Ride Feel of Different Wheels

[ZenGlide]

There may be a post about this already, in fact, I'd be surprised if there wasn't, but my searches turned nothing up.

Can people with extensive experience with a few different wheels offer their take on the feel of different wheels, i.e. how they ride, how they handle off road, are they twitchy, torque-y etc.

Might be a good guide for people choosing new wheels and possibly newbies to the scene.

[M640x]

5 hours ago, ZenGlide said:

There may be a post about this already, in fact, I'd be surprised if there wasn't, but my searches turned nothing up.

Can people with extensive experience with a few different wheels offer their take on the feel of different wheels, i.e. how they ride, how they handle off road, are they twitchy, torque-y etc.

Might be a good guide for people choosing new wheels and possibly newbies to the scene.

While I'm not a seasoned pro, just over a month in, I might be able to ad a relative newbie perspective and what I've learned. I have an mten3, KS14S and Ninebot z10.  10", 14" and 16" wheels respectively.  The rule of thumb I've found is smaller diameter and lightness = agility.  Larger diameter and more weight = stability.

My riding style is "short interactive rides".  Shorter straights and more turns, sidewalks, carving, starting and stopping.  My typical straightline speed is 12-18 mph most of the time.

With my style of riding, the mten3, ks14s wheels are better suited.  They provide better maneuverability at slower speeds and might be easier to carry if needed.  For longer faster rides, my Ninebot z10 is more suited.  The Z10 is a bigger and heavier wheel and it's very stable at slow and fast straights along with corners.  The overall stability is an added benefit to a relative beginner like me.

In the beginning, I referenced YouTube reviews and wheel comparisons along with this forum to get info.  Speedyfeet, Duf and Marty Backe have extensive experience on a number of different wheels and I've gotten a lot of good info from their vids.  As a beginner if I had it to do over again, I would have bought an 18 inch wheel or Z10 because of the added stability.  Something I think newbies like me need more than anything else in the beginning.

[mrelwood]

This is a subject that many of us could write a book on, and the behaviour differs a lot based on user height and weight as well, so it’s difficult to summarize in a single post. But I’ll try:

Tire size

Large wheels are stable and safer at speed, but require more effort to accelerate and steer. Small wheels feel zippy at slow speeds, but are unstable, especially at higher speed. Large or tall riders rarely like 14” wheels, but many small riders like 18” wheels. 16” and 18” wheels are the most suitable ones for various use cases.

Wider tire adds further stability, yet it is easier to turn at slower speeds.

Shell size

Taller wheel shell (V10F, 18XL) is easier to mount and ride with one leg since the leg contact point is higher. Lower shell (MSX, 16S, all 14”) is more nimble since it can tilt more between your legs, but causes more pain when mounting and may not feel as stable due to lower leg support.

Brands

All Gotway riding modes feel different from all others, they are all initially rock hard. They suit fast, aggressive or offroad riding especially well, as they react instantly to acceleration, roots etc. Even Gotway’s soft mode isn’t spongy like a KingSong.

All models have their specific quirks, and one needs to choose a model whose quirks one can best live with.

Battery size

Manufacturers’ claims about range require optimal circumstances. Divide by two to get in the real-life ballpark. Always buy a bigger battery size than you think you need, since you will likely ride a lot more than you ever imagined!

Safety

The top speed tilt-back can only be removed from Gotway wheels. Once removed, the wheel lets you exceed the top speed, causing you to crash. Disregarding 1st batch units, all current wheels are technically equally safe. Still, all wheels can be overleaned, and require attention to the battery level and a change in the riding style as the battery gets lower.

 

I will update the post if I can think of something that I missed.