Like the title says, I’ve been thinking about a 36er for about 6 months. I’ve been real close to pushing the button and ordering one several times. I currently own a 26 nimbus Muni and a 24 Nimbus X for working on beginner street stuff and just basic skills. I live in the Seattle area and there are a couple of paved trails near by that would be great riding a coker on (Sammamish River trail and Burke gilman).
I think what has always kept me from doing it is spreading myself too thin over styles of riding, thus slowing my learning curve. I guess I get really focused on wanting to learn something and learn it FAST! So if I throw another Uni in there it’s going to be too hard to decide what to ride Also I’m a minimalist at heart and like to keep my fleet small.
I’m just looking for opinions from you all, see if anyone else has been in the same boat or what… What are the benefits of adding a coker for skills, training, and fitness?
Is it going to help my muni skills? Is it going to help my street skills?
I will probably eventually end up with one, so why not buy it now?
I sat on the fence about a 36er for quite a few years. The KH36 finally convinced me to pull the trigger. I’m mostly a muni rider, primarily 29er, and love having the 36er. I take it for training rides on pavement and XC muni trails, and it’s generally a blast. It’s not better than the 29er, just different. A new challenge.
So I’m not trying to convince you of anything, but just to let you know that I didn’t regret stepping up and buying the 36er.
Over the years I’ve owned 20, 24, 26, 28 and 36 inch unicycles.
I had a lot of fun on my original Coker, blasting around on flat tarmac as fast as I could, and riding cross country including some failry steep hills, rough ground, mud, and woodland.
Then I sold the Coker because it was taking up so much space, and I was only using it on one ride in three or four (because I have several other unis).
The next season I started to miss it. I bought another 36 this year and I’ve had a lot of fun on it.
A 29 is more versatile, portable, storable, and practical. But a 36 is a 36 and once you’ve ridden one you will fall in love with it.
However, more than any other size of unicycle, the 36 rewards you putting the time and effort in. For your first few hours of riding, it will be a big wobbly thing that fights you. After a hundred hours of riding, it will feel natural and you will be doing some amazing stuff on it.
Yeah, you should get a coker…or a 36" of some sort. There are a goodly number of choices these days. I won’t bore you with logic, as it’s really an emotional argument. The big wheel is GREAT, and it opens up whole new possibilities for riding.
We have a local listserver we use for organizing rides, and try to mix them up between muni, trials, coker (coker more frequently it seems). There’s also a fair amount of inane chatter, but if you can put up with that, send me a PM with your preferred email address and we can get you added.
You live in an area with LOTS of great 36" opportunities, whether it’s the Sammamish River Trail, the farm roads in the Snoqualmie Valley, or the downtown Seattle urban paths and roads. Would be great to have you join us for some rides.
PS: If you want to “test drive” before you buy, we can probably arrange that as well. My son has one, but he doesn’t ride as frequently, and he’d be willing to lend it for a ride.
I have read mostly good things about the big one. You will get a kick being so high in the air, soon you will know what is behind all those 6’ high fences !
You can likely make the jump from the 26 to 36 in an afternoon. Much harder to turn or do anything on, they are stable and easy to ride straight. I would hold off on the bars, and wear wrist wraps. Palm plants are a required skill, no need to mangle those bars off the start.
A +1 for most of what feel the light offered. You probably won’t want the handle on there at first, and it’ll take a beating and be permanently marked up if you add it too soon. Practice mounting and dismounting, and have fun cruising around. Like he said, they want to go straight, and won’t turn like a smaller unicycle. Once you get used to that idea you’ll be cruising all over the place.
Thanks for the pointer about the bars. I’m so excited to get it I can’t really believe it. Somewhere out there is my coker on its way to my house. I feel like a little kid again the night before Christmas!
Also I’m a minimalist at heart and like to keep my fleet small.