THE VIDEO THREAD!

[Smoother]

1 hour ago, Clovis said:

 

Did you not read what I wrote?  I said the arrow points to the direction of rotation going forward.  I did not say look at the arrow when it is at the top of the wheel or look at it when it's at the bottom.  That would be dumb since it points to an infinite number of directions depending on where it is looked at.  The arrow is there to show forward rotation based on the tread of the tire.

1

Yes I read your use of the word "rotation", and nowhere did I say "you" were doing it wrong.  I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear. 

 @KingSong69 says the ports should be at the back so that means the tire is on the machine backwards.

I have that exact tire pattern on my 14" and 16" (both Kenda) and the directional nature of the tread agrees with the rotation arrow.  If the tire on Martys wheel is like mine, he is riding the tire backwards, not the machine, in that video the way that pattern is, we are looking at the front of the tire regarding the direction its designed to rotate.  However, as I said before, directional tread is only valid when there is a danger of hydroplaning, which, we will never be at our speeds with our skinny tires.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Smoother

[dbfrese]

31 minutes ago, steve454 said:

Did anyone ride through the mall, or stop at the other end of the mall and do circles for awhile?

Mall management prohibited riding anywhere other than in the store. They also did not allow potential customers from "trying them out," and the occasional person asks to try.

[WARPed1701D]

I've come to the conclusion that the assembly line people just put the tire on with no regard for the rotation. You lucked out if it is correct.

It is fitted backwards on my unidirectional bodied V8. It irks me as I'm a perfectionist but I'm not ripping it apart to fix it. As stated, at our speeds and with such a thin tire directional tread is moot. I read somewhere that you'd need to be going over 100mph for directional tread to matter on a bicycle tire. 

The topic seems to result in very heated discussions on a lot of bike forums.

Edited December 11, 2017 by WARPed1701D

[Marty Backe]

10 minutes ago, dbfrese said:

Mall management prohibited riding anywhere other than in the store. They also did not allow potential customers from "trying them out," and the occasional person asks to try.

That's amazing that the Mall can actually tell you what can and cannot be done within 'your store'. Who's going to buy a wheel without being able to try one just for a little bit (with help from you of course) 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

1 hour ago, Marty Backe said:

That's amazing that the Mall can actually tell you what can and cannot be done within 'your store'. Who's going to buy a wheel without being able to try one just for a little bit (with help from you of course) 

Ever read a 40 page "standard" lease document from a landlord?  With these bigger malls it's likely a lot longer.   An injury sustained by a customer within mall premises could end up with a lawsuit naming the store owner and the mall owner as well so I would be surprised if they didn't have a clause in their lease forbidding it.  I think the same thing goes for slip and fall injuries.  I've read some cases where someone fell in front of a storefront in a strip mall, and they ended up suing the tenant and the landlord even though it wasn't the tenant's fault. 

Even with tenant liability insurance, I bet the larger mall owners won't want to take the risk.  Every thing is negotiable, of course, but it depends on local economic factors as well.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Steven D Wheeler]

This is me doing some riding on my Monster sitting down.

I am just going in a few circles near my house.

The New knobby tire has different steering characteristics than the stock original.

Turns are much wider and take practice to do.

Was about 35F and lots of salt on the streets.

 

[Marty Backe]

9 minutes ago, Steven D Wheeler said:

This is me doing some riding on my Monster sitting down.

I am just going in a few circles near my house.

The New knobby tire has different steering characteristics than the stock original.

Turns are much wider and take practice to do.

Was about 35F and lots of salt on the streets.

 

Great   That's what I'd be doing as long as there wasn't snow on the streets 

I need to get back to my seat-mod for the Monster - it's all the rage right now

[steve454]

A snow riding video with a Monster.  Italy I think.

 

 

[Ombre]

I just got back from a day at the eWheels popup store.  It's too early to tell if it will be a success, but we are learning a lot about the retail market for EUC, scooters, etc. in any case.

Yes, liability drives a lot of rules at the mall.  People do ask to "try it" but most understand when we say it's not practical in the store. At the very least we'd want them to wear protective gear and sign a waiver.  So we do demos instead, and people like that.  The qualified buyers (not the yahoos who come through just looking for a few minutes of free entertainment) understand that there's a learning curve and it doesn't seem to deter them that they can't ride in the store.  We're offering a free class in January, too.

You should see when we crank up the tunes on the wheel and ride like crazy people inside the store.  It's like throwing chum on the water.  Dozens of people instantly gather to see the show.

 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

Oh man, can you set up a live webcam?  If the store opened up at the start of December, why wasn't it advertised on the forums in mid-November?   Maybe we could have offered some suggestions.  Anyone have an all-in-one PC or LCD with Chromecast or Mediabox to stream popular Youtube videos showing people's EUC ride videos?  

