Unicycle progression

i got me a yellow unicycle!! that i can't ride at the min, (not that i can anyway, but im learning!) cos i had a slight accident on it and crippled my knee!

oh well, just a matter of time!

took it into college the other day, its hillarious watching your friends try to ride it!

It's my sisters birthday in a few weeks time and I want to get her a 26" wheel unicycle. I saw this one on Ebay and wondered if any of you more experienced uni people could give me some advice on the quality of this make and if it's a fair price for what it is.

Thanks.

why a 26" to begin with?

*looks at my uni in the corner*.............maybe tomorrow.....

She already has a 20" Nimbus II and she wants a larger wheel now to travel to and from work on.

I'd love to be able to buy her this one , but I don't have the money right now.

hmm, it doesnt sound too bad, adn its got a two year warranty! i'd go it but i've already got a shiney one myself.

make sure its a real product and not a trap.

Whats the best size to begin with, in your opinion Dave?

damn, maybe i should take my 20 back and get a 26, although either way i should just start with riding it heaps more.

why dont you have any photos of you doing your stuff on a uni dave? i wanna see the offroad stuff!

But the question is Dave, is QU-AX a reliable maker of Uni's? I don't have a huge amount of money to spend, but I'd prefer to tell Cath she'll have to wait for her birthday present whilst I save up for a good one than buy her one that will fall apart in a couple of months.

UCOF- there is no 'best' size- it depends on what you're going to do with the uni; for trials or freestyle a 20" is considered the optimum wheel size; but, for getting around on, a 20" is simply too small.

For complete newbies, it's often not possible to know what kind of unicycling you'll be doing once you've learnt and so neither is it possible to decide which size will definitly be best.

However, when it comes to a General Purpose Unicycle, my top contender would be the 24x3 (24" rim with a fat 3" off-road tyre) because: -

1. it's OK for learning the basics on

2. it's OK for getting around on- it's not a 'distance unicycle' by any means, but it will get you from a to b in a perfectly acceptable time, plus, the fat tyre makes it a comfortable ride and means you're not going to get thrown off by small obstacles

3. it's great for muni and riding through woods etc

4. unlike the bigger wheels, it's the kind of uni you can, once you're proficient on it, have a couple of months lay off and still be able to ride well; whereas, i find with the 29"-er that regular riding is necessary to stay in form

But then, I'm biased, cos my main uni is my 24x3 nimbus and i ride it everywhere- partly this is because Sheffield has a lot of exceptionally steep hills and, for that reason, I find the 24x3 to be, in many ways, more practical than the bigger wheels.

But most of all, i'd say to beginners, DON'T get a 20" just because of the old myth that '20" is best for beginners'- it's not true and many people have 20" unis lying unused in the attic because they followed that advice, yet really what they would have got more out of is a machine capeable of outdoor riding.

I myself had a 20"-er tucked away for around 8 years, before I got the outdoor riding bug.

Admittedly, i then spent a whole summer riding the 20" on the streets (so it is possible), but, the day I got my 24x3 is the day the 20" went back in the cupboard- after that, riding a 20" is like riding with your shoe laces tied together.

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As for QU-AX- I've no experience of them, though, by all accounts, they're a good budget splined uni (check out unicyclist.com and go to the forums for loads of advice/discussion on these issues).

Personally, I've used the unsplined Nimbus 24x3 for years and, cos I use it for riding rather than attempting big drops etc, it works fine.

For rough stuff, splined is the way to go, but, for riding and mild muni, the unsplined Nimbus is a great choice.

Lastly, I'll say again, I'm not dissing 20" unis- they have their place (indoors freestyle, outdoor trials), but they are not the 'best' uni for beginners, the 24x3 is more suitable if ridng outdoors for moderate distance is intended.

I can peddle, and i can fall safely im on the brink of not holding on


oop
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseac...E16A97045955127

......I think your at my level then

there is no longer a hole in my hand

OWD (or anyone who knows): Whats the difference between splined and unsplined?

Oh, and I just managed to go about 4m unassisted
The one I have is: http://www.qu-ax.de/data/htmls/m_ein.html Then click standard at the bottom, its a 26" wheel )

Just making myself known in the unicycle thread. I don't have my own (yet). so i have been stealing my flatmate's. Took it down to my hometown the other week and took it out there, managing to go a few metres before falling off! whee!

the other night, i freemounted in rouges front garden, went out her gate, dropped off her gutter, then rode to the shop. it was wet pavement all the way and i didnt come off once, i feel soo proud

cheers, pete

AND you came back with chocolate!

I didn't realise you had freemounted in my garden or dropped my gutter! *applause*

(UCOF here)
Cheers Dave, I think mines unsplined, but as a first uni, it will do me fine.

Unsplined is fine for riding that doesn't involve big drops- I've ridden thousands of miles over the past few years, all on an unsplined Nimbus muni.