Ebay unicycles, what should I look for?

Hey, after having my first go on a unicycle last week, I'm seriously looking into buing one. However I don't have that much money and found them going quite cheap on ebay. Are these any good? (when I say good I mean useable!) What are the things to look for when buying one?

Best UK online store for new unicycles is-

www.unicycle.uk.com

it's also got a freephone telephone number so you can ring Roger Davies, who runs it, to ask questions about the best unicycle for you.

A very good uni for beginners to intermediate is the 'Nimbus' range, eg-

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=479

If you need something cheaper, the 'trainer' range is good, and should last OK-

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=147

best thing is to browse the site and look at all the different models.

The unicycle equivalent of HOP is-

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/forumdi...a6ac77e7f4dd593

searching that forum will give you answers to any unicycle question you can think of.

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If you see anything on e-bay, it could be worth posting a link, and I can give you advice on it. I will say though, that several unicyclists have bought stuff off e-bay that has not been good.

You also need to think about what you're going to use the unicycle for- a 20" wheel is good for learning on, but, if you're planning to use it to get around on, you'll need at least a 24" wheel.

Dang! OWD beat me too it.

*What he said*

just a guess, but i'd say that if she's looking on e-bay, miss prickley's probably not real egar to spend more than £50 or so? just though i'd throw that out there, i'm looking into getting a unicycle myself, and i have a pretty cheep budget (as little as i can possibly get away with) what with being a highschool student and all

Hey thanks guys!

I was looking for something a bit cheaper but starting to realise that i will probably have to pay more.

Looking on ebay, these keep coming up but I'm pretty sure they are rubbish;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?viewitem&category=2904&item=7151464818&rd=1

and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?viewitem&category=2904&item=7151494549&rd=1

Any other suggestions are gratefully appreciated!

If not I guess I'm going to be saving up for a while!

I have another question- are 24 inch wheels significantly harder to learn on than 20?

I was looking at

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=510

and

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=511

Once I've learned I do hope to ride through the streets on it. But in order to learn I need a unicycle thats as easy as possible! These are slightly cheaper than the ones posted in the threads above, are they still ok?

Thanks guys!

The e-bay ones don't look too bad, assuming the pics are genuine.

I've never really understood the bidding system, but I notice the current bids are £5 & £12; so, is there a chance you'd be getting them for that price?

I'll post one of the e-bay links on unicyclist.com forums and see if anyone there has experience with them.

Concerning the unicycle.uk.com links- those unicycles are from the 'Dodger' range- they are the cheapest on the site I believe.

But the 'Trainer' ones are only around £10 more, and they are a better unicycle. Without getting too technical the Dodgers have 'lollipop' style bearing holders- these will generally cause the frame to split after a lot of riding.

(the bearing holders are the means of attaching the wheel axle to the bottom of the frame, via the axle bearings).

The 'Trainer' unis have 'split bearing' holders- these won't cause the frame to split.

That's not to say don't buy a uni with lollipop bearing holders- they can last quite some time; but, if it's a matter of paying an extra tenner for one with 'split- bearing' holders, it's worth it.

I've just posted the thread on unicyclist.com, I'll give the link so you can follow replies there-

http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39839

Hey thanks,

know a bit more of what to look for now! I'm 5foot4 but my inside leg is at the higher range for a 20inch and lower for a 24 so can probably get either.

I would like to be able to ride it to college (which is only 10mins from where I live) and round the park, but I'd quite like to learn some of the more basic tricks.

I think I'm more likely to go for the 24inch, which means I won't be able to get it on ebay anyway.

And I have heard a lot of bad things about the lollipop bearing holders. Also coming up seems to be the capped bearing holders, or double capped, what does that mean?

Thank-you!

Oh, and in answer to your question about ebay, yes you could get them for that price so long as nobody else bids on them.

Ebay is a bit complicated to explain but actually guite easy.

