended a 20 or 24. I think it was easier for me to learn on a 20. But you’re not going to be going fast on a 20. I’d buy one of the K1’s from meijer.com, It’s barely more than a torker (or possibly the same) and it is a pro-uni, top notch quality. Also then later if you do decide you want to get a 24 or something, you’ll have a quality 20" instead of a poopy torker that you’re going to leave in the garage to rot.
ropeadope, I just started riding again after a 20-year hiatus. I’m also 6’ 0", 225 lbs, so I wanted something I could trust. I got a 24" Club from unicycle.com, very pleased with it. I hope you find something that works for you, 'cause this uni thing is a blast! Just make sure your seat height will adjust properly to your inseam. Mine’s just a hair too short, and it makes things a bit more challenging.
Sorry dude, you would crumple a CX, they are built for kids and have undersized seats.
Like I said before, an LX should be OK for basic learning but not much else for someone your size.
Good luck with your purchase and let us know how you progress with riding. If you have any troubles with anything there are lots of people with lots of ideas on how to do/learn things.
I found it much easier to learn on a 20" than the 24" I bought first. After fighting with the 24" I finally bought a used Torker CX 20" and learned much quicker, then it was an easy transition to the 24". I had to buy a longer seatpost (I am 6’3") and a better saddle.
Unfortunately I don’t think it will be easy to find a good learner that will work and have a good comfortable saddle for under $100. But if the saddle is terrible (like the one on the uni I listed above, or like the one on the Torker CX) then you will hate the process of learning and probably give up. I personally found the Torker LX saddle to also be terrible. You can find a decent saddle for around $35 on EBikeStop or from Coker Unicycle. Otherwise the prices start to go up to >$50.
I would also continue to look in your local classifieds and Craigs List for a used Torker or Sun. If you get a Torker LX be aware that it has a different seatpost type than most unicycles so to fit any of the modern comfortable saddles you would also need to buy a seatpost. And you also need to be aware of the seatpost diameter. In short, none of this is quite as simple as you might hope.
But all of us put here on the commUNIty would agree that it is worth it - so after way too much information and advice… Good Luck and Have Fun!!
I would go with the LX or the Devil. The gold one is a Koxx One Devil, not sure why they are calling it CFG or what that even stands for.
Koxx One (K1) had some problems in the past and seem to be dumping all their old stock. The Devils used to go for $350-$400 and are a good deal right now.
EDIT: forgot about the schwinn, I wouldn’t bother with the schwinn, It is old-school retro which gives it some cool points for people who like that kind of stuff but is heavier and weaker than most alternatives, besides you can’t do any fine adjustments to your seat hight.
Yeah I ended up ordering the LX from Amazon, the gold One Devil was too expensive at amazon (only $160ish at Meijer though which is a really nice price it seems). LX was a good price and I used my $40 credit. Should be here by the end of the week. I’m just hoping it doesn’t break
It will be fine until you want to do anything other than learning how to ride. The K1 would last you a long long time and you’d be able do a wide variety of things on it. and extra $35 bucks for a top quality uni as opposed to a learner uni is an amazing deal, and you’d be foolish to pass it up I say.
