Hello Everyone,
I was given my niece’s 24" chrome schwinn unicycle when she moved away to college 20 years ago. She rode the uni to school everyday. I didn’t try very hard to learn, I was sitting on things that shouldn’t be sat on and just gave up. I guess I wasn’t very interested. My niece now has teenage daughters of her own. We decided to try to get them all interested in uni again, so we shined up her uni, replaced the tire and tube and sent it back to her. I think it is still with her Dad waiting on the next visit. We’ll see if they all start riding or not.
I felt terrible that I had never learned, so when I ordered the tire from UDC, I ordered a 20" Nimbus 2 for myself, along with helmet and HillBilly wrist guards, I already had six six one shin guards and elbow guards from MTB and M/C observed trials. This time I was determined to give it a strong effort in learning. I got the dvd on how to learn, they showed a deck and hand rail. I built double 16 ft long hand rails in the yard from 2 x 4’s. My first 2 hours were here, I could ride the length of the rails and off in to the grassy yard for 20-30 ft. For the next 2 hours I found an asphalt bike path with a chain link fence to hold on to. In the 3rd hour, I was able to go 100 ft or more. 4th hour, my wife walked with me a few times while I held her shoulder, I was up to 500 ft. After not really needing the fence anymore, I started riding in the street in front of my house for hours 5 thru 8. It is a 2 lane rough asphalt with a little slope side to side for drainage. I got smoother riding, but turning was hard. I’d ride from holding my gate in the street and try turns, I’d have to force the turns. It seemed like the asphalt was keeping me from turning. I tried more air pressure, turning was easier, but overall more twitchy. I went to the park with concrete around the pavillions and playgrounds for hours 9-10. The first time there it was a big change from the asphalt, I could turn. Hour 10 at the park and I was really getting the hang of it. I could ride and turn, some turns felt perfectly relaxed, others I still had to force. Now that I could ride more, I was getting tired, I wasn’t having to take a break and walk back to the gate and start over. At the end of hour #10, I fell backwards on my butt and hands. I dislocated the ring finger on my right hand at the middle knuckle. Somehow I knew to pull on it to pop it back in place. It popped right back in, I don’t think there is any major problem it is still sore and swollen a week later. It bent just fine after, not as well now because of the swelling. It didn’t hurt as bad as it sounds or as bad as it looked.
I was so excited to have over come the turning issues I was having. I was ready to order my next uni, I still am. I have been hurt on two wheels enough, I guess I shouldn’t expect any less from a uni.
My next Uni??? I knew before I started that there would be several uni’s if I could learn to ride. I want to make good decisions. I think my 20" Nimbus was a good choice for learning and if I ever want to try little tricks, but I really want to go farther than in front of the house. After reading all I can, I know there are lots of choices and different answers for different people. I decided on a 26" KH, I just wanted to throw it out there to see what others might think. I know eventually I want a 29" KH, I just don’t think I want to make that big of a jump at one time. I’m undecided between a 24" and a 26", I picked the 26" because of the tire and I think the 24 is more for harder muni, I’d be doing lighter off road. I want to go farther easier now.
So, if anyone has read all of this. Do you have any advice on how not to get hurt? I think my mistake was riding past the point of being tired. I don’t have a clue why I fell. I have had my feet get tangled in the pedals and fall, but that didn’t happen, I just went boom.
2nd, what do you think of my 26" choice, rather than a 24". If I get a 29" later, will the 29" and the 26" be so close in size that I would be better off with a 24" and a 29". Is the 20" easier to learn or harder? It seems twitchy.
Sorry for the long rant. Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike
I started on a 20 and then went to a 29 and didn’t find the change too difficult. Mounting a 29 takes practice, but riding isn’t difficult compared to riding a 20. So if you want a 29, I say get a 29.
However I think you should ride longer first. You need to be very comfortable on your 20 with no worries about falling.
Stay away from unicycles. And bathtubs. and Trials motorcycles. 
You didn’t do anything wrong. Probably a split second of loss of concentration is all. We learn a lot from falls. I think I’d trade your finger injury for the 6 weeks + it took me to get to your 10-hour level.
Definitely 26 rather than 24. I just had to do a whole bunch of digging to find a replacement fat 24" for my old MUni. They’re very hard to find! You can get a 26" wheel that’s lighter, still plenty strong, and really only slightly bigger than a 24" downhill tire.
As for 26 vs. 29, it depends on some variables. If you plan to ride offroad, 26" will be more versatile. But if your trails are pretty easy, 29" will still be fine. If your plans are for pavement, go straight to the 29".
I’ll trade you six finger fractures for that dislocated pinkie, dang, tell ya what, I’ll even throw in a Boutonnière deformity for no additional cost!
Unicycling can beat you up, it’s the nature of what you are learning to do, so you either accept it or you take up couch surfing.
My hands are a mess, but I wouldn’t trade anything for ability to ride a unicycle, it’s part of me now.
How to prevent finger injuries?
Don’t fall on your hands.
Wear gloves with the fingers taped or stitched together.
Learn how to exit the unicycle without falling to the ground.
Thanks for the advice. Ben I like the idea of taping fingers or stitching the gloves. Trials M/C’s have hurt me many times, ACL replacement, a metal plate in my left ankle, I don’t give up easy. This is a new hobby and I don’t know anyone to even ask or learn.
The finger is doing better, nothing permanent.
I think a big part was riding past the point of fatigue, while still learning. I’ll settle for shorter sessions.
I wanted to move up in wheel size for a couple of reasons, first I just wanted to go a little further. Second, after reading here, some people mentioned that the 20" wheel is twitchy, I thought maybe a 26 wouldn’t act as quickly, but I also want to be able to ride the little one comfortably.
I still want a KH 26", but I’m going to wait a little longer, I think.
When it comes time to order the KH, I plan to get the Freeride standard saddle, unless there is a reason to get one of the others. Also, which size cranks, the standard 127/150? I don’t have a clue for either of these options. Thanks in advance for advice, Mike
There’s a wheel size progression which seems to parallel ability, so what feels comfortable and big will gradually start feeling small. You can go up slowly, 24, 26, 29, or jump to a big wheel. Everyone has an opinion on what is ideal, but after riding a 26" for a few years I am now riding a 29" off road and it is perfect for what I do.
My son and I learned on our own, we didn’t meet another unicyclists for six months, even four years later I ride 99% of the time by myself, it’s the nature of uni. But, if you get fast enough, you can keep pace with beginner to intermediate mountain bikers, just pick the trail to give you an advantage 
Taping the fingers in pairs with duct tape, using a leather work glove over a roller blading/skate styled wrist guard, that’ll make it harder to tweak the fingers and it’ll protects your wrists. In time you’ll learn how to dismount and get better at falling, then you can ditch the heavy protective stuff for all but the most extreme riding.
I agree with NB when i ride 70% of the time which are moerate XC i ride with helmet and gloves and when i ride DH i ride with shin pads and once or twice with a full face helmet.
The bigger wheel will make ^ easier. It doesn’t tip over so fast, so there’s more time to bail out.
The Freeride saddle is very padded. Saddle soreness is a problem no matter what seat you have. A lot of people find the Freeride to be the least uncomfortable seat. One nice thing about it is that if you don’t like how it feels, you can take the cover off and carve the padding into whatever shape you want with a bread knife.
I think the dual hole 127/150mm cranks would be your best bet. They’re the mid range length for a larger wheel. You’ll get more control with the 150s and smoother spinning with the 127s. You’ll probably want to try different sizes eventually, but for learning they are a good place to start.