Need a starter wheel. Mten3 or IPS a 130?

[kyriacos]

Hi all!

New to the forum. Been lurking around and reading posts for a while before i finally took the plunge and bought a V10F.

I got it on Saturday and tried riding it a few times but i realized out of the box that the wheel isn't for me right now.

It's too tall for my height. And too heavy as a wheel for now as i am learning.

The bolt on the handle actually leaned so much on my legs when getting on and off i have a really and i mean really bad bruise both on my knees and just above behind the knee (like about 5inch diameter).

Since i am learning i can't tackle its top weight and since i am kind of short (no offense to anyone) i can't spread my legs enough to get a proper posture. I know there are people my height cruising along with a KS18XL and they are fine, but they started off with smaller wheels, learned how to ride and now the mounting and un-mounting isn't a problem. Basically they hop on and off and adjust accordingly.

I know that comes with time but i decided to sell the wheel already and just get a starter wheel. Also i realized that it would take me a while before i feel comfortable cruising in traffic in San Francisco, even in bike lanes. AND not on the sidewalk as i don't want to hit anyone and ruin the fun for everyone else that knows how to ride an EUC . For commuting right now i'll get a Dart scooter while i learn to ride an EUC (rather than rent Scoots all the time).

Long story short i looked at the IPS a130 Turbo (ewheels) with a 12inch wheel. It's small and lightweight which means i can take it anywhere and just practice in between while i am at a coffee shop working/on a break. It's not powerful and the pedal height is low but i can modify the pedals perhaps and raise them (there's a thread in the forum). It's also cheap enough and might be good enough to get my wife to learn too  .

The other option is an MTen3. That has a 10inch wheel and is fast, lightweight and small. Worried a bit about the 10inch wheel on uneven sidewalks or bumps; and when and if i manage to ride it on a bike lane in the future.

I know 14inch or 16inch wheels are suggested to learn but height wise and weight wise the MTen3 and IPS seem to be less intimidating to me. Also easier for me to get some practice anywhere since i don't have a problem carrying them. I saw a KD14d in person and i was like 'wow' that's the right sized wheel for me. However once i saw the price with only a bit more i can get the KS14S or the Gotway MSM5 both with better upgraded motors and batteries. So that makes me think twice about just buying a brand new KS14d (can't find a used one in SF). They are bigger and heavier though but still not as high (height wise) to the V10F.

I won't be commuting with any of the wheels until i feel comfortable. I just want something fun right now and maybe figure out things later on if i keep it as a hobby. Even the Z10 looks awesome heh.

All that basically do ask what do you think?

- Maybe an IPS a130 for fun and starting out; modded for the pedal height eventually?

- OR an MTen3 (10inch wheel safe?)

 

For the Mten3 i probably wait and sell my V10F first. For reference i am in San Francisco, i am 5 foot 4 (165cm) and i weigh 152lbs (~71kg).

 

Thank you!

 

Kyriacos

[eucinsea]

I learned to ride on a V8 and still love that thing. I have upgraded to a King Song 16x since then (a whole 9 days ago.)

Did you get the v10f directly from InMotion? If so their US Office is in SF and they would probably let you return there or at least check out a V8 if you wanted. I do not know anything about the other EUC's you mentioned.

[Marty Backe]

People do learn on the Mten3, but I still think it's not the ideal starter wheel. For your safety I would really consider getting a more powerful wheel than the IPS.

The two that come to mind are the MCM5 and KS14S.

Again, any wheel can function as a starter wheel, but IMHO I believe the KS14S would serve you best. I think the MCM5 is too nimble and for learning you want stability, and that's the KS14S.

[Esper]

I agree with Marty. The IPS is not a good wheel. In my opinion, its a horrble wheel for adults. It's recommended weight capacity is that of a child. Anything larger and it will still run, but horribly inefficient. You want to get a wheel that is strong enough to take you to where you want to go while also being hearty enough to not break after a few falls. 

