Wow.....it finally arrived

[Phil Wright]

Hi all, hope you are well.

my long awaited 9BO e+ N20 has just arrived an hr ago, and I quickly unboxed it, downloaded the new App, and set the riding mode to 0, and the lights to a modest flicker.

The first impressions out of the box were just how sturdy and solid it was and quite heavy also - Im 6' tall so those were good first impression features.

I nervously walked over to a wall in my Appt, turned it on and instantly felt it try to correct things, my left foot went on first followed by my right, I stood still on ot for a few moments before moving my weight slight toe to heel, moving 4-5 ft along the wall.

Im not sure if this is normal or not, but I felt an overwhelming urge to try to "steer" and over balance  on it....is this normal for the rest of you when u first started? I've never been on one before and hadnt even seen one until a few weeks ago, when I decided I must have one.

I figure atm Im probably best to just keep working back to front along a ledge or a wall maybe stretching the distance out a little over the next few days.

Two questions if i may:

1. Its prompting my to do a Firmware upgrade to 1.2.7 what are your thoughts?

and 

2. The protection stips dont seem to stick to the pads with the double sided tape they have supplied? I might need to source other tape maybe..

Anyway, just thought Id let you all know how a dead set novice has gone with his 9BO in the first hr of ever having one...

thanks for any advice...

Phil

 

 

 

[dpong]

#1 Don't upgrade the firmware.  There are reports of failures.  Report back to the forum which firmware version you have.   1.2.6 was a disaster, and 1.2.7 has some detractors. 

Overbalancing is normal at first.  You can learn to trust it to balance you front to back over time.  Just never trust it *too much* as failures are always possible, and are reported fairly frequently in our fair forum. 

3M makes some great double-sided tape. 

If you feel like you will never be able to ride it, then you are in the normal zone.  You will. 

[Phil Wright]

Thanks dp, mine came with 1.2.6, so the question is if 6 is a disaster, what is it about 6 that I need to be aware of.....? 

If its to do with "cutoffs" at 25kmh then Im good as I wont be doing those speeds, what else about 6 is off?

[dpong]

@Phil Wright Phil, there are cutoffs (dangerous cutoffs) reported at less than max speed.  There are some complaints about 1.2.7 but those are more at max speed.  So, in your case I actually would upgrade to 1.2.7.   1.2.6 smashed several regular riders.  See thread on the Ninebot forum  - the sticky that says WARNING!! Don't ride with V1.2.6 Firmware.

That one (1.2.6) seems more deadly than most.  There are reports (see same Ninebot forum) that 1.2.7 has cutoff issues too, but the riders here seem to be saying that they were pushing the limits more than the 1.2.6 users were.

I wouldn't ride 1.2.6 if my life depended on it, and apparently it does.  Do your research in the Ninebot sub-forum.      

[Colestien]

    There are several good Posts here about learning to ride.  My suggestion would be do it with someone.  Sometime in the house to get the forward and back down, Then with someone next to you, slow walks in a parking lot.  I'm in a real small town so we just took over the street.  When my son and I started we took turns doing it by ourselves.   We hung onto the side of our pickup, walked down the side gaining speed, and shot away from the truck to see how far we could go.   We learned that way, but I wouldn't suggest you doing that.  It is painful.  With my Daughter and friend I had them use the truck to get up, and then put a hand on my shoulder.   I would just walk (or jog) at their speed.  At first they relied on me a lot, but that changed quickly.  In fact I'm surprised at how quickly they caught on.      

[Viktiga]

3 hours ago, Phil Wright said:

Thanks dp, mine came with 1.2.6, so the question is if 6 is a disaster, what is it about 6 that I need to be aware of.....? 

If its to do with "cutoffs" at 25kmh then Im good as I wont be doing those speeds, what else about 6 is off?

I would update to 1.27 just because 1.26 apparently isn't available and has a lot of user's complaining about shut off's. Sure there is some users that has experienced troubles with 1.27 but not nearly as many as for 1.26.

[Jag_Rip]

Update, 1.2.6 is known to fry the mosfets on more than one case. So it will break you and your bot. Dont ride on 1.2.6!

