StridAst Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Ok, like others, I've seen electric unicycles online with adds and videos. etc. I'm seriously considering getting one. I enjoy kayakying, and am starting to get into whitewater kayaking. Problem is none of my friends have kayaks so getting from the take out point, back to where you park your car is a pain in the ass. So I'm thinking I might be able to cram a small EU into the back of my kayak in a dry bag (or two). Mostly wanting something that can get me back to my car after I take out down the river, yet still fit in my kayak. I live in the USA. So, now that you know what I'm wanting it for, here are my questions. 1. Are there any models out there that are reasonably waterproof? (in case the dry bags fail, I'd prefer to not see it destroyed.) 2. Any suggestions for what would work best for a newbie to learn to ride? 3. I might have a need for one that works well off road, Looking at the rockwheel gr12 since I figure the smaller diameter will make it easier to cram into the kayak. But I'm not totally sold on this idea. 4. Any sellers that anyone would recommend as cheaper, or more reliable? not specifically rockwheel, but anything someone could suggest. thanks in advance for any suggestions and information Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I used to do a lot of kayaking and I would think that getting a wheel past the seat to sit just behind you might be quite hard. If your kayak has enough clearance to get one in then it would have to be in a dry bag as you said. They all tend to claim to be waterproof but what they should really say is that they are ok for a reasonable amount of time in moderate rain and can go through shallow puddles. Definitely not waterproof in the true sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StridAst Posted February 4, 2015 Author Share Posted February 4, 2015 I've got a wavesport ethos 10. Its a crossover kayak so it has a back hatch and compartment, like a touring kayak has, but a shorter length than a touring kayak, with a whitewater hull profile. If the EU fits at all. It should be reasonably simply to get it in. Ty for the info that none are likely to be waterproof. That means I only need to consider size and performance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I haven't tried one myself but it seems that most people rate the Gotway 14" as about as good as they get at the moment but new models are coming along all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 haha, but even GotWay is not diving proof! You can drive if it is raining and drive in the street if its flooded, but not diving! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Clegg Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Solowheel claims to be water resistant within limits, and probably have the best customer support in case you do fry the wheel. However, if you are going off road a you might want to look for a wheel without a low fairing (casing). Both Solowheel and Gotway14 have a low fairings that can catch on obstacles. You might want to consider the Gotway10. Its super small so will fit in your boat, and it doesn't have a low fairing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Solowheel claims to be water resistant within limits, and probably have the best customer support in case you do fry the wheel. However, if you are going off road a you might want to look for a wheel without a low fairing (casing). Both Solowheel and Gotway14 have a low fairings that can catch on obstacles. You might want to consider the Gotway10. Its super small so will fit in your boat, and it doesn't have a low fairing. Won't the 10" wheel be a problem on rough ground as found on a river bank. I use the IPS 132 which has an open wheel design and 16" wheels which is pretty good on the rough but might be a bit big to fit in the kayak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MvM Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Honestly, I have done some wildwater kayaking in the past and always got quite some water inside. I would not want to risk even my Solowheel with that kind of water. As long as the EU is standing up, water won't get into the electronics so easily, but once it lies down, the water might seep through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 He did say it would be in a dry bag and despite numerous dunkings I've never had a dry bag fail on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Won't the 10" wheel be a problem on rough ground as found on a river bank. I use the IPS 132 which has an open wheel design and 16" wheels which is pretty good on the rough but might be a bit big to fit in the kayak. Yes. The GW10 is not good for rough terrain, naturally due to the small diameter wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StridAst Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 I've had a dry bag fail once. But it was the last time I used cheap dry bags. The back of my kayak is sealed off from the cockpit but the default cover is far from watertight. I think then if I can fit a EU into the back, I will need to have a neoprene cover made for the back hatch, one that fits under the stock cover. that should make the back watertight. (should being the operative word here) Add a dry bag which should also be watertight. and if there is room, a third dry bag to double bag the EU, and I think it should be reasonably safe. but it does seem like a lot of work. So leaning towards then a gotway, or still perhaps a rockwheel. rockwheels have a nice 12 inch tire size, which has better odds of fitting well than a 14 inch. but with that 10 inch gotway odds are better still. Given that 14 inch seems to be by far the most common size, I assume that there are downsides the smaller you go. What are the downsides? I assume harder to balance and control, esp over rough terrain. The downsides to larger (weight and portability) seem fairly obvious. As for rough terrain, I'm not envisioning any true wilderness things, A lot of the rivers I am considering experimenting with, have a good 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile dirt roads of varying qualities that lead towards the better spots that would serve as take outs. things I can get my jeep