failing The Mullings of a Beginner

[seage]

4 hours ago, Lutalo said:

Your excitement about learning to ride is contagious. I remember feeling like I had climbed a mountain. I also remember how impossible it felt that I was ever going to learn to ride this thing when I first stood in those foot platforms. 

Haha, thanks man! It started off as just sheer terror and a wave of uncertainty. Like "Did i really just drop all this cash on this death machine???" And going outside and barely being able to stand on it made it feel so much worse. Every ride was scary, haha. But since starting the basement sessions and then yesterday first real successfully "comfortable" rides and todays too, i feel SO much better, and that enjoyment and just overall happy feeling is just buzzing!

 

4 hours ago, Lutalo said:

I have no advice to give you because I would just be repeating all of the excellent advice that you have already received from people who are themselves excellent riders. 

I can't even recall the moment that I actually learned. I think with repetition the brain eventually just accepts that you want to ride this odd contraption we call EUCs and decides to relent and let you do it. 

So again, my main advice is advice which you have already received, and are doing; repetition, repetition, repetition.

I really have been lucky to have gotten such wonderful advice from the community. Although I'm alone in my city (i live outside of toronto) I feel like ive got so much support on here which makes it feel possibly to jump back on even when i've "failed". Although, failing only happens when you give up on something you actually want to do, imo, haha. 

But yeah! Just getting those KM's under my belt, and making any excuse to hop on the wheel! Thank you!

[seage]

4 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

The downside to these knee guards is that they aren't sliders (which makes sense based on their target market). YMMV, but most EUCers, skaters, etc. strongly recommend sliders.

Ohh...... I didn't even think about that. Gahhh. Well, on todays ride I had mine a lot looser and it felt way better. So I suppose until I do my little sewing job, these'll pass for now. 

 

[seage]

I have a question for you guys. So i went on my ride to the mailbox today, but when i got there, the mailman wasn't there. So i figured id ride down this little hill that's just after the mailbox, that i was terrified of. You know, taking @meepmeepmayer's advice about squaring up with any obstacle. The wind was actually blowing super hard, so i was using my hands to balance, but on that hill, it was the most comfortable thing in the world! Super relaxing. I could speed up and slow down with 0 feeling of loss of control. It was just nice. I was very nicely planted flat on my pedals. Going up was a different experience, lmao. That wind now on my back and throwing me everywhere. I felt like i was on the tip of a needle trying to stay up, and i felt like i was very heavily on my toes. And actually much of my ride around my neighborhood today, i felt like i was on my toes, which makes sense since im leaning to accelerate. Not because of wheel issues this time, thankfully. I did notice after I calibrated, that my pedals were SUPER SLIGHTLY forward. Its barely visible by looking at it, but I noticed that i was able to control the wheel a bit better when i rode it backwards while i was in my basement. 

So I was curious, do any of you guys calibrate your pedals to have more of a tilted/toes up angle at the front (so that they kinda level out when you apply pressure?) or do you recommend sticking with perfectly flat? I feel like my slight dip forward might end up cramping my feet faster. Although i'm sure with repetition i'll stop noticing things like this. But was really curious 

[LanghamP]

@seage, I prefer a bit of upward tilt (the front of the wheel is higher than the wheel). I feel there's more of a ledge that I can "perch" on, and so I can cruise with a little bit less effort. However, my toes overhang a lot, and so I think simply by having larger pedals I would then prefer a flat stance.

[seage]

5 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

@seage, I prefer a bit of upward tilt (the front of the wheel is higher than the wheel). I feel there's more of a ledge that I can "perch" on, and so I can cruise with a little bit less effort. However, my toes overhang a lot, and so I think simply by having larger pedals I would then prefer a flat stance.

Thanks for that! I think i'll re calibrate tonight. Thats the feeling i liked. The ledge feeling, since my toes are also overhanging quite a bit. Although I'm getting those larger pedals in a few weeks. My dealer put the order in with my replacement handle. So i should be getting that soon! 

[Lutalo]

3 hours ago, seage said:

Haha, thanks man! It started off as just sheer terror and a wave of uncertainty. Like "Did i really just drop all this cash on this death machine???" And going outside and barely being able to stand on it made it feel so much worse. Every ride was scary, haha. But since starting the basement sessions and then yesterday first real successfully "comfortable" rides and todays too, i feel SO much better, and that enjoyment and just overall happy feeling is just buzzing!

