Is the Segway MiniPro a gateway drug to an EUC?

[MincerRay]

I recently bought a MiniPro and am having a blast on it except it’s just not fast enough. It’s fine for the main use of getting around the camp resort I frequent, but now I’m itching for an EUC with an eye toward a 16S or maybe 14S to save money. I’m 53 and reasonably coordinated and would like the challenge of riding a single wheel.  I’d also use it for the 5 mile commute to work and occasional grass and dirt road usage at the resort.  I rode the MiniPro a couple of times to work and back but it takes too long  ?.

Has anyone else started off on a MiniPro before moving to an EUC?  

The second part of this post is how do you overcome the leap of faith of plunking down $1k+ on something that you hope you will eventually enjoy once you spend the time and effort to learn how to ride it?

 

 

 

[Marty Backe]

2 hours ago, MincerRay said:

I recently bought a MiniPro and am having a blast on it except it’s just not fast enough. It’s fine for the main use of getting around the camp resort I frequent, but now I’m itching for an EUC with an eye toward a 16S or maybe 14S to save money. I’m 53 and reasonably coordinated and would like the challenge of riding a single wheel.  I’d also use it for the 5 mile commute to work and occasional grass and dirt road usage at the resort.  I rode the MiniPro a couple of times to work and back but it takes too long  ?.

Has anyone else started off on a MiniPro before moving to an EUC?  

The second part of this post is how do you overcome the leap of faith of plunking down $1k+ on something that you hope you will eventually enjoy once you spend the time and effort to learn how to ride it?

 

 

 

Many people have, including @Duf

Checkout this video from today where he boosts the speed of the MiniPro

 

[JES]

I started out on the Minipro knowing the top speed would be an issue with me. I did think I might be able to hack the speed limit on the Minipro (there are people working it as we speak). A week later, found this forum and all about EUC’s. I gave the Minipro to my wife and granddaughter to ride, bought five EUC’s since and there’s no looking back. I’m 53 also! Gone over 1000 miles in the last six months!

I did turn Duf on to the larger tires for Minipro if you want 1.5 mph increase.

Also bought my Dad and wife electric bicycles so now they can keep up with me! Went on a 55 mile ride last Friday.

[MincerRay]

I saw that putting bigger tires will add a little extra top end.  I think someone even found really large diameter wheels that somehow bolt onto the existing wheel and hub motor. I guess there’s also some Russian hackers that have hacked the firmware to raise the limit but you have to send them the computer for them to update it. This all sounds like a hassle and it would be easier to get a faster EUC.  

It’s funny but I thought the MiniPro would be fast enough as they look quick when people zip around on them, but within minutes of riding mine (once I rode the kilometer to raise the limit), I found I kept hitting the tilt back and beeps. 

Edited July 1, 2018 by MincerRay
Added another though.

[Mark Lee]

I started with esk8, then MiniPro still have it for friends, then KS14S to learn on.  Time I've spent on MiniPro was brief.  Since Jan this year I have over 1k miles on my EUC's.  You will not regret getting an EUC as you can see from this Forum. Caution, once you start on this path, won't be able to stop with one wheel.  I will save you a chair next to me at EUCics anonymous.  I'm 52. 

Edited July 2, 2018 by Mark Lee

[kasenutty]

Yes. I started the same way. Now I’m two wheels in and looking for a third

[pattymac]

Same here. MiniPro, followed within 2 months by Ninebot One, followed 6 months later by MSuper, then Tesla. My wife inherited the MiniPro, which she outgrew and now has a MiniPlus. It's a disease.

[Master Blaster]

I started on a full size Segway i2 that tops out at 12.5 mph, it is fun and I still use it for errands when I have to carry stuff like groceries. But within a few months I got a KS-16S mainly for the speed, and also the challenge.  Watched a boat-load of videos, went to a parking garage and worked along the wall until I got steady enough to venture out away from the wall.  Stay determined and just keep working at it and you’ll pick up riding the EUC pretty quickly, and you’ll have a great sense of accomplishment in the process.  

