whats the oldest age one can ride an euc ???

[bpong]

i was walking with my glide3 in kensington market in toronto,  sept 21, 2019, on my way to check out a latin grocery store.  it was very

crowded so i chose not to ride so i would avoid an un-necessary collision with pedestrians.

i was stopped by an older man who basically asked me about my glide 3.  he also indicated to me that he rides the

V10 euc.  we had a short discussion during which he also said he is 82 years old and still riding.... !!!

IMO,  thats pretty damn old to still be able to ride one of these contraptions !!!  i urged him to join electric unicycle forum,  and

post his thoughts about riding at his current age.  it would be an interesting discussion and im sure it would be more about managing

our health and our joint pains so that we can still ride an euc.

kudos to that 82 year old rider !!!!

bp

 

[Issah]

I don''t know how much joint pains are a factor for old people. In my own family it seems to vary from basically absent, to the types of joint injuries one acquires from roughousing it a little too hard in your youth, be it in sports or manual labour, but even then it's possible to mitigate these pains. Riding an EUC is fairly easy on the body once learned, if you don't ride over rough terrain or crappy roads, and perhaps keep the tire at a cushy PSI. 

[M640x]

I'm 55 and just started.  I plan on riding until I'm in the grave.

[LanghamP]

Plenty of people ride bicycles in their 80's. It's good for you. It's not like driving a car, where old person confusion eventually results in the death or injury of someone else. How would an EUC rider even injure or kill someone else without suffering the same or more consequences?!

However, reaction time increases by 1/10 of a second per decade or life (valid and repeatable using the ruler drop test), and so by age 55 we're looking at more than a second of delay time (.5 recognition time + .55 reaction time). Personally, with wobbles and cutoffs, I think age 55 is where you have to seriously consider wearing a lot of protection, because it gets so much more dangerous.

I'd guess there's no real upper age limit until you get brain wasting diseases with turn your body from doing the things you enjoy into a prison from which you have difficulty doing simple tasks.

[mike_bike_kite]

1 hour ago, LanghamP said:

However, reaction time increases by 1/10 of a second per decade or life (valid and repeatable using the ruler drop test), and so by age 55 we're looking at more than a second of delay time (.5 recognition time + .55 reaction time). 

I take it this was this a school project you did?

[LanghamP]

1 hour ago, mike_bike_kite said:

I take it this was this a school project you did?

In 4th grade I believe, right around the time you retired...

Edited September 30, 2019 by LanghamP

[RockyTop]

My great grandmother lived in a retirement community back in the 1960’s.  She was labeled a witch for riding a two wheeled bike in her late 80’s. .......Come to think of it?    ..... She was a mean lady. They might have been calling her something else.  

She died on her 100th birthday ............. house fire - too many candles.  Just Kidding.  She died in her sleep on the morning of her 100th birthday. She was mean though. She gave all her money to a zoo to spite her kids. ( Iguana habitats ) not kidding. 

[SamSuffit]

There are 2 81 years old persons in France riding it (and making the local news because of it, with interview):

https://www.lejdc.fr/dornes-58390/actualites/le-nivernais-de-81-ans-qui-pratique-la-gyroroue-invite-par-un-iserois-du-meme-age-et-adepte-du-meme-mode-de-deplacement_13524008/

https://www.lejdc.fr/dornes-58390/loisirs/le-dornois-raymond-tabesse-81-ans-a-troque-ses-cannes-pour-une-gyroroue_13514565/

So retirement and EUC are definitely compatible!

[Ubute]

Hi, I'm 71 and thinking about getting an InMotion V8F. I just want to be reassured that if you wear the right protection and are careful, it is possible to learn without serious injury.

Cheers, Andrew.

[mike_bike_kite]

4 hours ago, Ubute said:

I'm 71 and thinking about getting an InMotion V8F. I just want to be reassured that if you wear the right protection and are careful, it is possible to learn without serious injury.

Would you like an official guarantee on headed notepaper?

Should I address it to you or your wife?

[MikieSWE]

4 hours ago, Ubute said:

Hi, I'm 71 and thinking about getting an InMotion V8F. I just want to be reassured that if you wear the right protection and are careful, it is possible to learn without serious injury.

Cheers, Andrew.

