What size wheel to learn on?

Everyone,
I'm curious to find out what size wheel unicycle people learned on.
I learned on a 20" and find that it's easier to learn new things on it
because the wheel doesn't travel as much for a given amount of pedal travel
compared to a uni with a bigger wheel. I try to learn things on my 26" and
make really slow progres. Once I learn on the 20", I can do the same
skills on the 26" with a similar degree of success. A couple of friends of
mine feel that a 24" is better to learn on because they're less "twitchy",
and they both learned on 24" wheels, as well as having friends who learned
on 24" wheels.
What did you all learn on, and what do you all feel is a good wheel size?
I'm thinking that it also may depend on the person, some would do better on
a smaller wheel and some might find a slightly larger wheel works better
for learning. Let me know.

John

[UniDak]

I learned on a 20" and am a firm believer that a 24" is only for really tall people to use as a freestyle uni, or for Muni/trials. For transportation a 26" or greater wheel is good, so for me, the 24" really has no appeal except for muni. I feel that a 20" is a better uni to learn on, and much more comfortable for learning new tricks, although Hand WW is probably easier on a 24". Good thread, I hope to hear other thoughts on this.
-David Kaplan

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to keep a list of the responses and once
the thread kind of dies down, I'll post the stats.

John


UniDak <UniDak.125ma@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in
news:UniDak.125ma@timelimit.unicyclist.com:

>
> I learned on a 20" and am a firm believer that a 24" is only for really
> tall people to use as a freestyle uni, or for Muni/trials. For
> transportation a 26" or greater wheel is good, so for me, the 24" really
> has no appeal except for muni. I feel that a 20" is a better uni to
> learn on, and much more comfortable for learning new tricks, although
> Hand WW is probably easier on a 24". Good thread, I hope to hear other
> thoughts on this.
> -David Kaplan

[cherie]

I am currently learning on a 24" United Trainer. I chose that size because it seemed to be the most "general" size and could be used for both tricks and moderate distances. I have no experience with any other wheel sizes to compare to.

My two cents,
Cherie

[Animation]

All,

I learned on a 24" United trainer, with a Miyata seat. I picked the 24" because as far as I knew that was the only trainer size available. I still don't really know for sure.

I think 26" may have felt more natural to me, the 24" always feels slightly tiny to me, but I'm 6'1" and 240 lbs.

Lewis

[Drewnicycle]

I'm learning on a 24" I'm not tall but it seems fine for me. I can do some trials, and muni but I haven't really tried any freestyle stuff yet.
I've been debating getting a 20" wheel but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I learnt (and am still learning!) on a 20" unicycle; the overriding reason
being that I hadn't thought about it at all, and just bought the nice shiny
silver one... from a choice of one I don't think I did too bad.

It's great to learn on, although you feel a bit silly when going around on
it and you're pedalling like goodness knows and still not going very fast! I
think I may have to get something faster when I get better at it.

Phil, just me

"Drewnicycle" <Drewnicycle.12apn@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote in message
newsrewnicycle.12apn@timelimit.unicyclist.com...
>
> I'm learning on a 24" I'm not tall but it seems fine for me. I can do
> some trials, and muni but I haven't really tried any freestyle stuff
> yet.
> I've been debating getting a 20" wheel but haven't gotten around to it
> yet.
>
>
> --
> Drewnicycle
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Drewnicycle's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/548
> View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/16749
>

I own one unicycle which is 24", so this is what I learned to ride on.
Now I have access to a 20" I find that easier to learn skills on
first, and then transfer them to 24". I'm not very skillful nor
working seriously to become skillful, but I find idling and
manoeuvering in general easier on a 20". Maybe 20" would have worked
better to begin with but I knew that covering "some" distance would be
one of my goals so 24" was a compomise choice.

My daughters were 11 and 9 yo when they learned to ride on their own
20" uni's. 24" might have been too big for them.

Klaas Bil

On Tue, 05 Mar 2002 08:16:34 GMT, Johnny B
<centromachetestakethisout@takethisoutyahoo.com> wrote:

> Everyone,
> I'm curious to find out what size wheel unicycle people learned on.
--
"To trigger/fool/saturate/overload Echelon, the following has been picked automagically from a database:"
"veggie, small pox, NAIA"

I too learned on a 20". When I got it I didn't realise there was any other
size. I soon found out otherwise and within a month or so I'd bought me a
26" Pashley as well. I definately found the 20" easier to learn on -
freemounts, riding backwards, hoping etc. Perhaps because I was learning and
had started on a 20".