If you want an item, lets use a unicycle as an example, then you would press the bid now button. You type in the 'maximum' amount you're willing to spend on it. Now, if another user has already bid on that unicycle and your bid is higher than theirs then the price will now go up to their maximum bid, this is the price that is displayed. They, or somebody else can then bid again, if it is higher than your maximum bid, it will go up to your maximum price and they will than be winning that item, and so on.

If, however your bid is lower than the other persons maximum, then the price will increase to your bidding price, but they will still be winning the unicycle. You then have the option to bid again to try and bid more than their maximum.

You can also increase your maximum bid at any time by clicking on the bid now button.

I hope that explains things a bit!

After all that I've just bought one on ebay after reading the unicyclist.com thread. I bought the first one I posted for 31pounds. I shall have to let you know how I get on. Thanks for all the help!

Is that £31 including postage?

And is it a 20" model?

Do keep us informed about how it works out.

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And be aware of possible maintanence stuff such as: -

if it comes in pieces to assemble, make sure the left pedal is on the left side and vice-versa (there should be an 'L/R' symbol on each pedal/crank)

and if it comes pre-assembled,check it anyway- they sometimes get assembled wrong way round.

(reason is, if you ride with the left pedal/crank on the right side, the crank will generally work loose and fall off).

(incidentally, the back of the frame is the part with the slit- where the seatpost tightening clamp works).

Perhaps most important, especially for the first few weeks of riding; keep an eye on the cranks- you should be able to grab one on each side and there should be no play/looseness whatsoever.

If there is- cease riding immediately, and tighten the crank bolt up.

Reason being that riding with a loose crank will wreck both the crank and the axle.

To tighten the crank up you'll need a socket wrench that fits.

Probably won't happen, but, if it does, sort it out straight away.

Apart from that there's very little to go wrong with a unicycle- it should last you a fair while.

Have fun

No, unfortunately postage is not included! Yes, its a 20''.

I've just discovered that the person I bought it off actually sells some unicycles on unicycle.uk.com! The name is qu-ax I think.

Thankyou for the assembly tips, they'll probably come in handy.

I'll keep you posted.

Congrats on your first unicycle! Hooray!

Yey!!! It came today, thanks so much about the assembly tips OWD, it came in pieces with no instructions!, particulary the bit about the slit being at the back!

Now all I need is a bicycle pump! (and to learn how to ride the thing in the first place!)

Be aware that there's two types of inner tube valve- if you're not familiar with the two types then easiest thing is, when you buy the pump, also get an adapter (they're < £1) for the other type as well.

If you buy it at a bike shop they'll know what you're talking about.

If you can find some safety gear, generally helmet and wrist guards are considered the main ones to have.

Yey, got the pump. After about an hour and a half (in little chunks) of riding in total today, Im thinking that shin pads should probably be top of that list! ow!!! (and I dont bruise easily, in a year of poi spinning, including learning and using heavy, hard poi, Ive only bruised once, today, my shins are red, black and blue!). Managed to go a few feet though, without holding on to anything.

At the moment Im switching between fantasising about what I will do when I can actually ride the thing and thinking, Im never going to be able to learn to ride it! I guess its all part of the process!

i'm looking on ebay as well (woo) i found a few that look of high quality, at least to me. anybody know knows of such thing, your input is valued

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2904&item=7153844385&rd=1

then there's this one which is more expenseive for reasons that are beyond me:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2904&item=7153844385&rd=1

this one looked nice:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2904&item=7153844385&rd=1

or this one, and there's annother guy selling what looks to be the same one for less but has no details (apperently bought for his son and never ridden):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2904&item=7153208766&rd=1

thanks for any input!

