My congrats to the rider who posted this, but I’m curious.
Who else has done this?
Who else has “attempted” this and any injuries?
I ride a 24" and the thought of going 36" is scary to me?
I mount using rock back/idling, but a big wheel and short crank sounds like I need a lot of power.
Anyways, to the original discussion “author”.
Don’t go cheap on a unicycle. I thought $300 for a unicycle was sticker shock when I first started(with $50 amazon “sun” brand), but I quickly ended up spending $120 for 20" Torker. A solid unicycle for learning and “falling down” a lot. Once, I “got it”…I was got a $300 nimbus muni…worth every dollar.
Keep on…
I went from a 24" to a 36" with a 50 year break. If someone can ride a 24" or even 20" they have the basic idea down and should be able to ride a 36". If you think about it the time and effort to first learn to learn ride a unicycle is much greater then the effort needed to change from one size to another. They are all basically the same. I actually learned on a 12" that I made out of a tricycle wheel.
Leaning to free mount a 36" may take some effort but for me it was just a matter of putting in the time. I never was really proficient at mounting a 24" and currently am better at free mounting a 36" then a smaller uni because I put more time in on the 36". I’ve sustained no training/work limiting injuries caused by riding a unicycle. Just a few bumps and scrapes that safety gear would have prevented.
If you think the thought of going to a 36” is scary then maybe try going 26” then 29”. Or just go straight to a 29er. I went from 26” to 36” and I think in 500km+ I’ve only had 2 UPDs while riding on the 36er, both caused by slippery ground (ground with loose surface). Once I’m up I’m generally fine. On smaller unis I’ve had more UPDs (caused by unforeseen bumps usually). Guess I’m quite weary of having a UPD on the big wheel.
Clubs are great! I have a 24 and it’s super solid and feels very reliable. One tip. If your club seat is uncomfortable, change it.
By the way, you sound like my kind of lady.
As to your questions…
Curbs. I had a fear of curbs too. I think give it time and you might get over your fear. Remember to hold onto your seat. I think being able to stand up while riding is a good thing too if you want to be able to ride over a curb, work on being able to do that consistently?
Culvert: I think it will be the same on a 20” or 26”, but the 26 will be less annoying cause less pedalling will be needed. Use longer cranks for control and power, and then it’s up to your leg strength.
Protective gear: I like to cover my shoulders and knees (so 3/4 length pants and T-shirts). I wear wrist protectors too because you never know if you might UPD, (unforeseen bumps usually) and I wear a helmet cause I’m in Australia and the rule is bike riders here have to wear a helmet. I have a helmet with built in front, rear and side lights so it’s good for riding home if it’s dark.
If I am doing a huge tour then I’d wear elbow guards and knee pads.
Practising inclines and descents: Explore your neighbourhood, there must be somewhere?
Handlebars. I think handlebars make more sense on a 29 or 36 inch wheel. You are probably not going to go touring on a 26.
Otherwise, I would say be able to ride well with 2 hands on your uni before getting a handlebar.
To be honest, the 26” uni was my first uni I felt good riding with 2 hands on the handle at the same time. It wasn’t a squirrelly wheel, and it wasn’t a uni that was too big to control either. It feels solid. It required more intention from me to turn than a 20” or 24”, but it’s in a good way. I could transition from the 36er to the 26 well, but initially going from the the 36er to 24”, the 24” felt too easy to turn, and it was just overly responsive. With a little more practise, that was no longer an issue, but it was a bit weird for a couple of rides.
Thank you for all the great advice, Gockie. It’s nice to have another lady here to get perspective. Helmet with lights … how great is that? I got a bunch of rechargeable LED lights for the Tandem Rover, but a helmet with lights sounds even better.
