I’m a person wondering if a unicycle will be a good match for me.
I want to commute and tour by human power. My regular commute is 8 miles round trip.
I have family I would choose to see that live at either end of the Kal-Haven bike trail. Either direction they are about 30 miles west or east one way. The trail is less than a mile from my house. I am recovering from a herniated disc. My recumbent is a bit uncomfortable to lift into my 2002 Honda Insight and my touring bike really needs to be rebuilt. My PT tells me I need to have frequent changes of seating position, but I I shouldn’t slouch as I might on a regular bike. Based on my understanding then an upright or recumbent position sounds reasonable. From what I’ve seen on uni’s an upright position is the norm.
Also based on what I presently know, which is just before the very beginning level of knowledge, I’d imagine myself someday on a 36” with 2 gears. I am hoping I can squeak by with only a 24” training unicycle (maybe with long cranks) before making the leap to a 36”.
I’ll need to learn the full safety equipment. The advantage of a 24” inch practice uni is unlike bikes I presently own, I can easily get it in my car, perhaps on a train(?) and likely on the bus. Would this be the same of a 36”? Are unicycles easier to maintain?
I’ve also considered the downsides of unicommuting. I would be more limited to the amount of things I can carry on my back. My average speed would be slower than on a recumbent. No coasting. I may not be able to take a 36” on the Amtrak. I would have to be more aware of my balance. It is easier to take a tumble on a unicycle. Even if I practice 5 days a week it could be a full year or more before I could be reasonably proficient to ride safely among pedestrians, runners and other cyclists. Having said that, Oso Moreno, a close friend added that I will never find unicyclists commuting in the Netherlands. (??? I don’t know.??)
I would have far more mobility than on a recumbent. Take up less space than a recumbent. It would be faster than walking and if I make it to a geared 36, faster than jogging. It would be a stimulus to maintain or increase my sense of balance. I May be able to take even a 36” on Amtrak. The practice uni could go with me anywhere, which would make practice that much more likely. The discipline of learning the unicycle could serve as a stress release. I have the benefit of living in community just off of a bike trail that goes through the town. For that matter, the town I live in has bike lanes throughout the community. Visiting one family member, there would be tons of city bike trails as well.
This is a HORRIBLY LONG introduction, but says all I can say. Does anyone have any advice that could help me more elegantly become a practical unicyclist or urge me to wait a couple of years before considering this?
I would say if your Doctor is ok with you learning at this point in your recovery then by all means go for it. Buy a good quality unicycle and your maintenance costs should be very little. I purchased a Nimbus Oregon 26" unicycle last November and have put roughly 650 miles on it in the past year. So far I have done nothing in regards to maintenance. I added Stans to the tube at the beginning and have not even had a flat tire. I cruise at about 6-7 mph with 165 cranks so doing your daily commute would take me just over an hour. I am currently riding with a bulged disk L5-S1 and have put about 70 miles on the unicycle over the past 2 weeks. You simple ride what you can and walk when you have too. Lately I have been exploring a lot on the streets and find that I walk across intersections simple to give me a break from sitting.
Well hopefully you take this with some encouragement. Practice everyday and you will be riding in no time. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your rides.
I have conditional okay from my PT, she said it could help me with my core. Don’t fall hard nor on my back…
What are your thoughts about core conditioning by riding a uni?
Do you take any precautions such as padded clothing?
…the nearest club is about 2 hours away… while my back is better than it was 3 weeks ago I’m still not sure about driving a total of 4 hours to practice uni skills? Thoughts?
Well, this is the 2nd time I’ve written this letter, so I’ll make it short and send it now.
Well I think we are at two completely different levels as far as riding. I rode as a kid and have now been riding for more than a year. So falling for me is pretty rare. I know my limits and at the current time I am aware of my back problem. So I take that into account with where I plan to ride. I do not where any protective gear other than a helmet, bicycle gloves and Five-Ten shoes.
It sounds like all you need to do is find a good spot to learn. Take it easy and listen to your body. I don’t think it is necessary to find a club unless one is close. Heck grab a friend or a neighbor and challenge each other. Just use common sense, if you think you need pads by all means get them and use them.
Other then that just go have some fun.
As I said before I am looking forward to the pictures!
Unicycling is great for the core, especially at the early stages where your instability forces you to constantly make corrections. I remember my arms and abs being just as tired as my legs for the first while uni-commuting to university. My commute was about the same distance as yours and would arrive all wobbly-legged and panting but found it really helped my concentration during the day compared to when I drove.
I had some minor back issues before I started unicycling and they all seemed to go away since I started riding. Correlation may not equal causation in this case but I am sure it didn’t hurt.
I don’t think I wore any protective gear back then but wear gloves, a helmet and camelback now. I think you should go for it but have a clear idea of how you want to fall to prevent injury and plan accordingly, because you will fall eventually. If I can’t stay on my feet I like to do a half roll and slide on my camelback.
Hi BenBrown
I’d wait a while longer while your back heals. In the meantime watch lots of unicycle vids on You Tube .
I would be very tempted to go and have a look at the club…you will get such a buzz being around other unicyclists. I used to go to a juggling club on a Monday night to learnt to uni. The club didn’t stay open for long but I found myself so looking forward to a Monday for the first time in my life. It was great interacting with like minded folk.
Well… sat down and heard family concerns about my running off to get a unicycle…
As I am the sole wage earner of modest means and with hospital bills - a uni is on hold until we can budget for the safety equipment…then maybe I can go run and take a look at one unicycle to both be practical to learn on and also to commute with.
In the alternate time I can gather books on learning to ride, etc…
…got a long list of skills to develop as well on the uni before I go out in public including getting some decent endurance up to ride 8 miles or more…
So - for now - this goes back into the dream category…
Sorry to hear it’s getting put on the back burner, in the mean time you can still hang out here. Half of us over in Most Replys don’t really ride anyway.
What’s your budget? It’s very unfortunate that you can’t ride one but it shouldn’t cost much to start unicycling…?
Unicycle can cost like $60-100
Helmet is like $25-35
Wrist Guard I can see you getting it at $15-25
And I think that’s pretty much everything you need.
That is if you’re a good shopper, online and at stores.
That being said, it’s very good and responsible of you to take responsibility of your family duty before anything else. Good work in trying to stay within the community, but don’t wait too long
the more wheel sizes you buy the better, look for used unis in 20" 24" 26" on ebay or craigslist
a new torker is usually in the 150 dollar range for 20", 24" and 26" there are other cheaper unis like clubs but I think they are heavyer, they have square taper cranks but you will not need better hubs and cranks until you start getting way better at riding with lots of jumps and hops anyway
20, 24, 26, and 700c/29ers have a advantage of easy to find tires and tubes, but a 36er is super expensive if you ever need a tire or a rim for it. I would recommend a cheap 29er for commuting until you decide to shell out the big bucks on a 36er, who knows they might go down in price someday.
Looking forward to seeing pictures of your rides.
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It was great interacting with like minded folk.