Lakeland419 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 I purchased a Solowheel three years ago and have used it almost daily since then, riding approximately 25 km/week. I love my Solowheel and thoroughly enjoy riding it. I am also quite impressed with the device’s durability. My only mechanical problem with the Solowheel has been a single flat tire, which is a little tricky to replace. I learned to be careful to keep the tire pressure up. In year three, I thought my battery was breaking down because after only a 6 km ride, the red battery-warning light would start to flash. Quite by accident, I discovered the tire pressure was low, and when I refilled it the battery range problem went away. I should mention that I am very careful, every night, to put the Solowheel on it’s charger and. I understand that keeping a full charge as much as possible helps the lithium batteries. So, in late 2015 I decided to look at upgrading my Solowheel to a newer model. Of course, in three years quite a bit of product development had occurred and there were more competitive choices in the marketplace. I did some online research but unfortunately, many of the manufacturer’s sales documents were poorly written and online reviews were often written by people with little riding experience or experience with only one model. After considering several options, I decided to try the Ninebot Uni E+ model - although it seemed somewhat a gamble as I had seen both positive and negative comments about it online. So, after riding the Ninebot for a few months and accumulating 130 km of travel I am in a good position to review it, at least in comparison with the Solowheel. The Solowheel presents several great features. The device is very well built and has proven quite durable. Battery performance has been excellent. I find the Solowheel speed and balance good. The carrying handle is integrated into the body and functions quite well when picking up the unit, and especially after stepping off the Solowheel when finishing a ride. In general, I find I can ride about 4 km before my feet tire of the standing position and I need to step off and relax the muscles a couple minutes before resuming. The main Solowheel disadvantage - price. I originally purchased mine for $1800. The equivalent model now looks priced around $1400. The Ninebot E+ unit boasts of higher speed, longer range and is priced around $900. Out of the box, it certainly looks good with a more futuristic-looking outer shell and integrated LED lights. It was also noticeably heavier than my Solowheel - as disclosed online in the specifications. With my Solowheel experience, I was able to ride the Ninebot immediately. True to specification, it certainly rides faster than the Solowheel at top speed. In fact, I find the Ninebot top speed uncomfortably fast for “cruising” but nice when you need a burst of speed to pass walkers/bikers. I have confirmed the longer battery range and the bluetooth connected iphone app is very handy to check battery status. Some other observations. First, the position of the pedals on the Ninebot angle up slightly compared to the Solowheel and I found the Ninebot weight to be carried a little higher (probably due to larger motor or batteries). Both these differences took some time to get used to and I initially found them less comfortable than the Solowheel. However, now I no longer notice the difference. I also found I needed to add a little extra padding to the Ninebot where my legs touched the side of the unit. Helpfully, the padding was included in the box. Most unexpectedly, I continue to find the Ninebot seems more stable when riding at very slow speeds compared to the Solowheel. I’m not sure the reason, but if I have to slow down behind some walkers, waiting to pass them, the Ninebot is more stable and easier to maneuver at these lower speeds. On the downside, my Ninebot arrived with a very low tire pressure. The instructions are included to add air, but it requires taking off the plastic cover and this is not trivial. Without care, the “snap tabs” holding the cover on can break. I am not sure how many cycles of remove/reinstall those tabs will take. I don’t suspect very many. Also, the Ninebot comes with a recessed handle built into the body. This looks very nice and functions alright (some reviews have warned the handle can break too easily) but I find it very inconvenient when stepping off the unit at the end of a ride to try and grab this recessed handle. It works much better when simply moving the unit around, into and out of the car for example. Finally, my bluetooth connection with the Ninebot only works about 75% of the time. I have no idea why. For that reason, I am afraid to put a digital lock “code” on the unit or even update the firmware for fear that I end up with a unusable “brick”. Some online reviewers have mentioned firmware updates can be tricky. It appears the only manufacturer’s support originates from very far away in China. On the other hand, I can see no pressing reason to update the firmware. The Ninebot really seems to work great! So to summarize, I am really impressed with the overall technology in both these units. Each product works as advertised and makes a great short-distance transportation unit. I especially love how I can put these units into my car, using them for easy-transit around my destination, or carry them into a building. The range and speed options are quite suitable and recharging is relatively quick (a couple hours in both cases). I recommend either unit to interested buyers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Thanks for the review, this seems really fair & unbiased (at least in my opinion )! 4 minutes ago, Lakeland419 said: I should mention that I am very careful, every night, to put the Solowheel on it’s charger and. I understand that keeping a full charge as much as possible helps the lithium batteries. Actually, as far as I know, too "full" (high voltage) or too low charge actually stresses the batteries and makes them "age" at least slightly faster, although I'm not sure if it's that much of an issue unless you leave the batteries fully charged for a longer while (weeks, months..?). 4 minutes ago, Lakeland419 said: The instructions are included to add air, but it requires taking off the plastic cover and this is not trivial. Without care, the “snap tabs” holding the cover on can break. I am not sure how many cycles of remove/reinstall those tabs will take. I don’t suspect very many. There are valve extensions available (actually, I though such should come with a Ninebot?) that make it possible to fill the tire without the need to remove parts. 4 minutes ago, Lakeland419 said: Some online reviewers have mentioned firmware updates can be tricky. It appears the only manufacturer’s support originates from very far away in China. On the other hand, I can see no pressing reason to update the firmware. The Ninebot really seems to work great! There's been at least two occasions where the firmware updates could end up burning the mainboard even during normal riding. It seems Ninebot testing procedures have been severely lacking at least in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriull Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 9 hours ago, esaj said: There are valve extensions available (actually, I though such should come with a Ninebot?) that make it possible to fill the tire without the need to remove parts. This was one of the difference between E and E+, that the E+ had the valve extension included. Maybe Ninebot changed this? Like once written here, a valve extension about an inch longer as the original one makes refilling even a bit easier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakeland419 Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 Yes, the Ninebot included a valve extender, but the instructions still call to remove part of the plastic case before you can use the extender. If its possible to use it without removing the case that would be great - but it wasnt obvious to me when I first tried. I will look harder next time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 When I picked up my Ninebot the tire was at 25psi. I asked the dealer to pump it up to 45psi. He had no problem screwing the valve extender (6 1/4 inch long) to the tire valve and did not have to remove any part of the case. As a side note, he mentioned that my tire had no valve cap from the factory but he could give me one. I said no, leave it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I don't know why all the EUCs seem to leave out a valve cap. When you ride, dirt is thrown into the area of the valve, and some dirt may get inside the valve. When you attach a pump to add air, it will drive the dirt into the valve and sometimes cause the valve to not seat correctly, so you get leaks. Or the dirt will be on the threads, making it hard to attach the threaded extender or causing it to leak. A cap keeps both the valve and the threads clean. It's easy to get a free valve cap. Just go to a gas station where there is an air pump and look on the ground. People forget to put them back all the time. If you don't have a valve cap, let a little bit of air out quickly before you attach the extender or pump. That will help to blow out anything inside the valve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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