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My MCM5 Triumphs, Tribulations, and Failures


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 I don't know what range is possible. My longest ride has been 17 miles in a day. I started with a full pack, and was home before I got to any slow down beeps. Home is up a hill, so I like to have plenty of power for the last bit. I have not brought the charger on any trip so far.

If you do run the battery low, hill climbing really drops off, but on gentle or flat ground it will keep going.

I think the pads are a really good idea to start. They were dense foam, and stuck on just under the MCM5 handle. The sticky holds better to the wheel than the pad. After a month or so, I took them off, and haven't looked back once. Removing them gives me a lot more room to adjust feet, and not squeezing my knees together all the time fixed the pain that started there. After conditioning, and learning to balance on the wheel, it's now much more comfortable without pads. If I were to do it again, I would definitely use a pad of some sort, but might shave down the stock pads to be a little bit thinner. 

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The longest ride I've taken was 29.4 miles. On that ride I knew it would be close so made an effort to stay under 20mph and didnt "floor it" while accelerating. The last mile amd a half of that ride goes uphill and I did get beeps but only going up hill. I'm sure on flat ground 35 miles is possible if ridden economically.  

I've also gone through the usable battery (couldn't go over 15mph on flat ground) in less than 20 miles. That ride was on mountain biking trails and involved a lot of steep hills. Watching @Marty Backe's off road videos of the mcm5 caused me to buy one. The hill climbing capability still surprises me even after 750 miles. 

I also have the side pads on mine and I completely agree with @Phunny that they should be half as thick. The only reason they are on is so I can lock myself to the wheel if I misread the terrain and have a risk of separating from the wheel.  They have also protected the sides from scrapes a few times. 

I plan on using velcro to put the pads on so I can take them off when playing around in front of the house, or put them back if in going to go in the dirt.  

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Thanks for the feedback guys (@phunny & flying w) . I currently get about 35 miles from my Ks14s but with 10/15% battery left. I don't normally run the battery down as I find it annoying riding with the constant beeps and tilt backs. I guess the one thing I'm looking forward to with the MCM5 is being able to go faster than 19mph which is the limit for me on my ks14s. 

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54 minutes ago, MrT said:

Thanks for the feedback guys (@phunny & flying w) . I currently get about 35 miles from my Ks14s but with 10/15% battery left. I don't normally run the battery down as I find it annoying riding with the constant beeps and tilt backs. I guess the one thing I'm looking forward to with the MCM5 is being able to go faster than 19mph which is the limit for me on my ks14s. 

It is really cool to just ride without tiltback or beeps! The mcm5 goes fast enough for the rider to kind of "self limit" the speed. Unless the road is very smooth and your going after the 80% alarm on purpose it pretty much never beeps. 

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1 hour ago, MrT said:

Thanks for the feedback guys (@phunny & flying w) . I currently get about 35 miles from my Ks14s but with 10/15% battery left. I don't normally run the battery down as I find it annoying riding with the constant beeps and tilt backs. I guess the one thing I'm looking forward to with the MCM5 is being able to go faster than 19mph which is the limit for me on my ks14s. 

Me having both wheels, I can say that the MCM5 is going to feel otherworldly fast compared to the 14S :D

And if you can go 19-mph on the 14S, you must live on the top of a hill with strong winds on your back :laughbounce2:

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Sorry I didn't realise the limit is actually less than this! Anyway I'm really looking forward to receiving my mcm5 only problem is I've gotta wait like month to get it😠. I ordered from Ian at speedyfeet in the UK. I did consider ordering from AliExpress which was working out cheaper but then I guess I wouldn't have any warranty. Have you guys put slime in your tyre? If so how much and what is the max tyre pressure the MCM5 can take? I think the max pressure on my 14s is 60psi but I normally put 50psi on mine

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4 hours ago, MrT said:

Sorry I didn't realise the limit is actually less than this! Anyway I'm really looking forward to receiving my mcm5 only problem is I've gotta wait like month to get it😠. I ordered from Ian at speedyfeet in the UK. I did consider ordering from AliExpress which was working out cheaper but then I guess I wouldn't have any warranty. Have you guys put slime in your tyre? If so how much and what is the max tyre pressure the MCM5 can take? I think the max pressure on my 14s is 60psi but I normally put 50psi on mine

I put about 3-ounces of slime in my 14-inch wheels. The max tire pressure is listed on the tire, but I think it's 45-psi (many of Gotway tires have a lower max-psi than KingSong tires).

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I just looked, my tire says inflate to 40-50psi. I have 2 oz. slime in mine. I think this is about the same coverage as the recommended 4oz. in a 26 inch bike tire. I viewed this as the minimum to be effective, and would be happy to as more of there was further benefit.

