Pieter Louwers Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Hi I am new to EUC, I recently bought the Inmotion V8 and I drive in Brussels. I quickly bought a basic skateboard protection set from Decathlon however after reading all the threads here I feel like this might not be sufficient. How safe do you have to be on a EUC that goes 30km/h? I read somewhere that wrist protection and helmets are most important. However, I read somewhere else that wrist protection is not good because it can lead to more complicated fractures on the lower arm when you fall and that also a simple bicycle helmet is not safe enough. I use my EUC for daily commute and of course sometimes push it to the limit. For commuting you usually want to be fast so after a few rides I already feel annoyed by putting knee and elbow protection. Last time I just drove with wrist and helmet. Is this however sufficient? I am currently thinking of upgrading to a full face helmet and to buy the triple eight hired hands wrist guards and for the rest ignore the knee and elbow protection or get soft padding that I could keep under my clothes all day. I also wear suits sometimes to work and to be honest it looks ridiculous wearing skateboard protection over a suit. Any tips are more then welcome. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z3n Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Hi @Pieter Louwers, welcome! A casual motorcycle jacket is also an option you want to look for. But for me personally, riding responsibly and carefully has been much safer for my 3 years of EUC than gears dependency. YMMV though. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewalk Enforcer Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Different people have different tolerance for risk. I ride with people who gear up with all the goodies and others who ride with barely any. Some ride for pleasure, some ride for speed, some plebs even commute . For me, a helmet (of any sort) and wrist guards are mandatory and I'll not leave the house without them. I've not seen many arguments against wrist guards - in fact one of the first people I encountered when learning to ride my EUC was a physio-therapist who admonished me for not wearing wrist guards due to the number of wrist injuries that they had treated. Now, that's just anecdotal evidence and I've not yet had a fall that has tested the guards that I wear, but it was enough for me. Due to the nature of potential failure on an EUC, a full face helmet makes me feel better. Due to interaction with traffic on my commute, an armoured textile jacket, gloves and a front and rear light strobe on my helmet for visibility make me feel better equipped in an environment that I have little control over. But again, this is my personal preference in accordance with my own sphere of risk tolerance. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 Thank you, this is exactly why I asked this question in this forum. Even though i just purchased the cheap skateboard gear I think I will go for a full face helmet and some decent wrist protection. I am hesitating about the armored textile jacket. I also do a lot of mountainbiking and road cycling in the alps, for those sports I wear only a helmet, shorts and a cycle shirt so no protection and sometimes downhill i go over 80km/h. I drive very carefully though and I always check my bicycle very carefully so I trust my gear. With an EUC however, I cannot really check the cycle electronics and with all the accidents reported here I do not really trust the vehicle itself. So you guys do not wear any knee protection? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 In the end I think I'll go for this and then just wear a leather jacket that I still have. That will be a bit hot in the summer though I think Happy to hear your opinion, appearently the knee protection I can wear under pants so this might be good for me. https://www.bike24.com/p2197075.html?q=full+face+helmet https://www.onlineskateshop.nl/hired-hands-pols-beschermers--388 https://www.onlineskateshop.nl/exo-skin-knee-knie-bescherming--373#aw_source=pb-5bf80160e051812b259b4d47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucasD Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Demon Flexmasters save arm from complications and are widely recommended here. I tested them without problem 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 4 hours ago, Pieter Louwers said: I am currently thinking of upgrading to a full face helmet and to buy the triple eight hired hands wrist guards and for the rest ignore the knee and elbow protection or get soft padding that I could keep under my clothes all day. Very good plan. That's what I would do for a ~25kph commute on the V8. Wrist guards are a must, it would be insane to ride without them. Even the cheap inline skate set ones aren't bad, they saved my hands from serious ☠ in a ~30kph crash. Good ones (Flexmeter, Triple 8) are maybe better for impact distribution. And a full face helmet is a good idea for a helmet. Normal helmets are more a worst case insurance (face ruined, but skull ok) while full face ones simply protect your face. And full face ones aren't really less comfortable or anything (I was pleasantly surprised, the only real difference is the cheek contact points). The rest is less important, but you'll still fall on your knees in pretty much any crash. Also consider the costs of ruined clothing if your knees or elbows hit with the clothes first. Sounds strange, but only until it happens to you. Personally, I ride with FF helmet + wrist guards + hard knee guards, and I should probably get some soft/3do elbow guards as a secondary insurance. - In general, protection must work against 2 things: impact and abrasion. Hard plastic slide plates on the wrist guards save your arms and shoulders from the impact. Abrasion is easily overlooked until you crash and realize at 25kph, pavement just grates your body away. That's why wrist guards and knee guards are so important in my opinion, it's not just the danger of broken bones/kneecaps. Abrasion is the more evil, hidden companion. