I want to buy a 12" for the office (just for indoor fun, not going to commute).
I know how to ride (learned on 29" a while ago), I am 190lbs, 5’ 11" and live in the US (west coast). I believe I need to make sure it’s long enough so i won’t need to sit too low to the ground.
I did some google search and I can’t seem to find many options.
here is one of them - Hoppley 12:
I agree with Smolagin that it’s hard to find a 12" that will support anyone over 50lbs. That said there have been options in the past. A few years ago the “bunnycycle” got a lot of attention on this forum. I’m not sure that the Hoppley is really any different than the Bunny, but I can’t imagine it would hold up too long. One idea that was floated a few years back is using a 16" frame and building a tiny trials uni with a 12" scooter rim and tire. This would result in a 16", but it would be suitable for an adult. That thread has a good discussion of the topic.
The problem is the rim/tire. Getting a rim that size that can handle the kind of pressure necessary to support a heavy rider without exploding is going to be difficult.
thanks for the tips! it seems like i need to look for a stronger unicycle.
is 16" the next size I should look into?
quick search found the following. my priority is price since it’s just for indoor use.
please let me know which one is the best for my needs and send me links to others if exists. thanks!
Why are you picking such small wheel sizes? Are you thinking that the smaller unicycle would be easier to ride in an office, or do you want something different? Anything less than a 20" is generally considered to be a child-size unicycle.
I’ve ridden around my office on a 24" uni with no problems, in and out of cubicles and around tight corners, doing some simple tricks like idling, riding backwards, and hopping.
With such a small uni I don’ think you need to worry about the frame on any of these. The wheel will be the weak link, but since you probably won’t be riding it for long periods it will probably do okay for awhile. With that in mind any of these uni’s should work.
I guess I would choose one with a 32 spoke wheel if it’s available. 32h 16" (iso305) rims are not too difficult to find, and they even make decent double wall rims like the Rhynolite in that size. So, when you eventually blow out the side of the rim you can rebuild the wheel with a better hoop.
I would probably pay a little more and get the UDC Club 16. It seems like the best 16 out there. Also, the frame appears to have more clearance, so if you wanted to rebuild around the mini trials concept you may have enough space for a 3" tire.
thanks for your feedback, unibabyguy.
the reason i want the smallest size is to not attract too much attention.
the office is in a building that is own by an old fashion management company.
I feel like the smallest the unicycle the easy it would be to keep it there.
i would like to create a fun environment at the office and have competitions between the co-workers. stuff like “who can stay the longest” or “who can go to the bathroom and back without falling”. so i don’t need anything fancy. just strong unicycle that can handle 190 lbs.
I am ok to go above 16" but I assume that the prices for 16" would be cheaper.
Please send me links to amazon/ebay or online stores with 16" or 20" that you recommend.
jtrops, thanks for your suggestions.
tell me if I understand the bottom line of your comment. You are saying that any of my links would be fine, but it might not be the strongest rim and might break under the load?
is this the model you were talking about? what seapost should i get? 200mm/300mm/400mm (I am 5’ 11") ?
you mentioned 32 spoke wheel. are any of the models I linked has it?
I appologize but my ignorance. i am not sure how to tell the number of spokes.
I also don’t understand this sentence: “rebuild the wheel with a better hoop.”
how is this one? it’s pretty cheap and the video looks nice (: the only problem is it showing kids riding it so i am not sure if it will be good for adults:
Now that I understand better what you plan on doing I would also recommend a 20" uni. For a starter uni that can handle a full sized adult I don’t think you can go wrong with a Torker LX 20, or a UDC Club 20. I don’t know if you can wait, but if price is a real concern Unicycle.com has an annual sale coming up after thanksgiving. They normally do free shipping, and knock the prices down quite a bit. It may be worth waiting for.
I just read all the comments and the Q&A of the Avenir Deluxe and someone who is 165 pounds rides it. that sounds promising (25 pounds lighter than me).
I started unicycling on that exact model Avenir 18 months ago, bought from Amazon even. I’m at or above 190 lbs and it’s held up fine riding outdoors on mediocre to average pavement. It’s still in service although I split riding time between several unis now. Do make sure that the nuts holding the crank arms onto the hub are tight before you ride, and recheck the pedals for tightness every now and then.
But I like the 12" idea too, for office comedy value if nothing more.
thanks LargeEddie!
I assume you are talking about the 20" not the 16" (both are Avenirs).
I wish I could get a 12" but the common opinion here is it will not survive…
I prefer the 16" Avenir over the 20" but I’ll read all the reviews to make sure It can handle my weight and height. is the hight identical and the only difference is the diameter?
Yup, that’s correct, the 20" version. And just to note, the stock seatpost length was marginal for me at ~6 ft. I bought a longer one when I switched to shorter crank arms.
I just looked at the Hoppley listing at UDC and I don’t get what the fuss is about it. Yeah, it’s “a beginner cycle with a single walled steel rim,” but so’s the Avenir. The 12" Hoppley’s hub actually looks better than what the Avenir comes with, and it uses normal sealed bearings with standard 100 mm spacing. Those 90 mm chromed steel cranks are exactly what I’ve got on my Avenir now. A really long seat post might be good though.
I don’t see a problem as long as you’re reasonable about what you do with it. But then I’ve put more than a few miles on equipment that supposedly couldn’t stand up to other forum members’ awesomeness.
No. (Edit: At least I don’t remember any. I have lots of tools and maybe a wrench or two came with it. It’s hard to say for sure now.) Nothing too special needed though, open-end wrench for the pedals plus sockets for saddle nuts, bearing caps, and snugging up the crank arm nuts.
What’s the height of the Hoppley? will I be able to sit on it without being too close to the ground? I don’t want to buy a separate post.
Here is the description of the Hoppley 12" :
“Saddle: Hoppley saddle (blue) Seat post: Club 25.4mm x 300mm chromed steel or aluminum with a welded rectangular mounting bracket, 4 hole Seat post clamp: Nimbus (silver) quick release, aluminum Frame: Trainer round crown 12” (black) steel with 40mm stamped maincap bearing housings Hub/axle: UDC cotterless (black) 20H, hardened splindle,100 mm center bearing to center bearing Spokes: 14G. stainless chrome (72mm in length for radial) with silver nipples Rim: United 12" (chrome) 20H, singlewall, steel Rim strip: Rubber Tube size: 12 1/2" x 2 1/4" Tire: Innova 12 1/2" x 2 1/4" Crank arms: United (chrome) 90mm, cotterless, steel Pedals: United, 9/16" threads, plastic Bearings: 17mm x 40mm Approx. cycle weight: 8 lbs."
I guess it depends on what you’re aiming at, but riding a 12" uni seems hard enough even with the seat at a reasonable height. The page has ordering options for up to 400 mm ($5 upcharge) and based on the inseam heights that still might be 200 mm too low because the frame neck is so short. Like I said, even the 20" Avenir was marginal with the stock post, although OK when I was just starting out. I got one 100 mm longer when I ordered some other stuff. Basic steel posts aren’t expensive.
She doesn’t look very tall! But if that’s what you’ve got in mind for office fun, I guess that’s cool too.
While it’s true that any of these low budget learners have weaker parts, the 12" rims are only made for toys. Most bikes that come with them are for sidewalk bikes that have training wheels standard.
As I said in a previous post, based on the use it would probably be okay, but it’s certainly not up for a lot of riding before it fails under the weight of adult riders.
