My MCM5 Triumphs, Tribulations, and Failures

[houseofjob]

MTen3 is a full-blown wheel IMHO, an engineering marvel, you just have to know how to position and leverage your foot/leg position to get it up to the ~22mph max, which I do semi-regularly on high visibility flats. 

I get all the "fun" comments, but I usually ride for purpose only (to get to a destination), so the MTen3 has been completely sufficient in that aspect for me.

My only gripe is that the small 10" diameter, combined with the lighter weight, means you have to be extra careful to avoid divots and potholes, or you'll go flying, especially at top speeds! 

Being in pothole capital NYC, this is the only reason why I might be selling mine soon (plus getting ahead of resale) to get into an MCM5 (albeit, the converse for the MCM5 is that the thin 2.125" sucks for shock absorption, but if I do get, I'll possibly try to swap in the more rubber-y CYT tire, as I usually do~).

Edited June 26, 2018 by houseofjob

[Marty Backe]

48 minutes ago, Marcglider said:

Hey Marty, James who was in the Video with duf last week just texted me and we are meeting tomorrow morning for a ride.... He saw my post and said he was bringing his mten3 for me to try... I BEGGED him not to...... LOL

Hey, here's another @Duf video. The video is posted at the spot where he has some interesting Mten3 comments.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Marty Backe

[Marty Backe]

50 minutes ago, Stan Onymous said:

Once again Marty is totally wrong about my viewpoints. He is such an engineer and has little in the way of communication skills. 

I said it is remarkably fun to ride, it is just not useful as a vehicle. It is a jugglers toy and little more, but that is where it shines.

Bill, you said, "I have used my mten all of a dozen times. It is not really very useful, but it is fun."  This is why I said, "Except for @Stan Onymous, most people are thrilled with the fun of the Mten3."

If you've only ridden it a dozen times, you clearly aren't thrilled with the wheel. That's certainly OK, no wheel is universally liked.

@houseofjob appears to use his more for practical purposes in NYC than fun, so it is also "useful as a vehicle"

So I think my communication skills are good enough 

[Marcglider]

34 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Hey, here's another @Duf video. The video is posted at the spot where he has some interesting Mten3 comments.

 

 

@Marty Backe... all I can say is "YOUR FREAKIN KILLING ME"... MY 2 divorces were cheaper than watching your videos and reading your posts... 

[beast@tanagra]

4 hours ago, Stan Onymous said:

The mten3 is not really an extremely agile vehicle. You have to be extremely agile to ride it, but its agility is shunted by the ability to really control where you are going at higher speeds or lower speeds for that matter.

It's absurdly agile at very low speeds and sketchy at high speeds, just like you would expect of a tiny wheel. As @Marty Backe has said, it does take a while to get dialed in and not ride this wheel like an old lady. It's a problem I've had switching back and forth between it and my V10F, and I suspect most people who test drive the MTen3 won't spend enough time with it to be able to appreciate its subtleties. It takes practice. Most review videos out there are filmed prior to reaching a high proficiency, and don't do it justice.

4 hours ago, Stan Onymous said:

The mten is a fantastic trick vehicle at slow to medium slow speeds.

I would actually disagree with this, depending on how we define "trick". The MTen3 is not a very good wheel for any tricks involving one-legged riding, as the angle between the pedals and upper side pad are just awkward and it's hard to keep enough pedal grip without aggressive modding. If by "trick" we mean twisty and flowy forwards-backwards freestyle at very low speeds, with some hard carving in tight spaces thrown in, then yes, it's fantastic.

4 hours ago, Stan Onymous said:

Its size makes it portable, but without a handle it is hard to carry into stores

If you're at a store where you can just drop it into a shopping cart, its low weight and compact size make it ideal, and preferable to a bigger wheel with trolley. That said, I do want to get a handle mod on mine at some point, for establishments where I'm mostly waiting in line.

3 hours ago, Stan Onymous said:

I said it is remarkably fun to ride, it is just not useful as a vehicle. It is a jugglers toy and little more, but that is where it shines.

You're missing the point. It's a toy you can play on all the way to your destination, and probably at your destination as well. It's a vehicle if you want it to be, but one that prioritizes fun over speed and comfort.

