Tesla Pedal Modes

[Cannings]

So the forked wheelog gives me three modes for the pedals, leisure, hard and soft by memory but feel free to correct me, currently i've just been on the middle setting, what is the real difference in these?

[LanghamP]

They vary by how quickly they respond to inputs in your wheel, when inputs = bumps, rider changes, etc...

When set to hard, your wheel will respond as quickly as it can to changes while keeping the pedals as level as it can. The cost is that you'll consumer a lot more energy keeping those pedals level.

Personally, I ride with the hard setting most of the time for most of my wheels, for a simple safety reason; if the wheel gets caught on something the hard setting tries to unstuck the wheel and so you might not crash, but on medium and soft setting the delay in leveling the pedals is often enough to face plant.

[Marty Backe]

5 hours ago, Cannings said:

So the forked wheelog gives me three modes for the pedals, leisure, hard and soft by memory but feel free to correct me, currently i've just been on the middle setting, what is the real difference in these?

Honestly, trying the three modes yourself will provide you a much better answer than any text written here.

 

58 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

They vary by how quickly they respond to inputs in your wheel, when inputs = bumps, rider changes, etc...

When set to hard, your wheel will respond as quickly as it can to changes while keeping the pedals as level as it can. The cost is that you'll consumer a lot more energy keeping those pedals level.

Personally, I ride with the hard setting most of the time for most of my wheels, for a simple safety reason; if the wheel gets caught on something the hard setting tries to unstuck the wheel and so you might not crash, but on medium and soft setting the delay in leveling the pedals is often enough to face plant.

I've never heard this before and I'm not convinced that it's true. I'd be curious what any 'old timers' have to say regarding this.

[LanghamP]

17 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I've never heard this before and I'm not convinced that it's true. I'd be curious what any 'old timers' have to say regarding this.

You've never crashed when your wheel gets stuck? Like never? I've crashed just a ton of times when my wheel gets caught, it's my favorite way of faceplanting.

Like going up a (small) curb, or trying to go through a shallow hole with leaves in it, or over some tree branches. The softer pedal settings are, to me, much more likely to result in the wheel "catching" on said obstacle as the attending delay is juuust enough for the wheel to be left behind. Hard works better.

This might be the most surprising thing I've ever heard from@Marty Backe 

 

[Marty Backe]

10 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

You've never crashed when your wheel gets stuck? Like never? I've crashed just a ton of times when my wheel gets caught, it's my favorite way of faceplanting.

Like going up a (small) curb, or trying to go through a shallow hole with leaves in it, or over some tree branches. The softer pedal settings are, to me, much more likely to result in the wheel "catching" on said obstacle as the attending delay is juuust enough for the wheel to be left behind. Hard works better.

This might be the most surprising thing I've ever heard from@Marty Backe 

 

Of course I've crashed when my wheel gets stuck. I'm just not convinced that pedal softness is a contributing factor. I honestly don't know.

Edited December 8, 2017 by Marty Backe

[LanghamP]

3 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Of course I've crashed when my wheel gets stuck. I'm just not convinced that pedal softness is a contributing factor. I honestly don't know.

Hmm, on the face of it this seems so obvious to me as to be entirely self-evident, but on second thought you do have a point.

I almost always retry the spot I crashed at, and continue until I can pass the obstacle, and it just feels so much easier on hard settings because the wheel doesn't let you tilt beyond a certain degree.

Like if you grab your wheel by its handle, and move it back and forth over the obstacle, doesn't it "catch" on the softer settings, that is the pedals tilt more before the wheel gets loose?

[Marty Backe]

58 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

Hmm, on the face of it this seems so obvious to me as to be entirely self-evident, but on second thought you do have a point.

I almost always retry the spot I crashed at, and continue until I can pass the obstacle, and it just feels so much easier on hard settings because the wheel doesn't let you tilt beyond a certain degree.

Like if you grab your wheel by its handle, and move it back and forth over the obstacle, doesn't it "catch" on the softer settings, that is the pedals tilt more before the wheel gets loose?

I've never experimented like this. Maybe if I can find a good situation with a small curb, etc., I'll see how the different modes are handled. I just assumed that in a softer mode there will be a slightly delayed response when overcoming an obstacle, but ultimately the same amount of power will be applied. But I'm speaking from my chair and have zero empirical evidence to back it up. 

