NewbieWheeler Posted August 19, 2018 Share Posted August 19, 2018 Do you guys/gals have places like indoor arenas to ride your EUC's during winter? I have just started this, and i'm really enjoying it. I don't exactly feel like waiting 3 months to ride when the weather is bad outside. Suggestions? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanghamP Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Office. Be advised the smooth granite or marble floor is treacherous if your tire got wet. Also, and rather more fun; all carpets seem to have fibers that lay in one direction, and hence push your wheel around quite strongly. Quite fun! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post The Fat Unicyclist Posted August 20, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 20, 2018 Come down to the southern hemisphere... We have summer when you don't! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post WorldByOneWheel Posted August 22, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 22, 2018 (edited) On 8/19/2018 at 7:14 PM, NewbieWheeler said: Do you guys/gals have places like indoor arenas to ride your EUC's during winter? I have just started this, and i'm really enjoying it. I don't exactly feel like waiting 3 months to ride when the weather is bad outside. Suggestions? Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these wheels from the swift completion of their appointed rounds Edited August 22, 2018 by WorldByOneWheel wrong quote 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RockyTop Posted August 22, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 22, 2018 These things are all wheel drive! I have a nice down vest ,motor cycle jacket and helmet for the winter. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoltri Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm considering getting another tire for my MSuperX and installing studs. I ride my bike all winter with studded tires so I may try the EUC once in a while when it's not too cold. On the bike I'll ride down to -25 celcius but I doubt I could handle that cold on the wheel as you're not generating any heat. But down to -10 it should be fine I think. I believe @yegwheel rides all winter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post winterwheel Posted August 24, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) I can attest that it is possible to ride in pretty much any condition in the winter. I made it a point to ride to work every day through last (very nasty) winter, no matter what the conditions, just to see if it could be done. Last year I just rode the ACM straight from the box which is doable, but turning is a pain when riding on sheer ice, you have to be careful not to lean into turns or you just fall over. This winter I am contemplating doing studs to see if I can corner / handle slopes a little better. Interestingly, studs on your boots may actually be more important than studding up the wheel. When you step into snow to stop and then step back on the wheel to start you can accumulate a snowpack on the footpad; studs help to get a grip on the wheel through that. Another important reason is when you stop on ice (to traverse some stairs, wait for traffic etc) and get off you immediately fall over because your shoes have no grip and well, you are on ice. This was my biggest cause of (harmless) falling over last winter. I would always tell people the safest place to be in extreme ice conditions is on the wheel. There were days when pedestrians were walking in snowbanks because the sidewalks were too icy for them; I would just ride right on by. None of this is to say it is easy, it was a big relief when spring finally came. But I think I am a much better rider now for having done it. ---- Update Jan 30 2019: It has been much easier and (and even quite enjoyable) in this (my second winter). Improved confidence and wearing skidoo goggles makes you want to fly down the road even on slippery days. Edited January 30, 2019 by winterwheel 7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoltri Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) Well, I found studs and the tool at https://bikestud.com/ and a tire at https://goo.gl/JMaq2X (Aliexpress). I'll detail the process when it all arrives on how to install the studs. Edited August 24, 2018 by Xoltri 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Fantastic, looking forward to seeing how that goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Xoltri said: Well, I found studs and the tool at https://bikestud.com/ and a tire at https://goo.gl/JMaq2X (Aliexpress). I'll detail the process when it all arrives on how to install the studs. Now you have me thinking about how this winter might be actually be fun... I might pick up one of these on my way home today just because it is cheap and to do a bit of proof of concept on changing the tire out for something a bit more grippy. Edited August 24, 2018 by yegwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoltri Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 1 minute ago, yegwheel said: Now you have me thinking about how this winter might be actually be fun... I might pick up one of these on my way home to day just because it is cheap and to do a bit of proof of concept on changing the tire out for something a bit more grippy. Wow that's cheap! So many more options at that size. It was hard to find the 18x3 tire for the MSuperX, not a lot of options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Xoltri said: Wow that's cheap! So many more options at that size. It was hard to find the 18x3 tire for the MSuperX, not a lot of options. You could always use the KS as your winter wheel. This is the one I really want, but I thought I'd play around with the cheap one first to see how it goes. Edited August 24, 2018 by yegwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoltri Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 3 minutes ago, yegwheel said: You could always use the KS as your winter wheel. This is the one I really want, but I thought I'd play around with the cheap one first to see how it goes. I guess, but I can't go back to it after riding the MSuperX. It's so much better. It will take a bit to get used to the different handling with a different tire as well. I noticed a big change on my KS16 when I replaced the old tire. I had put on the exact same tire, with the exception that it was new, and it felt way different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 I'm planning on trying to restore the ACM for use in the winter. It has a bit of a bent rim and the shell is coming apart from its last attempt at self-destruction, so it will take a bit of work to get it going. If that doesn't work then the ACM2 it will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingfelder Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 Xoltri, I'm amazed how confident you are on ice, and admit I don't understand it. On our driveway, my mother hit some ice and skidded all the way down, off the asphalt and into a tree. I've tried walking, with infinite care, and slipped on the asphalt in countless places when I've hit black ice, which is everywhere around here during winter. Why do you find an EUC immune to slipping even though ... to me anyway ... it doesn't even seem to be possible to be immune to slipping? