Hoping to find a giraffe. Would like a Club, Nimbus, or QU-AX in good condition. I’d maybe consider a Schwinn or Torker if the price was low. I’m looking for my grandson. He’s ridden them several times before so he knows what he’s getting into.
There’s always the possibility of making one
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In my experience Club’s and Torker’s frames are about the same quality. They bend just above the bottom bracket even under normal use. The weight of the saddle is enough to bend the thin, long frame when the unicycle free falls. You always have to catch the saddle. Savage giraffes are a bit stronger - they have a thicker frame.
If you are looking for a giraffe to ride a mile or two a year, Torker or Savage are just as good as the Club, but are more common on the used market. If your grandson is going to be learning to freemount, or use the giraffe intensively, look for a Nimbus Performer.
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i scoured craigslist and fb market place for months, and found a nimbus for not much money, and snagged it.
used to ride extensively in college, then half way through, went back to my HS shoppe class one summer for welding lessons as a project, and made one - it’s still out there somewhere (was gold, hand stitch seat, last seen in NYC :>)
the nimbus has the advantage of packing down into a SMALL box - the frame is solid, and keyed (to not twist). two chains, safety, but if you have a big foot, freemounting is a bit tricker (esp at my age lol)… the dream is real.
Anyone have any experience with QU-AX? They have a steel and an aluminum model. Or the Semcycle? Or others?
I see UDC has a 1 year warranty for unicycles and parts from the date of purchase against any defects on its Club and Nimbus models. I wonder if that would cover a bent frame? Maybe buy a Club new, and by the end of the year he’ll be catching the saddle most of the time (and don’t let others ride), and hope they would cover a bent frame as a defect. They both have the same hub. Both are cotterless cranks (square taper) in the bottom bracket. Both are chromoly frames. I guess the frames must be made at separate facilities. I think I read (can’t remember) that Nimbus made a model that didn’t disassemble, was discontinued, and became essentially the Club model. I wonder if this old Nimbus would be a good bet, or did it have the same frame as the Club does now?
To avoid misunderstandings, I compared frames above. In my experience, frames bend before any other problems appear.
There are other differences between brands. For example, both my Torkers had a threaded cog, and the Savage had a threaded cog welded to the hub. The Club most likely had a more advanced bolt on cog (but I don’t have one anymore, so I can’t check). Saddles differ between models, and also between years of production. Cranks are different too. I replaced Torker’s bottom brackets, but kept Nimbus, Club and Savage ones, etc.
But that all doesn’t matter if you have a bent or broken frame.
I have no experience with Qu-Ax, but I seriously considered their aluminum model a few years ago. The aluminum Qu-Ax has a huge weight advantage, but I’m skeptical about its durability. That said, it was priced similarly to the Nimbus Performer. And at the same price, I prefer Nimbus Performer’s heavy duty double chain design.
I would not count on that. On this page: Club 5-Foot Deluxe Giraffe | Unicycle.com UDC put a disclaimer: Care must be taken when dismounting from giraffe unicycles not to drop them as this can sometimes bend the frame.
I did not see this statement before, but looks like they are familiar with the problem too. I had quality issue with UDC twice (not giraffe related), and both time they refused to acknowledge anything. I still buy goods from them, but I generally consider it warranty free.