I am reading these forums for some time now, so it is time to join.
I got interested in unicycling two years ago, at the age of 38.
The reasons were:
Mountain biking got a bit boring after 20 years and doing the same tracks over and over again. I needed a new challenge.
Many tracks being forbidden for bikes. On a unicycle I am free again to go anywere I want.
The movies on Youtube from Kris, Unigeezer and many others really got me interessed in Muni. I really like the parts were unigeezer is blasting downhill, passing MTB-ers who are walking. To ride like him is my dream. But I am practising…
Like many I started with the cheapest learner. I did not tell my wife I got a uni, so she got quite a surprise when she came home and saw me struggle with my new uni in the backyard. She thought I had gone mad !!!
From the very start I was totally addicted, and was very happy with every little progress. The goal was to ride the MTB tracks, which seemed impossible the first weeks. After about 1.5 year I was able to do most of the tracks that I did with the MTB. Riding a uni offroad is definitely very challenging and really addictive. The progress is flattening out a little, but when I do a piece of trail I did half a year ago, it seems much easier now.
The last two years I gathered a small collection of unicycles, after the learner:
after 3 weeks I bought the Qu-ax cross 24.
2)After 10 month I bought a second hand Qu-ax trials, which I now use to play in the backyard with my little sons on there tricycles.
After 1 year I bought the Qu-as cross 29.
All my unicycles are upgraded with KH saddles, seatpost, better pedals, tires brakes, etc.
All the components were choosen using this forum, so thank you guys.
My next purchase, is likely going to be the Nimbus Oregon. What is stopping me now is the price of 600 Euros, and the fact that my 24 and 29 will not be used anymore. That would be a waste. Oh yeah, and the angre of my wife.
Please talk me into buying the Oregon, fellow members.
BTW, if someone from The Netherlands (Holland) is reading this, it would be nice to ride together, I don’t know anyone except forum members who is doing Muni.
Sorry I’m not as experienced as you yet so have no real advise, only if you get as much pleasure and enjoyment out of it as I am. BUY IT and have fun teaching your wife I know this didn’t help much but hello!!!
That is a very good advice, your friend is a wise man.
Actually I do most of my unicycle related purchases that way. I first order, then tell my wife. “Hi honey, a package is coming soon”…Most of the time there is no trouble, a new uni might be a different story. Luckily she is not angry for long.
I think I must have one very good wife! She has gladly purchased every unicycle I have owned. She wisely figures buying me unicycles is cheap compared to me having sports cars with young blond girls trying to make me feel young again.
[QUOTE=Twente Muni;1477780]
Please talk me into buying the Oregon, fellow members.
It appears that you are way ahead of me on the muni riding, as I have just returned to riding unicycles after forty years. What was my return ride? The Oregon. It’s big, it’s beautiful and it rides like a dream. I have enjoyed every second I have spent with it.
Yes, it is a bit pricey, but worth every penny. My wife…what did she say? “Wow! That’s big”. Gotta love her.
Could you share with us, how was it like in the beginning? When did you start being able to attempt the mtb trails? I started unicycling for exactly the same reason as you! (I’ve only been able to ride for a month)
My good friend named Larry built a custom unicycle around the “Larry” tire and “Large Marge” rim. The first day he loaned it to me to ride I was having so much fun riding it until I rear-ended a car on it at a stop light. The cars were trying to make a right turn while I was trying to make a left turn. Hopefully I never do that again.
The Larry / Large Marge floats right over the bumps. Makes a nice ride.
Welcome to the Uni forum Tom! Sounds like you have got yourself very well organized and yes, I would say you are definitely addicted…and that’s a good thing! Thanks also for your very kind words.
I started learning in the backyard, next to the wall, for about 5 to 10 hours.
After 10 hours I was able to ride forward. Then I started practicing in a bigger area, about 20 meters long. After 3 weeks I went to the local recreational area, were there is a big parking lot, an offroad runners track and a MTB track. I was able to ride around the parkinglot, flailing my arms etc. Just riding was very difficult, my saddle was also to low. I am 1.90 meters long (6’3"). So the first advise: adjust the saddle high enough, that makes the balance a lot easier.
I now was convinced that I could ride offroad sometime, so I bough a Qu-Ax cross 24 inch, with a big 3" tire and 170 mm cranks.
First I practiced a few weeks on the parking lot (about 2 to 3 hours a week).
After 6 to 8 weeks I did my first offroad attemp, at first very easy looking stuff. Even this was very hard back then, compared to the parking lot tarmac.
The smallest bumps let me fall off (UPD). I put very much weigh on the pedals, was very concentrated and exhausted after a very short distance. I think this is normal in the beginning.
So some advice, since you know that your goal is offroad riding.
Practice what you want to be good in. So practice offroad as soon as you can ride on tarmac. Start with easy stuff and work your way up towards more difficult tracks.
Every new / more difficult offroad ride will make you exhausted in a very short time, I still have that in difficult sections. If that happens time take it easy for a while and ride some familiar stuff to cool down a bit, and enjoy that. Don’t do hard stuf for to long, it can make you frustrated.
Freemounting is very usefull to learn, I practiced a lot during winter period in the garage. There is enough info on youtube and this forum.
Do you have a muni with a fat tire already? I like low tire pressure.I use 0.8 bar (12 psi) for my 24 x 3" and 1.2 bar (18PSI) for my 29 x 2.4 Racing Ralph. My weight is 85 kg (187 lbs). Low pressure makes your uni a bit harder to steer, but also more stable in straigh line and it absorps the bumps really good.
I am a fan of long cranks for offroad use (I have long legs). It may not be very fast, but the control is a lot better. Free mounting is also easier. I have 170’s on the 24", and 137/165 duall holes on the 29er. I use 165 most of the time. I use 137 mm on the road, but I do not ride on the road a lot.
practice, practice, practice. You will get to the point that you ride your uni in places offroad that look totally impossible right now. It will happen sooner than you think, and it is a truly great feeling.
As for your first question: when was I able to do the real MTB trail:
For me it was after 1 to 1.5 year, doing 2 to 3 hours of riding each week.
Just start with easier terrain, the next time you go riding. The sooner the better.
Awesome, thanks for sharing! I’m exactly one foot shorter than you, lol. I’ve got a 20" trials and a normal 24" that I use for short distance riding (5-10km). I think I will stick with riding on the 24" for a month, then take your suggestion on practicing off road, and visit the trail with the 20" trials. And maybe get a Muni next year, as a reward.
The great thing about unicycling is that it is so accessible. I would have never thought of doing trials or street on a bicycle. The falls would be bad, and privates crushing. With a unicycle, falls are mostly harmless. Too bad I already spent about $3000 on my MTB… hopefully in a few years, I will not need it anymore.
BUY IT and have fun teaching your wife 