My neighborhood has both its pros and cons. The wide streets and lack of traffic means lots of space for riding and UPDs. It has been great for the enormous Tandem Rover, which by the way gets just about as many comments and stares as a unicycle. But the con is that I do not have a mailbox. And the playground about a half mile away doesn’t not have anything terrific to hold onto for practice. I did use a streetlamp post that was close to the street for idling yesterday. The other day I got out a ladder and put it in the street for idling. Ladder at curb could potentially help me roll over the curb repeatedly to practice that skill.
The 26" is on the delivery truck according to the messages coming to my phone! Woo hoo!
If I did not say already, I have pre-existing knee issues. Right knee has torn meniscus (cannot be repaired, but could be cleaned up surgically), Baker’s cyst (under control), osteoarthritis, and a now-healed ACL sprain. Knee replacement was suggested about 8 months ago, but 2 months of committed rehab got me back to mostly normal usage. I’m noticing it is slightly irritated now from all the mounts and dismounts. (I’m at about a 25% success rate on my mounts, but getting more reliable every day.) I need to be more committed to doing strengthening and stretching exercises before and after riding.
If there is anything I have learned here in the past few days: There is no right answer!
As in many situations, you’d LIKE for somebody to hand you the right answer so you don’t have to spend the time working through it, but figuring out what is the best solution for you is part of the journey. It takes time and effort.
A quote from a favorite children’s book: “You can’t go over it; you can’t go under it. You’ve got to go through it!”
Some folks call the TerraTrike Tandem Rover with IPS “The Marriage Saver.” Partners can ride without argument about pace. Usually there’s one person who WANTS to take on the responsibility of “driving” the contraption and a passenger who can be as involved or uninvolved as they wish.
The Terratrike has its limitations due to the length. (A big speed bump or the aforementioned culvert are impossible to navigate because the second set of pedals will not have clearance.) But in terms of being able to enjoy riding with a partner quite safely, it’s fantastic.
The Club 26" arrived. It was easily put together. I installed the shorter seat post. About an hour of practicing riding and mounts. Started with curb mounts using a ladder. Graduated to static mounts with ladder, then curb mount with no ladder. Not quite to the point where I can static mount without the curb. BUT reliably using curb to get going without any issue.
Able to ride without much difficulty. After practicing awhile, I went back to the 20" and realized
Post was too low on the 20"! So I used the longer seat post that I can’t use on the 26" to raise the seat.
Now the 20" seems so light and maneuverable! Mounting the 20" is suddenly no problem at all.
Good Lord, the seat on the Club is uncomfortable. Maybe I will move the Sun seat over to the Club?
I think this 26" will keep me entertained for awhile!
Question: If I’m trying to learn smooth curbs, is it best to practice with a squishy tire? Right now I’ve got the tire on the 26" at 40 PSI (It’s recommended 40-55 PSI.)
Try a local elementary/middle/high school. That’s where I would go to first practice when I was learning. Huge parking lots of open space with few cars and little traffic. Curbs were present on the sidewalks leading into school as well as staircases to help me learn hopping techniques and staying on the saddle when I go over a bump or drop down. Walls were also nearby since the facade of the school was right next to the sidewalks. Look out for those for practice mounting if you want. Lamp posts were also present in the parking lot allowing me to mount before I could free mount and ride around the open space.
My elementary school had an asphalt and grass hill so I was able to practice going up and down on both terrains. Look out for some schools that have these. I’ve also used wheelchair ramps to practice inclines.
I lived close enough to my middle school and elementary school, as well as neighborhood park, to be able to ride there as a warm up before practicing all the skills I wanted to. Hope this helps
I would suggest trying to go to a local elementary/middle/highschool. Plenty of open parking lot space with little traffic and few cars. Mine also had light/lamp posts to hold onto to practice mounting/idling/wheelwalking/riding backwards etc.
There were sidewalks present leading into school that allowed me to practice hopping curbs and staying on the saddle when going off of a height or hitting a bump. I used to get sent flying. Staircases were also abundant if you want to practice going up or down those.
