Hello, all. I am VERY new to unicycling (so new, that I don’t even OWN a uni).
I basically got interested in how cool unicycling could be outside of clowns and funny places. I liked the idea of having only one wheel and having a direct motion affiliated with the pedaling, rather than just rolling on bikes.
Another reason for my interest to ride unicycles would be to lose some weight. xD Atleast I could do this in style. ;D
I’ve been looking at some Torker LXs to start out on, but I want to move on to MUni riding and some trials. Hopefully the job that I applied for contacts me, so that I can save some money up to purchase a high quality uni if I feel comfortable on the Torker.
Possibly the only thing that I’m unsure of at this moment is which size uni to buy. I’m about 6’ and 220lbs and I would think that a 24" would be easier to learn on. BUT…20’ provides for better turning and somewhat better stability (or so I hear.)
Anyways (enough of asking for another buying guide), I’ve basically been checking out forum threads and videos on how to unicycle and studying how to mount, ride, idle, etc correctly. If you have any tips for me, or any suggestions for other unicycles, please reply.
Welcome! And good luck. Unicycling is a great way to lose weight, make friends, and have fun.
I don’t really have any tips as to what unicycle to buy. I don’t think you should worry about turning. In the beginning, you will just go where the unicycle takes you. I don’t think there’s a big difference in turning a 20 vs. 24, but you should wait for the good unicyclists to answer that one. My only experience with a 24" is a MUni. With it’s low-tire-pressure fat knobby tire, it’s comparing apples to oranges, so I really can’t say from experience. You may enjoy the somewhat higher cruising speed (and less pedaling) of a 24". But it depends on what type of unicycling you want to get into. Lots of people learn on both 20" and 24" wheels. Since the above is absolutely no help to you, just wait a bit and the experts will be along to help you! I mainly just wanted to say welcome.
P.S. - I thought my 36er was hard to turn until I saw Joe Merrill do tight-radius turns and pirouettes on it. So… my 36er is hard for me to turn.
I learned on a 24, and never went smaller. I am about your size, 6 ft about 15 stones now. I ride a 29er, probably won’t go smaller. Starting on a 24 would be a good idea. You can learn the basics, and if you want to muni, just get a mountain tire and throw it on. I rode a nimbus II for a long time, I think in total bought three (one for a friend, one for muni and one for learning.) Good quality, but I’m not sure you can get the II anymore.
I would go for the 24, and once you get comfty, get a 29er. For me, the 29er is all around the best. Good for road trips with a Schlump (geared hub) and good for muni.
Since you already know that you want to muni, you might as well buy a unicycle that’s strong enough for that. I think the Nimbus II is a good value. It should last forever.
Hmmm…I think I should have written my bio a different way as to not make it ambiguous. xD
I want to MUni…but I think I’ll stick to flatland for the most part and maybe go offroad a couple of times.
I saw the Nimbus II, and that’s what I’m looking forward to buying once I get used to uniing. It looks like it can pretty much cover most fields of tricks and also MUni. IF I can afford one on my first/first two paychecks, then I’ll get it (thanks for mentioning it, because I didn’t think that the price was that low ).
I started with a Gravity 24 I found on eBay for a hundred bucks. I learned how to ride and free mount on it, then went all nimbus II crazy. Might think to do that, so you can loan out the starter when your friends want to give it a go.
Any other hobby that I’ve undertaken (yo-yoing, solving Rubik’s cubes, juggling, etc) they’ve never wanted to follow (aside from learning how to solve cubes…which is difficult for me to teach. xD).
I think, for the most part, I’ll be using the uni to get to and from the place where I volunteer. There’s also a nice piece of parking lot nearby that has a rail and a ramp that I could use to learn on.
I didn’t really want this to be just about buying a unicycle; I just wanted to say hi to the community and that I hope to stay as long as I am interested (hopefully forever as I don’t give up on my hobbies).
Welcome to the fray! We’re about the same size, 6’ 220 lbs, and I just started in Feb. I bought a Club 24 from UDC, and its worked well as a learner. If you’re looking to ride now and go cheap, its a good deal. I’m only starting to learn how to abuse unis, and will definitely be getting a much stronger one in the future, but for now the Club has taken what I’ve dished out. If you go with the Club, be sure to get the 300mm seat post. You can always cut it down if its too long.
Best luck with the riding! Once you get past the learning curve, its a blast!
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