I am reasonably new to unicycling, and will be getting a Nimbus 24" Muni very shortly. As i am reasonably new to the sport (I have had a beginner unicycle for some time, but i am ready to move on) i have a few questions.
Is this a good unicycle to buy?
with Muni, in videos the riders are usually wearing leg guards. what type of leg guard is best? where can i buy these guards?
Should i get gloves or other safety equipment?
do brakes help with Muni? the unicycle has brake mounts but should i go further and buy brakes?
what shoes are best for off road unicycling?
thanks in advance, all help with any of my questions is muchly appreciated.
KH guards are good. They can be bought at UDC (unicycle.com)
It all depends on how you ride. If you are cautious you could go without anything but it would be wise to wear a helmet and shin guards. Wearing gloves as well wouldn’t be dumb. That being said I rarely wear any safety gear at all. But I’ve certainly wished that I had been wearing it after some accidents.
Brakes are useful but not necessary, especially on a 24". If you want to buy brakes I would suggest that you wait until you are a proficient municyclist without them.
You can ride with pretty much any shoe. I prefer tennis type shoes. Some hiking shoes work well but it does depend on which pedals you have and what you do on a uni. If you want to go all out and buy expensive shoes specifically for your uni people usually buy five tens.
What’s your insurance co-pay and lost time at school/work worth to you (or your parents)? A few bucks spent on protective equipment can head off a whole lot of $$$ spent later on medical care and hassle due to missed work/school. Yes, I’m an old guy who thinks about these things. I never leave home without helmet, wrist guards and shin pads. If you have non-pinned pedals, the last may be optional.
Check in the gear review threads. Lots of opinions there. All I can say is that switching to a set of good shoes chnaged my confidence and ability overnight. Stiff soles and sticky rubber make a HUGE difference. You can muni without purpose built shoes, but if you can afford them (after safety equipment!), I found they make a big difference.
I generally have two required pieces of safety gear: a helmet and gloves. To me, gloves are more valuable then a helmet. I hate skinned palms. If I get hit in the head, I’m not sure it wouldn’t do some good :). If it’s really cold, I’ll opt for a beanie.
For AM riding or DH riding, brakes are essential IMO. On a 24, I think you’d be fine without them, unless you find yourself doing lots of DH.
Shoes, I use some cheapo Asics. I shred shoes riding Muni, so I’m not gonna dish out for 5.10’s.
Oh, and if you can keep them from fogging or filling with sweat, sunglasses are a must. Let’s the bikers know your serious, and also conceals your identity.
Don’t worry about brakes now. If later you find that your legs are getting tired from the back peddling, then you can always get them. There’s a guy on this forum who sells them for a good price.
Safety gear: I wouldn’t do without a helmet and wrist guards .I like the Hillbillies as they provide wrist protection and hand protection. Knee protection is recommended. I know someone who got really hurt because they had no knee protection. I don’t think shin protection is necessary for most muni, but that’s personal.