[Marty Backe]

27 minutes ago, beast@tanagra said:

It's absurdly agile at very low speeds and sketchy at high speeds, just like you would expect of a tiny wheel. As @Marty Backe has said, it does take a while to get dialed in and not ride this wheel like an old lady. It's a problem I've had switching back and forth between it and my V10F, and I suspect most people who test drive the MTen3 won't spend enough time with it to be able to appreciate its subtleties. It takes practice. Most review videos out there are filmed prior to reaching a high proficiency, and don't do it justice.

I would actually disagree with this, depending on how we define "trick". The MTen3 is not a very good wheel for any tricks involving one-legged riding, as the angle between the pedals and upper side pad are just awkward and it's hard to keep enough pedal grip without aggressive modding. If by "trick" we mean twisty and flowy forwards-backwards freestyle at very low speeds, with some hard carving in tight spaces thrown in, then yes, it's fantastic.

If you're at a store where you can just drop it into a shopping cart, its low weight and compact size make it ideal, and preferable to a bigger wheel with trolley. That said, I do want to get a handle mod on mine at some point, for establishments where I'm mostly waiting in line.

You're missing the point. It's a toy you can play on all the way to your destination, and probably at your destination as well. It's a vehicle if you want it to be, but one that prioritizes fun over speed and comfort.

[Stan Onymous]

42 minutes ago, beast@tanagra said:

You're missing the point. It's a toy you can play on all the way to your destination, and probably at your destination as well. It's a vehicle if you want it to be, but one that prioritizes fun over speed and comfort

I have taken my mten3 on little journeys here and there, and there is a ton of concentration with regards to travelling on the streets. It is not an ideal transportation device. I just got off my KS14c. Much slower commuter, but oh so much more fun with the bluetooth speaker and the rosie the Jetsons’ robot front to back waddle. About the same weight too.

One legged riding is extremely easy with the mTen unless you ride with your calves. Then it is too short, but your ankle can brace the mten body just as well as your calf, so you are missing out.

I love the Mten, and it has a place very close to my heart. It has to, because if I dont love it I fear it will murder me with its speed and Agility. Lol . Seriously you would have to be a little mad in the hatter to use it as a commuting vehicle. 25mph on that wheel is really a little too much fun and way too much concentration on the road to actually enjoy the ride. However I am tremendously relieved when I reach my destination.

Quote- you're at a store where you can just drop it into a shopping cart, its low weight and compact size make it ideal, and preferable to a bigger wheel with trolley. That said, I do want to get a handle mod on mine at some point, for establishments where I'm mostly waiting in line. 

The corner market only has baskets. What supermarket goods could you carry? A case of dogfood? I think not.

Edited June 26, 2018 by Stan Onymous
Shopping spree

[Mike Paolini]

I just did a 14 mile ride through DT Austin, the other night on my mTen3 with a gang of 300 cyclists on what they call The Thursday Night Social Ride.  The first 2/3rds were roads, pot holes included.  Hilly and so on.  The last 1/3 I did on the jogging trail of crushed gravel along the lake.  We're there times I wished I had a bigger wheel?  Sure, but mainly for range reasons - I had no idea how far we were going and the speeds drops with battery.

The mTen3 is an incredible vehicle, it's a fun vehicle.   The down sides are it's range,  that you have to be more aware of what you are driving on than with other wheels, and it's max/comfortable cruising speed.  

The upside is it's fun to ride (even as a form of a to b transportation), it is ridiculously agile and starts and stops on a dime - having zero problems with heavily populated sidewalks, it's size, it's weight, it's cost.

Will I end up with multiple sizes of wheel for different applications?  Of course, but in selecting those, for better or worse, the mTen3 is the standard by which I measure all other wheels these days.    The Torque and acceleration and braking set the bar for me, and I'm hoping the new generation live up to it.

viva la mTen3 line!

[Marcglider]

 

13 minutes ago, Mike Paolini said:

I just did a 14 mile ride through DT Austin, the other night on my mTen3 with a gang of 300 cyclists on what they call The Thursday Night Social Ride.  The first 2/3rds were roads, pot holes included.  Hilly and so on.  The last 1/3 I did on the jogging trail of crushed gravel along the lake.  We're there times I wished I had a bigger wheel?  Sure, but mainly for range reasons - I had no idea how far we were going and the speeds drops with battery.