[Phil Wright]

Hi all, Ive just downloaded the 1.2.7 Firmware as suggested on here, Im going to get an "eye hook"with a screw attachment and attach a support strap to help with balance....end of day 1 my observations are:

1. I feel like Im learning to ride a bike for the first time

2. My inner calves are killing me

3. My highly polished hardwood floors in my appt have copped a hammering and I think i need to move things outdoors

4. Im determined tomorrow will be a little better

[Viktiga]

1 hour ago, Phil Wright said:

2. My inner calves are killing me

Beginner tip: Buy some shinguards for soccer(or Football in case someone's offended /other sport) also buy socks while your at it. It will help.

 

[minone]

3 hours ago, Phil Wright said:

 

2. My inner calves are killing me

 

Put some paddings on the wheel.

[Paddylaz]

Phil! First of all congrats on getting the N20.....looks like the Gods were smiling on you. Here's my selection of tips that many may agree or disagree with:

1) Keep at it. The learning curve goes difficult,difficult,difficult,still difficult....and then something clicks suddenly and you've got it. So yeah, actually quite similar to riding a bike.

2) things like the leash and/or the training wheels aren't particularly helpful. Some might even say they hinder your learning because you can't be relying on them

3) remember, like a bike, you can't stay on the wheel unless it's moving. You have to have that initial momentum.

4) Have a beer. Seriously. When you're tense you will over compensate and 'do the arm dance', which doesn't help. You need to be relaxed. That's why your calves and ankles are killing too because you're clinging on super tightly. Maximum two beers.......?

 

5) I tried learning by myself for 2 hours and got nowhere. Then I did this, and I was doing circuits of a tennis court in 12-15 minutes:

Have someone walk with you, with your hand placed around the top of their wrist. Go with him/her in straight lines, then gentle circles, then straight lines again. After a while, you'll be able to tell whether you're balancing yourself or whether your partner is balancing you by observing the amount of pressure you're needing to place on your friend/partner's wrist.

In other words you'll start off with a tight grip and aim to keep loosening it until you're hanging on with just a finger and fore thumb. Then when ready, you can let go. Genuinely 12-15 minutes of that (you need a patient friend!) and I had it.

 

[Phil Wright]

UPDATE DAY 2, UPDATE DAY 2.......

Got home from work and decided to get down into my city Appt basement carpark and do a bit of work on the 9BO.

I found a strap from a luggage bag and secured it around the handle, and used it as support as I continued my first few hrs on the wheel...I noticed that after a while my hold on the strap was causing me to "steer" the Bot, so I totally relaxed my hold on it so it was doing nothing but stopping the unit hitting the ground and scuffing up, and strangley my riding immediately improved.

From a standing start my best effort on Day 2 was a straight roll of 20 mtrs, (ok, ok stop laughing)..... for me though that was a huge effort considering my total ride time wouldnt be more than about 3hrs total....

thanks Paddy for your tips, especially about having a few beers before i ride, I like that tip...

cheers mate

[Jag_Rip]

Beer to prepare and another one afterwards as a reward! Great job!

[Phil Wright]

Yeah Jag, actually I couldnt get over how sweaty I got after 40 min workout on it....jesus felt like id been to the gym...

i know 20 mtrs isnt far but its only day 2, my bot isnt too scuffed up so Im happy about that...roll on day 3...

thanks everyone contributing to this thread, any advice is greatly appreciated for this complete novice....

cheers everyone and thanks once again...

[Rafał]

Keep on riding, after 2 days of learning I felt confident enough to travel work for the first time (~4km one way). I started early to avoid crowds and I have to say going work was completely different story when compared to going back home. It is only 4km but way back home was much easier. My legs muscles after first week were in pain because my road is rough and legs are working out a lot. Right now they just got used to travels and it is not much worse than walking. 

[Ed]

One thing I noticed while learning is that your Achile's heel will tire out faster if your heels aren't "mostly" on the pedals.  You want to be standing in a relaxed manner instead of feeling like you're on your toes while riding.

I've faceplanted twice so far, the first time I didn't have safety gear.  I'm glad I did for the 2nd time, road rash on your hands and elbows are no fun!

Also, congrats on your purchase! Fun times ahead! 

