I’m sure this question has been posted plenty of times but I need some advice on purchasing my 2nd uni.
I just started learning how to ride this spring on a 20" no-name and I now feel like I need to step it up.
I went with my daughter for a bike ride through a campground this weekend and I feel like I’m working way too hard. I can ride without falling for as long as my lungs and legs can take me and free mount consistently.
So my question is… 24 26 or 29? It seems like I should try to go straight for the 29 so I won’t have to buy more sizes later but I’m not sure about riding it on the hills that I have in my area. The plan is mostly riding on roads and light trails for exercise.
Well keeping up with the bike isn’t really the issue since the bike is being run by a 7 year old girl. I’m sure she’ll be gaining speed soon but for now I’m just wondering if a 29er would be too much for me.
I’d consider a 36 actually. It’s more versatile than you’d think.
I ride with my kids a lot. If I am just riding with my (large) 8 year old on his 20" bike and my wife on her bike it’s my 36. With my smallish 6 year old on his 16" bike along for the ride the 36 is too big and I’ll use my 24 (I got rid of my 29). The 29 would be perfect.
Your kid will soon be growing more and getting faster. I’d either get a cheap 29 and work my way up to a 36, or just go right for the 36. It’s just practice like anything else. If you get a 36 I’d recommend a brake and bars.
I vote for the 29er. It is a very nice and versatile wheel size.
Start with low cranks, like 150 - 165 mm. That way it will be easy to mount and control.
If you are getting better, and want to go faster, work your way down to shorter cranks, and maybe a lightweight tire.
I think for a beginner, going from 20 to 36 inch is a too big step.
It is doable, you will learn to ride it, but for a long time it will feell big and hard to corner.
A 29er is much easier to control, and plenty fast with 125 mm cranks.
Well it looks like going for the 29er is a no brainer. Nobody has suggested to go any smaller so that’s probably what I’ll go with. If I decide that it’s too big for me, shouldn’t I just be able to swap out the tire for a 24 inch on the same frame?
Don’t go smaller than a 29. A 29 is fine. I agree.
This is fine:
I’d upgrade the saddle to a KH Street or Freeride, and the cranks to 127/150s. Or go with the stock saddle and cranks and try to get upgrades used later. The upgrades are usually worth it when you buy it because it’s cheaper than getting separate and the resale value on KH saddles and cranks is good.
A 29 is a great unicycle for both on and off road riding. With 125mm cranks i ride at the speed of a ‘leisurely commuter cyclist’. 26s and 24s are more suited to hard off road riding. 36ers, while a great mile eater, are a lot of effort to ride and have a whole learning curve which is absent from any other wheel size.
The unicycle kahunacohen has recommended is solid. The KH saddle is well worth the upgrade but even with gentle XC, crank upgrades are not necessary yet unless you want to seriously off road ride. If desired the unicycle can be retrofitted with a disc brake in the future with no real difficulty.
You can swap a smaller wheelset into the frame, it would probably be best to go for a 26 as there is only one real 24" tyre choice (huge). A 29er is unlikely to feel as intimidating after the first couple of hours riding and some UPDs.
Agreeing with the others. Switching to any different unicycle will be an adjustment. A 29" might need just a bit more adjusting than a 26", but not enough to justify buying a unicycle you’d enjoy less long-term.
No experience there since I’ve held off getting one for myself so far, but normal cruising speed on one is higher than my running pace and I get the impression that unplanned dismounts can be more dramatic because of that. And it’s a lot farther down to get to the ground.
Just for the record, the 24" CST Cyclops is a very cheap and fun tire for bashing around on pavement, and there are other nice ones like Holy Rollers and Big Apples. The problem is the gap from there to the 3" Duro!
A unicycle, not even my Schlumpf geared 36er can’t keep up with my kids bicycles, my wife’s ElliptiGO, or anything that can coast at 20mph. Hand down your 20" unicycle and teach her to ride. I’m raising my own unicycle posse.
Not to brag, but the more we ride together, the better I’m getting at keeping up with my wife on her ElliptiGO. She blows by me downhill and I pass her uphill. I push myself more when I’ve got something to chase. Here is a picture of the odd couple on our Jeep.
