My new Ninebot One E+

[DangerousDick]

Hi All,

So, after finding this forum (after I bought the unit!) I thought I'd introduce myself on here and offer my view?

I'd seen the electric unicycle earlier in the year and knew I absolutely had to have one sooner or later - not many suppliers in the UK (only two I could find) unless you want to rely on 'blind' shipping - I always like to know where I can go for help / spare parts etc. and wanted the chance to at least have a look at one 'in the flesh' before handing over my hard-earned cash.

I got the chance to visit SpeedyFeet over in Gloucestershire at the end of August (I'd already decided the Ninebot was the one - not the cheapest by any means, but definitely the coolest looking?) and had the chance to meet with Ian to have a brief (that's what it felt like but I was most likely there for a long time!) introduction to the Ninebot.  This first encounter wasn't easy by any measure but I'd already decided I was coming away with one and that I did.

First few attempts were made in an empty office with plenty to hang on to and quite a bit of room to get going if skills allowed.  I got on pretty well with the carpeted floor to 'soak up' the knocks and desks / chairs etc to hang on to.  Progress seemed slow (or was that my impatience?) at first but soon I was getting the hang of it.

Secondary attempts were made on an RC field runway (about 100 meters?) with nice soft grass to fall on if necessary.  Now I was outside I could get some speed up but I also had sepctators with desires to see some impressive action?  This runway was always deemed to be pretty flat with small wheels on aircraft having little problems bouncing along for take off/landing purposes.  It actually felt pretty bumpy to me hurtling along as fast as my confidence would allow and seemingly sinking in slightly when slowed for turns at either end.  Plenty of falling off - mainly at the turning stages - proved pretty painless (except for the pride of course!) and the dirt would simply wipe free from the unit keeping it nice and new.  Figure eight patterns were now being completed with ever decreasing turning circles and my audience were increasingly impressed with my achievements - particularly when a couple of them attempted to have a go!

After this, the car park at work beckoned and although hard to fall on, and tough to take the shine off my new toy it had to be done sooner or later.  A much smoother surface certainly made things a whole lot easier and I was soon weaving in and out, up and down, and discovering the top speeds (only forward of course) but a couple of untimely dis-mounts soon had the covers looking decidedly scarred .

Now that my Ninebot One E+ no longer looked just hours old - in fact it was soon looking around six months old! - I could really start to experiment and 'play' without any worries of breaking it or spoiling it, the covers are all available when (and I do mean when!) I actually get to master it and bring the 'falling off' count to a big fat zero.  We have a few cycles lanes and one particular along a dual carriageway separate to the road by a grass verge.  This saw me travel a good couple of miles along a nice straight path without any danger of being in anybody's way and I was having a great time watching the faces of confused passengers driving past on the road while I silently glided along with a stupid grin on my face.  This is the first time I had the experience of the battery going flat - at first the beeping and then the pedals 'pushing back' forcing me to slow down on the unit.

The weekend came and I wanted to really push myself so I headed out and down the road to a mates house five miles away - there's always a drink on offer when I go and see him and if I'm driving I can't partake without risking the obvious so this had always been in the back of my mind when thinking of owning the unicycle - most of this is a nice flat straight road but there is an 'overpass' to a motorway which is quite steep.  I've walked the journey plenty of times and it takes nearly two hours each way on average.  A couple of times I had to stop to get up curbs although I didn't have too much difficulty in getting down.  The journey finally saw me knocking on his door forty minutes later, charger in hand, to chill out / have a laugh etc. / drink a few beers?  Now the theory was that I would be even more relaxed which would make riding the journey home easier - absolutely correct it turns out - with him waving me off down the road still not believing I was riding this thing all the way home I hurtled down the road, turning left to head home with an even bigger, sillier, grin on my face than when I set out earlier that evening .  Home was reached a short (at least it felt shorter) half an hour later.

I haven't yet managed to get the 'dashboard' working as all my old / knackered bluetooth devices are V2.1 or lower and this thing needs a V4 solution - a new phone has been ordered so I can keep an eye on the charge / distance / speeds etc. but has yet to arrive so I'm still guessing (apart from looking at the lights on power-up) as to how much charge I've got.

I'm almost disappointed I don't get the excuse to use this every day as I drive all over the country for work and it just doesn't have the range or speed to switch from the car but it's always in the boot ready for when I need (or rather want to play with!) it.  Obviously these things are pretty new still and not many people have seen them around so the looks I see on peoples faces is priceless - every kid I've ridden past wants one until they find out how much they are.