[Jag_Rip]

Someone posted a video about their learning progress and they started with Helmet, Bike-Leatherjacket and protective pants, after half of the video the jacket went away, later the pants and they were sweating a lot beneath. Thats totally normal, I had the same problem in the beginning. All muscles were on full alert and working out hard. My training sessions lasted between 15 and 45 minutes until my legs hurt enough. I left it for the day and picked it up the next or even later, depending if I got bruises.

Now with 6 months of daily riding, I am riding relaxed on the bot as if I was standing somewhere waiting for the bus.. So its going to get better with more experience. Just try to relax as soon and as much as possible, dont stay tense.

[Phil Wright]

Update Day 4 - 

Ive actually had it 4 days but my App tells me Ive only had 3hrs of "ON" time

Yesterday I took the advice of one rider here and went over to a park close to where I live, I thought itd be quite difficult on grass, but actually felt that because it was more "cushioned" ride was easier for me. I did a number of 30-40 mtr rides, still trying to sort out the turning skills but Im sure they'll come.

I decided I wanted the same "feel" on hard ground, so experimented a bit with the setting, and put it onto 6.

Went back to the park today for a quick 30 min, the park has a sealed path through it, and it and I pulled off a 300mtr ride, slightly uphill and with a cpl of turns, and then back again....WOW.....I was stoked.

i know for most of you, that will not be all that exciting, but for me, who a cpl days earlier got on it for the first time ever, it was a huge step, and people were watching too, which made it even a little more daunting.

Each day for me is getting better, Im a bit time poor, but even 30 min is giving me some great feedback.

Cheers to you all, and have a great day,

Phil

Melbourne

[Viktiga]

6 hours ago, Phil Wright said:

i know for most of you, that will not be all that exciting, but for me, who a cpl days earlier got on it for the first time ever, it was a huge step, and people were watching too, which made it even a little more daunting.

 

To be completely honest I was ready to quit the first day, the only thing keeping me in the game was that i saw 12 yo boys driving with no problem

[Thumper0511]

Well done Phil - the trick to it is simply perseverance.  You are doing all the right things - car park basements are great especially when almost empty to help with wide turns with nice smooth floors.  A few things which helped me (and I still check now) are: (by the way this is just my experience your's may be totally different ;-)  )

Slightly bent legs

Relaxed and not tense helps with micro corrections to balance

let the Ninebot move between your calves

Turn by pointing your hips in the direction you want to go - leaning is secondary to this (if you're going a little faster)

When you get on start with you unmounted foot parallel with the pedal.  Don't try and 'hop' on but rather slowly do a very small push off (with your unmounted foot) lifting your heel and bending your toes then slowly place onto pedal.  The temptation is to hop on and this is ok on nice even surfaces but next to a curb where there is camber or on bumpy ground it's much harder as you start off unbalanced.

Don't always roll up to the edge of a curb when crossing a road, look for a post or something to hold onto which may be a few feet back from the edge (as long as you can see if it's clear) - you could be 6 foot away from the edge it doesn't matter but easier than dismounting and remounting all the time.

Don't put hands in pockets as you can;t get them out quick enough to break your fall (I know this the hard way)

Always wear wrist protectors (tripple 8 are good) as a minimum - it's too late after a fall to put them on.  I didn't to start with and after 3 proper falls almost broke my wrist

If it rains where you are put some grip tape on the foot plates - much better :-)

Make it a habit of checking battery connections once every couple of weeks - it sounds paranoid but you won't care about being paranoid if the unit every cuts out.

Don't be scared to take a look inside (look at the Speedyfeet tear down video first though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WfZPrHDLZ0) - it's not rocket science and, for me, it now feels like there isn't anything that I couldn't fix/replace myself.  

Only use the handle to lift it up and down - not laterally - I bent my handle bracket and had to replace as it became weak and wobbled allot... and you don't want the handle snapping off whilst walking down a long flight of steps...

There is more but these are the things I could thing of off top of my head :-)

Well done so far and happy riding - the Ninebot One's are great as long as you don't test their tolerances as they DO bite back...

 

 

[Phil Wright]

Thanks Thumper and Viktiga, appreciate your comments. i'll be riding in downtown Melbourne CBD so my speeds will be well and truly under control.