My elementary and high school were built on hills allowing me to practice going up and down grass and paved hills. Wheelchair ramps work too. One thing I noticed after upgrading past a 26in tire was how easily a the unicycle can get away from you going down a hill. Without a brake, it takes some concentration and leg strength to fight gravity and the tire rotation. 26 should be fine though.
I used to live close enough to my school as well as a local park allowing me to ride there as a warmup and then practice whatever I wanted to do that day. If you go on a weekend, it should be fairly empty.
I had to giggle at this. Me, a 56 year old woman, doing stairs on a unicycle!
Look, I’ll be happy and so satisfied with just being able to go up the curb on my driveway!
School is a good idea, but I think I would drive over. Something about living in this era has made me nervous about busy streets, even on a bike or running. Drivers do not pay attention.
If you get the 26", get one with a dirt tire. Even if you never plan to go offroading, it is so much nicer being able to use the grass to swerve around pedestrians. Dirt tire works perfectly fine on pavement too
If you want a one-size fits all, I like a 29" or 27.5" (also, I recommend 125/150mm dual-hole cranks, so you can have 2 different speeds to work with).
26" with a dirt tire was my second ever wheel after riding 20" for 9 years. I LOVED it, but eventually got a larger tire for more commuting. It is the largest wheel you’d want exclusively on the sidewalk, but a bit small (but doable) for the street.
A street tire works just fine for going on grass to swerve around pedestrians… A typical mountainbike tires wear faster on the road, and I definitely can tell a difference in resistance and smoothness between a road and a mountainbike tire on pavement.
It’s a bit slower but has more grip. In theory it wears out faster, but I’ve put 100’s of miles on my dirt tires and the tread doesn’t really look any different.
If you’re skilled, sure you can go on grass, but there’s frequently mulch, mud, 2 inch curbs, and other weird stuff near the sidewalk. A wide, dirt tire is just easier for these things.
I’ve gone from 20", 24", 26" to finally a 29". I’ve ridden a 32" and still for crushing around the neighborhood and what not, the 29" with a Free ride saddle is my preference. Easy to free mount, easy to idle and makes good speed going down the road.
I’m just curious if you’ve ever seen the random tandem on the GMBN youtube channel. Martyn Ashton (a paralyzed former trials rider) stears in the front while interviewing a pro who pedals in the back.
I find that a great place to practice is at a non-emergency hospital, clinic or medical office area. There are a bunch of hand rails, low ramps, low steps, long & low steps,…etc.
A standard curb height is 6", but these ADA bldg code stairs might be as low as 2-3 inches. It’s nice you can just “grab” and try a very low drop.
Of course, only go when closed or not so busy. Also, get “friendly” with the security guards, too, they tend to have a lot of security and infrared cameras(night vision).
So, there’s two ways to “drop” down a curb:
1.) Just ride down it. What usually happens that causes a UPD is when your feet leaves the pedals as you freefall for a microsecond. What I do is just “add more pedal weight” as I ride “slowly” over the curb and drop. Keep pressure on pedals and “deliberately” crank the pedals(being aware of both crank position in the clock) steady. Don’t speed up the leading pedal, and don’t lose back pressure with the trailing pedal. Just nice steady continuous crank. It’s what you do over bumpy grassy/off road condition. You don’t have to hold the seat up. Just be aware that your pedal clock position can be random, and 3/9 o’clock is most stable. 6/12 is the worse if you lose contact with the top foot, so that’s why you need to keep that top foot rotating from 12 to 1 o’clock with weight. Don’t get distracted when you slam down, but keep cranking slowly/steady. One continuous motion. Do not expect to stop “absorb” the drop, then pause and then go.
2.) The second way is to “hop” down, but this is advanced and if you can’t hop, yet, it’s useless. I can hop myself, but to “stop” at a specific clock position and “hop” is something I don’t practice yet.
Ladder at curb could potentially help me roll over the curb repeatedly to practice that skill.