I'm glad I went for the Ninebot instead of some of the cheaper alternatives I've seen on certain auction sites as I've since heard/read of the horror stories of units falling apart / not being powerful enough to go any distance with reasonable weights etc. I could have paid a lot less, but I feel I've got a quality unit and I know the parts / support backup is going to be there from SpeedyFeet when I need it.  I'm not going to be ordering new covers to replace the scuffed ones just yet - got a lot more to learn before that'll happen! - and even considering 'lightly' sanding the marks out/spraying  myself should I consider I want it to look smarter in the near future.  What I'm really enjoying is just the practicalities of using this form of transport and the huge amount of fun it has been so far.  I might be too old for this kind of thing in many peoples eyes but I'm still young enough in my mind to have some fun with it

So I can't offer any comparison with other units out there and I'm sure there are people who can give much more valuable opinions than myself but this is just my take on it for anyone interested - thanks for reading, and I hope to be contributing wherever I can in the near future.  If anybody isn't too far from Warrington and wants to have a go then by all means get in touch and pop over, you never know you might just like it?  I warn you though, it's extremely addictive!

Cheers,

Richard.

PS. short video shot from my crappy phone while enjoying myself out in the sunshine the other day attached.

9bot1E+.avi

[Timothy Kessler]

Lol, you definitely grin when riding . 

Glad you are having a great time with the nb1

[Tom]

Great post, sounds like you've had the perfect start! I've owned my EUC for 2 weeks now and I'm itching to take it out somewhere for a proper ride. In the meantime I've been learning on my street but I feel like I'm being watched so it makes me nervous really want to feel like I've maxed out the potential of my (VERY) cheap generic wheel before I drop money on something better but I can't wait until I can.

[dmethvin]

Welcome from across the pond! Glad to hear you have broken in your Ninebot without breaking it. Scratches are like wrinkles, a sign of wisdom and not just age.

My complaint about the video is that you don't look scared enough. 

[Jag_Rip]

Every scar tells a story, I read that somewhere a long time ago on a cool tshirt. So dont worry, the bots can take it.

Great writeup! I've heard good things about speedyfeet, and your story adds up to that nicely. Enjoy your stay here and I am looking forward to great conversations and exchanges of experience and fun.

And yes, I agree, you dont look nearly scared enough. I call FAKE!!111!

[Thumper0511]

Hey DD, thanks for a great post.  I got my 9B1 at the end of August for commuting to work.  I spent the whole bank holiday leaning to ride/ balance and turn.  It was enough by Tue to get me to work but almost felt light headed when I arrived at work after the 2 mile trip due to adrenaline and genuine fear! :-)

Have gained confidence since then I'm now at the stage where I enjoy it and it's not about just having to fully concentrate on not falling off.  A few things that I have noticed which once filled me with fear but now don't are:

a). Seeing pedestrians up ahead but now knowing whether I can pass them comfortably or just slow right down to a crawl until there's a gap to pass (it's really useful once you can trundle along at 2mph as you feel you're not a hazard anymore and not hasting the walking folk to get out of your way).

b). Crossing a road and having the confidence to give way to cars and ride in a predictable/steady manner. Being able to step off and on easily when I need to stop etc.  

c). Just being able to react to unexpected things like pedestrian behavior, dogs, cars overtaking in traffic when your crossing a road !!  All these things don't cause panic anymore I just react/bib and weave without thinking :-)

My town is quite small/rural and I have adopted a policy of giving everyone a wide birth and going very slow when around pedestrians.  This has the positive effect of the 9B1 being seen as an interesting curiosity which results in questions and fun comments.  I am sure that if i tear around on this thing with people (mothers and kids going to school etc) it will immediately be seen as a hazard.  I hope as these devices become more popular and accessible to more folk we'll see the same consideration or the poor 9B1 could get an (unfair) bad rep very quickly (which would be a real shame).

Couple of things I've noticed about my riding over the past month (which you may relate to...):

1). I can get too confident sometimes and suddenly find my self at the edge of what the the laws of physics will allow.  This has resulted in me falling off once in the past 2 weeks.  What I noticed I was doing was that, without realizing it, I was gradually taking slightly more risks as my confidence increased. This can bite hard if you don't keep your confidence in check (especially when crossing roads)

2). Keeping away from the edge of walls - If your foot rest catches the edge of a wall (or anything else) 9 times out of 10 the 9B1 will stop dead but you will keep going (flying like a super hero ;-) ).  I have done this a coupe of times where the wall or fence (at waist or shoulder level) seem like it's far enough away but the bottom bows out or just sticks out a little bit further.  This has caught me out when I'm passing folks and want to leave the maximum room .... I find that it's really easily done as you get more confident and so slip through smaller gaps.