Is there an upper limit? Would there be a danger in trying a lot (6-10 oz. or more) to the tire or stability? I've got a gallon to experiment with.

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2 hours ago, Phunny said:

I just looked, my tire says inflate to 40-50psi. I have 2 oz. slime in mine. I think this is about the same coverage as the recommended 4oz. in a 26 inch bike tire. I viewed this as the minimum to be effective, and would be happy to as more of there was further benefit.

Is there an upper limit? Would there be a danger in trying a lot (6-10 oz. or more) to the tire or stability? I've got a gallon to experiment with.

There's a long track record of Slime in EUCs so I don't think you need to experiment (we've already done it for you). ~3-ounces is a good approximation for 14-inch to 16-inch x 2inch wheels. An slim 18-inch wheel (KS18, MSuper) can go with ~4+ ounces. Big tires like the MSX, Z10, can go with 6-ounces. Monster tires (the Monster) can go with 8-ounces.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I got my MCM5 the other day and I'm really impressed with it! I'm loving the pedals compared to my ks14s. Feels really comfortable and my feet are not aching at all which would happen with my 14s (maybe I need to buy the XL pedals). Also taking it on the trains during my commute to work is a lot easier now especially with the handle motor cutoff switch. Is there a way to turn off the decorative lights? I actually don't mind them but I don't want to draw too much attention especially the police. I actually got a pair of free grey side pads with mine which I've installed, but must say I did find it more comfortable without! I may take it off I'll see how it goes. I also recently bought a rear wrist mirror from Amazon (Myklops Rear View Mirror) to help make my rides more safer. I think it's really good and very adjustable

IMG_29042019_111240_(1080_x_1080_pixel).jpg

IMG_29042019_111438_(1080_x_1080_pixel).jpg

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2 hours ago, MrT said:

I got my MCM5 the other day and I'm really impressed with it! I'm loving the pedals compared to my ks14s. Feels really comfortable and my feet are not aching at all which would happen with my 14s (maybe I need to buy the XL pedals). Also taking it on the trains during my commute to work is a lot easier now especially with the handle motor cutoff switch. Is there a way to turn off the decorative lights? I actually don't mind them but I don't want to draw too much attention especially the police. I actually got a pair of free grey side pads with mine which I've installed, but must say I did find it more comfortable without! I may take it off I'll see how it goes. I also recently bought a rear wrist mirror from Amazon (Myklops Rear View Mirror) to help make my rides more safer. I think it's really good and very adjustable

IMG_29042019_111240_(1080_x_1080_pixel).jpg

IMG_29042019_111438_(1080_x_1080_pixel).jpg

To turn off the LED Ring Lights, do this:

  • Tap the power button once to turn on the headlamp
  • Tap again to switch the headlamp to flash mode
  • Tap again to turn the headlamp off. When the headlamp goes off the Ring Lights mode will switch.

Repeat these steps to cycle through all the Ring Light modes. One of the modes turns off all the LEDs except for the battery level ones in the front.

The current Ring Light mode is remembered when you turn off the wheel.

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19 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

To turn off the LED Ring Lights, do this:

  • Tap the power button once to turn on the headlamp
  • Tap again to switch the headlamp to flash mode
  • Tap again to turn the headlamp off. When the headlamp goes off the Ring Lights mode will switch.

Repeat these steps to cycle through all the Ring Light modes. One of the modes turns off all the LEDs except for the battery level ones in the front.

The current Ring Light mode is remembered when you turn off the wheel.

Thanks Marty that worked!

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Does anyone know if there is an initial speed restriction on the MCM5? Yesterday I was trying to ride a little faster and couldn't get past 30km/h. Also it beeped at that speed. I've set my speed alarms in wheellog to 40km/h

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On 6/1/2018 at 9:00 PM, Marty Backe said:

Speed Run

Here's a section of my range test where I was pushing the speed. Unfortunately my LS2 Rebellion helmet prevented me from hearing any of the 3rd alarms :shock2: Thank goodness that I was wearing my Pebble and had it configured for 24-mph. At this point in the ride the battery was about 60%. I imagine at 80% or above I could go faster, which I'll try another day. Fortunately it didn't cutout on me :efefc8626c:

 

Does max speed drop after 50%? My IPS i5 has this problem

And, is it the helmet that show those mph and GPS route?

Thanks a bunch!

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5 hours ago, MrT said:

Does anyone know if there is an initial speed restriction on the MCM5? Yesterday I was trying to ride a little faster and couldn't get past 30km/h. Also it beeped at that speed. I've set my speed alarms in wheellog to 40km/h

There are no Gotway wheels with speed restrictions.