 

I really have been lucky to have gotten such wonderful advice from the community. Although I'm alone in my city (i live outside of toronto) I feel like ive got so much support on here which makes it feel possibly to jump back on even when i've "failed". Although, failing only happens when you give up on something you actually want to do, imo, haha. 

But yeah! Just getting those KM's under my belt, and making any excuse to hop on the wheel! Thank you!

You won't be alone for long. You will soon Yourself be a Great teacher 

[Smoother]

10 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

You just need a good "You lookin' at me, obstacle? I'm riding here so you better deal with it!" attitude, bend your legs a little and simply relax, and go for it. It helps to accelerate a bit into it with a little "fuck you" push movement from your feet like you're kicking something out of the way. Just so you commit and don't get too slow (and therefore more instable). And before you know it, your legs dampened it away and you rolled over whatever was there.

"You just need a good "You lookin' at me, obstacle? I'm riding here so you better deal with it!" attitude" 

"It helps to accelerate a bit into it with a little "fuck you" push movement"

@seage your learning is so interesting.  You have so many advanced skills, but, due to the weather, your basics are nowhere.  It's a real upside down situation.  Once you get somewhere where you can ride for miles without interruption (even around a large parking lot) ALL these issues will go away, and your basics will have a chance to catch up.

[seage]

4 hours ago, Lutalo said:

You won't be alone for long. You will soon Yourself be a Great teacher 

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you! 

[seage]

3 hours ago, Smoother said:

@seage your learning is so interesting.  You have so many advanced skills, but, due to the weather, your basics are nowhere.  It's a real upside down situation.  Once you get somewhere where you can ride for miles without interruption (even around a large parking lot) ALL these issues will go away, and your basics will have a chance to catch up.

Haha! I know what you mean. Its always funny when people are like "i didnt learn to do that for x amount of time" but im trapped, so im doing it from day 1 LOL. Then i get outside and my arms are doing the wave because im so unstable at 10km/h and my leg muscles are not conditioned at all for certain types of basic movements. Like wide turns and supporting the wheel on uneven ground. Boy i learned some things tonight about how this badboy handles and how the gyroscope reacts on different angled surfaces. Im starting to think the only leveled surface in my city is my basement. Getting used to ground on random grades and how the wheel tried to balance itself under me is super interesting. 

[RoadRunner]

8 hours ago, seage said:

eel SO much better, and that enjoyment and just overall happy feeling is just buzzing!

Just wait till you have control over that thing, then the fun really starts. I catch myself smiling very often when i ride because its so much fun 

It defenetly comes to an addiction.

 

[LanghamP]

31 minutes ago, seage said:

Boy i learned some things tonight about how this badboy handles and how the gyroscope reacts on different angled surfaces. Im starting to think the only leveled surface in my city is my basement. Getting used to ground on random grades and how the wheel tried to balance itself under me is super interesting. 

EUCs require near absolute control or else you fall off. Even riders who say they aren't confident riding at slow speeds in crowds are actually quite capable of riding at slow speeds around crowds, because just the ability to mount requires some advanced skills. In contrast there's lots of people crashing on 2 wheeled Segways.

My favorite is 2:10.

However, I don't think a single person was actually hurt in any of those crashes.

 

[seage]

7 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Just wait till you have control over that thing, then the fun really starts. I catch myself smiling very often when i ride because its so much fun 

It defenetly comes to an addiction.

Was definitely smiling today. Then stopped because the cold made  my teeth hurt. But i went out for a night ride. Did 5km in circles. Was able to ride to the spot, including riding over ice, going down a curb and up another on the other side, riding up a hill to the terribly angled parking lot. Then experienced just what the wheel does when its trying to level itself on the strangest of graded surfaces. I swear there is nothing not on a slant in this city. Does well for the lack of flooding, i suppose. But it was shifting and so on and at first i thought there was something wrong again, but after seeing my video, i can see exactly why, and that it was actually leveling itself because these grades were craaaaaazy

[seage]

6 hours ago, LanghamP said:

EUCs require near absolute control or else you fall off. Even riders who say they aren't confident riding at slow speeds in crowds are actually quite capable of riding at slow speeds around crowds, because just the ability to mount requires some advanced skills. In contrast there's lots of people crashing on 2 wheeled Segways.

My favorite is 2:10.

However, I don't think a single person was actually hurt in any of those crashes.

 

Probably strange for me to say this, considering im riding a 1 wheel death trap, but id never ride a segway. Those things look like ACTUAL death traps. I can get myself to trust an EUC, but not that, noope

[LanghamP]

5 hours ago, seage said:

Probably strange for me to say this, considering im riding a 1 wheel death trap, but id never ride a segway. Those things look like ACTUAL death traps. I can get myself to trust an EUC, but not that, noope

Segways aren't designed to make you crash.

