I am new to Uni and got excited After reading this on reddit, I decided to get Torker LX 26".
I live in LA and currently commute with bicycle, bus and train.
1/2 mile on my bike (road, flat), 40 minutes on the bus, 10 minutes on the train and 1.5 on the bike (Hollywood Blvd to Merlose Ave - road or sidewalk, %10 downhill).
since it’s not a long distance ride, and the way to work is slightly downhill, I don’t even sweat on the way to work.
I believe that the Torker LX 26" is a good fit for me needs since it will be easy to carry in the bus (unlike the coker 36")
and should be fine for navigating my way in i busy street.
Will I be able to achieve my goal one day - no to sweat using the Uni on the way to work?
The 1.5 mile can be done on the road but I think i’ll use the sidewalk (it’s pretty wide - 3 meters).
How hard is it with a Uni? I believe I’ll have to dismount on any red light. is it a big deal to mount again (assuming I’ll be more expirienced of course).
Also, do I need brakes and is there anything I should know about before buying it (crank length etc).
If anyone selling his LX, let me know.
2 miles is really very doable on a 26. It may be a while before you do it without sweating. Once you can relax in the saddle you will find it much easier, and you will sweat less. If you learn to glide you will be able to do the downhill stretch without much effort.
I think the LX would be a good choice for what you want to do. I don’t know off hand what cranks the 26 comes with, but I would recommend 114’s or maybe 125’s after you get your uni legs. Being square taper it’s easy and cheap to find other lengths.
Free mounting seems to come in time. In urban areas there is a high likelihood of poles, and signs to hold while you mount, and so it shouldn’t be difficult to make this work before you learn to free mount.
I haven’t ever ridden an LX, but from reading various threads it seems like a logical upgrade will be a comfy saddle.
As a newbie who rides a 26" Torker LX, I can verify that it will do a 2mi commute easily…and yes, until you reach a proficiency where you aren’t putting superhuman effort into staying upright, you will get sweaty.
I have 150 cranks (not by choice - they were all I could get here in Singapore).
Although the advise was to start out learning on a 24" uni, I had no problems teaching myself on the 26" (at least no problems that I wouldn’t have had on any unicycle), and it made better sense for the type of riding I want to do.
I started a few months ago, and now regularly ride 6 - 10km on very busy (and quite hilly) city streets here in Singapore. I prefer the streets for their continuity of flow, better surface, and lack of obstacles, but take to the footpaths (such as they are) in areas where the roads create problems that are beyond my skill set.
I would go to smaller cranks, except that I still have a few hills to conquer with the 150’s first.
The seat on the Torker 26" LX is a fair representation of the collective wisdom of 1,000 years of torture tool innovation.
what cranks will I get with the Torker and can someone explain the different cranks and what they mean?
Also, should I buy new ones If I need to replace those coming with the Torker?
Another question - I found the Uni for sale on Amazon, for about $130 including shipping.
Is there a cheaper place? (used or new)
I think mine may have been 165’s or 170’s. Mine was bought assembled in Perth, and when I broke it down to fly it to Singapore, I found that one of the pedal threads had been galled on assembly. That was why I changed the cranks when I get to Singapore, and only 150’s were available.
Whatever comes with it is fine for learning. Crank length is the least of your problems when learning to do the impossible… When you are wanting to ride faster than you can sustain a spin, and you are getting up (and down) all of the hills that you want to, time to consider shorter cranks.
for those who live in the US - can I carry it with me to the bus?
if not, is it possible to place it at the front rack of the bus, where I currently place my bicycle?
I have not carried a unicycle on a bus. I do not think that you would be allowed to carry a 36" on a bus–it is huge! I might suggest a 24" rather than the 26"–it is a little smaller and you may be more likely to get it on a bus. Both are similar and it may be no problem.
If you really have a 10% grade (downhill or uphill) and are new to unicycling I would recommend 150 mm cranks or larger while you are getting used to it. After that you might consider smaller cranks.
I learned to ride on a Torker LX 20". Once I could ride for minutes instead of seconds I quickly found out that the seat was basically unusable (for me). After I got a Nimbus 29" with a KH saddle I then realized that it was possible to find a unicycle seat that is comfortable enough to ride long distances. I kept the Torker to practice a few tricks but I had to upgrade the seat, seat post, and pedals. The original pedals were way too slippery when wet. So now my Torker is nicely set up but I think it would have been smarter to buy a Nimbus in the first place.
The problem with the nimbus is the price and the size:
it’s around $300 while the Torker is less than half.
and it’s size - I assume that it will be easier to convince the bus driver to let me in the bus with a 26" than 29".
(i am just guessing here, never seen anyone with unicycle in real life…and definitely not on a bus)
I didn’t mean to get a 29", it would be great for your commute but it would be harder to learn on if you can’t ride already. I was more thinking about something like a 24". My point was that after upgrading the seat, seat post and pedals the total cost becomes similar between Torker and Nimbus.
I concur on the seat. I have a Torker 20" and have ridden it the 2 miles to and from work maybe 10 times… and I had to go out and get bike pants to survive the journey.
Ever since I got a KH 29", I’ve been less sore inside my legs wearing normal shorts (any type, soccer, carpenter, baggy) than I was with the torker seat. I have ridden far further on the 29" than I ever went on the Torker, so I don’t just think that it is that I am pedaling less revolutions on my commute.
