Beginner Unicycle size question

WELCOME! 😄

lauraz said:

Hi,

I have been trying to learn to ride on a friend's 24" unicycle. I am
making progress but I am frustrated as well. I have read that a 20"
unicycle would be easier to learn to ride on. Would using a smaller
wheel help significantly? If 20" is easier than 24" would 16" be
easier yet? My local craigslist has a 16" torker for sale for $50, the
add says she paid $175 for it for her kid but she never road it. Any
advice on if I should get the 16", get a new 20", get a new 24", or
keep using my friend's 24" would be great.

Thanks,
Laura 🙂

It is a bit easier to ride than a 20 and that's a bit easier than a 24,
but not by much. The main diff for me is UPD's are painless and not
scarry. If she paid $175 for it she got ripped off. $75 would be more
reasonable.

I started w/ a 24 as well. My main problem is I was terrified of
falling. After 2 months I could fairly consistently ride the full
length of my 90 ft. practice rail, but didn't have the guts to turn
away from it. I heard the same as you, and was very frustrated at my
slow progress, so I got a 16" CX and w/in a half hour I was doing large
circles and by the end of the hour figure eights. I also thought it
would be a good learner for friends, which it has. And I've been using
it to learn to ride backwards, SIF, and SIB.

After getting the CX I rode it exclusively for 2 months, then someone
gave me a cheep 20" and used that for an additional 2 months, then
alternated between that and my 24 untill the 20 started to fall apart.

Now I use that 20" as a loaner, and also have a 20" nimbus X, my CX
and my 24" DX. I'm considering also getting a 26" Torker LX for light
Muni and road use.

--
skilewis74

Ride everywhere and never just ride anywhere. If you can ride where you
are going within a hour, do it, and if you can do a trick 50-75% of the
time do it along the way.
Parafrasing a pro skater when asked for advise to kids who wanted to
get much better and maybee turn pro one day.
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i found that while learning a 20" was easiest. it has the perfect
balance of speed and control... by that i mean it isn't too twitchy
like a 16 possibly and its not as sluggish and as hard to turn as a 24.

--
oneisenough
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GET THE 16\"!!!

it will be harder to learn on, but for $50 it is an amazing deal.
no, 20" is not that much easier than 24"

--
uni_jim

phthoruth said:

just because Kris can do it, doesnt mean its possible 🙂

'evolve trials'
(http://tinyurl.com/2uho7c)
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So no body knows ! You would have to learn once on each size to really
compare.
I started riding along a wall. I taught a friend there also. It took
us both a couple afternoons to be able to ride away from the wall. On a
20.
I switched to a fat tired 24 very soon. It was hard to turn at
first, but felt more stable. The more I ride, the slower I can go and
keep balance. On a 20, I had to pedal much faster to keep balancing
speed. So I think in that regard the 24 is easier then the 20. At a
relaxed pedal speed it is a lot faster.🙂
I would just ride your friends 24 more. 24 is a really great size
for exploring neighborhoods etc. A 20 is almost painfully slow in
comparison. I doubt you would prefer a 16 unless you are well under 5'
tall. They must be really slow !

--
feel the light
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In balance terms there is no difference between a learner 16", 20" and
24". They all have the same ratio of crank length to wheel size.

So assumming that you could fit all sizes...

The smaller wheels move slower so if you are tentitive when learning
then they tend to be better. We have recommended riders in the 60's
learn on 16s as they tend to like to be slow and careful while
learning.

We normally recommend that you get off a 16" onto a 20" as early as
possible as they generally require really smooth ground to learn.

Where you are learning makes a big difference. If you are learning
outside and the ground is not totally smooth then the 24" will be
better. The smaller wheel tends to "trip up" on the stones and bumps.

An easy differential between the 20" and 24" is between the type of
person you are. If would class yourself as Juggler, BMX rider,
Skateboarder (tricks kind of person) then go for 20", if you are a
mountain biker, road cyclist then go for a 24".

As has been said there are always exceptions to rules and in our local
club the Nimbus 24" (with a set of 150 cranks on it) is often picked up
and liked by teanage girls.... this does not make sense.

You need to be comfortable on the size of unicycle you have. Tall
people tend to feel more comfortable on bigger wheels, small on smaller
wheels.

Roger

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rogeratunicycledotcom

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Thanks for all the advice. Getting several different perspectives has
made the differences a bit clearer in my mind, so thanks to all that
have responded.

--
lauraz
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