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electricpen

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I've been lurking for a couple months and just today placed an order for a shiny new Kingsong 16s! I have never ridden an euc before and am looking forward to getting started. I used to do rollerblading a lot including downhill slalom in the streets when I was younger as well as a fair amount of snowboarding. I hope to be able to enjoy the same type of activity here with the euc. I am considering ordering padding or a strap to reduce the chance of catastrophic damage to the machine or others property while I am learning. If anyone has any suggestions for good places to learn in San Francisco I'd be interested in hearing about them since I don't have a yard and the street I live on is (not surprisingly) on kind of a steep incline so I can't just learn at home easily.

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Hi! Nice wheel choice.

Space to learn: firm, level ground, and a wall along it. The first balancing will usually be along a wall. Here's a learning video that tells you exactly the right things.

Where did you learn of EUCs? Always interesting to hear, and there's a thread for it:

 

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If you don't protect the wheel, you will have a lot of damage to it.  I would suggest getting a ninebot one c+ from ebay, new cost $400.  I beat mine up so bad from learning!  I wouldn't want my KS16 looking like my ninebot.  My first wheel the airwheel x3 is also in bad shape from all the times it got dropped.  I used it to learn going forward and then from that point on I used the ninebot to learn just about everything else.

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Haha, thanks for the advice @eddiemoy. I hear you can buy a new shell for the KS for less than $200 so I may just beat it up and buy a new case when I think I'm done with the beater phase. There is also someone selling a ks 14-c used on craigslist locally pretty cheap that I may pick up as a practice wheel.

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1 minute ago, electricpen said:

Haha, thanks for the advice @eddiemoy. I hear you can buy a new shell for the KS for less than $200 so I may just beat it up and buy a new case when I think I'm done with the beater phase. There is also someone selling a ks 14-c used on craigslist locally pretty cheap that I may pick up as a practice wheel.

just so you know, i dropped my ninebot so bad the battery cover came off while the screws were still on.  also the foam leg supports have chipped, the pedals are scrapped up from me trying really tight turns.  still works great though.  

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I think the KS16S is a fantastic wheel to learn on because it is so neutral and stable. You can pad it up (indeed that's what I have done through I'm still looking for a cover). I went through $80 of destructive padding on my Inmotion V5; the wheel would just shred the padding during drops, it got so bad that I'm always spotting bits of my foam from and to work.

Padding takes hardly any time and I wouldn't even bother with sticky residue removal; just slap more foam on.

The KS14C might overheat on SF's steep hills.

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4 hours ago, LanghamP said:

I think the KS16S is a fantastic wheel to learn on because it is so neutral and stable. You can pad it up (indeed that's what I have done through I'm still looking for a cover). I went through $80 of destructive padding on my Inmotion V5; the wheel would just shred the padding during drops, it got so bad that I'm always spotting bits of my foam from and to work.

Padding takes hardly any time and I wouldn't even bother with sticky residue removal; just slap more foam on.

The KS14C might overheat on SF's steep hills.

For learning purposes, I would be looking for someplace flat and empty. Not sure if such a place exists though... 

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I've had a lot of people ride my wheel, and the best advice I have is to first stand in one spot, hold onto a wall or pole, and rock the wheel back and forward.  I think the hardest thing for people to learn is how to make the wheel go, and of course if you can't go you can't balance.  Once you feel where the 'gas pedal' is in your mind, the rest comes pretty naturally.

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1 hour ago, dpong said:

I started indoors just to get the feel of the thing.  Hung on to the back of the couch, I did.  Believe it or not, that's a good place to start. 

This is a good option if you can't find a nice outside spot. Worked for me.

At the start, the goal is to get your body to develop an instinct for the wheel, so any balancing will do (even just a few minutes per day for some days). Your brain will rewire itself in time.

57 minutes ago, Xoltri said:

I've had a lot of people ride my wheel, and the best advice I have is to first stand in one spot, hold onto a wall or pole, and rock the wheel back and forward.  I think the hardest thing for people to learn is how to make the wheel go, and of course if you can't go you can't balance.  Once you feel where the 'gas pedal' is in your mind, the rest comes pretty naturally.

Just as the guy says:)

--

Trust your instincts with learning, just do what you find natural without giving it much thought. Any learning/balancing will improve your skills rapidly at the start.

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20 hours ago, eddiemoy said:

If you don't protect the wheel, you will have a lot of damage to it.  I would suggest getting a ninebot one c+ from ebay, new cost $400.  I beat mine up so bad from learning!  I wouldn't want my KS16 looking like my ninebot.  My first wheel the airwheel x3 is also in bad shape from all the times it got dropped.  I used it to learn going forward and then from that point on I used the ninebot to learn just about everything else.

For people interested, you can get a C+ new from newegg for 399 with maybe free shipping? If I choose to get a training wheel its either that, a MCM4 for 579, or a KS-14c 840 for 675. I'm not sure if I should get one or just learn straight on the 16s though. Choices, choices...

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Eh, my KS16 has had some tumbles and it is surprisingly durable.  With a device that has only one wheel you're going to have to accept some dings eventually.  I already knew how to ride when I received mine, and first day out I was following to close to my kid on his bike, he stopped fast unexpectedly and I had to bail.  Got that first scratch out of the way quickly!

