Greetings! I’m looking for my first ride. I’m roughly 6’ 200 lbs with a 33” inseam. I’m hoping I can find a 20” to learn on. I’ve been looking around and I came across this one. I’ve tried researching it but am not finding too much useful info. Has anyone heard of this brand (Knight) and is it any good. Also any pointers on a good starter uni (wheel size, seat post length, brand, etc) would be helpful. (I’m not looking to break the bank on this. I’m an old dog, and new tricks don’t come easy)
This unicycle is a no brand Amazon unicycle with virtually zero quality, and the sellers don’t actually know anything about unicycles, and the ads are clearly photoshopped.
You might be able to learn on it, but not much else. If you think you’ll be able to ride at all, I reccomend getting a Hoppley or Club from Unicycle.com.
Honestly I would say go for it. I still have a cheapo 20” CyclePro lying around with a 28 spoke single-wall steel rim and lollipop bearings. I have a nicer one that I ride now, but I’ll keep the CyclePro as a lender because it still works “good enough”
One of the issues you’ll probably encounter with used (or new no-name) unicycles is that the seat post is too short. The Cyclepro, a no-name Amazon unicycle, and even a used Nimbus II that I scored off of marketplace had seat posts that were too short for me. If that’s the case, you will have to throw a little bit more money at it to get the right length. Thankfully posts aren’t very expensive though.
To add, the saddle that comes with that unicycle might have a different bolt standard than most sold nowadays. If you do decide to get a longer seat post, if it looks like the bolt pattern on the right your options might be limited. The post on the left is the standard that most unicycles nowadays use, though you may have to buy a new saddle. This one is the least expensive one sold at UDC, and honestly its still worth the price.
I will vouch for a Club unicycle if you’re willing to drop a few more $$ on your first unicycle. It’s labeled a beginner-oriented unicycle, yes, but it’s a guaranteed solid unicycle with up-to-date parts. You can order it with the correct length post and a modern saddle and not worry about parts compatibility and whatnot It looks like the prices on UDC USA have been upped a bit due to tariffs unfortunately, but you might be able to get away with the Hoppley 20”.
Knight is a legitimate Chinese unicycle brand, and it is well known outside the DC bubble. This specific unicycle is part of their beginner’s product line, but they also produce trials models as well as 36ers. Nothing wrong with the brand in the beginner’s segment.
I own a 700c (28”/29”) version of this unicycle, and my son rides it while visiting his grandparents, logging well over 100 miles on off-road and gravel over time. He is no joke — taller than you, athletic, and an experienced rider. The unicycle is still holding up well.
While this is not a high-end product, it is comparable to Club and Sun. The seatpost is identical to Torker and Miyata — that might be an issue for your size — I replaced both the seatpost and the seat to let my kid ride it.
I would not hesitate to invest $50 in a new Knight to learn riding (if the seat height fits you).
If you are in the Bay Area, you might want to visit Collin’s beginner’s meetup here: http://unicycle.group
@one seems to be familiar with the brand.
I was going to say that it appears to have cottorless/square taper cranks, which is better than cotters but not as strong as ISIS - certainly up to the job for a starter uni. The rim appears to be double wall, going by the rather high profile - this would be good news. What I don‘t like is that the two parts of the bearing holder seem to touch each other. Maybe you have to add a thin strip of plastic or metal around the bearing to be able to properly dial in the tension of the bearing holder.
That said where I live quality unis can sometimes had for the same amount. I was lucky and got my Qu-Ax 20er for 1 buck.
I have personal but limited experience with it. Personal because I bought and own one; limited because it is rarely used, and I cannot fully assess its durability.
It is a beginner’s uni, and it is unfair to compare it with high(er) end products. It is nothing special. I would say the same about Sun, Club, and Fun — the brands / products that Knight competes with. But Knight is definitely not just an Amazon no-name.
Mine is the larger version with a 28" wheel. I was surprised to find that it has aluminum 145mm high Q-factor cranks and mechanical rim brakes (with the brake handle attached to the seatpost instead of the seat).
I immediately replaced the cranks, pedals, seatpost, and seat while assembling the ride, and later replaced the seatpost clamp as well. The bearing holder is fine, and there is enough space between the halves. My major concern is the flex of the frame legs, but it has been working without any issues so far.
The uni in the ad seems to be either a 20" or 24" version, and definitely has different specs. However, overall, it looks like a smaller yellow version of the boring black mine. I see no reason to claim it is “photoshopped.”
I’m now curious about Knight myself… I remember seeing them when browsing the more expensive unicycles offered on Amazon and I wasn’t sure if they were related to the no-names that typically fill up the listings. Especially the Knight 36er @one mentioned
EDIT: I found a listing on AliExpress for a Knight 36er, and I found gold…
…I can relate
Of course most of the info is translated funny, but looking past that I’m intrigued. Below is a list of some specs:
…Honestly I’d love to see one in person I don’t doubt that they’re quality unicycles. It makes me wonder how many other great unicycle brands are outside the western bubble
The translation is indeed funny, and that might lead to some confusion while assembling. I also failed to find the manufacturer’s webpage, but there was plenty of information in different languages offered by their distributors. Whether it is their business model or simply the way business is done in China, I do not know.
Here is the problem: It does not look high quality, but it does not look bad either. I had a chance to get a taste of their products in 2019 — 24" and 29" beginners unicycles, a 19" trials, a 36er, and a cute little 12-incher. I had mixed feelings, as the brand seems to lack consistent product line separation based on quality. I mean, their trials and 36er are not exactly budget models, but you can see some design solutions that seem based more on parts availability than on quality or design requirements. $15 cheapo rim brakes on a 36" uni with an alloy frame and ISIS cranks isn’t something I would approve of if I worked for them.
By the way, the 36er Knight I saw in 2019 had its brakes removed by the owner.
You have to remember that the cost on aliexpress to western countries is often not representative of the cost of the item as sold domestically.
If we’re looking at unicycles on aliexpress, I love how much KoxxOne stuff is still hanging around. Their cranks have appeared on this kind of thing for years.
Why? Because of the cult status attracting potential buyers. But I don’t know, maybe some makers just bought large numbers of parts (possibly leftovers after the demise of Koxx) and have still stuff to equip new unis years later. Either way, I find it a bit strange.
Was doing some more browsing on AliExpress just now when I stumbled across a Morality 36er. I think I recognize Morality from a 42”(?) unicycle they offer as well. This one has a 160mm Shimano hydraulic disc brake rather than a rim brake like the Knight
I have a hunch who’s behind this Knight brand. The components look familiar. Be careful with descriptions: Sometimes they lie, so much so that the beams bend. Sometimes they translate poorly, and sometimes they simply write something that’s not true. If it’s the Chinese company, which I suspect: wheels are poorly laced, frames are poorly welded. They set my Fatty project back two years because they delivered me two junky bikes (samples).
I don’t want to disparage this brand per se, but I would be cautious and wouldn’t trust the information 100%. The seller on Aliexpress seems to be just a trader. Caution is advised there, too. You can simply forget about getting something covered by warranty later on.
I don’t doubt that they’re quality unicycles. It makes me wonder how many other great unicycle brands are outside the western bubble
D’oh!