So it begins...first foray into EUC oddness

[Planemo]

Finally managed to get my V5F out of the box for a good look today, having had it sat in the back of my car since receiving it many days ago. Very impressed with build quality, looks like a real quality product. Came with the handle, a little rubber mudflap, pack of screws, a UK 3 pin mains adaptor and a couple of stick-on ankle pads so very chuffed. Powered up fine, thought I might need the app but didnt, I might leave it for a while as I have read its pretty crap, plus seems quite intrusive with the social feed which would annoy me highly.

First impression on getting on the thing - this is the most bizarre, surreal feeling I have ever had on anything involving a wheel. Most odd! Just tried getting a feel for it in my kitchen, getting on and off, idling a little, doing little semi circles with one foot (all whilst having a death grip on whatever came to hand of course). Totally unstable for about 20mins, during which my feet started cramping, my ankles were crying out for the pads and I was sweating like crazy. Took 10mins out, fitted the pads, had a drink then relaxed a bit and just thought of when I first started rollerblading which I remember was far easier when I just chilled out a bit. Got back on, forced myself not to look down, relaxed my feet, legs and posture and within a few mins I was going one side of the kitchen to the other (about 20 feet) without issue. So if theres one bit of advice this brand new EUC'er can give, just relax! It seems like one of those things where the the more you tense up, the more you will fail. Let the wheel do its thing, and balance will come. So I am a long, long way from anything other than very short straight line runs but I am starting to see why folks get hooked on these things. I can only imagine what it would be like to float along in total control at higher speeds, must be a great buzz, a very 'free' mode of transport, like a horizontal parachute!

Just also wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone on the forum for all the help and advice prior to placing my order, and of course JoJo who provided the Gearbest link and code, without which I would have paid considerably more.

Onwards and upwards, I really need to find a quiet open space now. Also helps that my No2 is desparate to get on it as well (which will get me some brownie points from the other half), I just need to ensure she doesnt hurt herself!

[Smoother]

11 minutes ago, Planemo said:

Also helps that my No2 is desparate to get on it as well (which will get me some brownie points

You probably shouldn't' use No2 and any word with "brown" in it, in the same sentence. 

Congrats or the first 20 feet (x 1,000)  Don't wear a grove into the kitchen floor.

Head on over to those tennis courts we talked about, flat, empty (except for hoodies and drug abusers), lots to grab hold of.

[meepmeepmayer]

Typical new rider experience And good tip indeed, relaxing is everything.

2 hours ago, Planemo said:

So I am a long, long way from anything other than very short straight line runs but I am starting to see why folks get hooked on these things.

You're already there then. You can ride. Do the same thing you did for the 20 feet, but simply speed up, and you're riding. Speeding up after you successfully got on the thing is the trick. Everything else comes later - stepping on without holding on to something, curves, even braking (just begin squatting).

[LanghamP]

1 hour ago, Planemo said:

Onwards and upwards, I really need to find a quiet open space now.

Be advised any sized wheel will punch a hole right through your wall.

Don't be this guy.

 

[meepmeepmayer]

2 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

Be advised any sized wheel will punch a hole right through your wall.

Good point. And not just those American cardboard walls. Serious German brick and plaster walls, too. Don't ask me how I know (well, not through the wall, but it was definitely damaged while the wheel didn't show a single scratch from that).

Leave your kitchen and go outside sooner than later.

[Planemo]

Understood.

Well I will leave the kitchen if I can get it away from the kids. No2 has had hold of it since I last posted. No1 hasnt even had a chance to get on it but is desparate for his sister to at least go to the toilet so he can take possession.

Looks like I have lost the V5. 

Looks like I need another 2 wheels already. Oh dear.

 

[meepmeepmayer]

Haha, told you so!

On 1/25/2019 at 9:44 AM, meepmeepmayer said:

The path for you seems clear to me. Don't even think about getting an E+, the V5F is better and much cheaper. An E+ would be a waste of money. So get the V5F.

And then, let's see how long you can hold on NOT ordering that V10 (or some other, bigger wheel). I wonder if you can keep up until your V5F has arrived or can't hold back before that point (the deal for the V10 might end some time, one never knows). One nice light wheel as learner, for the kids and as a secondary wheel; and a nice fat ride for daddy. You're hooked, you just don't know it yet

That's a neat photo.

[Planemo]

You did ineed tell me neep! Glad I got the V5, although tbh it wouldnt have been the end of the world had I got the E+ because at this rate it would have done for No2, No1 could have a V5 and I could have got a big boy wheel. Not sure where the finances would come from though...hence why I understand why you made the suggestion you did.