Anyone can learn to ride an electric unicycle. Everyone will fall. Question is how and how hard. I have fallen few times. Got injured once and Im fine now. I know what risks I should avoid, but still pushing it sometimes. Its in the head I guess. Protect knee, elbow, wrists, and head and I think you will be normally ok. If not totally banned in future I will ride as long as I can stand on my feet, and keep my balance. I'm 58. When that is over, I have to downgrade to a wheelchair. (electric)

 

[NickNonsense]

5 hours ago, Ubute said:

Hi, I'm 71 and thinking about getting an InMotion V8F. I just want to be reassured that if you wear the right protection and are careful, it is possible to learn without serious injury.

Cheers, Andrew.

Absolutely its possible to learn without serious injury, that is if your careful and not doing anything widly silly. These machines are not falling over or cutting out themselves, the operator not taking due care or pushing the boundaries of these units are what makes them dangerous.

Edited September 20, 2020 by NickNonsense

[null]

As the others are saying.

You can compensate eventual fragility by more protective gear, you (anyone) have to be able to take a fall.
Else it doesn’t take any special skills or ability. Maybe some patience and perseverance to learn.

Edited September 21, 2020 by null

[Ubute]

Thank you, NickNonsense and Null, I'm somewhat reassured. Just have to convince my wife...

[Ubute]

Mike-Bike-Kite, an official guarantee on headed notepaper would be really cool. Thanks for the offer. I'm sure that would convince my wife.

Despite my age, senility hasn't set in yet. I've had a reasonably adventurous life and have only just stopped motorcycling. I was a windsurfing pioneer in the '70's and had to learn everything from scratch. If there had been established techniques it would have all been easier. Last week I abseiled down our cliff for the first time. I've recently learnt to fly fpv drones. I'm not dead yet.

I've watched lots of videos of people learning unicycles and some seem to cling to walls and others advocate just getting on and going! These days I could get someone up and going on a sailboard in half an hour, not the weeks it took me. I'm wondering if there is a safe and sure-fire way to learn EUC now people have been doing it for a while.

I can imagine old farts like me tooling around on unicycles could be a bit of an embarrassment for the groovy young turks, but just remember, youth is wasted on the young.

[Ubute]

Hi MikieSWE

As a relative youngster at 58, I don't imagine you're as creaky as me, but it's reassuring you think anyone can learn. Personal Electric Vehicles are still illegal in Australia, so I won't be blasting down the road any time soon. I'll probably be restricted to our own property and the local grass sports ground.

I've seen the photos of the two 81 year old Frenchmen on EUC's. Can't let our Gallic friends beat us Aussies!

[mike_bike_kite]

8 hours ago, Ubute said:

Despite my age, senility hasn't set in yet. I've had a reasonably adventurous life and have only just stopped motorcycling. I was a windsurfing pioneer in the '70's and had to learn everything from scratch. If there had been established techniques it would have all been easier. Last week I abseiled down our cliff for the first time. I've recently learnt to fly fpv drones. I'm not dead yet.

My response was obviously tongue in cheek but you must understand there are no guarantees when riding these things. I think you have to accept that you will fall at some point and ride/dress appropriately. You have to learn in small stages, 20 min a day, otherwise you'll just get knackered and end up injuring yourself. I think the best videos to watch for learning to ride are by U-Stride and Euco. I'm 57 myself so I'm not exactly a spring chicken and I learnt last year. I do still have the motorbikes though and took the wife to the coast on my old kick start Royal Enfield just yesterday   

[Planemo]

12 hours ago, MikieSWE said:

Anyone can learn to ride an electric unicycle. Everyone will fall. Question is how and how hard.

This. And my concern is how well an 80 year old body would take even a simple, low speed fall. same as slipping at home, in the bath or whatever.

No matter how careful you are on an EUC, I think the odds are stacked against you if you plan not to fall, ever. I have been careful/lucky, only falling once since I first set foot on an EUC. It was about 8~10mph on my Z10, having not long come from my V5 and still pretty inexperienced. I was with family, riding on a sidewalk, I turned around for a second to check where they were and in doing so I edged across the narrow sidewalk just a little too much and when I turned back I saw I was really close to a brick wall to my right. Just as I went to input some left to get away from it, the front edge of the pedal clipped and spun me off. I went down, the wheel just fell on its side but no injuries to me (I have worn wrist guards and pads since day 1) and I was furious that my mint Z10 now had a scratch. So all was fine, but I do wonder how even a simple fall like I had would have gone had I been 80. Bones get a lot weaker at that age

Since then my riding skills, mileage and speed have increased exponentially and touch wood I haven't gone down since but I always tell myself never to get complacent, the risk of a fall is ever present. Further, I honestly think that having ridden motorbikes for 20+ years (and never having anyone drive into me) helps a lot in terms of surroundings, terrain scanning and general awareness, so if the older riders have that sort of experience it all helps.