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoltri Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Dingfelder said: Xoltri, I'm amazed how confident you are on ice, and admit I don't understand it. On our driveway, my mother hit some ice and skidded all the way down, off the asphalt and into a tree. I've tried walking, with infinite care, and slipped on the asphalt in countless places when I've hit black ice, which is everywhere around here during winter. Why do you find an EUC immune to slipping even though ... to me anyway ... it doesn't even seem to be possible to be immune to slipping? Well you still have to be careful. The studs aren't perfect on ice, but they do help a lot. I did wipe out twice this past winter on my bike, it was a bad year for freeze / thaw cycles, and we even had some freezing rain that was terrible. One wipeout was when there was ice under a fresh dusting of snow. The other was when I tried to go up a soft curb. But nothing major - didn't get injured. For the most part though even in the winter it's dry pavement. Sometimes we have some fresh snow which is easy to ride through if it's not too deep. It's also cleared pretty fast on my route. Otherwise it's packed snow which the studs work amazingly well on. The key when riding in these conditions is to to be very steady. No sharp quick turns. On my bike I'll sometimes hover one of my feet above the ground if it is a really sketchy section, but I find as @yegwheel has said that the traction on your wheels is often better than your shoes. This is all experience from my bike. The EUC experience will have to wait for this winter - I've never tried it before. I think the biggest challenge may be staying warm. Edited August 24, 2018 by Xoltri 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post steve454 Posted August 24, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted August 24, 2018 This guy put studs in his tires, if you watch it on YouTube and go to his channel, EUCExtreme, there are more videos of winter riding. Amazing stuff, no slippage at all on slick ice. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyTop Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 (edited) Before you go too far you might want to check your tire clearance. I noticed the other day while looking at the InMotion V10 water sealing fix that the tire is very close to the shell. Other wheels might be very different. Just a heads up. You might tape a small nut or coin to the tire and see if it gets knocked off when you spin the tire. Edited August 24, 2018 by RockyTop 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Xoltri Posted September 4, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted September 4, 2018 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 (edited) One thing to remember when winter-wheeling is that being bundled up for the cold weather and travelling at lower speeds on slippery surfaces means falls aren't painful, just embarrassing. In the summer one would like kind of silly with three inches of padding/insulation covering tip to toe; in the winter you're just another stranger trying to beat the cold. Edited September 5, 2018 by yegwheel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcatraz Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 (edited) In winter keep the air pressure correct and a bit lower than normal. Ride slow as hell over ice, like walking speed. When there isn't ice you can go 10-15km/h maybe. Still beats walking. Bring your charger too on long routes because the cold will reduce your battery capacity a lot. When doing turns on slippery surfaces you don't lean your body as much. The more slippery the less you lean. You slow down, put the euc at an angle and ride the turn slow. That way you have maximum pressure by your own weight. Don't confuse euc with poor traction. Having your full body weight on one 16" tire is quite a lot. It's like a bus or other heavy vehicle. They can drive faster than small vehicles in winter because of that weight on the wheels. You just can't lean. /a Edited September 5, 2018 by alcatraz 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingfelder Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 3 hours ago, alcatraz said: Don't confuse euc with poor traction. Having your full body weight on one 16" tire is quite a lot. It's like a bus or other heavy vehicle. They can drive faster than small vehicles in winter because of that weight on the wheels. You just can't lean. Interesting stuff, thanks for the contributions so far, folks. I'd love to not have to put away a wheel because of the season. From what you are saying, it sounds like the sheer concentration of weight in a tiny point of contact helps steady things. I've always been somehow surprised, though maybe I shouldn't be, that no matter how carefully I try walking down our hill, with shoes with great traction, I can still go flying and come to a painful conclusion. I am careful and have decent balance by normal standards too, but it hasn't seemed to matter. This has been a matter of some frustration for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) I plan on posting a few videos this year just to show how it all works for me. I may be a pretty heavy guy by EUC standards (240+), and it may be that was a factor in keeping me upright. I'd be curious to know if lighter guys have a tougher time with it. Edited September 6, 2018 by yegwheel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoltri Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 12 hours ago, yegwheel said: I plan on posting a few videos this year just to show how it all works for me. I may be a pretty heavy guy by EUC standards (240+), and it may be that was a factor in keeping me upright. I'd be curious to know if lighter guys have a tougher time with it. How many kilometers is your ride? Mine is about 12km. Also I'll have to post an update to my video above. I did some testing on the studs and it looks like they can work themselves loose. As a fix I modified a nail and with my drill I can insert the head into each hole to make a proper pocket for the studs. Makes them much more secure and easier to insert, and it's a quick process. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterwheel Posted September 6, 2018 Share Posted September 6, 2018 (edited) Mine is anout half that, 6-7 km depending on which route I take. Luckily I have bike paths for about half of it. The most difficult section is about three blocks of residential streets which become very umeven and rutty when they haven't been cleared for a while. Edited September 6, 2018 by yegwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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