My first EUC! MSuper 3

[kour]

5 hours ago, Carlos E Rodriguez said:

Then start rolling, skip, skip skip and then land on the pedal. The skip, skip, skip is a good exercise to master.

i have to agree this is really helpful! i'll also add that when not practicing that particular exercise and you get both feet on the pedals it really helps to immediately straighten up - don't hunch forward!

[NECway]

When I was learning I put my kids soccer shin pads on the side of my ankle to protect it from bruising by the euc, that may help you.

[Hatchet]

Best advice IMO, is the dominant foot on the pedal, and just take a step with the grounded foot, but don't mount. Just take a step and let the mounted foot move forward that tiny bit till you set your grounded foot down. Repeat. Similar to pushing off on a skateboard (very lightly), just take a controlled step with the grounded foot.

Forget mounting for a while and simply learn to have one foot mounted, while taking one step after another with your grounded foot.

What this does is train your body and dominant (mounted foot) where the balance is in tiny bite sized chunks. You'll find you can take a longer step before putting the foot down and longer. Eventually, you will be amazed to find you can raise the grounded foot and basically take all the time you want to place it on the pedal because you can balance so well with that dominant mounted foot. You'll be dong a smooth, beautiful controlled mount/dismount in no time, but you just have to train a bit. 

Once the ball gets rolling though, you'll progress in leaps and be trying to ride backwards, trust me. Gliding is simply too fun, too addictive to stop once you get that first controlled ride-feel in your bones.

Edit: Oops, Carlos covered it earlier.

[Dingfelder]

1 hour ago, NECway said:

When I was learning I put my kids soccer shin pads on the side of my ankle to protect it from bruising by the euc, that may help you.

I ordered some that pad all the way down to the ankle, Amazon delivering by 8 p.m. tomorrow.  Let's hope you're right many times over about their effectiveness!

[Dingfelder]

28 minutes ago, Hatchet said:

Best advice IMO, is the dominant foot on the pedal, and just take a step with the grounded foot, but don't mount. Just take a step and let the mounted foot move forward that tiny bit till you set your grounded foot down. Repeat. Similar to pushing off on a skateboard (very lightly), just take a controlled step with the grounded foot.

Forget mounting for a while and simply learn to have one foot mounted, while taking one step after another with your grounded foot.

What this does is train your body and dominant (mounted foot) where the balance is in tiny bite sized chunks. You'll find you can take a longer step before putting the foot down and longer. Eventually, you will be amazed to find you can raise the grounded foot and basically take all the time you want to place it on the pedal because you can balance so well with that dominant mounted foot. You'll be dong a smooth, beautiful controlled mount/dismount in no time, but you just have to train a bit. 

Once the ball gets rolling though, you'll progress in leaps and be trying to ride backwards, trust me. Gliding is simply too fun, too addictive to stop once you get that first controlled ride-feel in your bones.

Edit: Oops, Carlos covered it earlier.

Still helpful to see it stated in a different way.

Today it was National Diarrhea Day -- or at least, that's what it felt like -- so I didn't do any training.  But I'll be back to it again tomorrow I hope. I'll try this out for sure.

Yesterday I found that going backwards was actually easier than going forwards.  I was only going a few feet at a time, holding onto something, though.  And it was harder to control the speed.  In regular life, you respond to falling back by digging in your heels ... but on an EUC that just makes you go backwards faster.  I found slowing and stopping more natural going forward.

But anyway I can't do either without holding onto something ... and tomorrow's another day.  I'm really looking forward to trying all this stuff out.  And to tell the truth, I think I'll let my new Gotway, once delivered, sit unused until I feel reasonably steady on this cheapo wheel. 

[Marty Backe]

14 minutes ago, Dingfelder said:

<snip>
Today it was National Diarrhea Day -- or at least, that's what it felt like -- so I didn't do any training.  But I'll be back to it again tomorrow I hope. I'll try this out for sure.

TMI 

14 minutes ago, Dingfelder said:

Yesterday I found that going backwards was actually easier than going forwards.  I was only going a few feet at a time, holding onto something, though.  And it was harder to control the speed.  In regular life, you respond to falling back by digging in your heels ... but on an EUC that just makes you go backwards faster.  I found slowing and stopping more natural going forward.

