Hi all,
Im going to ask the question thats been asked hundred’s of times already, but figured if im going to get into this sport, id like to have the best chance of success possible, based on my situation. Here goes:
This is something I have wanted to do for years, now im determined its going to happen. While searching for information I came across this site (the learning journal thread in particular, which I must say is fantastic. Up to page 25 so far, and readning it all on a mobile phone, great encouragement for me.) and thought this would be a great site to get impartial advice.
Id like something to start off on, but after reading the tlj thread and seeing how fast some people progress my concern now is getting something that will last. Im 14st (196 lbs) but am usually around 12 1/2st (175lbs). Where I live and would be practicing I would be faced with a lot of curbs and road crossing’s. So, would you go for a standard starter, or something a little more robust? All of this will unfortunately have to be done on a tight budget, for now at least.
I live in the uk, the only place I have been told about for buying one so far has been UDC.
So what would you do given this situation? Buy cheap then get another when better, buy cheap then upgrade or buy better to start? What would you choose and why?
All comments and suggestions appreciated.
Many thanks in advance, mark.
Buy the most unicycle that you can with your available funds. Call UK UDC and ask for their suggestions based on the info that you have supplied above.
You can either purchase from them or shop around on this forum for a suitable used uni that will meet your needs.
Welcome to the forum, I also joined recently, but I have 2 years of uni experience.
My question to you is: what style of unicycling are you planning to do:
Just riding around, offroad riding, trials, street, distance riding etc.
If you already know what you want to do, then you could buy a suitable uni for that and learn it on that one.
I remember a thread with a person who learned unicycling on a 36er, so anything is possible (maybe not recommended).
If you don’t know what you want yet, just buy a cheap unicycle, just check that the saddle can be adjusted high enough.
My experience is that unicycling is quite addictive and that you will end up with a collection of unicycles, spending more money then you planned.
Hi, thanks for the replies.
Well I dont know anyone else to ride with at the moment so would mostly be just riding around the streets, maybe a bit of “urban muni” when/if i’m able to.
With this I agree whole heartedly. But as I have already stated, I dont know anyone who rides. Im not asking for someone to hold my hand and make me good, just a little pointer in the right direction.
How many people on here have come back to the sport years after they first tried wishing they had had someone to give them pointers all those years ago. All im after is a little advice.
Then from a more informed decision I can get out and learn from trial and error.
TLJ on a phone? That’s insanity! My Club 24 is going strong, I’m up to 10.5 miles as of last week. Also assaulting Mt Greylock tomorrow, we’ll see how that goes…
Key Decision Points:
20 or 24? Its a toss up. A lot of people say the skill sets are easier to learn on a 20. I chose a 24 because I’m more interested in going forward for really long distances. I’ll learn the skill sets as my riding improves. If you deal with a lot of car and foot traffic, you may want to learn hopping, idling, riding backwards, and such, fairly quickly. In that case, a 20 might be better for you.
If you’re on a tight budget, get a cheaper uni to learn on, and try to match your goals. Most places I need to go are within 5 miles of my house, and a 24 gets me there. A 20 just wouldn’t do it for me. After you’ve learned how to ride, then look forward to a better, more expensive uni. Even if you buy an expensive one, you’re gonna want more unis anyways! Club, Torker LX, and Nimbus get the getter reviews from all I’ve read. Nimbus may be the best of the bunch for urban muni.
Good luck with your purchase, and learning to ride. Feel free to post in tlj, we’d love to hear of your progress!!
Start with a Torker LX, and based on your size, get a 24 " to learn. Get 150 cranks and you will be in a solid position to succeed in your learning affordably. Once you learn to ride you will know if that is enough unicycle for you or if you want to listen to the siren song of another unicycle or more expensive gear.
Most of us learned alone. Once you learn what “right” feels like, you will progress rapidly.
I would say to get a pretty good unicycle to start with, and if you want/need to upgrade, than upgrade it! I just upgraded from a Sun 20" beginner unicycle to a Nimbus 20" Trials, and I am loving it!
You may want to poke around and see if someone is giving away one for cheap online near by : ) I learned on a crummy 20 inch that was a freebie from the local juggling club, needed a new tire and tube. Once I learned, I got a 36er as my first purchased uni. I passed mine down for someone else to do the same, by the time they got it, it had new pedals and a MUCH better seat.
I told them when they learn to ride and get their first “real” uni, that they need to pass it on.
point being. . . maybe you can find a free one to learn on
I’m one of those people!
When I tried riding as a kid, my unicycle had a seat that SWIVELED! That didn’t seem right to me, but I had no one to advise me and nobody to confirm that the seat should be tightened. I didn’t know anything about tightening the seat, and it was just a feeling I had that it shouldn’t be doing that. I gave a good effort on the thing and could ride (wobble) maybe 30 feet (that is a guess). I’m sure it seems obvious that I should have figured out how to fix the seat problem, but I was just a kid, and a girl at that. I’m not certain the challenge would have been met had the seat been attached correctly, but it would have helped a whole lot.
There was no such thing as the internet at the time. Eventually the thing got the best of me. Here I am at 57 conquering it after all these years of wondering why I never could meet the challenge when I was a kid. I have never been one to give up easily on challenges that are of interest to me.
Had this forum been available to me… oh, 45 years ago, I’m pretty sure I would have succeeded way back when.
You are in the right place!!!
I started on a 20" Torker LX and later bought a 24".
I am around 5’7".
My experience was that I bought the second uni too soon hoping to get further down the road with less exhaustion. I did get a little further down the road, but the extra height and change of crank length was not a good thing for me. The changes were too soon. If I had it to do over again, I would stick with the 20" until it was mastered to the point of riding a couple of miles without a dismount. THEN I would get the bigger, better uni! Falling off of the 24" was quite a bit more stressful than falling of of the 20" (for me), and the longer cranks (150) that came with the 24" just felt too long.
I also was inspired by the Learning Journal.
What a SUPER thread!
Thank You NotSoYoungOne for that!
So, welcome MonkeyMark!
Enjoy your unicycle adventure as well as the camaraderie here on the forum!
To confuse MonkeyMark even further, I’m shorter than 57UniRider at around 5’3", and I learned on the 24" first, with 150mm cranks. It felt more stable to me compared to a 20". I had the opportunity to try both 20" and 24" before buying a used 24". I now have both sizes, but still feel that the 24" is more stable.
But I agree that the 24" is more scary to fall off. I countered that with a helmet, gloves, arm and knee guards. Also, the idea that you should get something that suits how you plan to ride, is a good suggestion.
Thanks for the replies guys and girls.
Got some deciding to do as to exactly what I intend to do as I will be on a budget.
Other than UDC where else would people you recommend to look?
And yes, im from the uk, north east near durham to be more accurate.
You are about the 100th person to ask this!
I bought my first uni on ebay for $70 shipped. It was the “Gravity” brand 26" and I learned to ride in a couple of weeks on it. I chose the 26" to learn on because of my height (190cm+) and my need for speed.
I later bought a Nimbus Trials (20") and fell in love with it. The difference was night and day in terms of maneuverability and craftsmanship. It feels a lot more solid and has taken many 2-3 foot drops with my 180lb self on it.
I have since retired my learner because I got a Nimbus 26" Muni and I ride it 90% of the time.
The best advice I can give you: Whenever you fall, wipe off the blood and try again.
Good luck and stay on top!
Thanks for that. Have been in touch and plan to pay a visit as soon as I can fit it in, things are a little hectic at home right now but want to get started before the bad weather comes in.
I just upgraded from a Sun 20" beginner unicycle to a Nimbus 20" Trials, and I am loving it! 
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