As I type she is still on it. Thats around 3 hours going back and forth, getting to grips with it. Shes determined for sure, much to the continued annoyance of No1. I have told him that tomorrow will be here soon enough.

The Mrs came home from work with the immortal standard wording... 'how much, where from, where are we going to put it?' Thankfully the smile on littl'uns face soon put paid to any immediate answer. I have some breathing space to think of a suitable answer.

[Smoother]

27 minutes ago, Planemo said:

The Mrs came home from work with the immortal standard wording... 'how much, where from, where are we going to put it?' Thankfully the smile on littl'uns face soon put paid to any immediate answer. I have some breathing space to think of a suitable answer.

Wait, your wife didn't know you had ordered it!!?

Oh well who am I to talk? my GF doesn't even know I have a wheel (two) and I've been riding a few years now.

[esaj]

1 minute ago, Smoother said:

Wait, your wife didn't know you had ordered it!!?

Oh well who am I to talk? my GF doesn't even know I have a wheel (two) and I've been riding a few years now.

Have you tried to get her to try to ride one? I bought a used KS16B with the thought I could convince my GF to try it, but she's never even tried...  So I ride both the B & S myself. Her father took my "noname" Chinese starter-wheel, and rides it occasionally (with the "extra wheels"), but I think most of the time it just sits on his car trunk and has probably pretty bad batteries by now... the FW has been in pieces for years now, but I still cling on the thought that one day I'll start working on a motor controller to use the motor and batteries for something (which have been sitting for a year or two, probably should dig them up from the basement and check how many cells have been ruined... )

[Smoother]

6 minutes ago, esaj said:

Have you tried to get her to try to ride one? I bought a used KS16B with the thought I could convince my GF to try it, but she's never even tried...  So I ride both the B & S myself. Her father took my "noname" Chinese starter-wheel, and rides it occasionally (with the "extra wheels"), but I think most of the time it just sits on his car trunk and has probably pretty bad batteries by now... the FW has been in pieces for years now, but I still cling on the thought that one day I'll start working on a motor controller to use the motor and batteries for something (which have been sitting for a year or two, probably should dig them up from the basement and check how many cells have been ruined... )

Are you asking me?  My GF visits me a few weeks each year.  During those weeks we have better things to do than wheel .  I once owned a couple of American segways; an I model and a P model.  She refused to ride, even then (around 2004) so I know she will not set foot on an EUC (like your wife), but she will ride her horse for miles, bareback, in rattlesnake country, go figure. 

So before she arrives I put it, and all the paraphernalia, away in a cupboard and it stays there until she leaves.   I know that sounds weird, but if I even start talking about something like this I can see a wave of disinterest wash over her face, like Niagra falls.  Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and my GF is from an entirely different planet all together.  But  I wouldn't have it any other way.

[tenofnine]

2 hours ago, Smoother said:

Wait, your wife didn't know you had ordered it!!?

Oh well who am I to talk? my GF doesn't even know I have a wheel (two) and I've been riding a few years now.

My GF doesn't know I have 2 wheels as well.....because I don't have one   

Congrats on learning my dude. It's a highly satisfying thing to learn and although it may seem niche it feels like you are adding an important skill to your arsenal.

 I have an Inmotion V5F and a Ninebot One E+, I've only had the One E+ for 3 days now but HOLY COW is it much less responsive and stable than the V5F. The only thing I like better about the Ninebot is the far superior app, pedal angles, and the larger wheel. For everything else the V5F blows it out of the water it's more nimble, way more responsive, can handle inclines much easier, the handle and power button placement are great, it has pedals with griptape and the rubber nubs, it looks like Darth Vader's custom EUC, etc. That wheel is a great intro wheel but also can last well through intermediate and advanced phases. It definitely seems to be the choice of every EUC rider that likes to do tricks and demands an agile snappy wheel (aside from the Mten3)

Oh also you can customize EVERY sound your V5F makes using the app, that is one of the only reasons I would suggest utilizing the app.

[esaj]

42 minutes ago, tenofnine said:

Oh also you can customize EVERY sound your V5F makes using the app, that is one of the only reasons I would suggest utilizing the app.

Nothing like fart-sounds riding around big crowd. Also, this is a good song to play while riding around: 

 

[tenofnine]

9 minutes ago, esaj said:

Nothing like fart-sounds riding around big crowd. Also, this is a good song to play while riding around: 

 

One of my favorite classic YT videos, started a whole genre of copycats.