Personally would recommend a Inmotion V8 since it comes with a protective cover. But since you have the V10F, I'm not sure if getting the V8 would be a good idea. I honestly think you have a great starter as it stands. 

[Gasmantle]

Have you considered the V5F, it was my first wheel and I was able to learn to ride it fairly easy.

It is less powerful and slower than the Mten3 but at 15mph max it is fast enough to learn on as long as you don't need a long range.

[Hatchet]

To learn and not break the bank, i'd recommend a V5F+ from inmotion as well. It's a 14" wheel, low top speed and not much range, but it's very well made, light, small and I still use mine just to go to the corner store, plus it's much less intimidating to pedestrians.

Also they are pretty cheap now, just know it will not serve as a daily EUC for commuting or whatever.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Hatchet

[kyriacos]

2 hours ago, prasket said:

I learned to ride on a V8 and still love that thing. I have upgraded to a King Song 16x since then (a whole 9 days ago.)

Did you get the v10f directly from InMotion? If so their US Office is in SF and they would probably let you return there or at least check out a V8 if you wanted. I do not know anything about the other EUC's you mentioned.

I got the V10f from ewheels. Didn't realize they had an office here in SF. Then again it was quite a bit cheaper from ewheels compared to their site.

Thank you for the suggestion though

[kyriacos]

2 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

People do learn on the Mten3, but I still think it's not the ideal starter wheel. For your safety I would really consider getting a more powerful wheel than the IPS.

The two that come to mind are the MCM5 and KS14S.

Again, any wheel can function as a starter wheel, but IMHO I believe the KS14S would serve you best. I think the MCM5 is too nimble and for learning you want stability, and that's the KS14S.

I saw your videos on the Mten3 actually and that got me thinking :). Saw Brandon riding it too and thought that might also be up my alley.

I did look at the MCM4 and KS14S. Is the KS14S about the same size as a V10F? I know the KS14D is quite small haven't seen the KS14S though.

Thank you the suggestion!

[kyriacos]

2 hours ago, Esper said:

I agree with Marty. The IPS is not a good wheel. In my opinion, its a horrble wheel for adults. It's recommended weight capacity is that of a child. Anything larger and it will still run, but horribly inefficient. You want to get a wheel that is strong enough to take you to where you want to go while also being hearty enough to not break after a few falls. 

Personally would recommend a Inmotion V8 since it comes with a protective cover. But since you have the V10F, I'm not sure if getting the V8 would be a good idea. I honestly think you have a great starter as it stands. 

So the IPS is definitely out then. Was hoping i could get a small lightweight wheel but that seems not to be an option

That was my thinking when i got the V10F. It is kind of unwieldy right now for me and honestly as i mentioned every time i get off the wheel the bolt from the handle really gets me. Then again i wouldn't go for the V8 they are too close.

The V10F has the perfect balance of speed, range and size; just thought something smaller and lighter might help me now and then i can reconsider something bigger. Like a lot smaller hopefully.

Thank you for replying  

[kyriacos]

2 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

Have you considered the V5F, it was my first wheel and I was able to learn to ride it fairly easy.

It is less powerful and slower than the Mten3 but at 15mph max it is fast enough to learn on as long as you don't need a long range.

I did initially. But since everyone says that as soon as you pick it up it's not enough i kind of decided against it initially since i didn't want to spend that much and then grow out of it right away. It's priced quite high i feel for what it has right now. I was looking at buying it used and it would make more sense but couldn't find any nearby.

Did you move to the Mten3 straight after that? If you don't mind me asking how is it on bumpy roads, uneven surfaces?

Thanks!

[Marty Backe]

13 minutes ago, kyriacos said:

I saw your videos on the Mten3 actually and that got me thinking :). Saw Brandon riding it too and thought that might also be up my alley.

I did look at the MCM4 and KS14S. Is the KS14S about the same size as a V10F? I know the KS14D is quite small haven't seen the KS14S though.

Thank you the suggestion!

Just to be clear, I meant the MCM5, not the MCM4.

The KS14S is nearly identical to the KS14D. Much smaller than the V10F.