Popular Post greentung Posted August 21, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted August 21, 2019 (edited) Just got my Nikola Plus 100V this morning. It came fully charged (thanks Jason). It was overnight delivery. So that is fully charged 1845wh battery packs in plane cargo hold. I just had to pump the tire to ~30psi (from 18psi), no padding added, and then off to work. I can only compare the Nikola to my other wheels. Appearance: The wheel itself is bigger than any wheels I own. It will definitely get noticed. The glossy finish does not feel good on bare leg. Wet skin stuck to the plastic side. Perhaps that might be useful for jumping. I will likely add neoprene sheets to the sides. The handle bar didn't have too much play. It didn't feel fragile. But I definitely don't want to muscle the wheel around by the handle. The startup sound was not so great. I don't need people in the office know when I'm powering up the wheel. More random people asking about the wheel than any of my other ones. Ride: The ride feels like a hybrid Z10/MCM5. I was afraid it might be unwieldy like my Z10. But the amount of effort to turn is minimal to moderate. It was raining. Nikola tire was decent on wet pavement. Acceleration up hill was easier than Z10 but not as effortless as MCM5. Starting from a stop was easier than Z10. Doesn't feel like a 57lbs wheel. The Z10 feels like a 53lbs wheel. Unlike Z10 doesn't require too much effort going backward. Z10 you really have to put your weight back to get it going backward. Overall initial impression: No complaints other than the size and startup sound. Handling is good for its size and weight. I like it. Update: Took the wheel down steep hill to U Village. Nikola is very stable even with the odd weight distribution of carrying kid in hip carrier. Best general purpose wheel I have ridden. Not the best at everything apart from top speed. However, it covers maneuverability, stability, acceleration, and road cushioning very well. At least from my day of riding. Edited August 21, 2019 by greentung update 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greentung Posted September 5, 2019 Author Share Posted September 5, 2019 Update: With the newfound power and speed of the Nikola+ I have started to ride a portion of my commute with vehicle traffic. I don't think it's fair to ride a 30+mph EUC on the bike trail. I ride fast enough that the cars behind don't need to pass me. I hop back on the bike trail when the traffic starts to back up on the road. I reduce my speed below 22 mph when on the trail. I've taken the Nikola+ to Black Butte Ranch in central Oregon. Lots of great road and trails to ride on. It got enough power to push a four wheel bike with three adults on. The two negative of the Nikola+ still bothers me; startup sound and eye catching size. @chrisjunlee pointed out a few solutions to the startup sound problem. Perhaps that will be resolved soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjunlee Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 oh hi there #001 1 hour ago, greentung said: Update: With the newfound power and speed of the Nikola+ I have started to ride a portion of my commute with vehicle traffic. I don't think it's fair to ride a 30+mph EUC on the bike trail. I ride fast enough that the cars behind don't need to pass me. I hop back on the bike trail when the traffic starts to back up on the road. I reduce my speed below 22 mph when on the trail. One thing I do differently on the Nikola: I find myself choosing the car route option on google maps The size makes this a tank of a commuter to me. I just point and teleport across the 520. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustesta Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 2 hours ago, greentung said: Update: With the newfound power and speed of the Nikola+ I have started to ride a portion of my commute with vehicle traffic. I don't think it's fair to ride a 30+mph EUC on the bike trail. I ride fast enough that the cars behind don't need to pass me. I hop back on the bike trail when the traffic starts to back up on the road. I reduce my speed below 22 mph when on the trail. I've taken the Nikola+ to Black Butte Ranch in central Oregon. Lots of great road and trails to ride on. It got enough power to push a four wheel bike with three adults on. The two negative of the Nikola+ still bothers me; startup sound and eye catching size. @chrisjunlee pointed out a few solutions to the startup sound problem. Perhaps that will be resolved soon. Any updates? How do you like it the wheel so far? Is it really fast? How heavy are you and on what speed can you safely cruise? When battery is 50%, can you still go as fast as you can? Sorry for all those questions! Many Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greentung Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 The Nikola+ is the best wheel I own. It does everything I need it to do as a short range car replacement; commute to work, errands, and occasionally carry a kid home from daycare. I am usually 170lbs in the morning when I go to work and a perhaps a pound or two more when I come home. I am big on lunch as the main meal of the day. The Nikola+ is fast enough to get me into trouble if I don't pay attention. I turn off all but the 3rd alarm. It's too easy to hit the 2nd alarm around 23mph. It is very stable at walking pace. I cruise 18-22mph on the bike trail and above 25mph when going with traffic. The Nikola+ has made me rethink safety gear. I am currently using bike gear; gloves, knee pad and bike helmet. But I am contemplating motorcycle jacket with built in shoulder, elbow, and back armor. I might have to start wearing full face helmet. I have not tested the Nikola+ speed below 50% battery. I think @chrisjunlee has ridden the Nikola+ extensively and can chime in its performance range versus battery. I rode it quite a bit over four days at Black Butte Ranch and did not recharge it once during the trip. I didn't notice any speed degradation. The size and weight is an issue. The other day I had to rethink getting a Jimmy John sandwich because that would mean carrying the Nikola+ up a flight of stairs. I got a gyro at a ground floor restaurant instead. 1st world problem. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gustesta Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 4 minutes ago, greentung said: The Nikola+ is the best wheel I own. It does everything I need it to do as a short range car replacement; commute to work, errands, and occasionally carry a kid home from daycare. I am usually 170lbs in the morning when I go to work and a perhaps a pound or two more when I come home. I am big on lunch as the main meal of the day. The Nikola+ is fast enough to get me into trouble if I don't pay attention. I turn off all but the 3rd alarm. It's too easy to hit the 2nd alarm around 23mph. It is very stable at walking pace. I cruise 18-22mph on the bike trail and above 25mph when going with traffic. The Nikola+ has made me rethink safety gear. I am currently using bike gear; gloves, knee pad and bike helmet. But I am contemplating motorcycle jacket with built in shoulder, elbow, and back armor. I might have to start wearing full face helmet. I have not tested the Nikola+ speed below 50% battery. I think @chrisjunlee has ridden the Nikola+ extensively and can chime in its performance range versus battery. I rode it quite a bit over four days at Black Butte Ranch and did not recharge it once during the trip. I didn't notice any speed degradation. The size and weight is an issue. The other day I had to rethink getting a Jimmy John sandwich because that would mean carrying the Nikola+ up a flight of stairs. I got a gyro at a ground floor restaurant instead. 1st world problem. Thank you for your prompt reply! Good to know that! Best luck with the stairs lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisjunlee Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 @greentungI'm not the best data point since I ride fast enough to only get 45 miles of usable range on the 100V Plus. And that's at my weight of 137lbs. Wrote up a performance vs voltage post: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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