First post, first Uni

It is easier to learn on a smaller uni, say a 20" wheel, but that
doesn't mean its impossible to learn on a 14".

I don't know about the seat height, I have a 24 inch uni and it just
takes some getting used to in order to mount right.

And for learning to ride, the torker is just fine. You don't need an
especially strong uni until you start jumping and doing drops.

For protective gear, I would advise that you at least where wrist
protectors. I broke my wrist from a fall off my uni when I was learning.
And as you get more advanced, buy some leg armor, such as 'sixsixone'
(http://www.sixsixone.com). It will keep your legs from getting cut up
from falls. Also, if your doing drops a helmet is a good idea, and you
should probably wear it all the time anyway (even when your not doing
anything dangerous).

Lastly, when learning to ride, I would recommend leaving the wall as
soon as possible, it becomes a crutch and prevents you from riding well,
as you will always fall towards the nearest wall. For some other good
tips, see 'this' (http://tinyurl.com/4rr7f)
thread.

Good luck learning to uni! 🙂

--
ethilien - Unicycling DCC

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Hey, welcome to the fold.

I learned on a 20 incher but later learned that I liked riding the 24
better. I'm also 5'6". The seat height is a personal thing.
Personally, I like my seat a little lower then most people. I guess
that came from years riding a road bike that was much too small for me.
To cut my seat posts (I've had to cut almost all the posts I've used) I
used a hack saw at first, but later learned that my LHS (local hardware
store) would cut it for free using a real pipe cutter.

Like ethilien said, don't rely on a wall when you are learning. I liked
to use a pole just help me mount and try to ride away from it. The
rides are much shorter then you could get from riding along a wall, but
I think you learn faster when you aren't leaning against something.
Good luck on the learning, and keep us posted.

Daniel

--
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1. yeah, it's standard
2. experiment with what works for you. cut the seat enough so you can
raise it to hip height, and lower it to mid hip height. play around with
it, and you'll get it right.
3. yeah, torkers are nice for *learning* how to ride they last a while
under decent abuse
4. get protective gear for steep hills, long distance rides, drops...
don't worry about it too much though. 661 4x4 shin guards, and a helmet
should be enough.
5. don't give up! you'll get it eventually. don't rely on the wall once
you know how to pedal it forward. it'll hurt more than it'll help.

--
TheBadger587

MUni every day.
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Welcome young man. Now don't get frightened, I, as the 2 previous
posters, also learned on a 20" Torker. I recently purchased the same
uni that you are using. You made a great choice. I actually like the
24" better than the 20".

Wrist guards and a helmet are my choice of protection for riding. When
you decide to purchase your second uni, possibly a Muni, you may want
to add shin guards.

Regarding seat post length, I went with the straight leg / heal on the
pedal measurement. With the seat post bottomed out, the height was just
right, then I cut off a little more in case I wanted to lower the seat
in the future for whatever reason.

I used a pipe cutter, it gives a much nicer cut than the hack saw.

Riding a uni is very addictive, If you want a real kick, pick up the DVD
or VHS tape called Universe 2 from Unicycle.com. You would not believe
what can be done on a unicycle.

By the way, I'm 46 and have been riding since this past Christmas.

Enjoy!!

--
One on one - Hooked on fun fix

"I don't care who you are, that's funny!" Larry the Cable Guy
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1. If the seat post is too long, we cut it. That's pretty much
standard.

2. Hip height is good, but you're going to want a little buffer room, so
cut it to that you have some room to bend your knees.

3. Yeah, the LX line is fine. It has one of the better saddles
available. That uni should serve you well for a while.

4. Wear gloves. You'll fall on your hands sooner or later.

5. Tips, you say? Get your body weight forward. Learn to freemount soon.
Don't rely too heavily on the wall.

--
sockmonster - Unicycling Instructor

"Just pretend it's a taco..." Invader Zim
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1. The seat post problem is news to me. My first cheapo uni fit me just
fine without and post cutting. It was also a 24'', which i liked a lot
for learning. My second one, a KH 20'' trials, i got second hand. I
assume that the post was fine on it too though.

2. The method you have is good. I just use what feels comfy. Plus,
it's not all that important to have a perfect seat height. I doubt
you'll notice minor changes, so just adjust it to what feels good when
you ride.

3. I think that uni is perfect for you. As soon as you start doing
drops, you'll probably need to upgrade though.

4. I have only fallen on my butt once in 6 months, so always falling on
your feet is common. I only wear shin pads. It's not too bad with
plastic pedals (like you likely have), but my KH has metal pedals with
long pins that like to eat my shins. I just bought $15 soccer shin pads
from Walmart, and they work pretty well for the money. I'm thinking of
upgrading to the SixSixOne Veggies though (in not interested in the knee
pads that the 4X4s offer). I own a helmet, and should wear it more, but
i rarely wear it. I'm also going to invest in gloves. I tend to bruise
my finger tips when i grab the botton of the seat after bailing.

5. I'm not as opposed to using walls as others here seem to be. I
actually learned in a hallway though, with walls on both sides, which
helped a lot with learning. I guess depending on both walls kind of
cancel each other out and i never developed any tendency to fall to one
specific side.

My tip is to just practice as much as possible and to have a lot of fun.
Just practice everything (balancing on the spot, idling, pedaling
fast/slow, turning, etc.), as it will benefit you in the end.

--
hecklar
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Myself like yourself started late in life, 35, so if is fully possible
to ride and in fact ride well.

Now been riding for just under a year, will be a year in November, I am
level four working on seat in front and out back, so getting good in
fact doesn’t take too long.

I would disagree with some that the wall is a crutch that you will
suffer from if you do not leave it as soon as possible. I have a sort of
tunnel here, a passageway that runs for forty yards between containers.
Without that, I would not be riding backwards now. Perhaps the advantage
is that I have a place where I can ride and put my hands on a wall on
both sides, so I do not end up leaning.

Practice little and often is the key I found, 20 minutes have a break
for 20, ride again, you will be amazed at the progress.

Free mounting both feet is what made a whole load of things click for
me, so practice everything equally on both sides.

As for safety gear, helmet, wrist protectors and elbow protectors are
essential since you do not want to be explaining at work why you hurt
yourself and how!!!!

Good luck.

JJ
Level 3.9 / 4.0
Luanda, Angola.

--
fontiminal - Level 3.9 Rider

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I'd hardly call 35 yrs old "late in life", but thanks for the
encouragement, I'll keep plugging.

--
steveyo

--
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