But anyway I can't do either without holding onto something ... and tomorrow's another day.  I'm really looking forward to trying all this stuff out.  And to tell the truth, I think I'll let my new Gotway, once delivered, sit unused until I feel reasonably steady on this cheapo wheel. 

Wow, took me about 7 months before I started working on my backward riding skills. Way to go. 

[kour]

28 minutes ago, Dingfelder said:

And to tell the truth, I think I'll let my new Gotway, once delivered, sit unused until I feel reasonably steady on this cheapo wheel.

sounds like a good idea - but as soon as you can cruise around you should bust out the msuper

[LanghamP]

9 hours ago, Dingfelder said:

I think I'll let my new Gotway, once delivered, sit unused until I feel reasonably steady on this cheapo wheel. 

I found the MSuper a bit easier to drive at lower speeds, and therefore probably easier to learn on, but (and it's a big "but") the penalty for dropping the Gotway is undoubtedly bigger than your cheapo wheel. The Gotway is 50 pounds!

Are you enjoying yourself? I would hope the pain would not discourage you.

Expect to fall all the time for the first few weeks. I did have my wheel entirely padded, and went through eight (!) foam paddings rolls and the Inmotion V5F cover. So what you're experiencing starting off is normal, I would think.

An EUC is probably somewhere between a bicycle and a true unicycle in difficulty of learning. However, its portability and effortless hill-climbing ability let's one explore a city like nothing I've seen before. This is the true value of the EUC; the way they open up the city. I imagine that's what the early Model T Fords must have done for the general population.

A big problem is the learning curve of the EUC for most people. Except for me and two other men (we all had ice skating, surfing, or skateboarding experience), no one seems to be able to learn to ride them. I've probably seen 40 people try out my wheel, with a very few trying for half an hour. Most try twice, and then give up saying it's impossible.

[Dingfelder]

I am enjoying myself, thanks   I don't mind the pain ... at least as soon as it passes.   I think the shin guards I'm supposed to get today should help a bit on that.  

And I think I have to make a special study of getting off the thing without grinding it into my leg.  If I can figure out how to do that, maybe the pain and bruising will become a smaller part of the whole business. I guess I have to just let the machine fly.

Wow, you went through a lot of foam.  I have two rolls coming in.  Maybe I should order some more. I'm sure I'll fall as much as anyone else.  I do want my cheapo wheel to take the majority of my falls if at all possible though.  It might work out that way ... the MSuper is probably a solid two weeks away., and I'm going to try to get some practice in every day before it comes.

I'm not surprised that people give up on EUC's quickly.  They're a little scary and mastering them looks hard.  Even being a tiny bit competent on them looks hard.  

I think that unless you're a natural, EUC's are best suited for determined people who don't mind taking a long time to get good at something.  And who are willing to risk getting banged up a bit.  

Unfortunately, neither of those things are exactly strong selling points.

[Hatchet]

The very first time I put my foot on the pedal (in the living room, holding the ((fake)) fireplace) and felt the thing try to take off, I actually felt terrible. "Oh my god i just wasted $1400! There is no way i'm going to learn this." I honestly was pissed at myself being so dumb to buy this thing and it felt so foreign and impossible to control. I had visions of scowling at it, sitting there dusty in the closet every time i walked by, resenting the wasted money.

Now I cannot imagine my life without a wheel. It's likely one of the best decisions i ever made, or at least one of the best things I ever bought.

I used the fireplace mantle and got on the wheel, and just rolled back and forth over and over getting to know how the lean worked a bit. The thing that broke it for me was doing what I described above with stepping. I still do these steps a few times every morning on the wheel before my commute to work, just to warm up. 

Pain goes away once you get some technique. Once you do, you won't be banging your ankles etc. I haven't had a bruise from riding since maybe a 2 weeks after getting it, I include crashing due to dog attack.

[Dingfelder]

Quote

The very first time I put my foot on the pedal (in the living room, holding the ((fake)) fireplace) and felt the thing try to take off, I actually felt terrible. "Oh my god i just wasted $1400! There is no way i'm going to learn this." I honestly was pissed at myself being so dumb to buy this thing and it felt so foreign and impossible to control. I had visions of scowling at it, sitting there dusty in the closet every time i walked by, resenting the wasted money.[/quote]

I can relate.  I am getting looks of "Oh boy what a colossal mistake YOU just made" from a couple of people, the occasional verbal sentiment of the same thing too.