[Mortal Coil]

I did a lot of “running it off” when I was learning. Wobble-bail-run, wobble-bail-run for a good week of lunchtimes before I got the knack. I can’t imagine learning without going through that stage, so if one is too stiff to hit the ground running, that might present a barrier to learning.

[Planemo]

Good point, I excluded the 'running it offs' as I was focusing more on falls but you make a good point as learners do indeed need to be capable of at least jogging, sometimes from a very abrupt start! 

[( _ ) Alexey]

I learned riding in my office building which had narrow semi-soft cubicle corridors and soft carpets, I never fell of it (to the ground) and the wheel did not get a scratch during about four hours of my total training spread over several days. Although the wheel definitely fell on the carpet several times, mainly when I was too tired to hold it with my leg after stopping.

Eventually I learned that I made it more difficult for myself by training on soft surface, but I still think that it’s the safest training setup.

I did get a couple of bruises on my legs though from the wheel falling on them, but that’s about it.

The better shape you are in - the higher your chances of jumping off the wheel and keeping standing in case you loose control over the wheel. Being able to jog should be a good start.

And as with any vehicle - unless you are competing - it’s a good practice to stay well within your comfort zone in terms of speed, terrain, weather, etc.

[MikieSWE]

8 hours ago, Planemo said:

This. And my concern is how well an 80 year old body would take even a simple, low speed fall. same as slipping at home, in the bath or whatever.

No matter how careful you are on an EUC, I think the odds are stacked against you if you plan not to fall, ever. I have been careful/lucky, only falling once since I first set foot on an EUC. It was about 8~10mph on my Z10, having not long come from my V5 and still pretty inexperienced. I was with family, riding on a sidewalk, I turned around for a second to check where they were and in doing so I edged across the narrow sidewalk just a little too much and when I turned back I saw I was really close to a brick wall to my right. Just as I went to input some left to get away from it, the front edge of the pedal clipped and spun me off. I went down, the wheel just fell on its side but no injuries to me (I have worn wrist guards and pads since day 1) and I was furious that my mint Z10 now had a scratch. So all was fine, but I do wonder how even a simple fall like I had would have gone had I been 80. Bones get a lot weaker at that age

Since then my riding skills, mileage and speed have increased exponentially and touch wood I haven't gone down since but I always tell myself never to get complacent, the risk of a fall is ever present. Further, I honestly think that having ridden motorbikes for 20+ years (and never having anyone drive into me) helps a lot in terms of surroundings, terrain scanning and general awareness, so if the older riders have that sort of experience it all helps.

Im 58 and run my EUC's like a kid with no fear. I know the day come when I regret it. (maybe). Still, if worried of getting hurt, I think the human mind sets that way and getting over precautious. I dunno, but that is a feeling in back of my head. Ofc no one should go haywire luny just into the unknown. Everyone have to make mistakes. Its the only thing that we learn from. No mistakes = no awareness or understanding. This is the way I learned. Sounds hard but it works for me, and maybe others too. Before shit happen we do not know. Simple as that. Also, for an 80 y.o? Well, I wish I could answer that as a 80 y.o. I will ride until that, or if I can not anymore. From EUC to wheel chair. (electric) =)

 

[Scubadragonsan]

3 years ago, my wife at 65 learnt to ride KS16X in 3 weeks. The sky is the limit. No, actually the asphalt is the limit, learnt this after 2 face plants! As long as you can stand and balanced, you can ride it! Yes..fear, fatigue, patience, protective equipment ... and a good mentor are all parts of the success equation. Most of all, determination!

Edited September 24, 2020 by scubadragosan

[RockyTop]

When I look around I see more dangerous things. I pasted no fewer than 3 very old (80+ year old) woman riding two wheeled bicycles on the river walk yesterday.( probably fairly common in the Netherlands)  They were Peddling hard and having a ball.  I know that some people just don’t have it in them to ride at older ages. I also know that inactivity will put you in the can’t  do it category. If you don’t use it you will loose it. I felt ten years younger after learning to ride an EUC. 
Disclaimer: Ride at your own risk.  

Edited September 23, 2020 by RockyTop

[Scubadragonsan]

I became 50 years younger. Others thought I was a 18 years old teenager on the wheel! COVID is really on my side keeping my face all covered!