Hoverboards, however, are perfect for making riders fall backwards or sideways. Any differential puts usually puts the center of gravity forward and to the side of you.

My only hoverboard crash was interesting. I had a slight differential and my instinct was to stop leaning forward which then accelerated the faster side. Almost instantly I was whipped around and falling backwards like almost all these people in the video.

 

[seage]

On 2/6/2019 at 11:57 AM, LanghamP said:

Segways aren't designed to make you crash.

Hoverboards, however, are perfect for making riders fall backwards or sideways. Any differential puts usually puts the center of gravity forward and to the side of you.

My only hoverboard crash was interesting. I had a slight differential and my instinct was to stop leaning forward which then accelerated the faster side. Almost instantly I was whipped around and falling backwards like almost all these people in the video.

Last time I tried a hoverboard, my legs were just shaking and i couldnt move. We were on grass which made it harder, but i just kinda stood there. It wasnt good, lol. 

[seage]

My last video for a while. Nursing this leg. It was feeling so good. PRetty much back to normal, then we got freezing rain and i woke up in pain. Just got an xray today so hopefully they can tell me whats up. But past that, more freezing rain today. I wonder when it'll clear up. 

It was a bit hard to practice my left turns here as i was also trying to get used to the wheel compensating from the strange an kinda extreme grading of the ground, lol. Or at least extreme to me. At this time, this was the safest place to practice as it was pretty well lit and off the main road. Pretty enclosed. But its made to keep water out. Water and me, apparently. 

 

[seage]

I finally did my first 10km of continuous riding!! It was amazing! I just got my new XL pedals and wanted to test them out. The moment i put  my foot on them my brain was like "Fear erased" and that was it. All that worry and doubt, gone. Still cautious, analyzing everything as i go, but mannnnnn, its so much fun! I practiced carving as i rode and re-positioning my feet while moving. Going over speed bumps at varying speeds. That was scary. Talked to an old lady with a cute dog, the manager of the LCBO who was super interested in getting one, as he recently got an electric car. And some police officers who thought it was really cool and were very happy to see i was all geared up and very visible. I live in a tiny town, so im glad the officers were intrigued and not bothered. Super positive experience!

Overall I managed to ride in -6C weather (Felt like -13C) with wind gusts at 37km/h which almost rode me into a freaking snowbank like 15 times. Riding in the wind is something I'll have to get used to, but overall, outside of freezing to death, and foot fatigue, it was so awesome! I didnt go TOO fast. Didnt hit the top locked speed yet but FELT fast. And actually i realized what you were talking about about that stability thing. When i finally leaned in and got some real speed (for me) the unease and light wobbling disappeared. Even against the wind, i felt pretty sturdy! I'll have to test that more when i go out next time! 

Tonight we get freezing rain, then snow and stuff, so im not sure when I'll get to go out next. But im really happy! I was able to relax my arms outside of death gusts. Look around. Check my phone. That one was scary, haha. BUT POSSIBLE!

[pico]

Allright, great! Now that you know how to ride, we want to see you dance!

(your other talent, you said...)

[LanghamP]

Try riding your EUC at lower speeds with an umbrella in rainy and windy conditions.

Remember and savor that feeling that helplessness.

Then do the same thing again in a few months. Then savor that feeling of complete and utter badass mastery of your wheel. Especially if you can change tunes with your other hand.

[seage]

6 minutes ago, pico said:

Allright, great! Now that you know how to ride, we want to see you dance!

(your other talent, you said...)

Lmao! Still need to wait on my legs for that. They're not 100% back to normal yet. I cant wait to be able to dance properly again. But it hasnt gotten in the way of my real skill. Drawing, lol. 

[seage]

1 minute ago, LanghamP said:

Try riding your EUC at lower speeds with an umbrella in rainy and windy conditions.

Remember and savor that feeling that helplessness.

Then do the same thing again in a few months. Then savor that feeling of complete and utter badass mastery of your wheel. Especially if you can change tunes with your other hand.

LOL. I'll keep that in mind. Because yeah, as it is right now, i'd look like mary poppins.

Can you ride fast in the wind? I was going mad slow. I saw my average speed and it was like 11km/h LOL. Not sure how accurate that was, but I FELT faster. I knew i wasnt going my bike speeds, but thats ridiculous, haha. 

[LanghamP]

45 minutes ago, seage said:

LOL. I'll keep that in mind. Because yeah, as it is right now, i'd look like mary poppins.