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidewalk Enforcer Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 18 hours ago, Pieter Louwers said: So you guys do not wear any knee protection? I do not, but a day may come that I regret that decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarrettJ Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 (edited) If I'm commuting or just out riding with my (young) son on his electric razor scooter I'll just do my full face helmet (fox proframe) and my wrist guards (flex meter). Usually I do a little wrist mounted mirror, too If I'm gonna be sending it or trying something new (going to start working on curb jumps) I'll add on additional gear: elbow pads (g-form elite), either soft (g-form elite, under clothes) or hard knee pads (triple 8, over clothes) depending on what I'm doing/wearing and the weather, etc. Edited June 19, 2019 by BarrettJ typo 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unventor Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 @Pieter Louwers one thing is looks, another thing is what happens when somethings go wrong or not as anticipated. I am not trying to scare you but too many didn't listen to advice before they ended up in a situation that could have ended better. Personally I have had 3 crashes in 1.5 years and 2800ish km. This one happen on my V8 around 350km of expirearance, at full speed. I tried to censor pictures but to understand the forces the bruising needs to show. Now my 2nd crash happed due to a scateboarder. I had protection on, level 2 D3o. But still dislocated my shoulder last days of march. It is in another thread on forum. Hope you find tips around here. I am sharing my opinion it is better to be geared up that sorry afterwards, despite looks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 @Unventor Thanks for the warning. Your post is rather scary and sometimes when reading these messages I regret somewhat to have bought a monowheel which shouldn't be the aim of these posts i think. But yes I will gear up and be careful when riding. I am glad though that i didn't buy a faster one then the V8. Wouldn't want to get killed. I think that still I will go for a tough leather jacket instead of a full motor jacket. with elbow, knee, wrist and helmet protection I gues I should be fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 It's good to have respect and understand how the wheel works (or doesn't work). But don't be scared A huge part of accidents is good or bad luck. You can have a relly unlucky fall at very slow speeds. Most important part is gear, looking where you are going (it's always that!), and not having that bad luck. You're right that speed can make things dangerous and in doubt, one should just slow down. But stronger = faster wheels are safer, at least on the technical level. Simply because you can ride the same slower speeds with them, but you have more reserves. I consider modern wheels (and bigger batteries) notably safer than the V8 which is much easier to overlean. So buying a slower/weaker wheel for "safety" is counterproductive. Just wanted to mention that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 3 hours ago, Pieter Louwers said: @Unventor Thanks for the warning. Your post is rather scary and sometimes when reading these messages I regret somewhat to have bought a monowheel which shouldn't be the aim of these posts i think. But yes I will gear up and be careful when riding. I am glad though that i didn't buy a faster one then the V8. Wouldn't want to get killed. I think that still I will go for a tough leather jacket instead of a full motor jacket. with elbow, knee, wrist and helmet protection I gues I should be fine. It's understandable that our warnings could be off-putting to some people and make them think twice about getting an EUC. But it's not our place to hide the truth just to encourage user growth. We must be brutally honest about the possible consequences. This is a contact sport and everyone will eventually have a bad fall. That doesn't mean everyone will break a bone, but the potential is there. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meepmeepmayer Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Marty Backe said: This is a contact sport and everyone will eventually have a bad fall. Not necessarily. Everyone should be prepared for a bad fall though. But if you are careful and stay under 25kph, you might very well never have any incident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UniVehje Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 If you don’t ride aggressively you don’t need to wear all the protection all the time. But a full face helmet is a very good idea to have always. Buy a light one that is comfortable. You should always be prepared for the wheel to cut out suddenly. It is rare but it can happen. If it happens, you will fall on your face. Just happened to me and I didn’t have my full face helmet on because it was just a slow and short ride. I will not make the same mistake again. Teeth through lip is not nice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 21 minutes ago, UniVehje said: If you don’t ride aggressively you don’t need to wear all the protection all the time. But a full face helmet is a very good idea to have always. Buy a