Unicycle for beginners that will last

As you are an adult, and you didn't say you are short, then a 26
should be OK to learn on. Not AS easy as learning on a 20 but doable. I
would recomend putting a slick tyre on it learn with tho! A 26 with a
slick will also be pretty good as transport and if you change the tyre
to a knobbly you can tackle the stuff you do on a MTB once you have
mastered the basics.

As for model or brand,where are you in the world? the models avalible
in the US may not be easy or cheap to get in Europe and vis versa.

SArah

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sarah.miller said:

As you are an adult, and you didn't say you are short, then a 26
should be OK to learn on.

I'm about 6'0"

Quoted message said:

Not AS easy as learning on a 20 but doable.

That's fine I dont mind working harder at the beginning

Quoted message said:

I would recomend putting a slick tyre on it learn with tho! A 26 with a
slick will also be pretty good as transport and if you change the tyre
to a knobbly you can tackle the stuff you do on a MTB once you have
mastered the basics.

Quoted message said:

As for model or brand,where are you in the world? the models avalible
in the US may not be easy or cheap to get in Europe and vis versa.

US; Atlanta, GA. I don't really know about any unicycle stores, though,
I'd probably be buying it online, and then I'd probably just have to pay
more for shipping

thanks
mike

Mike Roberts said:

*sarah.miller said:

As for model or brand,where are you in the world? the models

avalible

Quoted message said:

in the US may not be easy or cheap to get in Europe and vis versa.

US; Atlanta, GA. I don't really know about any unicycle stores,
though, I'd probably be buying it online, and then I'd probably just
have to pay more for shipping
*

You don't know how lucky you are for where you live. You have the
biggest unicycle store in the world on your door step.

http://www.unicycle.com/About.asp

Roger

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Mike Roberts said:

*
US; Atlanta, GA. I don't really know about any unicycle stores,
though,
I'd probably be buying it online, and then I'd probably just have to
pay more for shipping
*

Hot diggidy, if you live in Atlanta, you can just stroll on down to
'unicycle.com' (http://www.unicycle.com/About.asp) . They have a very
wide selection of unicycles in all ranges and they welcome visitors
(although I've never had the honor of going there myself).

If you still want us to give you advice, please give us your price
range. Right now, I think the Torker DX24 might be right for you. It's
a 24 inch, so it's not quite as large a what you want, but it's about
the strongest uni for the money.

Daniel

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Seatpost and rail adapter
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daino149 said:

Hot diggidy, if you live in Atlanta, you can just stroll on down to
'unicycle.com' (http://www.unicycle.com/About.asp) . They have a very
wide selection of unicycles in all ranges and they welcome visitors
(although I've never had the honor of going there myself).

Oh wow that's awesome I'll be sure to check it out

Quoted message said:

If you still want us to give you advice, please give us your price
range. Right now, I think the Torker DX24 might be right for you. It's
a 24 inch, so it's not quite as large a what you want, but it's about
the strongest uni for the money.

I don't have any definite price range, but probably could spend up to
about $300. Cheaper is much better, though, if its possible

Mike Roberts said:

*3) Not too slow--I am planning on using it to get around, so I need
something that won't take too long to get there. It seems like I
should
maybe get a 26" wheel for this reason. Also, I'm a rabid mountain
biker, so does anyone know offhand approximate conversions to gear
ratios, just so I can get a feel for wheel size and what it will
feel
like riding?*

You'll need to account for crank length and wheel size to relate bicycle
gear ratios to unicycle ratios. The best way I can think to do this is
to compare the circumference a pedal travels to the circumference the
wheel edge travels.

For a typical mountain bike with 26" wheels, 175mm cranks, and a 2:1
gear ratio, the cranks travel pi * 2 * 175mm / 25.4mm/in = 43.3" in one
revolution, for which the wheel travels 2 revolutions. So the wheel
covers pi * 26in * 2 = 163.4" for one revolution of the pedals. This
means ever inch of pedal motion results in 163.4 / 43.3 = 3.77 inches of
forward motion.

Now, you could divide the wheel diameter of your unicycle by the 2 times
the crank length to find the wheel-to-pedal inch ratio and compare it to
3.77.