Quote

Now I cannot imagine my life without a wheel. It's likely one of the best decisions i ever made, or at least one of the best things I ever bought.

Well I hope I feel the same way too.  If nothing else, having an activity that gets me out of the house is a good thing.  I work a lot and I sleep a lot to recover from it ... but I really need to do something else too.

6 hours ago, Hatchet said:

I used the fireplace mantle and got on the wheel, and just rolled back and forth over and over getting to know how the lean worked a bit.

This is what I'm doing pretty much now.

Today I had another training session, about an hour.  I grabbed onto the roof rack on my car and maneuvered around from there:

Lean forward and back, do it at different speeds, practice braking both ways, do three point turns, try upper body leans vs. lower body quick torques, and finally carve out half moons from the side of the car, narrow to wide, slower and faster.

It's funny how sensitive the body is. Even going in a straight line, I'm better at it when holding onto the roof rack  with my left hand than my right ... and my right is vastly more coordinated.  But ... the left is more relaxed.  I'm inherently trying not to rely on it the way I rely on my right hand, because I know it isn't as capable.  And that frees up the rest of my body to be more relaxed too.  

[Dingfelder]

Dang, the quote system is so awkward.

Got my shin guards in today.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0105YI41M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1

They only had them in large at the time; now there's no large but there is extra large.

Anyway, right back they go.  They are super comfortable and feel like high quality, but the shin guard is incredibly short.  I didn't order in a youth size, either, so that's strange.  The package doesn't say youth size either, just large.  The actual shin guard part is about long enough for an eight year old.

I'm tempted to try the extra-large, but if the large is so tiny, I'm sure the x-large isn't a sudden leap up to huge.  

Great ankle padding and position and overall comfort though ... but what on earth were they thinking re the sizing ...

[Hatchet]

I was riding decently for over a week before I could make right turns without flailing my arms a bit and being jerky. Left turn, no problem, smooth as silk. I'm right handed and right-footed as well, so that may be why. It was odd, i hated right turns, lol.

[Hatchet]

@Dingfelder If you haven't already, watch this video by Dufisthenics 10 Tips for beginners. He explains in tip #4 (7:00 mark) the step/hop method. The whole video is great to watch though he has a very easy-going style and it's good info.

 

[LanghamP]

On 6/7/2017 at 9:54 AM, Dingfelder said:

And I think I have to make a special study of getting off the thing without grinding it into my leg.  If I can figure out how to do that, maybe the pain and bruising will become a smaller part of the whole business. I guess I have to just let the machine fly.

The foam sacrificially protected the wheel, along with the Inmotion cover. I put the foam on, then the cover, then cut out the packing foam the V5 came in and stuffed that between the foam and the cover. The wheel looked like some superball when I was done with it.

I never got bruises while learning. I did have two accidents that just knocked the hell out of me.

Be careful stepping off the wheel because if you have pressure on the pedal it will make a u-turn, crawl up your leg, knock you down, and then just beat the hell out of you until you manage to tip it over.

Never respected just how much half a horsepower is until I tried to compete with it.

Wheels are cute and small, yes, but they are still real vehicles. They can pass most bicyclist going uphill even at 100kg rider, so respect the energy involved in doing that.

[Dingfelder]

I've seen it but I'll rewatch it, thanks.  The problem is the difference between seeing it and doing it.  Mounting and dismounting are ridiculously difficult, bone-bruising affairs for me.  No success whatsoever.

I am getting better day by day though.  For now, just at balancing a little, making small turns holding onto something, and seeing if I can ride a few feet without holding onto something.  I managed about a ten foot ride today before bumping up against what I was headed for.

It really helped to practice between two stationary cars today.  I could go for a few feet with something to catch me on either side.  I wish such things were easier to find in the real world ... parallel bars at a decent height, or walls in a hallway, now strike me as ideal.  

[Dingfelder]

3 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

The foam sacrificially protected the wheel, along with the Inmotion cover. I put the foam on, then the cover, then cut out the packing foam the V5 came in and stuffed that between the foam and the cover. The wheel looked like some superball when I was done with it.