Marty's off-road treks and scenic trips to Venice beach and the piers would make good viewing along with Hirsute, Streetside Reny, Jonathan Tolhurst, and stock King Song ride videos.  You would have to check with the mall to see if that's okay though.  Some don't allow videos to be displayed through the glass storefront, but maybe inside would be fine.

Have you guys contacted any of the popular radio stations to see if they would be interested in broadcasting live from the store?  You sometimes see radio DJ's with a mobile broadcast station set up in some new stores to help advertise.

Are there any popular Youtubers, X Game stars, video gamers, or skateboarding personalities who might be interested in doing a meet and greet hosted at the pop-up shop?  Sometimes a little cross advertising can do wonders synergistically.  Is that a word?  

Got any free give-aways like Ewheels T-Shirts, wrist guards, helmets, etc?  Raffle tickets to win a wheel maybe?  Balloon animal entertainer to bring in the kids?  Have you guys decorated the interior of the store with Christmas decorations and a tree maybe to plant that subtle perfect and unique gift idea in people's minds?

Edited December 12, 2017 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Marty Backe]

13 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Oh man, can you set up a live webcam?  If the store opened up at the start of December, why wasn't it advertised on the forums in mid-November?   Maybe we could have offered some suggestions.  Anyone have an all-in-one PC or LCD with Chromecast or Mediabox to stream popular Youtube videos showing people's EUC ride videos?  

Marty's off-road treks and scenic trips to Venice beach and the piers would make good viewing along with Hirsute, Jonathan Tolhurst, and stock King Song ride videos.  You would have to check with the mall to see if that's okay though.  Some don't allow videos to be displayed through the glass storefront, but maybe inside would be fine.

Have you guys contacted any of the popular radio stations to see if they would be interested in broadcasting live from the store?  You sometimes see radio DJ's with a mobile broadcast station set up in some new stores to help advertise.

Are there any popular Youtubers, X Game stars, video gamers, or skateboarding personalities who might be interested in doing a meet and greet hosted at the pop-up shop?  Sometimes a little cross advertising can do wonders synergistically.  Is that a word?  

Got any free give-aways like Ewheels T-Shirts, wrist guards, helmets, etc?  Raffle tickets to win a wheel maybe?  Balloon animal entertainer to bring in the kids?  Have you guys decorated the interior of the store with Christmas decorations and a tree maybe to plant that subtle perfect and unique gift idea in people's minds?

Looks like someone's looking for a job 

In all seriousness, lots of great suggestions, but I'm sure those represent a lot of time and money. I'm somewhat exhausted just reading them let alone implementing them 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

 I blame it on those four cinnamon mini-donuts and vanilla ice cream dollops I just had for dessert!  Good thing I'm not a coffee drinker!  

My spirit animal is Hammy from "Over the Hedge!"

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Ombre]

Internet service is so terrible at the mall I can't even load some email messages during peak times. We're reserving the paltry throughput we get for the Point of Sale system (needs Internet to process cards).  So a webcam is impossible, sorry.

To answer some of @Hunka Hunka Burning Love's other questions:

We didn't promote this in mid-November because the entire store was put together in about two weeks, from concept to Grand Opening on Dec 1. There was just no time to do anything but the absolute essentials: inventory, accessories (like protective gear and tools), artwork & signage, lease, staff, bank accounts, POS, staff training, staff shirts, insurance, instructional guides, videos, and a million other details. I worked every single day, 12 hours most days including Thanksgiving.  @Jason McNeil was very helpful, as were my friends @dbfrese and @Playariderand my family (who spent two days cleaning the store before move-in).  BTW, Jason even flew in for the first few days and helped train us and shoot a scooter video.

Yes, videos are playing constantly, mostly my own but also Hirsute. (Trying not to intimidate people too much so we're focused on ordinary riding rather than trick riders.) They run off a USB stick in the 43" TV on the wall.

Yes, we have been in touch with local TV but got rescheduled and currently don't know when/if they are going to show up.  I've been hitting up local media via Twitter as well.

Yes, giveaways: free branded "eWheels" wristguards with every wheel. Also free padding and free grip tape.  (Thanks to eWheels.com for those items.) We also have some protective gear kits, inexpensive helmets, and a maintenance kit that I put together myself.

We'd love to have a local celebrity but hey, it's Tucson.  We don't have many celebrities, and they're mostly of the local TV weatherman variety.

Entertainment is provided by us riding around and being goofballs.  I am in touch with a local charity that wants to do a cross-promotion, and hope to be able to announce that in a few days.

Yes, Christmas hints: there are bows and ribbons on the products.  All your suggestions are good and we've implemented most of them already. Time and budget are constraints, though. Remember this is only a 1 month experiment.

If anyone wants a closer look, come visit!  Experienced guest riders are always needed on weekends. This weekend we may have a separate demo area in one of the mall courtyards -- working on that now.