Keep in mind that this comparison is not perfect. The biggest problem I
see is that the required force to turn the cranks is greatly dependent
on where they are in a revolution. So if you're comparing largely
different crank sizes, this comparison starts to break down. Also,
bicycles with freewheels feel significantly different than fixed gear
bikes with the same ratio, and I'm assuming you're not riding a fixed
gear mountain bike (although some do).

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I bought my Torker DX24 about 6 months ago on ebay for $150 brand new
from a guy who had a high positive feedback rating. It seems pretty
bomb proof to me. I'm 6'0'' and 200 lbs.

As for easy to balance; heck, if any of 'em where easy to balance
everybody would ride. Typical wisdom is that the smaller the wheel
diameter the easier it is to learn since for any one revolution of the
pedals the distance travelled is less, thus easier to control. I
started on a 20" and got the 24" only a little later and really didn't
notice much difference.

As for a correlation to mtn. bike gears there have been a couple of
really good threads on gearing and tire diameter on this forum in the
past couple of months. Try searching for them.

Good luck and welcome.😄

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Quoted message said:

I don't -plan- on doing much serious trail riding,

You will once you get a feel for this.

--
Murde Mental - Unicycling Martyr

"Cyclists of the world unite!
You have nothing to lose but your other wheel!"

~Owen Kirby

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Riding a unicycle is not about balance, it's about determination. Don't
worry about which unicycle is easy to "balance" because they can all be
made to feel about the same by changing crank length, tire pressure,
etc.

Since you live in Atlanta, drive through the nightmarish traffic to
Marietta and go to unicycle.com. Tell them what you want and can afford
and they will fix you up on the spot.

Torker, as underdog says, makes excellent beginner unicycles. The
UniStar DX series is particularly tough, even with a tapered hub instead
of the more expensive splined hub.

--
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-Greg Harper

B L U E S H I F T

"You go through life and you choose." - Greg Harper

"Find weak people and take stuff from them" - Greg Harper
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i recommend getting a 24" torker mountain uni. You dont have to get a
regualr unicycle just cuz you are starting out...get a good one so when
you get good you can do trials and muni and stuff like that.

--
AllThingsUni - learn to glide....its fun

I own
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harper said:

*Torker, as underdog says, makes excellent beginner unicycles. The
UniStar DX series is particularly tough, even with a tapered hub
instead of the more expensive splined hub. *

The LX is the square taper "stealth torker", approx. $100. The DX has
the splined hub and is the bomb-proof freestyle, approx $200. Stay away
from the CX (chrome) with the kiddie seat.

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Steve

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. - C.
S. Lewis

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and I don't want a really hard to balance one.

sorry, they are all hard to balance

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i should have eaten my wheaties

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Mike Roberts said:

1) Easy to learn on--this is my first unicycle, and I don't want a
really hard to balance one. If this precludes satisfying my other
criteria, I'm willing to get a harder one and take longer to learn. In
other words, an easy one would be good, but it's not necessary.

A 20" wheel is easiest to learn on, but it conflicts with your "not
too slow" requirement, and you rightfully seem to settle at 24" or
26". For "not too slow" you'll also want not too long cranks then, 125
mm max but preferably shorter. But for learning, longer cranks are
easier. For this size wheel, 150 mm are good, 170 mm are probably even
better, especially for the 26". So-called cotterless cranks are
relatively easy to swap (but you'll need a dedicated tool), and not
that expensive either. So here is your plan to reconcile two seemingly
conflicting requirements.

But hey, if the virus catches you properly, you'll end up buying
several unis anyway.

Klaas Bil - Newsgroup Addict
--
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(Klaas Bil) said:

you rightfully seem to settle at 24" or 26". For "not too slow"
you'll also want not too long cranks then, 125 mm max but preferably
shorter. But for learning, longer cranks are easier. For this size
wheel, 150 mm are good, 170 mm are probably even better, especially
for the 26".

I think 170s are too long, except for hard core MUni. 125s are too
short for starting out, especially on the larger wheel. If I were to
offer advice to myself a year ago when I bought my 26er, I'd
definitely recommend 140s.

Ken