I never got bruises while learning. I did have two accidents that just knocked the hell out of me.

Be careful stepping off the wheel because if you have pressure on the pedal it will make a u-turn, crawl up your leg, knock you down, and then just beat the hell out of you until you manage to tip it over.

Never respected just how much half a horsepower is until I tried to compete with it.

Wheels are cute and small, yes, but they are still real vehicles. They can pass most bicyclist going uphill even at 100kg rider, so respect the energy involved in doing that.

I'm being as careful as I can be.  I'm padding everywhere I can find with serious quality protective gear, doing everything in the tiniest of baby steps. 

I am going to go to Home Depot and get some foam padding, since the shin guards I got are too small to use.  I'm getting some from Jason, but that could be weeks away and anyway might all go onto my big wheel when I get it.  I need something for the little wheel to keep it from biting me.

I'm amazed you never got bruises while learning.  I do notice the design on some wheels looks a lot friendlier to the legs and ankles, with few or no hard edges projecting into them.  This cheapie concentrates my weight into a small edge to be used against me when things go wrong.

[Carlos E Rodriguez]

15 hours ago, Dingfelder said:

I'm being as careful as I can be.  I'm padding everywhere I can find with serious quality protective gear, doing everything in the tiniest of baby steps. 

I am going to go to Home Depot and get some foam padding, since the shin guards I got are too small to use.  I'm getting some from Jason, but that could be weeks away and anyway might all go onto my big wheel when I get it.  I need something for the little wheel to keep it from biting me.

I'm amazed you never got bruises while learning.  I do notice the design on some wheels looks a lot friendlier to the legs and ankles, with few or no hard edges projecting into them.  This cheapie concentrates my weight into a small edge to be used against me when things go wrong.

Can yo post a video or your issues mounting?  

[kour]

15 hours ago, Dingfelder said:

I managed about a ten foot ride today before bumping up against what I was headed for.

ur on ur waaaaay

[LanghamP]

On 6/3/2017 at 9:21 PM, MaxLinux said:

I'm interested in the story of how that happened!

I couldn't find the thread regarding how this happened.

Within a few days of getting my first wheel, an Inmotion V5F+, I then got another wheel. I had ordered then cancelled an IPS Xima Holtz (out of stock), so I figured it was accidently sent to me. In fact, I was so sure IPS sent it to me I didn't bother to open it up, and didn't even want to deal with it for a few days.

After a while I figured I'd just buy it; to my surprise it was actually a Gotway (the shipping slip just says $100 wheelbarrow). I try to contact the name on the shipping slip; they tell me f*** off 'cause once sent they don't want anything at all to do with it.

I ask Jason McNeil if he sent it to me. Nope.

I wait a week or two, and eventually ride it. Some time later someone contacts me via email; since the wheel is now used he sells it to me for a song (I mean, I bought it cheaper than the cheapest V5F), sends me a bunch of business cards, an extra charger, and the warranty.

It's actually very interesting to get a wheel one did not order and had no interest in owning. You can look at the wheel objectively. It is almost the exact opposite of what I want in a wheel.

I feel I should sell it but everyone seems to rave about theirs, so I keep it thinking I'll like it more given time. It's rather unloved and unused.

[kour]

@LanghamP this is an msuper?

[LanghamP]

2 minutes ago, kour said:

@LanghamP this is an msuper?

It's the MSuper V3S 1600.

[Marty Backe]

12 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

It's the MSuper V3S 1600.

It deserves a home where it can be loved  Why not sell it and get something you'll really enjoy. Selling it should be easy since those wheels can be in short supply.

[LanghamP]

12 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

It deserves a home where it can be loved  Why not sell it and get something you'll really enjoy. Selling it should be easy since those wheels can be in short supply.

Never dropped, never scratched wheel too, with 100 miles.

How much do you think those sell for?

I already have my perfect wheel; my KS14c. After buying it I just ride it and don't feel the urge to buy other wheels. I realize a less floppy and greater ranged Inmotion V5F is really all I want, which the KS14c is close enough.

[Rehab1]

21 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

It deserves a home where it can be loved  Why not sell it and get something you'll really enjoy. Selling it should be easy since those wheels can be in short supply.

Short supply because the distributor is shipping out the MSuper V3S  free of charge!