The mTen3 is an incredible vehicle, it's a fun vehicle.   The down sides are it's range,  that you have to be more aware of what you are driving on than with other wheels, and it's max/comfortable cruising speed.  

The upside is it's fun to ride (even as a form of a to b transportation), it is ridiculously agile and starts and stops on a dime - having zero problems with heavily populated sidewalks, it's size, it's weight, it's cost.

Will I end up with multiple sizes of wheel for different applications?  Of course, but in selecting those, for better or worse, the mTen3 is the standard by which I measure all other wheels these days.    The Torque and acceleration and braking set the bar for me, and I'm hoping the new generation live up to it.

viva la mTen3 line!

GUYS... this is a MCM5 thread... Mine is on order.... Jason is out of stock on the Mten3 right now.... If I say I will get one, can you PLEASE STOP!!! 

[Mike Paolini]

Mission accomplished!

(And besides the MCM5 is just supposed to be a bigger mTen3, hence us coming out of the wood work!)

 

[Marty Backe]

1 hour ago, Marcglider said:

 

GUYS... this is a MCM5 thread... Mine is on order.... Jason is out of stock on the Mten3 right now.... If I say I will get one, can you PLEASE STOP!!! 

It's my thread. I give permission to continue the drip-drip Mten3 banter to make @Marcglider pay for his arrogant 800wh MCM5 purchase 

[Marty Backe]

11 minutes ago, Mike Paolini said:

Mission accomplished!

(And besides the MCM5 is just supposed to be a bigger mTen3, hence us coming out of the wood work!)

 

As I use the MCM5 more, it's definitely not a bigger Mten3. However, it has strong similarities. Just the other day I was thinking how similar it is to the Mten3 in its ability to recover from awkward wheel positions with it's very strong torque.

Doing a reversal and you find the wheel going sideways a little? No problem, the torque response, like the Mten3, will rapidly get you out of the bind.

[JES]

After demoing the MTen3 tomorrow Marc will order one! The wheel is a blast! I’m very comfortable going full range and 15-20 mph. The 10” tire is still safer than any electric skateboard.

[Marcglider]

20 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

It's my thread. I give permission to continue the drip-drip Mten3 banter to make @Marcglider pay for his arrogant 800wh MCM5 purchase 

And what makes you think I am not sending you the BILL????????????

[Mike Paolini]

I don't know you guys, but I love each and every one of you.

 

[Marcglider]

Instead of sitting home and feeling all this pressure from the Forum (Marty) to buy more wheels, tomorrow I may go to the local car dealer and tell them I am interested in financing a new car and I have a trade in.... seems like a less stressful more relaxed way to kill 3-4 hours... 

[beast@tanagra]

4 hours ago, Stan Onymous said:

The corner market only has baskets. What supermarket goods could you carry? A case of dogfood? I think not.

I happen to live close to a Super Wal-Mart (carts!). There are all sorts of items that fit into a backpack that I might make an "emergency" trip for. Some examples to date: batteries, contact lens solution, granola bars, chocolate. One nice part is riding right up to the door by the pharmacy section, but wheeling out straight from the grocery section without that "oh snap, I parked on the other end of the lot" moment.

Waiting in line at Starbucks? Give me a trolley handle.

As for the case of dogfood... which wheel are you carrying that on? ? I thought we were discussing the relative practicality of the MTen3 vs. other wheels, not vs. mules etc. ?

Edited June 26, 2018 by beast@tanagra

[Marty Backe]

9 minutes ago, beast@tanagra said:

I happen to live close to a Super Wal-Mart (carts!). There are all sorts of items that fit into a backpack that I might make an "emergency" trip for. Some examples to date: batteries, contact lens solution, granola bars, chocolate. One nice part is riding right up to the door by the pharmacy section, but wheeling out straight from the grocery section without that "oh snap, I parked on the other end of the lot" moment.

Waiting in line at Starbucks? Give me a trolley handle.

As for the case of dogfood... which wheel are you carrying that on? ? I thought we were discussing the relative practicality of the MTen3 vs. other wheels, not vs. mules etc. ?

I take a ride to one of my local grocery stores probably twice a week on my Mten3. I use the trolley handle that I fastened to it.

I won't buy a lot but can often fill up two bags worth that I then ride home with (~1/2-mile trip).

[Marcglider]

10 minutes ago, beast@tanagra said:

As for the case of dogfood... which wheel are you carrying that on? ? I thought we were discussing the relative practicality of the MTen3 vs. other wheels, not vs. mules etc. ?