First thing I did was change all the sounds to R2D2 sounds, then I had a magical moment where I was riding on a bike path next to a forest area. The "warning too fast" R2D2 exclamation went off (2 whistles and a BEEP! ERRR! sound) all of a sudden I heard like 20 birds mimic it back to me for the next 15 seconds.

 

WHen I started getting goofy, the turn off sound was Time Allen "EEAAAUUGH?!"

 

 

and the turn on sound was  "SEGAAAAaaa" and of course the "too fast" sound became the Sonic spin dash sound of course.

 

[pico]

1 hour ago, tenofnine said:

much less responsive and stable than the V5F

Less responsive, yes.

Less stable, no

Your NB1 may have something wrong with it or you are too used to the toe/heel of the V5F. You will get used to it after a few months of riding it. 

I transitioned the same way as you. V5F to NB1. Different beasts, different "qualities".

[tenofnine]

18 minutes ago, pico said:

Less responsive, yes.

Less stable, no

Your NB1 may have something wrong with it or you are too used to the toe/heel of the V5F. You will get used to it after a few months of riding it. 

I transitioned the same way as you. V5F to NB1. Different beasts, different "qualities".

To each their own, EB1 has a skinnier tire and it feels less stable to me (I suspect the different battery placement and heavier weight might be a culprit too). Your milage may vary, there isn't a right or wrong opinion on that (although you seem to think yours is fact)

The EB1 is smoother on account of the larger diameter tire, but I find that cross winds or inconsistencies in the road cause a bit more wobble and uncertainty on the NB1

 

And I definitely haven't transitioned, bought the NB1 for a friend, I still have my V5F and I prefer 100% riding on that wheel.

 

[pico]

23 minutes ago, tenofnine said:

you seem to think yours is fact
 

If you had been long enough on this board, you would know that I rarely AFFIRM something.

I always say "I may be wrong" or I could be mistaken.

You are referring to the wrong person. On the other hand when I see some blatant errors I point them SPECIALLY when they affect beginners.

BTW you still have not posted a video of what you can do other than boasting that you learnt to free-mount in less than (I will let you complete) hours.

I don't think you have enough time on the NB1 to claim that you are an expert on it.

Food for though about stability. (hey, if the word has same meaning for you...) start at 00:33 and try to do that on a V5F.

If you had also been there long enough @hirsute discussed it with Jonathan.

 

[tenofnine]

26 minutes ago, pico said:

If you had been long enough on this board, you would know that I rarely AFFIRM something.

I always say "I may be wrong" or I could be mistaken.

You are referring to the wrong person. On the other hand when I see some blatant errors I point them SPECIALLY when they affect beginners.

BTW you still have not posted a video of what you can do other than boasting that you learnt to free-mount in less than (I will let you complete) hours.

I don't think you have enough time on the NB1 to claim that you are an expert on it.

Food for though about stability. (hey, if the word has same meaning for you...) start at 00:33 and try to do that on a V5F.

If you had also been there long enough @hirsute discussed it with Jonathan.

 

I've already seen this video, in fact I've probably seen any video you might throw my way if it's on Youtube.

If you think this is the definition of stability and if you think this is a determining factor is what should influence a beginner ....then we are living in 2 different realities.

Do the above video with a Monster 22 inch or a an MSX or a Z10....these are three of the most utilized and trustworthy stable high speed wheels out there. Show me videos of those wheels doing the above slow un-piloted worthless trick.....if you don't well that's proof they are unstable and everything everyone says about them is false. That is your thought process.

In the short time I've been on here I've already affirmed many things about you. You operate very similar to a young child who spends too much time on reddit, you seem to think your opinion matters more than others (even when it's wrong) or you present an opinion as fact, you make meaningless posts for likes and upvotes, you're passive agressive, you don't respect people who don't spend the majority of their life on here, you seem to think your time spent on here = you are some wise sage and expert on many things.

You seem to have a hard on for me ever since I gave the account of how fast I learned on my V5F. Don't believe me? I don't care. Your opinion has only lessened with everything you post.
People on forums such as this who try and bully and assume power mostly do it because they are lacking something significant in their real life. And most simple people respond to that negative energy and being challenged; not me, you won't get a rise out of me. Your "respect points" and you join date are pretty much meaningless to me. Drop the attitude and the bravado, keep these threads on track.


 

[pico]

9 minutes ago, tenofnine said:

You seem to have a hard on for me

Just keep on insulting our members. I tracked 3 so far, including me. Talking about "attitude"?

[tenofnine]

19 minutes ago, pico said:

Just keep on insulting our members. I tracked 3 so far, including me.

I must have brought up some stellar points if that is all you have to say about my above message.