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20 hours ago, eddiemoy said:

If you don't protect the wheel, you will have a lot of damage to it.  I would suggest getting a ninebot one c+ from ebay, new cost $400.  I beat mine up so bad from learning!  I wouldn't want my KS16 looking like my ninebot.  My first wheel the airwheel x3 is also in bad shape from all the times it got dropped.  I used it to learn going forward and then from that point on I used the ninebot to learn just about everything else.

I agree, though I might suggest @Jason McNeil sells an IPS a130 for $445 which is a tank.  It has a more powerful motor and IMO reliable electronics.  Plus if there are any problems, Jason is a great guy to deal with.  

But you are definitely going to bang up the case on your first EUC.  I had an Airwheel X3 which was annoyingly underpowered... I bought it used for ~$200, used it, cleaned it up, and sold if for around $145.  

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Just pad it up well (including the underside of the pedals and pedal arms) and you're good. But it will get scratched up during learning (basically the worst happens on the first day outside so don't wait to see, then it's too late).

If you really want a training wheel (or can't wait;)) the cheapest option is a Step'n'Roll generic for 230 from ebay, e.g. http://www.ebay.com/itm/SELF-BALANCE-ELECTRIC-unicycle-UNI-WHEEL-WITH-TRAINING-WHEEL-AND-LEARNING-BLACK-/121820207038 @Dingfelder got one for learning and while waiting for a real wheel and can tell you more.

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17 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

...

If you really want a training wheel (or can't wait;))  ...

 

Yeah, honestly part of it is the can't wait part. Some of these wheels I could have in 2-3 days. Maybe by the time I get the KS I'll already be over the initial learning hump.

 

1 hour ago, Chris Westland said:

I agree, though I might suggest @Jason McNeil sells an IPS a130 for $445 which is a tank.  It has a more powerful motor and IMO reliable electronics.  Plus if there are any problems, Jason is a great guy to deal with.  

But you are definitely going to bang up the case on your first EUC.  I had an Airwheel X3 which was annoyingly underpowered... I bought it used for ~$200, used it, cleaned it up, and sold if for around $145.  

Is this wheel really more powerful/better than a ninebot C+? The IPS a130 seems slower with less range and more expensive in addition to a smaller wheel diameter? Or am I missing something really obvious here...

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1 hour ago, LanghamP said:

I recommend simply not letting them ride at all, and explaining to them they don't have a prayer of learning it unless they spend several hours.

 

That's unfortunate, in my opinion.  I've had several people learn to ride the wheel in under an hour, many as fast as 15 minutes.  My friends 8 year old daughter can rip around all day on my KS16.  I feel this mode of transport could use more publicity, and discouraging people from trying doesn't help. Might be better to be honest and say that you don't want inexperienced people damaging your wheel.  They are expensive, and I'm sure they'd understand.

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1 hour ago, Xoltri said:

That's unfortunate, in my opinion.  I've had several people learn to ride the wheel in under an hour, many as fast as 15 minutes.  My friends 8 year old daughter can rip around all day on my KS16.  I feel this mode of transport could use more publicity, and discouraging people from trying doesn't help. Might be better to be honest and say that you don't want inexperienced people damaging your wheel.  They are expensive, and I'm sure they'd understand.

If they're willing to give the time then I'll let them ride; the vast vast majority of people will try to get on the wheel once or twice, then give up. You're going to let them on your wheel, drop it, and they go from "maybe" to "hell no!"? Best to let them do some research, and the determined ones will make it work.

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4 hours ago, electricpen said:

Is this wheel really more powerful/better than a ninebot C+? The IPS a130 seems slower with less range and more expensive in addition to a smaller wheel diameter? Or am I missing something really obvious here...

I thought they were both 14" wheels, with a max of 12mph.  But the IPS has 500W motor (they post 1000W but that is peak) and the Ninebot has a 400W motor (or maybe less, I've forgotten).  The Ninebots look better though.

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6 minutes ago, Chris Westland said:

I thought they were both 14" wheels, with a max of 12mph.  But the IPS has 500W motor (they post 1000W but that is peak) and the Ninebot has a 400W motor (or maybe less, I've forgotten).  The Ninebots look better though.

According to this the ips a130 turbo has 11mph top speed, 12" tire, and 174wh battery. It indicates 1000w peak but not its other motor stats. In comparison a ninebot C+ has a 14" wheel, 220wh battery, 12.5mph top speed and 450w motor.

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I'm pretty certain that the Ninebot One C+ has the same 16" tire as my Ninebot One E+ if memory serves me right.  The IPS a130 looks okay, but it's a 12" wheel which might be even harder to learn on than a 14" wheel.  Overall I think the Ninebot One C+ or E+ are good starter wheels to learn on as they have some heft to them, the 16" wheel handles bumps easier, and they are mostly built like tanks.  The Segway Ninebot S1 might be another good choice, but it has a 14" wheel and can get scuffed up easily.  I would lean towards an E+ if you can as the extra speed and range is nice.

I learned on a cheapo 14" generic wheel, and it served its purpose well.  The speed and range was low so it fell out of use quickly.

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On 7/26/2017 at 4:27 PM, electricpen said:

I am considering ordering padding or a strap to reduce the chance of catastrophic damage to the machin

Protective padding is a great idea. The strap is ok as long as you don't depend on it. Just wrap it around the handle and loosely tuck the other end it in your pocket so you can easily grab it  before the wheel tumbles to the ground.

My wife will be learning on her new KS16S this weekend and she has requested the strap. If you remove the fear obstacle of dropping your wheel your concentration and somatosensory feedback will increase and you will learn much faster.

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