Hey guys, I’m new to these forums and to unicycling. I’m gonna get a uni for Christmas, but I’m just not sure which one. There are SO MANY OPTIONS! It’s a bit overwhelming. I’m 13 and 5’6". I like going fast, but I don’t know if I could fit a 36er. I don’t think I wanna get into trials or street right now. And I’m only used to a 20 incher. Do you guys think I could even ride a 36er? THey look like SOOOO much fun! Anyways, Thanks Guys.
When I started I asked a similar question. Everyone was very helpful as far as my size and what I could ride. I am sure many can tell you more but here is the link of my thread…I am 5'2"
I really enjoy riding my 36er. It’s my favorite ride. I put four or five thousand miles on mine every year. I like the way it rides way better than a 29er.
It should not take that long to get used to it. 36ers are great fun, and fast. As long as you get suitable sized cranks to start, say 140mm, it shouldn’t be a problem. Plus you can ride a very long way!
Anyway, to stay on topic… if you’re tall enough to ride a 36er then give it a go. They feel very different to ride from other unicycles. I’m not really a great road unicyclist (more of a biker on the road) but I love my 36 - it’s as good as a unicycle gets on the road, and fantastic for fairly easy cross country riding as well (my usual commute is a mix of road and xc which suits it perfectly). Go for it.
Welcome Spoonsnuggle. If you’re going to create your own threads (something I hardly ever do), please make sure your thread title is meaningful. In this case “Will I fit a 36” unicycle?" would have been better, but even better than that would have been typing that into the search feature and finding the answer already in here.
Yes, you should be plenty tall enough, unless you have disproportionately short legs. For speed, 36ers are the bomb.
BTW, my inseam is 28" barefooted. And this will be my first unicycle. Is this a good choice? I’ve been practicing on a 20" my friend lent me. It’s not mine, and he will be taking it away very soon because he needs it for college.
A 36 is not ideal for learning on but if you have got the basics figured out on your friends 20 and are not particularly scared of falling while higher up and going a bit faster you should be fine.
Hey Spoonsnuggle, I had the same concerns as you about riding a 36er. I’m approx the same height as you (5’6") and the only other uni I owned was a 20". Today I decided to take the plunge and purchase a 36er… and I’m so glad I did!
I found that I could ride it reasonably well without too much practice… it didn’t take too long to get used to the height, weight distribution and momentum. I really enjoyed eating up distance!
I also found that freemounting was easier, too.
The seat post was positioned as far down possible and the cranks were 7". I suppose that these could be replaced with shorter ones to improve the height even more.