I think taking the jump and plopping down your money for the wheel is also great motivation to stick with it until you can ride it!!!  It certainly added to my motivation to make it work for me ??

by the way, I was 60 when I first drank the EUC Koolaide — I now own four of the darn things, and I’ve now got 2,500 EUC miles under my belt??

Edited July 2, 2018 by Master Blaster

[squirt]

I have had a Segway MiniPro for the past couple of years and only recently been drawn into the EUCs.  I have seen online ads for them in the past and just thought they were a gimick or something that would catch fire like the hoverboards.  About 2 years ago, I saw someone riding an EUC, which was the only time I had seen someone riding one in my area (Northern Virginia, near Washington DC).

I was always disappointed with the slower speed and tilt back of the Minipro and fairly recently started looking for faster alternatives.  After some researching, it did seem like the EUCs were a valid alternative and I was quickly brought to these forums.  I changed to the larger off-road tires on my MiniPro, but it still felt like the speed was really limited..  I was hoping it would feel faster so I would not feel the urge to get an EUC (they are expensive), but unfortunately that did not work out.  So..  I pre-ordered the KS18L through ewheels early last month and if all goes well, I will have it by the end of this month!  I am just 5 years younger than you, but probably had the same feelings and concerns.  Finally I quit fighting the urge and just did it.  Now I am looking for protective gear.  Will see how it all works out.

[Griffin]

I bought the Segway Ninebot for the g/f this past Xmas, and after riding it and the slow speed and tiltback, decided I really wanted something faster and with less restrictions.  Ordered a V11 and watching tracking numbers now.  I really hope it scratches the itch to go faster and jump a curb or two.

[Scottie888]

Bought a MiniPro a few years ago as it looked pretty cool & was on sale in the low $4xx. Rode it a few times & got bored. It was too slow, too cumbersome & too heavy to be of any use except recreational but even then, in a very limited & restricted way. But it was easy to climb on & ride. Took me a whole 2mins to master & get going.

Sadly the experience never got me thinking bout PEVs except that they were impractical & slow as snails. Until I saw some YT vids on escoots. It was the escoot experience that led me to wanna upgrade to a much faster escoot or a nice eMTB. 

Then fortunately (or not😜), I saw a WrongWay vid on this funny lookin' thing called an EUC. I was interested but was a tad apprehensive about the learning curve as I know escoots/ebikes are easy pickings even at ridunculous speeds. But hey, I love a challenge & ordered my 1st wheel. It took 2mths to arrive due to this covid crap. Fast forward some months & here I am with 3 & soon to be 4 wheels. 

A few guys I ride with are esk8ers & needless to say, I just ordered my very 1st esk8 for delivery intime for early spring. PEVs have come a long way & man am I stoked. We live in very interesting times indeed. Never thought there'd be so much fun to be had even with social distancing being the order of the day.

[Griffin]

I just hope the Segway can go fast enough with my g/f riding to make it where we can ride together if only for short distances.  There are not other E-Riders around that we know of, and the learning curve for the Segway was like 5 min for her to learn.  Maybe if she likes it alot and my EUC is cool enough she will want to learn to ride it also.

[Patrick Robert]

I also started out on a Ninebot S (the successor to the Segway MiniPro). Thought the 10 mph speed was quite slow, but there's a shop that sells an upgrade to an updated firmware called SwallowBot (which I believe Duf uses on his). It updates the max speed to 14.5 mph (still slow but better). Not sure if it's still available.

Replaced it with an Inmotion V10F which I used to learn riding. Found that slow after a few weeks, so I upgraded to a Sherman.

Haven't sold the Ninebot S, still a good way to go riding with friends as it only takes a few minutes to learn.

[vd853]

I also started out with a Ninebot S, then got a V8. Now when I ride the Ninebot S, it feels more dangerous to me. The Ninebot S is just more bumpy, takes up more space, much shorter range, and does not maneuver as well as the V8. I did put a lot more effort into learning the V8, but ultimately the V8 was more comfortable to ride. I still keep the Ninebot S as backup and it's not easy to sell.