I have not taken a bus, but I’ve never had anyone complain about my bringing my 20" or 29" into stores or buildings. Although at Wally Mart I’ve had kids ask me where the unicycles are so they can buy one too!
As for 26"… it is MUCH faster than a 20". I don’t think I would ever want to try my commute on my 20" again… 26" is almost as fast as 29", and should be much easier to learn idling/mounting etc.
The CX would be a waste of money (you may get it only as a stepping stone to a better uni, like the Nimbus 29). The LX is good enough to consider IMO.
I have a 26" LX and I couldn’t ride it for five minutes w/ that seat. The cranks bend easily, the spokes are flimsy and I bet It’d be easy to bend the wheel. Although just road riding the LX should be fine. If dropped more than a curb w/ an awkward landing or UPD’d and stepped on the wheel (which I’ve done manny times on my Muni), I’m sure I’d bend it - I weigh 150 lbs.
If I were to do it over, & I was in your situation, I’d get a 24" Nimbus II + some shorter cranks for when you can do those hills. Or instead of extra cranks, after mastering the 24, save it for learning tricks & as a loaner for friends to learn and get a Nimbus 29 and strap it to the bus’ rack.
I’d be VERY surprised if the driver let you bring on a 36 onto the bus and I doubt he/she would even let you bring on a 29 inside. I don’t think a 36 would fit in the different bus racks I’ve seen, a 29 probably would. Any uni would need a bungee cord to secure it to the rack.
I’ve brought my 24" Muni on the bus semi disassembled (pedals & post/seat) and everything strapped to my backpack and the drivers never said anything. I think they would prob also accept a 26" (rules say you must be able to fit everything under your seat, on your lap or on the over head rack).
My 26" LX is my only unicycle. I regularly ride 6 - 10km on it. The seat is, indeed, the biggest problem. I have a KH Freeride ordered for when I get back to Australia, but the Torker-Torture seat is not bad enough to stop me riding.
I haven’t had any problems with spokes and wheel trueness. I did replace the cranks, but that was because the original assembler had galled the pedal spindle threads. I don’t think spoke and crank problems are likely to be a problem until you start doing higher impact actions than road riding.
I think it is a good starting point - With 26", you can at least cover some distance. The quality is good enough to fulfil the learning stages up to where you decide what ultimate direction/s you want to take your unicycling, and is cheap enough to not become the most expensive storage cupboard adornment if the desire wains early.
For me, I’m very satisfied with having chosen 26" as my learning uni. With a desire to ride on the road, a smaller size may possibly have been easier (although the process was actually very quick), but would have left me want ing a bigger wheel straight away.
Different strokes for different folks.
Don’t forget to tell us about your learning experiences.
I tend to disagree. When you learn on a 26", I think it would significantly help the process of learning if you have longish cranks, such as 150 or even 170 mm. You need that leverage to make all the corrections, because you’re not yet used to it. Once you can ride, you can move to shorter cranks. Shorter cranks are easier to spin and so you will ride faster and with more comfort because of less leg action.
Hi, Klaas.
Sorry - I should clarify. What I meant was that the cranks that come with the 26" LX are already long and are fine for learning on (If I recall correctly, they are about 170mm). There is no need to look to getting shorter cranks until you are already reasonably proficient at riding.
My intention was to indicate that the 26" LX is fine for learning as it is, and does not require any modification at the beginning (The seat is not man-friendly, but it doesn’t stop one from riding).
This is just my opinion of course, so bear that in mind. There is not very many one size fits all answers to your questions.
I personally think that you should learn to ride on a 24" with 150 mm cranks first, whatever it is…a CX,LX or a KH-24. If cost is an issue search Craigslist diligently, flea markets, garage sales…whatever it takes. Learn to ride…A journey of one thousand miles begins with one step…or one piece of crap unicycle.
I think pretty quickly you will realize the seat is not good on a Torker LX, or Cx…or any starter unicycle. The seat is not comfortable in profile, composition of the pad, or adjustability. By the time that you upgrade the seat, and cheap pedals you would have been better served with a Nimbus with Isis splined cranks or something similar in quality.
No big though, you will find many things are self revelatory afterwards. The important thing is Learn To Ride. If that 7’ mogul in your mind becomes a “Mountain” and you lose the faith and it feels like the dream may die because what you thought would be hard , now suddenly after failing in utter exhaustion to solve this unicycle puzzle you believe it is “impossible” for you: Don’t Give Up. My default setting would be to help and many here would respond in kind. You would need only ask. Pursue this unicycle goal by whatever means and just ask for help if you need it.
It’s good to see that it is sufficiently emancipated not to differentiate based on gender! I guess, when one is being constantly sat upon, or abandoned to impact ashphalt, friendliness is not at the top of the Things I Must Strive For list.
Well I’m pleased to say that I just finished a few hours ago assembling my Torker LX 26" that I bought through Amazon. I paid $127 including shipping from BicycleSourceUS. Great price and fast delivery for free shipping. It took all of 7 days to come but I was able to watch travel from Las Vegas, NV to here in Charleston, SC.
I was wondering about crank size too and can confirm that it came with 170mm length. Just got back from the initial test rides and I love how smooth and easy it is to ride. I’ve not ridden much for a number of years and I was able to go about 1 mile before I decided to take a break.
Seat seemed fine to me. I might try a different set of pedals sometime soon but the stock ones are fine. Just not as much grip as I would like. My feet seemed to slide around a bit as I traveled down the neighborhood streets.
