I am with no doubt a very money conscience person. I don’t enjoy spending a lot on anything, unicycling included. I have a 20" Sun right now that cost me about a $100 and I’m looking to get get a larger wheel - maybe 28" or more? I’m also looking to spend roughly the same amount of money…which I know is a bit of a stretch but I figure I’ll give it a shot. Problem is, places where I could possibly buy a unicycle in my area (and even within a two-three hour radius of my town) seem to overcharge greatly, at least I feel they do?
So I’m even leaning just to buying one online, possibly from Serious Juggling?
Does anyone have any purchasing from them? They seem fairly reputable.
Or does anyone have any suggestions about buying a cheap (but decent quality) uni online?
in unicycling, as also in other things, cheap but good doesn’t work. the cost of the unicycle starts from the parts being used in China, Taiwan or Vietnam, and then get multiplied a few times on the way to feed western children as well :).
that means, that a 100$ unicycle cost about half in material cost then a 200$ one.
now, can you get a 26-28" unicycle for 100$ - I guess you can. the question is first what you plans are for that unicycle. would you want to occasionally ride of curbs or on gravel? could you describe your needs?
There are many online businesses (I have one as well dealing with unicycles) - and a lot are trustworthy. But i’d say, first choose the right unicycle, then search for the right store. good luck.
Since you know you like unicycling try to justify the extra money to get a Nimbus. They really are the sweet spot of money to value to quality. Then you will have a unicycle that will last you as long as you want, is easily upgraded, has a decent seat, and will have good resale value if you ever want to sell it. $100 dollars keeps you firmly in cheap unicycles as in lack of strength. Some on just posted a few days ago a bad experience with ordering the torker LX Pro. In a year the lack of quality/strength could be holding you back. Single wall rim, cheap cranks, etc.
If you just plan to ride on flat ground and only basic tricks then almost any Uni will do, if you don’t mind your butt gettting sore from a cheap seat.
It would help us to know, how old you are, if you are tall or short, built light or heavy and what kind of riding you like/want to do.
I understand what you’re saying about cheap unicycles. I’ve never seen anyone ride a unicycle in person, (apart from a couple giraffes in a parade about 3-4 years ago in a parade) so the only unicycle I’ve really had the chance to become familiar with is my own.
Right now I really enjoy distance riding, but I also enjoy trick riding and whatnot. So I suppose just a mix of that? Something that’s realiable for long rides but is still able to be used for tricks? I see myself occasionally traveling on gravel, but not often? I’d have to give it all some more thought though.
Today I rode just under 3 miles on ice and snow - certainly not the best of surfaces, but it’s what I enjoy doing and I’d love to be able to continue that but in a more…well, eased state, I suppose? In my personal opinion/experience, a 20" uni isn’t the best route to go for what I’ve been doing, so that’s why I hope to get a larger wheel.
As for how I’m built, I’m quite slim and a decent height, 5"4 or so. I don’t know how height would play into a larger wheel.
I’m just not completely sold on the concept of spending more than $200 on a unicycle at this point in my life.
Sounds like you have given it some good thought. If level riding is your main goal with basic tricks, riding off of curbs, riding backwards, etc than just about any Uni will do. Since you read here I assume you know to keep an eye on your square taper cranks and don’t let them get loose and they will give you long service.
24" to 29" anything in there is a good range for the kind of riding you are talking about. At the smaller end will be easier for tricks and the larger end will give you a little more speed and go over bumps a little easier. And you are not a heavy guy so… sounds like you are on the right track for you. Everyone has to decide their own value proposition and yours seems reasonable to me.
I have a 24" Muni, 26" uni and 36" uni and the difference is not so much in speed (although there is a speed difference) but is energy expended to reach speed. The bigger the wheel, the greater the distance per revolution. It feelslike I have to pedal my 24" muni twice as much to go the same distance in my 36". I would say a 26" would be a good compromise. What kind of tricks do you want to do? A 26" of good quality would stand up to some tricks while being OK at distances. In addition, you would be able to find wheels, tires, tubes MUCH easier than a 20" or 24" and probably easier than a 29".
Like everyone else is saying though… a $100 uni brand new might not last too long and could actually hold you back. Post a “wanted” post on the trading post forum. I have purchased quite a few used parts for my various unis with good results/value
I don’t know anything about this retailer and I do know that the seat on this isn’t comfortable but here is a 28" Sun if you looking for almost the same thing but a bigger wheel. I don’t think it would be much good for the ice and snow but for regular street riding it might be fine.
Another question that just popped into mind…
Is a larger wheel harder to handle/ride the smaller you are? As mentioned, I’m actually a female rider and I do happen to be on the petite side of things. I’m fit and have decent muscle strength and have not had any significant problems riding my 20". Sometimes I have faced moments where I try to mount but I am not putting enough force on the pedals I suppose? Though I’ve always just assumed everyone had at some point faced that difficulty…
I’m sure riding a larger wheel won’t be actually be too much of a problem in regards to my small size, but it’s just interesting to think about I guess.
A larger wheel is a bit more to handle, but with practice it becomes second nature. I rode a 29’er as a commuter for a year, and then got a 36. I was worried about being able to mount it based on things I had read on the forum, but I was immediately able to do a rollback mount. My point is that as you get more comfortable on the size you have it’s not as much to adjust to a new size. If you aren’t nailing your mounts on the 20, I’d say you are in for a bit of a learning curve on the larger wheel.
If you are looking to get a decent larger uni without spending $200, why not consider a Torker LX 26 ($116)? It is an upgrade in every way from a Sun, and only a little more expensive if you are buying online anyway. If you go for that uni you may want to order some shorter cranks at the same time. The cranks it comes with are really long, I think 170mm, and it will make it hard to get the seat low enough for you. Also, shorter cranks make the ride much smoother once you are used to them. They have shorter Torker LX cranks on the same site for $15. I would suggest the 5"/125mm ones for starting out. You might eventually want shorter ones, but those should be good for road and trail if you ever decide you want to do light cross country. I don’t know if they will switch the cranks for you, but you can buy a crank extractor to change them yourself for around $5.
Last thing. I haven’t ever bought anything from Niagara Cycle Works, but people have spoken highly of them on this forum, and so it should be pretty safe. You can also order from them through Amazon if you already have an account set up with them, and that way you won’t have to have your info all over the place.
