Very brand new to unicycles per the 3 hours I have scoured the internet today learning. My girlfriends uncle showed me his sun xl fat tired unicyle today and my interest was ignited. I work on the road at rodeos for a living and in areas with lots of sand and dirt arenas. His looked like something that would be good in those conditions. The only unicycles I had been exposed to previously were very basic. My question is I’m 6’3-6’4 and weigh 280 lbs. As I search the web I am starting to become unsure of what would fit my needs. My main riding area will be typically sand and dirt of varying depths. I see the sun xl is only available in 20. Am I ok on a 20? I like the idea of something bigger, but really like the idea of the fat chopper tire for the surfaces I’ll be on. Im trying to stay in the 2 to 300 dollar range. Sorry for the long ramble. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Hi, welcome to the forum: the friendliest place on the internet.
I suggest that for such a tall person, and carrying a lot of muscle, you’d probably need a bigger wheel. On sand and dirt, a fatter tyre is less likely to sink, and a bigger diameter wheel will roll better. Something like a 24 or maybe even a 26.
The conventional wisdom is to learn on a 20" uni, but that is a very small wheel and once you can ride it, is only really a good idea if you’re going to be doing clever skills: spins, jumps, one footed riding, etc. For just zooming about the place having fun, a bigger wheel is more suitable. 24 inches is 1/5 more than 20 inches, so that’s 20% faster, but the seat is only 2 inches further off the ground.
What Mikefule said. In addition, conventional wisdom says to buy a cheap one to find out how much you like it, and then invest in something more focused on what you decide to do with it. Because you’re a big guy, it definitely doesn’t have to be a 20", but you will want something sturdy. Even an old Schwinn will work for getting started. That will give you something to learn on, and as you continue to learn about the sport of unicycling, you’ll be able to try various things and get an idea of what more specialized type you might want to get next. Then you keep the old one to teach your friends, and eventually have people to ride with, even if you’re on the road all the time!
Note: A 24" Schwinn is pretty primitive, but they are also sturdy and plenty good for learning on. Just don’t do tons of hopping or big drops and it should last for years. My first Muni was a Schwinn (there were no purpose-built ones on the market). I squeezed a 26" mountain bike wheel in there and it was slightly better than my 24" that I used to ride on the trails. It will work on sand and dirt, long as it’s not really soft/deep.
For best results learning to ride, try to find a patch of something smooth, whether it be pavement, floor or hard dirt; that will help.