Any YAK ranches in the LA area??? 

[Glitched]

IDK but I think I nearly doubled the PSI in my firewheel f260 (16") before heading out from the gym tonight.  It was chilling in the low 20's PSI I think, and the tire is rated for 36PSI, so I got it to around 36-40 thereabouts and hoooly crap that was a scary ride home lol. I stayed at a quick walking pace the whole way (not like I go much faster, out of fear, and I'm already a month in. IDK how some of you folks want to be speed demons within weeks of your first wheel. Have you no fear of serious injury, even just large gashes/road roash/etc??).  The tire would get squirmy if it rode inside any divots. Any minor weight imbalance in my stance, or riding along the side of a hilly road, would cause the top of the wheel to lean into a calf and/or make me deploy countermeasures to stay balanced and along my path. Is this what a smaller wheel, like the Mten3 sort of feels like?  I'm definitely good without all this extra excitement lol. 

The benefit was the wheel was more responsive to accelerating, bumps felt less dramatic, and turning were all like 30-40% better. But this instability ain't worth it lol. I guess I'll make my way over to Jason's blog post about tire PSI. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Glitched

[Marty Backe]

56 minutes ago, Glitched said:

IDK but I think I nearly doubled the PSI in my firewheel f260 (16") before heading out from the gym tonight.  It was chilling in the low 20's PSI I think, and the tire is rated for 36PSI, so I got it to around 36-40 thereabouts and hoooly crap that was a scary ride home lol. I stayed at a quick walking pace the whole way (not like I go much faster, out of fear, and I'm already a month in. IDK how some of you folks want to be speed demons within weeks of your first wheel. Have you no fear of serious injury, even just large gashes/road roash/etc??).  The tire would get squirmy if it rode inside any divots. Any minor weight imbalance in my stance, or riding along the side of a hilly road, would cause the top of the wheel to lean into a calf and/or make me deploy countermeasures to stay balanced and along my path. Is this what a smaller wheel, like the Mten3 sort of feels like?  I'm definitely good without all this extra excitement lol. 

The benefit was the wheel was more responsive to accelerating, bumps felt less dramatic, and turning were all like 30-40% better. But this instability ain't worth it lol. I guess I'll make my way over to Jason's blog post about tire PSI. 

Higher pressure wheels are certainly more squirrely than softer tires. Not much of an issue as your skill improves. But yes, you could say that somewhat approximates the Mten3 experience, minus the power, torque, etc.

[Mark Lee]

Back to MCM5 36 miles report, this 2.125" tire is great for carving.  The agility of 14" wheel with 1500 W motor is something to experience.  I can see why @Marty Backe wants us to check this wheel out.  You should keep an eye out for 2nd hand sales for his 650Wh (if you are okay with the range).  I bet he already have 800Wh on the way.  Coming from 1600Wh wheels to 650Wh just is not enough on wheel this fun... 

p.s. I switched the led to all red as @houseofjob recommended and looks great in dark.  Thanks Chris. 

Edited June 27, 2018 by Mark Lee

[Esash]

3 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Higher pressure wheels are certainly more squirrely than softer tires. Not much of an issue as your skill improves. But yes, you could say that somewhat approximates the Mten3 experience, minus the power, torque, etc.

I haven't ridden either, but my impression is that the MCM5 is like a smaller Rockwheel GT16. Some day I hope you get a chance to take a GT16 up into them hills

[Marty Backe]

4 minutes ago, Scouts Honor said:

I haven't ridden either, but my impression is that the MCM5 is like a smaller Rockwheel GT16. Some day I hope you get a chance to take a GT16 up into them hills

The MCM5 is the lovechild of the Mten3 and Tesla 

I've ridden the GT16. It's a bit long in the tooth now. Unfortunately I doubt another GT16 will ever cross my path   I was getting close to buying one but then the Tesla was released.

[Esash]

6 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

The MCM5 is the lovechild of the Mten3 and Tesla 

I've ridden the GT16. It's a bit long in the tooth now. Unfortunately I doubt another GT16 will ever cross my path   I was getting close to buying one but then the Tesla was released.

We're all glad you pulled the trigger on the MCM5 ?. It's a wheel that might have gotten overlooked otherwise.