At the moment, Im able to mount it without holding onto anything which is great, but will continue to work on my smoother mounting over the coming weeks, as I feel that Im "hopping" onto to it rather making a smooth transition.

i guess my fear at the beginning was that if I pushed off on it as I tried to get on it, it could "get away from me" and Id stumble. 

My inner calves are sore atm too but from what Im reading on here thats the norm.

All things considered, Im pretty happy with whete Im at atm with it, and will just continue to get as much riding time in between 3 jobs as I can..

cheers and all the best

Phil

[drmrw]

Also, don't look down because that's where you'll go! Look where you want to go. Also, I found that when turning try not lean your body. I keep mine upright and just kind of push the ninebot to the side by bending the knee opposite to the way you're turning so if turning left the left leg straightens a bit and the right knee bends slightly. At least that feels comfortable for me. Don't worry, soon enough you won't be fighting it you'll just be enjoying it! Also go over bumps and cracks with confidence, as it can handle most bumps and cracks with no problem. you might wanna bend the knees a bit when going over speed bumps/cracks/etc. Congrats on your purchase!

[JFP9]

I have a 9BE+ on order, hopefully it will come quickly (I ordered it from NineBotUS). 

My Question: Is it better to start out on grass and gravitate to the road, or better to start on the road (sidewalk) and move over to the grass?  Also, I see lots of different opinions on the tire pressure for newbies (I will be one), is it better to have it lower tire pressure then go with higher tire pressure, or just keep it at the recommended tire pressure and learn from that level?

Cheers, Jim

 

[Cranium]

I received my ninebot one e+ last Thursday night.  

I have experience riding unicycles and self balancing devices so my learning curve was accelerated and I was able to ride it within about 5 minutes.  The starts is what required a learning curve.   After about 30 minutes, the adrenaline subsided and allowed me to start to relax and start really riding.  I was able to turn without issue but not yet at the point of doing sharp turns and going in circles.  The first evening, I put on about 3 miles.

The following day (Friday) I was able to go through the neighborhood and continued to work on turning and starts.  I rode about 6 miles this day.  at the end of the day I was able to do tight figure eights and circle around a manhole cover.  

The next learning curve is riding backwards.  This isn't coming naturally and I'm having to develop this skill.  I'm using a strap on the handle because I come off of EU quite often right now.  But I'm sure I'll get it quickly enough.

I broke my handle last night while warming up and riding around my cul-de-sac on the sidewalk.  I cut a corner a little tight and not even at a fast speed, lost my balance a bit so stepped off the ninebot.  It tumbled and hit the handle just right (it was lowered) and broke off.  Quite disappointing.  The design of the handle is pathetic.  It is cast metal that isn't very sturdy and they have reduced it's strength even more by having a screw go through the middle.  Where they tapped for the screw is exactly where it broke.  It is a bit hard to explain so I'll take a picture tonight and post it in a new thread.   

But overall, I'm having a blast.  I'm going to commute to work at some point but will wait until I have going backwards down pretty good beforehand.  I have ordered a new handle but at some point will also order a new shell to get the Ninebot factory fresh looking again once I'm through the learning curve.  

Has anyone used the kickstand? 

[Phil Wright]

Thanks all for your helpful tips...

JFP9, Ive only had 4 hrs of riding time on mine, but am now at a point where I can easily ride 300-400 mtrs without any great 

issues. Turning is still something im working on...I got a tip on here that riding on grass was helpful, as it gives you a bit of resistance, and getting used to bumps and humps is good also.

i have my ride setting atm set at 6 as I feel for me it "cushions" my ride a bit....I just found that 0 was a bit too reactive and twitchy for me....Im hoping over time to get it back down to 0-1 in time.

- the main thing for me was getting my head around the fact that I could in fact ride on 1 wheel... One day whilst sitting with my wheel with the power off, it was interesting to see how "loose" the wheel was as it rocked back and forth....I then turned it on, and  when the gyro kicked in it was re assuring to notice that it was impossible to now pull it down at the front and at the back.

I just remind myself now, that the wheel WANTS TO STAY LEVEL, so just get on it, relax and lean either slightly fwd or back.

hope that helps from a raw beginner perspective