Hey tzenev. I learned to unicycle recently and wrote about it on my blog…
Brace yourself for some hard work. However, when you actually start riding it is a glorious feeling. I was learning for 10 hours before I could ride a few metres.
Smaller wheels are more manoeuvrable / responsive. And you are closer to the ground so ‘dismounting’ is easier.
I think injury is the biggest obstacle. I learned on plush grass on a 20x3 off road tyre wearing wrist braces (special ones that have a hinge). I always warmed up for 10 mins before each session. Mid-section and ankles especially. However, I badly sprained my big toe… which was tolerable. (Yes I wore shoes)
You’ll need to practice falling. I had been taught from martial arts training how to roll and was supremely grateful. It saved my bacon at least 4 times.
so i got my torker cx 24" today and put it together at about 1:00 and started to attemp to learn to ride. at first i thought i was gonna be impossible because i could barely move 3 feet holding on to something. Then slowly i woud get a little farther and a little farther. Before i knew it it was 2:30 and i was riding around the driveway!! I still cant turn real well, and it takes me awhile to get up and going with nothing to hang on to but i can do it. I thought i was pretty good for one days progress:) so tomorrow im gonna work on turning and stuff! By the way, i am freakin addicted! it is the coolest feeling riding around! i love it! i’m hoping to get a nimbus 24" or 26" MUni after christmas and learing to do some trails and things.
A 300-400 dollar muni is pretty un-thrashable. The real danger is that you might move on to something else and leave an expensive muni sitting in the garage forever. That would be sad.
It sounds like you’re making fast progress. It’s a strong addiction once it takes hold.
Yea I didn’t want to waste my money on a nice piece of equipment and not like it. So I’m glad I took the route I did! Now if a friend wants to learn I can lend them the cheaper one. I still don’t really know what size to get. The one I have is a 24" and I like it a lot I just don’t know how I would like a bigger one. I was really happy with my progress today and can’t wait for tomorrow.
I also have a 20" Sun that my we started on, only gets use as a loaner these day, ended up changing out the seat, pedals, and tire so it was a nicer rider.
If you’re riding a 24" now, consider a 26" Nimbus Muni, it’ll be more versatile than a 24" muni, then if you wanna play trials you get a trials uni.
yeah, i was really surprised i got it so fast. i’m still working on turning and stuff. i havent even tried hopping yet. I’m hoping to get a MUni soon cause the one i have now in my gravel drive way gets scary sometimes, i’ll be going good and hit a rock thats stickin up and it shifts the tire to the right or left and i’m going crazy trying to stay up! my neighbors i’m sure are gettin a kick out of watching me. If i get a 26" what size cranks should i get?
yea, sounds like your off to a really good start. Torkers are great unis to learn on. i personally would have recommended getting the LX model Torker because it has a handle on the seat, so you can learn to hop. as for the size of wheel to get, i personally like the 24". given i have never used a 26 yet, but i love the 24 becuase you can do some trials and street, but still go kill it in the trails. i am primarily a trials/muni rider and i have ridden some pretty crazy stuff. the 24 is nice because it is gonna have a little bit faster handling to get between the rocks, and a little bit more speed control down steep hills due to the crank size (unless you run a break). basically, the 24 is gonna be a little eaiser going down steep hills and a tad more versatile, but the 26 will roll over some bumps easier and will go faster. when i rode in North Shore with Kris Holm and about 80 other riders, most of them used 24"ers from what i could tell.
yea, its a great all around uni period, thats one of the reasons i like it. i can do a little of everything with it. i still primarily ride my 20" for street and trials, but i am starting to ride 24" street as well. but i wouldn’t worry about what your currently used to, it don’t take long to adjust from one wheel to the next. i go from 20" to 24" all the time when riding a skatepark and what not. but like i said, i can’t say to much about a 26 since i have not yet tried one. i just believe the 24 is better for super techy trails and i have heard from other good riders that they prefer the 24 for the more technical trails as well. so personally, i love my 24"er,LOL. its always good to see the new guys like you come into our sport, i enjoy helping out you newer guys. so i noticed you said your from OR, how far from Portland are you? I have a good friend that lives in Portland that is the same level rider i am.
If you don’t already have a good tire pump and especially a nice pressure gage, now would be the time to invest in such equipment. With some experimenting you’ll find a tire pressure that fits you and the riding conditions of the day. A small pressure change can be very noticeable.
i live about 3 hours south of portland. i live in a smaller town called sutherlin not many poeple know where it is. but sutherlin is right next to Roseburg. i dont know of many people that ride uni’s around here. i wish there was more that i knew because it would be more fun to go ride with some people. What is a brand and model of tire pump? and what about a nice gage?
A nice pump is one that your local bike shop carries and can rebuild. It should have a gage built in for convenience. A bleed button is good to quickly dump some pressure. A big dial on the gage is good for reading the pressure when it is at the extreme low end of its scale.
ok cool. how much do you think a nice one would be? i also had a thought today, does anyone use a suspension seat post on your Muni? the guy at the local bike shop has a Cane Creek Thudbuster on his mountain bike. its has about threee inches of travel which might be nice on some trails. Or they have another model with about an inch of travel. they are kind of spendy but might make the ride a little more comfortable. One thing i am not sure of is how you could adapt it to fit a uni saddle but i’m sure it could be done pretty easy. When i get my Muni i am really considering buying one. Here is the link to it http://www.thudbuster.com/products.html
I’m no good at costs and probably over paid for my pump. But at least I supported my local bike shop.
I’ll insert the requisite chastising that the search feature should be regularly used. Search for thudbuster.
A lot of opinions may get thrown in here. I think most people prefer a rigid seat setup with the suspension existing in the fat tire and leg muscles. A rigid seat setup is a reliable point of reference as to what the rest of the uni is doing. Make that “what the rest of muni is doing”
My old MUni (1997 or so) has a Thudbuster Uni-Pivot post. It really works, though it pivots at the front so only the rear part goes down. But it does work on bumps.
Later on, I had a more simple spring-type post on my MUni for a long time. The problem with those is that the mechanism takes up the whole post so you can’t cut it shorter. No problem keeping track of what the rest of the cycle is doing. On the “real” bumps you’re not sitting anyway. Suspension posts are for taking the edge off the stuff you hit while seated.
And yes, search now on Thudbuster, suspension post, and similar to read tons more about all this.
I have a 24" Nimbus Muni can i mount a brake on it? Forgive me i know this is a novice question but my muni is still in the mail and i was just wondering.
Thanks.