I've heard that the Torker unis are kind of crappy, I don't know about the other one though.

hi all I'm bidding on a Pashley Muni 26" on e-bay can any one give me any advice on this bike I don’t think I will go above £50 unless you lot say different it seems to retail for around £120

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=101
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...I%3AIT&rd=1

try jugglingstore.com they sell everthing that can possiblyey have anything to do with juggling

i'd second buying from www.unicycle.uk.com

Roger is really cool with beginners and will sort you out

Catch him at a convention and he'll have you playing uni-hock in no time.... although he did have to lend me the invisible unicycle for it.... and i still fell off

Im currently on the dilemna that I want a unicycle, and cant decide between a 20 or 24inch, i am a beginner i dont plan on covering long distance like a few miles or anything, but i wouldnt mind going to work on it, which is normally a 10 minute walk so prob about 1000m to work or so, would a 20 be fine for that and just regular moving around?

like this one http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=91

That is a good price. Do note however that it has 'lollipop' bearing holders, which are well-known for, eventually, causing frame cracking.

They'll generally work well for quite a long time, but, at some point, the frame will go.

The 'split style' bearing holders are much better- see-

http://www.unicycle.uk.com/shop/shopdisplayproduct.asp?catalogid=147

('Trainer Unicycle',from same site) for both an example, and, in the description, an explanation over the difference in bearing holders).

My preference is for the 'Nimbus' range, towards the higher end of the budget market- I use a 24"x3 Nimbus muni, had it for several years, and it still works fine.

Then again, if you really want to go cheap, £49 is a good price, as long as you realise it's not the sturdiest or longest lasting option.

For 20" vs. 24"; IMO, if you're wanting to ride it on the streets to get places, go for 24" (and preferably something with a fat tyre, like the Nimbus muni).

If your focus is on tricks, a 20" is good, but, for any kind of distance or getting places, it's painfully slow for anything but short distances.

what do you think about this one http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Chrome-Unicycl...1QQcmdZViewItem

Looks about right for a basic beginners uni, to me.

The seat looks like a viscount, but is not showing the brand so may be a cheaper copy. Either way, the viscounts used to lose the threading holding the bumpers on (yellow bits on the seat pictures) and often required re attching, which isn't much of a hassle.

Price is about right for entry level, however I would recommend paying more for a basic uni with a KH type seat that is more comfortable and a handle on the front for easier hopping and going down steps etc.

But thats just my opinion...

I would be very wary of buying it.

It claims to have 'main-cap style bearing holders'- clicking on one of the close up photos of the bearings reveals that they are definitly not main-cap bearing holders.

They look like some variation of lolli-pop bearing holders, and, while it's difficult to tell from a photo, they look, to me, particularly fragile.

The price is good (though don't forget the postage bumps it up by £10), but, I suspect that it would break if you used it much.

For more opinions, why not post the link in the forum section of unicyclist.com; there may even br someone there who's bought the same uni, and can give feedback on it.

Sorry to be negative, but I really do not like the look of the frame/hub interface on those close ups.

***edit***looking again at the main photo, I see that the seat-post clamp (which, strangely, is a simple bolt mechanism, rather than the 'levered quick-release' I'd expect on a beginners uni- you'll be needing a spanner to adjust the seat height) is at the front, rather than the back- this means either-

1. the seat post clamp is on backwards

or

2. the seats on backwards, which would mean the right -side crank/pedal is on the left side, and vice-versa: this is bad as, when you ride, they'll come loose.

Whether it's 1 or 2, it means that the seller doesn't know how to set up a unicycle, and I think that's bad in a unicycle seller

If you're looking for a dirt-cheap uni, which you plan to play around with, then stick in the attic when you lose interest; or, a dirt cheap uni which you expect to learn on, then upgrade to something higher quality when it breaks, then it could be right for you.

But, if you're wanting something that's going to last a while, I'd definitly look elsewhere.

hey
whats your opinion on this uni? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Luxus-QU-AX-Unicyc...1QQcmdZViewItem

I can already ride a unicycle a bit though i'm not very good, but am looking for something that will last a while yet will still be ok for learning, though I doubt I'll move onto anything serious.

thanks

It looks good but pricey for a first the guys I got mine from sell this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/High-quality-Unicy...1QQcmdZViewItem

It was ok for a while and still is, just had to upgrade pedals and saddle