In the app, turn off the 1st and 2nd alarms. You cannot affect the 3rd alarm, so when you hear that you should slow down.

When you say that you couldn't get past 30km/h, is that because of tilt-back or because you started hearing beeping and therefore decided to stop leaning forward?

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52 minutes ago, w80wl said:

Does max speed drop after 50%? My IPS i5 has this problem

And, is it the helmet that show those mph and GPS route?

Thanks a bunch!

Max speed as indicated by the sounding of the 3rd alarm will decrease as the battery level decreases. This is not a "problem", it's a safety feature. If you have tilt-back turned off, you can continue to ride as fast as you want by ignoring the beeping. You can do this down to 10% battery if you wish. However, ignoring the 3rd alarm will most likely result in your face hitting the ground.

The GPS information is recorded by the camera and added in video post-processing.

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9 hours ago, MrT said:

Does anyone know if there is an initial speed restriction on the MCM5? Yesterday I was trying to ride a little faster and couldn't get past 30km/h. Also it beeped at that speed. I've set my speed alarms in wheellog to 40km/h

Mr T, we may have crossed Paths before in real life 😊. Cancel the tilt back and also the 1st and 2nd alarms. Pay attention to the 3rd alarm which means you have reached 80% power of the wheel. You should be good to go. 

Edited by ED209
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5 hours ago, ED209 said:

Mr T, we may have crossed Paths before in real life 😊. Cancel the tilt back and also the 1st and 2nd alarms. Pay attention to the 3rd alarm which means you have reached 80% power of the wheel. You should be good to go. 

Bingo! This is how mine is set up as well.

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17 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

There are no Gotway wheels with speed restrictions.

In the app, turn off the 1st and 2nd alarms. You cannot affect the 3rd alarm, so when you hear that you should slow down.

When you say that you couldn't get past 30km/h, is that because of tilt-back or because you started hearing beeping and therefore decided to stop leaning forward?

I've just been using the latest wheellog app the whole time. I saw reference to high, medium and low priority alarms. Or should I be using the Gotway app to turn off the 1st and 2nd alarms? The Gotway app I initially downloaded and installed was all in Chinese. Do you have a link to English gotway app? When I reached 30km/h and heard the beep I must have eased off. 

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14 hours ago, ED209 said:

Mr T, we may have crossed Paths before in real life 😊. Cancel the tilt back and also the 1st and 2nd alarms. Pay attention to the 3rd alarm which means you have reached 80% power of the wheel. You should be good to go. 

We met in McDonald's in Earls Court!? You also had a KS14s which you sold right?

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@MrT Yes, that is me indeed! Very glad for you to join us on this wonderful Forum!

I have owned the Gotway Monster 100V, 100V MSX, Tesla, Mten3, MSuper V3s, Ks18a, Inmotion V8, V10 & V10F.

I have ridden the 14s and came close to buying one, but then my experience on a friends MCM5 changed my opinion on what is the best commuter wheel for the city,  You certainly made the right choice, I will purchase the MCM5 at some point, I was blown away by the performance!

Edited by ED209
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7 hours ago, MrT said:

I've just been using the latest wheellog app the whole time. I saw reference to high, medium and low priority alarms. Or should I be using the Gotway app to turn off the 1st and 2nd alarms? The Gotway app I initially downloaded and installed was all in Chinese. Do you have a link to English gotway app? When I reached 30km/h and heard the beep I must have eased off. 

Swipe from the left to access the Wheel Settings menu item. Click that and you should have this screen:

Screenshot_20190502-075107

Click on the Alarm mode and you should have this screen:

Screenshot_20190502-075132
  1. First click "Turn off level 1 alarm"
  2. Then click "Turn off level 2 alarm"
  3. Whenever you click "Turn on alarm", the first two alarms are re-enabled. So don't ever click this button.
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2 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Swipe from the left to access the Wheel Settings menu item. Click that and you should have this screen:

Screenshot_20190502-075107

Click on the Alarm mode and you should have this screen:

Screenshot_20190502-075132

  1. First click "Turn off level 1 alarm"
  2. Then click "Turn off level 2 alarm"
  3. Whenever you click "Turn on alarm", the first two alarms are re-enabled. So don't ever click this button.

Thanks Marty much appreciated. I followed you instructions in the Gotway app in the end. For some reason I don't see that same option via Wheellog. See pics

Screenshot_20190502-180443_WheelLog.jpg

Screenshot_20190502-180606_WheelLog.jpg

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