 

Edited December 12, 2017 by Ombre
added detail

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

If sales go well through December, do you have an option in your lease to continue on a month to month basis?  I hear Squareup.com is a popular POS choice.  Be cautious about credit card scams this holiday season.  I'm not sure if you're fulfilling orders directly with stock at hand or through Jason, but it can be wise to verify purchasers with a piece of ID to check shipping addresses or identities.  There's tons of scammers with stolen credit cards out there.

Are you going to do a series of daily Vlogs about the different wheels?  It would be interesting to see you review some of the features and riding characteristics of the rides you are selling in a series of Youtube videos.  A timelapse of the popup shop setup would have been cool to see.  Maybe some basic instructional videos would be good to to help tie things together with Ewheels and the shop.  We often refer to the Solowheel how to ride videos, but there's no reason why you guys can't put together your own online series of videos under the Ewheels logo.

It sounds like you have a good handle on things, and I can imagine what the storm of things to do must have been like to set this up in two weeks!  Amazing!  

Edited December 12, 2017 by Hunka Hunka Burning Love

[Mono]

On 11/14/2017 at 4:42 PM, novazeus said:

my opinion is all of this senseless violence comes from a lack of good child rearing.

I haven't seen any violence in this case though, none at all. Or maybe you use the word in a different meaning. Equating violence against people with "violence" against material is a non-starter for any ethical considerations, IMHO. In this case the damage was possibly only even a side effect and not the indended purpose. It was even hard to see any damage of the hood on camera under very close inspection, because of the sun gave too much light.

[Marty Backe]

 

[n2eus]

Seven riders at Salt Creek, to the Pacific Ocean, and a ridge run. @Marty Backe, @YoshiSkySun, @Jrkline "Wheel Whisperer", @Sketch.  Maybe someone knows how to notify Will and Sean?

 

 

[Marty Backe]

 

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, n2eus said:

Seven riders at Salt Creek, to the Pacific Ocean, and a ridge run. @Marty Backe, @YoshiSkySun, @Jrkline "Wheel Whisperer", @Sketch.  Maybe someone knows how to notify Will and Sean?

 

 

Great video @n2eus, thanks for the post. Great to see another perspective 

[Marty Backe]

 

[Cannings]

On 12/11/2017 at 3:36 PM, kour said:

nice! well, it's pretty snug, and i haven't used earbuds while wearing it, and i actually don't own any earbuds; i couldn't tell you for sure - sorry! i'd imagine there's enough space - my ears aren't mashed in by the helmet

Well I ordered this:

https://www.titus-shop.com/en_GB/product/257000-TSG-Pass-Pro-Carbon-Graphic-Design-Fullface-Helmet-trace.html?sid=1

Should be delivered by end of the week

[meepmeepmayer]

On 11.12.2017 at 8:07 PM, Steven D Wheeler said:

This is me doing some riding on my Monster sitting down.

The Monster is still the best looking wheel, imho. Simple and readable, just nice.

7 hours ago, n2eus said:

Seven riders at Salt Creek, to the Pacific Ocean, and a ridge run.

Fantastic ride, fantastic images! Wow! Great video!

Blue haired guy is quite courageous/skilled.

The ACM also looks really nice from the front/back (I love the top part there).

Does @Jrkline "Wheel Whisperer" also have an 18S now?

Edited December 13, 2017 by meepmeepmayer

[kour]

4 hours ago, Cannings said:

Well I ordered this:

https://www.titus-shop.com/en_GB/product/257000-TSG-Pass-Pro-Carbon-Graphic-Design-Fullface-Helmet-trace.html?sid=1

Should be delivered by end of the week

right on! yeah, both of the color schemes and designs look sweet - i had a hard time deciding, myself! keep me posted on how headphones/earbuds work out

[Jrkline "Wheel Whisperer"]

1 hour ago, meepmeepmayer said:

The Monster is still the best looking wheel, imho. Simple and readable, just nice.

Fantastic ride, fantastic images! Wow! Great video!

Blue haired guy is quite courageous/skilled.

The ACM also looks really nice from the front/back (I love the top part there).

Does @Jrkline "Wheel Whisperer" also have an 18S now?

Yes! It started life has one of the original batch of 18A's, # 14 I believe.Hadn't ridden it much in the last year.Then recently @Jason McNeil hooked me up with the18S board and motor and it is now a new machine! What a difference.One of my favorite wheels now! 

[US69]

17 minutes ago, Jrkline "Wheel Whisperer" said:

Yes! It started life has one of the original batch of 18A's, # 14 I believe.Hadn't ridden it much in the last year.Then recently @Jason McNeil hooked me up with the18S board and motor and it is now a new machine! What a difference.One of my favorite wheels now! 

That's great!!! Thats really a different machine then ....as i also had an 18A i know what that means :-)