Can you ride fast in the wind? I was going mad slow. I saw my average speed and it was like 11km/h LOL. Not sure how accurate that was, but I FELT faster. I knew i wasnt going my bike speeds, but thats ridiculous, haha. 

I enjoy gusts, with strong winds as you would get just before a storm, above all else. I just love zig zags into the wind where your footpads almost touch the ground.

However, with an umbrella, in my case a stadium umbrella as that is the only one large enough to provide coverage, one must go quite slow, and there must be little wind.

You must hold the umbrella very high up on the shaft, as placing your hand normally forces you to tilt the umbrella into the wind and blocks your view.

[seage]

I've changed the title since I can ride now, haha. But for those wondering why you were pinged, this used to be "So my Brother Learned how to ride in 15 minutes" thread.

I wanted to ask a couple questions to you experienced riders!

1. Do you find you need to warm up at the beginning of your session? Either on or off the wheel? Doing tight turns or pivots, or really quick slaloms or quick start and stops for a while before starting your proper ride? Or do you just hop on and go?

I found for the first like 2.6km of my last ride, I was stiff and shaky and felt disconnected from the wheel, even though i wasnt falling like I would before. Struggling with a comfortable foot position and my legs werent doing much in the way of helping. Once I warmed up though, I was riding much better and felt more confident. Also needed my arms much less even on corners. 

2. Do you find counter balance assists or takes away from your ride style/comfort? 

I've ALWAYS ridden/walked/jogged, with a backpack. I always have one on me. Im a fan of having one on my back at all times. When i went out today with it empty, i felt off balance. Once I started filling it up, im not sure if it was just because i had put in the time or if the counter balance was kinda sitting me right over the wheel just right, but it felt super comfortable to ride with a little weight. Also felt far more stable riding with the ridiculous gusts of wind! I actually had an unplanned dismount during a turn where I basically rode into a wind tunnel and it literally blew me off the wheel. I caught it but it was immediate. One second i was turning, next second im off the pedals. 

~~~~~

Anyways, those are my questions for now! Getting my km's in! Riding wheel locked. 20 is actually super comfortable to ride at, but the wheel screams when i hit it, haha. Can't wait to get to my required 200km. I dont want to override the software to unlock the wheel. I want to learn the ins and outs of the wheel at lower speeds so i don't get cocky and stupid. Riding smart and safe is far more important that jetting around.. Its good enough to know that the wheel has power in the reserves to get me where I need to go, alive, lol. Oh also! @Marty Backe you were right! Few days ago i did 4km and my legs were burning. Calves tired and knees aching. Today I did 9.78 with no pain. I would have gone further but theres another storm coming so the temperature was dropping rapidly. Its 13F right now...yeesh....

 

Thanks all! 

[who_the]

Glad you stuck with it and sounds like you're doing great. Keep going! More riding will "solve" all of your issues, which we all go through when we get started. Warmups, practice, yes, for sure, I remember all of that. Do it until you don't need it any more, maybe several hundred km or so. And a number of riders I know prefer to ride with backpacks. I don't, but frequently do out of necessity.

[meepmeepmayer]

1 hour ago, seage said:

I found for the first like 2.6km of my last ride, I was stiff and shaky and felt disconnected from the wheel, even though i wasnt falling like I would before. Struggling with a comfortable foot position and my legs werent doing much in the way of helping.

Sometimes you just have a good or bad day and relaxation state. Doesn't mean much, just how it is. Some day you're in a good mood, some day you're not.

1 hour ago, seage said:

Once I warmed up though, I was riding much better and felt more confident. Also needed my arms much less even on corners. 

Well, if it works for you... you learned something valuable

Can't really explain it other than it might relax you (maybe for mostly psychological reasons? Maybe not?).

1 hour ago, seage said:

1. Do you find you need to warm up at the beginning of your session? Either on or off the wheel? Doing tight turns or pivots, or really quick slaloms or quick start and stops for a while before starting your proper ride? Or do you just hop on and go?

Never even considered anything but just hopping on and going.

1 hour ago, seage said:

2. Do you find counter balance assists or takes away from your ride style/comfort? 

Never even thought about it or noticed any difference with or without backpack. But if you're used to the feeling of a backpack, it might be comforting to wear one?

In short: 1) No 2) No; and nothing much else to say other than I guess it's just about how relaxed you are Maybe I'll try the warmup thing and see if it does anything for me, who knows, right after the cold weather does its warm up thing (eventually it has to).