What is your experience of unicycling?
ABSOLUTELY ZERO
I am, however, a self-proclaimed masochist and my favorite activities are singlespeed racing mountain bikes over stupid distances and/or in the mountains of the east coast. Have been riding and racing bikes since I was very young and always watched in awe of the MUNIs that I would infrequently encounter on some of the trails. I never got to speak with one as they are always concentrating furiously on their line choice but it sparked an interest and challenge to myself to learn how to unicycle and tackle some local trails.
To that end; I purchased my first MUNI last night from CL and am stoked to begin learning!
Nicely done! You would have even more fun at Mazeppa. I raced there twice this year, first on a 29er, and the second time on a 27.5". The trails were built/designed by the same designer from Warrior Creek, so they are VERY flowy, and very bermed, but with MUCH less elevation. Many bermed switchbacks.
I came from pretty much the same place, discovered unicycles just as I got kind of burnt out racing MTB.
And my brother and his wife live on Lake Norman, and have another place up near Mt. Airy - I get up there pretty often. Once you figure that thing out, it wouldn’t be too hard to hook up for a ride.
Admittedly; this is a steep learning curve coming from decades of racing standard bikes!
Question for the collective…
I have been practicing in my warehouse for the last two nights. Working mostly on butt position in the saddle, leaning forward, foot placement on the pedals, and just generally getting used to the entirely new interface. I lowered the saddle a bit more from reading threads here and watching some YT videos.
I also replaced the original Nimbus pedals with a set of OneUp composite pedals from one of my mountain bikes. They have a much more stable platform with better pin placement and spin a whole lot smoother!
I can pedal about 6 feet between my pallets of product and have pedaled as far as 10 feet away from the pallets into the middle of the floor. My innate sense of “oh crap, going off kilter” kicks in quickly and I just step off before falling when passing the tipping point.
I find myself just instinctively grabbing the handle on the front of the saddle sometimes when attempting to pedal away from my brace. Is that recommended, or should I be flailing arms like a madman in an attempt to maintain balance?
Also, this Muni is fitted with a pretty gnarly Duro trail tire. Should I be looking into a smoother tire on which to learn, then moving to a MTB tread when attempting my first trail? I was looking at the Maxxis Hookworm as a nice pavement tire.
Do whatever works when you’re learning. I think most people flail their arms and look crazy. I don’t have any tips except to keep trying. Most of the learning curve is small instinctive balance adjustments that you don’t even consciously think about. Your body just has to figure it out.
Nah I don’t think so. You get used to what you ride regularly. I don’t think the Duro will hold you back from learning.
Welcome James… you’re doing everything right. Just keep doing it.
There’s a “click” coming real soon.
I’ll suggest using both hands to grab the seat. (try with the left, then right, then left, etc…)
As you get better, you will use one or both hands anyway so why not learn now.
Switch up your dominant foot too.
Your tire’s fine.
Within a couple of hours, it won’t matter.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Looks like you did your research and got a really nice $$$ nimbus muni.
I have exactly that one, but it was my 3rd unicycle.
When I first started, I had no idea I could ever ride this weird thing. So spending $300+ on a nimbus seemed crazy. So, I got a 24" club. It was only $50, but guess what? I couldn’t ride that P.O.S.(and simple things like crank nut and seat post clamp started falling apart). So, I read up a little and quickly spent $100 on a solid 20" torker. (it had solid double seat post clamp, and crank mounting…and could take my abuse).
The most satisfying thing about starting with a cheap unicycle was occasionally “tossing it into the air” after a few frustrating fails(no that didn’t cause my seat post and crank mount problems…it landed on grass).
So my total learning time = 24"(stupid club unicycle) @ 30 hrs + 20" Torker @ 40 hrs = 70 hrs
I’m sure you “won’t” go longer that that!!
I don’t want to hear anyone out there… quitting any “earlier” than 70 hrs!!!
My sister has a 24" Club, and it’s pretty nice. I ride it when I visit. I started on a 24" Torker DX (their highest level) and it was nothing but trouble. Seatpost didn’t fit right, cranks wouldn’t stay tight, multiple spokes broke. Saddle was horrible. Only truly badly made unicycle I’ve ever owned.
I still ride the Torker, but it’s got a new hub, new spokes, new cranks, new seatpost (still needs a shim to stay tight) and a new saddle. Only the frame and rim survive.
You know something. From the testimonials that seem to support the club
I’m starting to suspect my 24" club uni was a counterfeit.
Why? The low price I paid. Also, I bought it directly from amazon.
Not Unicycle.com.(where I bought the torker 20")
Also, there were “mixed” fasteners(inches and mm’s) on my club.
Especially, to secure the “square” hub shaft, also known as cotterless.
Also, I don’t seem to remember the “club logo” on that unicycle.
Alright, I will cease club trash talk.
Let’s all focus on helping James learn to ride…you’all.
I like them because they protect the back of your legs as well. I remember pedal bite being a big problem, especially when I was learning to free mount. So many bruises. Such pain. Shin pads that wrap all the way around really help.
The other thing I like is that they’re easy to put on and take off. You don’t have to take your shoes off first.
Also you can wear separate knee pads if you want to. I usually don’t unless I’m riding something technical.