Give me the two other members I've insulted and I will apologize to them personally. I don't even know who these other 2 people could be....
I won't to you because from the start you have been uninviting and sarcastic, but the other 2 I definitely did not intend if I even did. I will personally send them a message if it warrants.

[LanghamP]

It's possible that @pico and @tenofnine are both correct, the difference in handling between the ES and V5 caused by their differences in weight, with @pico being lighter that @tenofnine. Just a guess.

[pico]

Stability and maneuverabity are two very different things.

The V5F is highly maneuverable. Stable, I have my doubts.

The NB1 is quite stable. It can be made quite maneuverable by an expert rider.

Nb. I only talk about wheels that I have personally riden extensively. So far X3, V5F, NB1.

All others for me are just guesses.

[tenofnine]

For me there are 2 main categories of stability when it comes to EUCs - riding and software/hardware

There is high speed stability and low speed stability and every speed in between when riding. This would of course refer to how true the wheel stays on course while someone is riding it, and how difficult it is to disturb that course.

Mten3 and NB1 have good low speed stability but suffer when the speed increases, IMO they get squirrely (I've only briefly tried the Mten3 but many other vets corroborate this sentiment). I haven't experienced this same squrreliness with the V5F until I hit the very top range when I was riding max tiltback and that was only when I was rocking max PSI. That could have been the tiltback making me feel unstable, could have been the maxed out PSI, or maybe not.

Then there is software and hardware stability. Is the wheel going to throw you off for unexplained or bad reasons? Is it going to cutoff randomly or because it can't keep up with your weight shifting? can it keep up with the operators acceleration and deceleration demands?

I experienced the former and latter on the NB1 even after calibration and lowering the ride setting as far as possible. Something I can do on the V5F are immediate 180s and lean into and accelerate immediately. The NB1 will  get confused the pedals will lean forward for a moment and the pedal will always scrape if I try it like I do on the V5F. The NB1 requires you do lean back a bit and apply pressure on your outside toe whereas the V5F just does it intuitively and fast (it keeps up with you and under you). I also have to slowly accelerate after a fast 90 or 180 because the cutoff angle is so shallow and the software is so slow that it can't keep up otherwise and will cutoff. It feels like the NB1 is in sand, going back to the V5F it feels rock solid and snappy. On the NB1 I've had almost 2 faceplants because of the sluggish acceleration that feels like a safe kids mode is on by comparison. I had never fallen off an EUC until I rode the NB1, with the V5F I was always able to walk or run it off because I knew it was coming and I knew it was my fault.

Both of these points apply to the over all stability of a wheel for me. If it feels squrriely or the software/hardware are not reliable and responsive enough to the point of making dangerous situations....that is not a stable wheel, it's not as reliable or safe in a setting where there are pedestrians and cars and animals and etc.
 

[pico]

Here you go again.

 

You say NB1 CG is high, I say CG on the contrary is low. This is factual.

 

You take a fit because I disagree and correct, and go personal.

 

I go personal also (I am no pushover). You say that's all I got.

 

I go to facts pertaining to NB1 by example(Youtube) to prove my point. You dismiss it. ("You can throw all youtube videos, I have seen them all", a boast, again)

 

You change from CG related stability to software stability, a whole other subject.

 

And you start AGAIN with wrong fact to an inexperienced Newbie, Software for NB1 contrarily to what you say has been stable for quite a while now.

So this is an OPINION that you present as a fact. That I can choose to accept or not.

 

I am done with you. For now...

 

 

[tenofnine]

It doesn't take much does it pico, you take things way too personally and seem to think everything is about you. My last message was me explaining what I meant from the start, had nothing to do with you. I'm sorry you assume way too much and think the worst of people from the start. I don't think you've properly tested the CoG on both, again the NB1 e+ is actually 5.1 pounds heavier and yes the batteries are a bit lower but they are also jutting out on the sides away from the main axis of balance. If you disturb the unit sideways from an upright neutral position it will fall faster and much harder than the V5F (the thinner NB1 tire also makes it easier to tip like pushing a person with their legs closer together).

 

You seem to really love the Ninebot One series......cool. I don't as much I prefer the V5F over the NB1 E+. This is an opinion, not a fact that I think everyone should follow. This guy has a V5F I only brought up the NB1 to give him some reassurance he got a better wheel IMO (talking with Jason earlier this week he seems to agree as well saying that the NB1 series is a relic).

I watched choochtech, Duf, and some other random YTers journey with the NB1 all seemed to have the same issues and more with the wheel. This to me confirmed that I didn't get a bad unit, that it was indicative of the NB1 series in general.

Sorry you are getting so worked up over nothing.