light one that is comfortable. You should always be prepared for the wheel to cut out suddenly. It is rare but it can happen. If it happens, you will fall on your face. Just happened to me and I didn’t have my full face helmet on because it was just a slow and short ride. I will not make the same mistake again. Teeth through lip is not nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 (edited) On 6/19/2019 at 6:35 PM, Unventor said: I tried to censor pictures but to understand the forces the bruising needs to show. Every time I see a photo of your bruised derrière my shoulder pain completely disappears. Edited June 20, 2019 by Rehab1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 20, 2019 Author Share Posted June 20, 2019 I'm really enjoying the v8 as a first wheel and definitely all the attention I get when I pass h by people. My full face helmet should be arriving Monday. I hope I won't fall tomorrow going to the office. Haha I did only 50km so far but I feel comfortable. I can do most things besides driving backwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unventor Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 (edited) 22 hours ago, Pieter Louwers said: @Unventor Thanks for the warning. Your post is rather scary and sometimes when reading these messages I regret somewhat to have bought a monowheel which shouldn't be the aim of these posts i think. But yes I will gear up and be careful when riding. I am glad though that i didn't buy a faster one then the V8. Wouldn't want to get killed. I think that still I will go for a tough leather jacket instead of a full motor jacket. with elbow, knee, wrist and helmet protection I gues I should be fine. Please understand I did in no way want to scare you. But there are things that are different riding an EUC. I drive a car too, but very seldom these days as I use my EUC instead. But 50kmh in a car it not an issue. On an EUC it is fast, and you don't have a cars suspension or safety system to assist in controlling and breaking. If I am to choose between my car or EUC, I would choose my EUC anyday. I can't do this in my car.... .It can go as fast as 50kmh but I cruise now on open bike lanes at 30kmh, limited to 42kmh. These says I rarely go faster than 35kmh. That is my comfort zone. Others love speed... I respect it. That is why I would not ride a MC. It might be safer, but the higher speed means righer risk if something goes really wrong without your control. Sorry if I scared you. Edited June 21, 2019 by Unventor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 21, 2019 Author Share Posted June 21, 2019 Thanks guys for the very cool responses and updates. I also always drive carefully especially since I'm a noob in UEC Perhaps one day I'll go for the bigger UEC if you indicate that it is safer but for now I am happy with the smaller V8 that I can also carry up stairs since I take the train daily to work. I love the triple eight wrist protection by the way they feel very safe and with half fingers I can still answer my phone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unventor Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Pieter Louwers said: Thanks guys for the very cool responses and updates. I also always drive carefully especially since I'm a noob in UEC Perhaps one day I'll go for the bigger UEC if you indicate that it is safer but for now I am happy with the smaller V8 that I can also carry up stairs since I take the train daily to work. I love the triple eight wrist protection by the way they feel very safe and with half fingers I can still answer my phone I know the V8 well as it was my started wheel too. As you explain it it might very well suit just perfect to the purpose you want it for. I don't carry my wheel much, I just trolly it into basement and take elevator to 4th floor......when the evelator don't work....that is when I miss the V8. Edited June 21, 2019 by Unventor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 I have another question, it is not about protecting myself but the V8. I bought one of these protective sleeves/covers that I was using when I was learning. I still have it on since I am worried to scratch or damage the machine but to be honest it's so ugly compared to the unprotected v8 with led lights etc. Also there are still some scratches from the beginning i dropped it that happened through the sleeve. Do you guys have a protective cover on your wheel? Happy to hear what you guys do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unventor Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 @Pieter Louwers when I used my V8 I had the silver cover on most of the time. There is a black one too that looks different. These days I ride with my KS18L as I sold my V8. I got a cover for that one too but its different and will not fit the V8. So like to have a cover on (like me) others don't. Old pic of my V8: My KS18L when yjust fot the cover: This is how it look after a 25kmh crash, while I were waiting to get my dislocated shoulder back in its normal position. 25ish kmh "crash test": Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieter Louwers Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 Thanks, I have the same grey cover but to be honest I find it quite ugly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unventor Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 51 minutes ago, Pieter Louwers said: Thanks, I have the same grey cover but to be honest I find it quite ugly Easy fix 😏 https://www.onewheel.be/en/inmotion-scv/87-inmotion-protect-v8-3999-eur-inmotion-technologies-coltd-3760243821080.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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