So I've done 380km so far and average 55km per week.  Still can't ride backwards or on one leg (which I'm less interested in doing) but am practicing.  Lots of scuffs and bruises on my wheel (and me!) but each one has a funny story attached so loathed to do anything about them yet :-)

The only worry I have is that my handle wobbles now where I have fallen off and the handle has come up and it's been knocked laterally.  This is the only weak spot with these devices where, although I accept the handle is only designed to support up and down lift and drop motion, it has a tendency to snap if it get weakened through lateral lifting/pressure. Now that feel much more confident not to fall off I have ordered a replacement handle as the last thing I want is it failing at the top of a tall set of steps or underground escalator (eeek!) where it will snap and then proceed to fly down the steps (carrying 14KG) and hit a load of folks on the way down.  

Anyway in summary I absolutely love this device, use it every day for 4 miles at least and look forward to my commute all the time :-)  Also the service I have received from Speedy Feet (where I bought this) has been exceptional.  I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend buying from them, Ian is a star and his You Tube videos and evidence of their knowledge, practical approach and commitment to their customers (and the 9B1 ;-)  ).

Happy scooting ...

PS - wouldn't it be great to have an annual 9B1 get together/trek - I wonder what the best way to arrange this may be for all UK owners??

[Kwing]

Hey DD, 

I just skim read your review and already in love with the 9b. My partner bought me a TG. Very basic very entry level but I think later on next year if I am serious that I am going to get a 9b. 

What the battery like after your trip? Also whats the padding like? I fouund that alot of people get horrible bruises (including myself) on their shins for clamping too hard on the devices. 

2 of my biggest concerns

Regards

K

[Thumper0511]

Hi Kevin,

Battery on the NB1 E+ is very good.  I get around 23k per charge (and my route is up and down some steep hills).  I know others get more but it really depends on riding style (stop/start, acceleration, speed etc), on road/off road, how hilly and importantly) your weight (including any bag you may carry to work etc).

With regard to pads and bruising - I have found that after a short time on my wheel I stopped clamping down on the pads and kept the wheel quite loose between my legs (ohh err!).  This is essential for easy movements, tight turns and also sudden moves i.e. to go round a pedestrian when they do something unpredictable right on front of you.  

That's not a slur on pedestrians btw as my view is that they always have right of way but you need to be able to work around them and move quickly and safely with almost no warning.  Having your legs clamped on the pads significantly restricts your movement I have found.  However that said everyone has their own riding style (usually a variation on the basics).

HTH's

Mat

[AlanR]

My N1E+ was delivered a week ago but I held off using it until I verified the firmware was not 1.2.9 - assured by seller that it wouldn't be but it was!!!

Upgraded to 1.3.0 and tried it a few minutes ago - severe pedal tilt-back seconds after starting!

When my son checked and updated to 1.3.0 he asked if there was anything else - I said add an audible signal at 14 kph. Could this cause the problem?    I'd say its happening at about 5 kph!

[SlowMo]

29 minutes ago, AlanR said:

My N1E+ was delivered a week ago but I held off using it until I verified the firmware was not 1.2.9 - assured by seller that it wouldn't be but it was!!!

Upgraded to 1.3.0 and tried it a few minutes ago - severe pedal tilt-back seconds after starting!

When my son checked and updated to 1.3.0 he asked if there was anything else - I said add an audible signal at 14 kph. Could this cause the problem?    I'd say its happening at about 5 kph!

Try to recalibrate the bot.

[glorat]

Or someone accidentally switched on the speed limit function within the app? I did that by accident yesterday with my phone in my pocket while riding... wondered why I suddenly couldn't go faster than walking pace...

[AlanR]

@glorat & @SlowMo  you are both correct - after switching speed limit off,  it worked very well.

BTW, do you have the Milband - mine was not available at time of posting I was told.

[SlowMo]

1 minute ago, AlanR said:

@glorat & @SlowMo  you are both correct - after switching speed limit off,  it worked very well.

BTW, do you have the Milband - mine was not available at time of posting I was told.

I haven't tried it but @mengke gives it together with his units.

[AlanR]

@SlowMo yes, I bought mine from Jeff [Mengke] and waiting for the Milband.

 

[SuperSport]

What is the Milband?  Any links to info?

[SirGeraint]

43 minutes ago, SuperSport said:

What is the Milband?  Any links to info?

Search for:  Xiaomi Mi Band