First I would like to say hello and this is my first post to the forum. I don’t know if this is the correct forum for my question, so please direct me if I should move it?
I learned to ride ~35 years ago and have been an occasional street rider ever since. Every few years I pull out my ever loving 24" uni and keep my street riding skills in check. Recently my 15 year old son has shown interest in learning to ride, so now we are inspired to update and/or upgrade our equipment. I’m very interested in the larger diameter unicycles for the primary use of street riding just for fun. In years past, I’ve experimented with different size cranks and managed to set up my 24" so I could ride it a mile or two but it has always been quite a workout. I’m very interested in the abilities of the larger wheel unicycles that I see in the internet but due to the lack of being to test ride them, I would like some user feedback. Would there be enough gain for distance street riding with a 26" (like the Torker LX26) or should I consider the larger choices like a 29 or even a 36?
I’m not looking for real long distance riding, just want to ride a couple miles around the neighborhood or in a park setting.
Get a 24" or maybe a 26" if you really want to do some big wheel street riding. I’ve only rode a 24" for 1 day (I’ve never rode a 26") and I’ve never done street but I would like to get into it.
If you aren’t planning on going for rides longer than a few miles then I think a 29 would be a suitable choice. They are lighter, more maneuverable, easier to ride slowly (so your son on your old 24 can keep up) and much cheeper than a 36.
36s are the king of the hill when it comes to stability at speed and long distance riding. They are sort of big and awkward otherwise.
Welcome. This would probably fit better in Rec. Sport Unicycling (rsu), but since your here I can give you a couple bits of advice.
First of all, and not necessarily in the order you posted it, you might want to check the map from the links bar at the top. If you look you might find someone near you with different sized unis that you could try. If you lived near Boulder Colorado I would be happy to let you have a go on my 36.
Secondly, the 26 is faster than the 24, but not especially so. I had a 26 for a very brief stint and immediately felt like it wasn’t going to work for my 4 mile commute. If you want to get a uni that will be a noticeable upgrade for road riding a 29’er would be a nice choice. I had a 29’er for a while, and my commute was not bad on it. Still, when it all came out in the wash my desire for more distance and speed caught up with me and now I have a 36.
If you know that your interest lies in doing distance on the road I think the only reasonable uni will be a 36. If you want to do a variety of stuff including mild trail riding and road a 29’er is versatile. 26 is nice if for nothing but tire and rim choices.
While I have not ridden a 36", I’m very satisfied with my jump from a 24" to a 29". It’s been enough of a change/challenge for me (im not very advanced) that I’m not sure I would have enjoyed a 36".
I’ve had my 29" for a couple of months now and freemounting it is still a little hit or miss. I’m up to riding it 8 miles (its my butt that need to toughen up more than my legs) and I look forward to going farther without feeling the need to go to a larger wheel. I’m also satisfied with my speed and height above the ground, and I am in no hurry to be higher or going faster.
For right now I’m having a blast riding and mastering riding my 29". It’s the uni of my 3 sizes (20", 24", 29") that I most look forward to riding. Even though my goal is a 50+ mile ride I would make the same purchase if I had to do it over again.
Thank you all for the quick replies. I like the idea of a 29’er and will keep an eye out for the right offer. In the mean time as I wait for my son to catch up a bit more on his skills, I’d like to find someone local to talk with and perhaps a test ride as jtrops mentioned. I checked the map link for registered board members and the only two near me seem to be incorrectly listed. If anyone knows someone in the Charleston, SC area, please let me know. The local bike shops here have not been much help.
then… i tried a 36. 29 is now wayyyy too slow :).36… it’s the closest speed youll get to the speed of a bike… without a geared hub or anything like that.