Cooks Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Bit of a long shot, but.... I so want to use a unicycle. I have had a back lower back for years so can't walk very far, but have good balance. What model would be good to start on? Needs: something that is best for staying on, as the main problem would be falling off and hurting my back. Cheaper the better, provided it will last a reasonable time.Don't need: it doesn't need to be that powerful or fast, just as easy and safe as possible.I'd be so happy if someone could steer me to the best model for thisbig thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kroy Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Don't want to partypoop but the learning part is the most difficult & dangerous part.It takes time to get a feel for it & be able to stay on.When I was learning, I suffered with a really stiff & painful back for a couple of weeks due to the amount of bending over I did to pick the wheel up after stepping off & then holding it to get on.I'm not so sure of the best wheel for you as I have limited experience of different wheels myself but I'd have thought larger pedals was a good aspect to look for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 As Kroy says, you are likely to fall a lot during the learning stage, we all do.If you are able to cope with that then it is a great way to improve your core strength though and that is always good for back problems.Should you decide to go ahead and risk the falls of the learning stage you certainly won't want a cheap wheel if you wish to minimise future falls. Out of my wheels I would say the IPS would suit you best as it is powerful, reliable and not that fast but with good safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisxr2 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Surely one with stabilizers?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 yes, but presumably once you take the stabilisers off it starts to get tricky? thanks guys - perhaps there's a place in london that gives lessons where i can try them out before buying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 You might consider one of those with two wheels (like Inmotion V3), which are apparently much easier to learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zentype Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Like others have said here, you will fall a lot during your learning phase. I recommend having a friend to help speed up the learning process. Watch a lot of videos on how to learn to ride. And if you get yourself a lightweight back brace to brace your lower back... this will help prevent injury during the learning phases. Get one that has draw strings to compress your lower back. This will help make up for weak support muscles... here's one I used when I hurt my back. I was actually able to move without pain wearing this.And get a trolley handle, a quality EUC will not be lightweight and your back pain likely will be aggravated by having to pick up your EUC regularly.As far as an EUC with the largest pedals and reliable, I believe the Ninebot One currently has the largest pedals and is a quality unit. Get the "C" model if you can find it. It's the lightest model they have... Just be warned though, there was just yesterday a thread about the recent Ninebot firmware update causing shutoff issues. If you get one, make sure the firmware isn't 1.2.6... And if you are on a lower version, don't upgrade to it.. Other than that, the Ninebot is one of the most reliable, as long as you don't push it to the limits.King Song (14B not C) and IPS also have "light weight" models that will work (smaller pedal platform though) but for the most part, EUs will still be a bit heavy to carry so keep weight in mind when narrowing down your choices.A 2 wheel unicycle like the Airwheel Q1 will be a lot easier to learn on. But in general, once you do learn how, a 2 wheel EU can be a nuisance to ride compared to single wheel EUs -- especially on areas that are sloped. So keep that in mind if you decide to go the easy route.BTW, EUC riding can work your core muscles. That may actually help your back pain in the long run. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 thanks so much you're all really helpful- i guess i want the most stable one that doesn't stop suddenly when the battery runs out and has padding and a trolley. does anyone know which models have a trolley and good balance? I will look into whether a brace could help. i don't think the stabilisers will be the key because i think i'd need to take them off to be able to turn the machine, and it's the balancing after the stage of using stabilisers that's difficult which you can only learn by taking them off.it's hard to work this out as i haven't found a place where i can try any out or take lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 perhaps there's a place in london that gives lessons where i can try them out before buying... @Jason McNeil runs WheelGo in London, maybe he could arrange for you to try out a wheel: https://www.wheelgo.com/shop/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieV Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 You might consider one of those with two wheels (like Inmotion V3), which are apparently much easier to learn.My sister has an Inmotion V3 and used that as her learning wheel with no real falls to speak of; I don't think her hands or knees ever touched ground as the result of any unintentional dismounts. After mastering the V3 she was able to balance on the ninebot pretty much immediately and now uses that as her primary eWheel, again without any falls. So the school of hard knocks is not the only school out there it seems.As for dealing with a bad back, I'm not sure if an ewheel will solve your problem. You tend to stay in the same position for extended periods while ewheeling and the best position to stay balanced might not necessarily be the most comfortable to maintain for your back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 thanks so much - it's just to try and get further than i can by foot rather than spend hours on it, and to have fun!looks like the INMOTION V3C has two wheels so is presumably more stable, and also has the trolley handle! might be getting there thanks esaj - that's exciting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisxr2 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Could you not wear a corset type back support as well to help in the beginning?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 yes, it's a good idea and i'll do that, but falling off is likely to have a strong impact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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