[LanghamP]

14 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I've never experimented like this. Maybe if I can find a good situation with a small curb, etc., I'll see how the different modes are handled. I just assumed that in a softer mode there will be a slightly delayed response when overcoming an obstacle, but ultimately the same amount of power will be applied. But I'm speaking from my chair and have zero empirical evidence to back it up. 

Don't experiment over PVC pipe over a gravel trail. It took me months to recover from that fiasco. The gravel dust makes the pipe super slippery.

I think you are correct that the same amount of power is applied regardless of hardness setting, but that the softer settings apply that power over a much shorter period of time! Softer setting gets stuck and then has to catch up with more than harder settings.

Basically two unfortunate scenarios play out.

1. The wheel simply gets stuck on the obstacle, and you run it off.

2. The wheel gets partially stuck, then unsticks going high power, runs past you, and then you end up with feet in the air in front of you. The softer the setting the longer the wheel gets stuck, and the more power it gives to catch up.

Try doing this going down steps that have a lip to them; harder works so much easier than soft since the wheel doesn't hang. 

[Cannings]

Thanks for the info, I'll have to give it a go like @Marty Backe says when I've come to curbs I've been slowing right down and just crawling up them, however today I did hit a pot hole and very very nearly got bounced off it but managed to survive that made me shit myself a small amount 

[Marty Backe]

10 minutes ago, Cannings said:

Thanks for the info, I'll have to give it a go like @Marty Backe says when I've come to curbs I've been slowing right down and just crawling up them, however today I did hit a pot hole and very very nearly got bounced off it but managed to survive that made me shit myself a small amount 

No video? 

[Cannings]

Lol no one wants a video of me screaming like a little girl, I figured I'd start some videos when I get past my knees shaking almost uncontrollably and me having to stop multiple times because of foot cramp!

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

11 hours ago, Cannings said:

Lol no one wants a video of me screaming like a little girl...

  Actually, for us "veteran" riders, it's highly entertaining to watch those sorts of videos on a boring Friday workday.  Post away!  Post away!

Edited December 9, 2017 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Cannings]

Ha sorry I didn't record any of today's he, but I'll try sort for next week so you can laugh as my misfortune schadenfreude

[Mono]

7 hours ago, LanghamP said:

Like going up a (small) curb, or trying to go through a shallow hole with leaves in it, or over some tree branches. The softer pedal settings are, to me, much more likely to result in the wheel "catching" on said obstacle as the attending delay is juuust enough for the wheel to be left behind. Hard works better.

+1, on the same note, pedal height is IMHO an important and very much underrated wheel safety characteristics.

5 hours ago, LanghamP said:

I think you are correct that the same amount of power is applied regardless of hardness setting, but that the softer settings apply that power over a much shorter period of time! Softer setting gets stuck and then has to catch up with more than harder settings.

In the best of all scenarios, the softer mode has the effect of traction control. I have been on the brink of going down due to spinning a few times as well. 

[Cannings]

So I gave hard pedals a go tonight and I found I was getting a lot more umm not sure how you would call it other than unstable wiggling where it's just kind of going left to right and doesn't feel good at all my solution to this was straightening my legs and that sorted it, is the issue that I'm relaxing my legs too much and so losing the stability.

I don't really know the best way to stand should I have fully straight legs while leaning forward or should my knees be bent a bit I think I'll set it back to medium pedals for my trip to work tomorrow 

[Marty Backe]

37 minutes ago, Cannings said:

So I gave hard pedals a go tonight and I found I was getting a lot more umm not sure how you would call it other than unstable wiggling where it's just kind of going left to right and doesn't feel good at all my solution to this was straightening my legs and that sorted it, is the issue that I'm relaxing my legs too much and so losing the stability.

I don't really know the best way to stand should I have fully straight legs while leaning forward or should my knees be bent a bit I think I'll set it back to medium pedals for my trip to work tomorrow 

I generally always ride my wheels with at least a slight bend at the knees. I never have any wiggling problems, so it must be your riding technique - relaxed == less wiggle

[Cannings]

Yeah its quite strange, i've pumped the tire up and everything so i'm definitely doing something wrong lol

[Cannings]

So i moved back to medium pedals and that cured it a little i'm still getting some wobble though, how tough do you guys grip the euc with your inner thighs as i've noticed if i grip quite tough it stops but then thats quite painful to maintain.

I took some pics of my foot position after going round a few times round the block it almost felt though that my feet were slipping forward not substantially but maybe thats down to my trainers?

Also helmet came!

[Marty Backe]

25 minutes ago, Cannings said:

So i moved back to medium pedals and that cured it a little i'm still getting some wobble though, how tough do you guys grip the euc with your inner thighs as i've noticed if i grip quite tough it stops but then thats quite painful to maintain.