down just fine, but wouldn't want to take a sedan down. So bumpy but not ridiculously so. EDIT: well looks like my downsides question was answered while I was typing this. So smaller size tires are worse for rough terrain. assuming this is due to less stability. (and obviously smaller wheel diameter means it will be proportionately more effected by bumps) So perhaps back to rockwheel gr12 then? I've no experience so nothing to compare, anyone know how well the rockwheels work on rougher ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 What is the clearance diameter of your hatch? I have a feeling you may have a problem with the available height between the hull and deck as EU's are fairly wide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StridAst Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 OK its 10" wide, by 15.5" long for the hatch. And the space below is 9 inches deep. To the sides of the 10 inch wide hatch, there is an extra 6 inches of clearance to the sides, and front of the hatch there is 7 inches to the bulkhead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StridAst Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Ok, while I sincerely doubt anyone will ever need to know, it IS possible to fit a 12 inch rockwheel into the back of a wavesport ethos 10 kayak I snagged a gp12 rockwheel. (on the cheaper side, but I was only 90% sure it would fit after measuring) now the fun of learning how to ride a bike all over again. it's a lot harder than I expected, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. (only had about 15 min so far to try though) http://s10.postimg.org/xugwf6weh/IMG_20150217_082943.jpg http://s8.postimg.org/wq8uluuet/IMG_20150217_083249.jpg For the record, it's such a close fit that it's going to be a bit of a PITA to get this to work. perhaps with practice. it's not too hard all by itself, but once I drybag it, it's going to be rather difficult to insert. a 10 inch wheel would have been much easier to fit. But it does fit so I think this will work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 hmmm It does'nt look like a 12" Rockwheel to me, but more important is it's fitting in your kayak. 15 min. are not enough to ride as newcomer a EU and you need even a little more practise for offroad driving. I think 2 hours to feel save to ride at a not busy street (be very carefully first times cars crossing your way) and 4 hours or more to ride offroad. But then,, you will enjoy it and maybe you like more to ride the go with you kayak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StridAst Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 Well I saw this model listed on several sites (all in Chinese) as a rockwheel gp12. Not a gr12. It was in a box with the rockwheel logo stamped all over it, and the paperwork all listed the www.rockwheel.cn website. Listing time on the reseller sites all are December or newer (where available). And the battery specs seem much much lower than the more expensive rockwheels as well as most of the other more expensive EUs. But it was only $500 shipped. Battery is I think 118wh. It might be some knock off, or perhaps its a newer cheaper model. *shrug* as you said. The important thing is I can fit it in the kayak and test my plan . As well as I think it's going to be fun to ride. I see battery packs listed on aliexpress, perhaps its possible to upgrade the battery as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meritus Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
^tom^ Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Great. Are you just posting so your signature is all over the place or do you have something more to say? Admins: Please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunny Rockwheel Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Ok, like others, I've seen electric unicycles online with adds and videos. etc. I'm seriously considering getting one. I enjoy kayakying, and am starting to get into whitewater kayaking. Problem is none of my friends have kayaks so getting from the take out point, back to where you park your car is a pain in the ass. So I'm thinking I might be able to cram a small EU into the back of my kayak in a dry bag (or two). Mostly wanting something that can get me back to my car after I take out down the river, yet still fit in my kayak. I live in the USA. So, now that you know what I'm wanting it for, here are my questions. 1. Are there any models out there that are reasonably waterproof? (in case the dry bags fail, I'd prefer to not see it destroyed.) 2. Any suggestions for what would work best for a newbie to learn to ride? 3. I might have a need for one that works well off road, Looking at the rockwheel gr12 since I figure the smaller diameter will make it easier to cram into the kayak. But I'm not totally sold on this idea. 4. Any sellers that anyone would recommend as cheaper, or more reliable? not specifically rockwheel, but anything someone could suggest. thanks in advance for any suggestions and information Hello I am Sunny. You want GP12 OR GR12?GP12 is 118wh or 148wh.GR12 is 259wh or 296 wh~~I hope I can help you somehow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Eucist Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Are you just posting so your signature is all over the place or do you have something more to say? Admins: Please Good catch tom. Please see this link: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StridAst Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Hello I am Sunny. You want GP12 OR GR12?GP12 is 118wh or 148wh.GR12 is 259wh or 296 wh~~I hope I can help you somehow I already got a GP12. Thanks. Considering getting a gr16 later (not soon). Because I want better performance on trails than my GP12 and gotway 14 can provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunny Rockwheel Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I already got a GP12. Thanks. Considering getting a gr16 later (not soon). Because I want better performance on trails than my GP12 and gotway 14 can provide. Yes .You can have a new one when you are more skilled.And of course safety first.Hope you can enjoy your EU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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