I've now got 2 24" unis that I ride regularly plus my 20" Monty. Said Monty
is definately easier on the muscles being lighter and the tyre is more
suited to street riding compared to a 24x3 Gazz which drags on pavement and
weights some. I would say that for taller folks (on the near side of 6') a
24" uni makes perfect sense except maybe for trials where, unless you can
track down a Dyno Fireball tyre, you're stuck with a big heavy muni tyre.

Neil

>
> I learned on a 20" and am a firm believer that a 24" is only for really
> tall people to use as a freestyle uni, or for Muni/trials. For
> transportation a 26" or greater wheel is good, so for me, the 24" really
> has no appeal except for muni. I feel that a 20" is a better uni to
> learn on, and much more comfortable for learning new tricks, although
> Hand WW is probably easier on a 24". Good thread, I hope to hear other
> thoughts on this.
> -David Kaplan

[Ben Plotkin-Swing]

I learned to ride on a 20". I think it was a good size to learn on, because after I really got in to riding, I was able to invest in a good MUni (first a Pashley, now my KH), and still have something to work on skills with. Of course, now the frame on my crappy 20" CyclePro has given out, so all I have to work with is my 24x3 Gazz, which isn't so great for freestyle.

Generally, what you learn on isn't that important, since you probably wont spend to much on it, and if you do decide you want to pursue unicycling further, you will want a better unicycle.

Ben

I learned to ride on a 24" Norco, which is now in peices, laying on my room
floor....
I now ride a 20" Norco Trials uni.... (if it ever gets fixed!) The 20" is
definately better for freestyle, but 24" is the ultimate Muni wheel, no
question about it.

-Dylan

I learnt on a 20", purely because that is what they had at the shop when I
went in to buy one. Once I learnt to ride further than 100 meters, I decided
that it was far too tiring on a 20" and built myself a 24". I now almost
solely use the 24" and only use the 20" to show other people how to ride.

I still reckon the 20" is better to learn on.

Leo
Sydney, Australia


"Johnny B" <centromachetestakethisout@takethisoutyahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns91C818472125Dcentromachetesyahooc@63.240.76.16...
>
> Everyone,
> I'm curious to find out what size wheel unicycle people learned on.
> I learned on a 20" and find that it's easier to learn new things on it
> because the wheel doesn't travel as much for a given amount of pedal
travel
> compared to a uni with a bigger wheel. I try to learn things on my 26"
and
> make really slow progres. Once I learn on the 20", I can do the same
> skills on the 26" with a similar degree of success. A couple of friends
of
> mine feel that a 24" is better to learn on because they're less "twitchy",
> and they both learned on 24" wheels, as well as having friends who learned
> on 24" wheels.
> What did you all learn on, and what do you all feel is a good wheel
size?
> I'm thinking that it also may depend on the person, some would do better
on
> a smaller wheel and some might find a slightly larger wheel works better
> for learning. Let me know.
>
> John

[john_childs]

I learned on a 20" Schwinn way back when I was in the 7th grade. A 20" freestyle uni is still my favorite for learning new freestyle skills and improving my existing skills. I hardly ever ride my 24" freestyle uni any more (I can't even remember the last time I rode it). The 20" is also better when riding in confined spaces or in a small section of a parking lot.

A 20" freestyle uni is great, but a big fat muni is better.

john_childs

[GILD]

i bought a 20' and a 24' almost at the same time
the 24 had a seat post i needed for the twenty
(out here in the third world things r tough .-))
jumped from the 20 to the 24 while learning and could do both at about the same time
subsequently i've found the 20 easier to learn tricks on
except idling
that i did mostly on the 24
i ride with a mate of mine almost exclusively
he's on a 20 and i feel it would be unfair for me to go scooting of in the distance on the 24, so i hardly ever ride it
i've now semi-permanently lent it to a kid at our juggling club who wants to learn but cant afford his own
i'll let u know how he goes
i'm looking forward to the stats!

NAMASTE!
dave

[onlyonewheel]

I learned on a 24" Cyclepro (I'm 6'2), but am thinking of fixing up a borrowed 20"er I have to learn uni-spins, hopping on wheel, etc. on. Standing on top of a 24" wheel and trying to hop is just a little too much at the moment.