I took some pics of my foot position after going round a few times round the block it almost felt though that my feet were slipping forward not substantially but maybe thats down to my trainers?

Also helmet came!

You should be barely gripping the wheel. I wouldn't even use the term "grip" when describing how your legs are touching the wheel. Your legs should be relaxed and the wheel simple 'bounces' between your legs as you make slight course corrections or when you are turning.

It's all the gripping that occurs when you are learning that causes leg soreness, etc.  But once you've achieved Zen with your wheel, no more discomfort or wobbles 

Cool helmet 

Edited December 14, 2017 by Marty Backe

[US69]

@Cannings

From your foot position i would even say you are standing to much back!

And like Marty said: Dont clamp the wheel! It is not needed....

It might be that you need some more experience before it works without clamping...but then it gets better!

Wobbling on higher speeds is a typical beginner problem which goes away after time. Especillay when you say straightening legs cures the prob!

Thats a sign that for relaxed position your muscles  in the calf are not good enough yet...

Edited December 14, 2017 by KingSong69

[Smoother]

2 hours ago, KingSong69 said:

@Cannings

From your foot position i would even say you are standing to much back!  +1 on that

And like Marty said: Dont clamp the wheel! It is not needed....+1 on that

It might be that you need some more experience before it works without clamping...but then it gets better! +1 on that

Wobbling on higher speeds is a typical beginner problem which goes away after time. Especillay when you say straightening legs cures the prob! I still wobble from time to time

Thats a sign that for relaxed position your muscles  in the calf are not good enough yet...

 

Four things:

1. LOWER your tire pressure.  At high pressure, you are riding around on that tiny central tread only.  Squish that tire a bit and it will squirm less. Try around 40psi.

2. Cool helmet.

3. Can we get a combo video? screaming like a little girl, AND cussing like a sailor?

4.Tidy your closet.  

 

EDIT:  @Cannings may I formally invite you to add your helmet findings and pictures to my recently created "HELMET THREAD"!

Edited December 14, 2017 by Smoother

[Mono]

Wobbling is notoriously difficult to address systematically, but there is not much to worry as it will very likely go eventually away with time. Otherwise +1 to all the above: more (most) weight on the heel (i.e. foot more to the front), only touch the sides, no gripping needed, try to get relaxed and all will become good.

[dmethvin]

Plus one to what Mono said. I also found that when I switched to my KS14C the wobbles came back for a while until I got comfortable with it. Once you are at one with your wheel you will know it. 

The only soreness I get now is when I decide to ride fast and am doing long distances. Bent knees for 30 miles give me sore quads. Lately I've been doing leisurely rides, it's just too much work to stay alert at high speeds.

[Cannings]

13 hours ago, Smoother said:

Four things:

1. LOWER your tire pressure.  At high pressure, you are riding around on that tiny central tread only.  Squish that tire a bit and it will squirm less. Try around 40psi.

2. Cool helmet.

3. Can we get a combo video? screaming like a little girl, AND cussing like a sailor?

4.Tidy your closet.  

 

EDIT:  @Cannings may I formally invite you to add your helmet findings and pictures to my recently created "HELMET THREAD"!

@4 thats the hooks on the back of the toilet door, its not the largest flat and boxes are christmas shit ready to go to parents houses next week, i've not entered the horder side of my life yet

 

Oh and thanks for all the other bits of advice, i will give them all ago this weekend hopefully as i've been ice'd off today

Edited December 15, 2017 by Cannings
i wanted to

[kour]

On 12/8/2017 at 11:32 AM, LanghamP said:

You've never crashed when your wheel gets stuck? Like never? I've crashed just a ton of times when my wheel gets caught, it's my favorite way of faceplanting.

Like going up a (small) curb, or trying to go through a shallow hole with leaves in it, or over some tree branches. The softer pedal settings are, to me, much more likely to result in the wheel "catching" on said obstacle as the attending delay is juuust enough for the wheel to be left behind. Hard works better.

This might be the most surprising thing I've ever heard from@Marty Backe 

 

i'm starting to wonder about this, too - this morning i got 'stuck' going up the lip of a driveway on the msuper (i was spared a wheel-smashin' rodeo this time). i hadn't connected to the wheel to adjust the pedal mode, which i always set to 'sport'. but i don't know if it was because it was soft or if i was going too slow - maybe a combination. i guess the only to see is to try in 'sport'