Introduction and first wheel advice.

[Unventor]

Nice to hear your very first wheel impression. 

I have been riding short at summer time. Two things... 

The weight yep it feels heavy but most of the time when not riding it you are like to trolley it. And you get used to it, after a while you don't think that much of it. 

Secound, you will feel things on legs and your body as you start to ride. But you will get use to this too. At first you might get some bruising on your legs as where the wheel touch since your body is not yet accustom to this. It it normal and will be a non issue soon. A few weeks from now that wise smile will become a permanent super grin. 😁 The only grounding will be when you think back why you didn't jump on this before you did. 😉

As for the shorts.... 

The benafit with helmet is it hides that I am almost 50 years now. Most think I am early 30ish. Not that it matters but I still get many funny reactions. Like when going shopping at a local DIY store. This elderly lady just looked at the wheen then me, saying woha that is smart. I think she saw me riding up to the shop as me meet just inside the entrance. My reply: yep and it can go upto 50kmh...

Hope we see more of your new adventures 🙏👍. 

[alcatraz]

Put some air in the tire and give it a squeeze. You will want to play with air pressure soon. It will affect how the wheel behaves. Too high pressure = it turns on a dime nervously and bounces around. Too low pressure = you have to muscle it to turn and it just feels sloppy.

Maybe set a low speed limit through the app to feel how tiltback works.

I tied a strong string/rope/band to the handle that you can hold while learning. This so that when you need to jump off the thing won't just continue or land on it's side.

If you'd like to keep the finish nice and shiny. Now is the time for protective padding.

Have fun.

[mrelwood]

17 minutes ago, alcatraz said:

I tied a strong string/rope/band to the handle that you can hold while learning.

Anyone (still) doing this, make sure the leash is long enough that you have ample room to sway your hands here and there. Otherwise it disturbs you from finding balance, and slows down the learning process. Just look at the hands of any leashless learner.

I saw this first hand when a local rider was stuck in the learning process for weeks, and only after removing the leash he could advance.

[alcatraz]

Yeah, there shouldn't be any tension on it while riding. 

[travsformation]

8 hours ago, bigwave said:

The 18XL is in the House!!! Some observations.....

This is the first time I have actually seen an EUC live. I'm blown away how heavy it is...lol.  I am smiling from ear to ear. I gave it a try for a little bit, first in the kitchen doing the circle and then in our lengthy 12ft hallway ,rocking forward and back. Shorts are not a smart move right off the bat. I wore some hair off my upper calf area. Clearly you guys didn't tell me everything! This is the best Valentines present ever!!!

Congrats on getting your first EUC, bigwave! And what a wheel you got!

If you're smiling now, just wait until it "clicks" and you're finally riding...

6 hours ago, alcatraz said:

I tied a strong string/rope/band to the handle that you can hold while learning. This so that when you need to jump off the thing won't just continue or land on it's side.

I used my dog's retractable leash while learning, to prevent a runaway wheel (very hilly area) and it worked great. Just loop the end around the trolley handle. The leash extends when you raise your arms and picks up the slack when you lower it. When you fall/dismount, you have a 5m margin to press the "lock" button, so there isn't an instant tug

BTW, I've moved this thread to the brand-new "Which electric unicycle to get?" section, as there's a lot of very useful information in this thread that I think a lot of other newcomers looking for their first wheel (or an upgrade) could benefit from.

@bigwave, I encourage you to create a new thread, logging your learning process, in the also shiny-new section "learning to ride", so it'll be easy to find for other new riders

[bigwave]

14 hours ago, alcatraz said:

Put some air in the tire and give it a squeeze. You will want to play with air pressure soon. It will affect how the wheel behaves. Too high pressure = it turns on a dime nervously and bounces around. Too low pressure = you have to muscle it to turn and it just feels sloppy.

Maybe set a low speed limit through the app to feel how tiltback works.

I tied a strong string/rope/band to the handle that you can hold while learning. This so that when you need to jump off the thing won't just continue or land on it's side.

If you'd like to keep the finish nice and shiny. Now is the time for protective padding.

Have fun.

Thank you for the advice!. The tire pressure was 25 psi out of the box. I increased it to 45 psi. I'm not sure about the rope/leash. A video I watch by Chooch on YouTube was all in on the leash for learning. There is a Kitesurfing product called the Eel leash which is retractable(similar to a dog leash) that might be good. It can go on a belt and totally hands free until you need to grab it. 

I did get a Roll.nz cover included with the wheel which I put on today. Really nice product! fits perfect.

@travsformation great tip on the dog leash. I will start a new thread when I can get outside. Just being on the wheel a second time this morning has made me feel more comfortable. Even in my little hallway its a workout! 

[MDMason]

I am surprised very few mentioned the V10 as a first wheel. It is $800 to $1000 dollars less expensive than the wheels mentioned. Is it really that bad? 

[mike_bike_kite]

I think it's because the V10 only used to have a 650Wh battery which was quite small for the size and cost of the wheel. The V10F offers better value with a 960Wh battery. Things have changed a little recently because the the V10 has recently started shipping with a 750Wh battery and the price has reduced a bit.

I find it a bit weird that beginners are often recommended the most expensive wheels out there. I accept the argument that a high end wheel will continue to be useful after learning but I'd just ask - how many folk here bought a new high end car to learn to drive in? I'm guessing no-one. I'm the same size, and nearly the same age, as the OP but I bought a lowly V5F to learn on. It made it easy to learn on and I didn't feel heartbroken every time I dropped it. A big advantage of the Inmotion wheels in general is they have a fairly inexpensive cover available for them which protects them during the learning phase. The disadvantage of learning on any cheaper, less capable, wheel is that you soon hit it's limits and feel the need to upgrade. For me that was less than a month but I live in London and found it fairly easy to sell the wheel.

[MDMason]

After a lot of research and help from this forum I purchased a Mten as a first wheel.  My rationale was it’s a wheel I can enjoy during and after the learning phase as you can operate it at a very slow speed (almost at a stand still) so the falling offs aren’t so dramatic.

I’m now looking for my next wheel and for $1000 the V10 is looking very attractive. You get a 2.5 tire and a 2000 motor. The only hesitation is the 650 battery. Distance is not my goal as recreation is how it will be used, but safety is. So this is my only hesitation on purchasing. (I’m the same weight as the OP) But if I do, I will have two wheels for the price of one of the unit’s discussed here.

 

 

[mike_bike_kite]

The problem for you though will be that both wheels will have almost the same range so you wouldn't be getting the full benefit of having two wheels. If you saved a few dollars more and you could perhaps get an Gotway MSX 84v 1600Wh or perhaps even last years model Nikola. 

[mrelwood]

 

7 hours ago, mike_bike_kite said:

how many folk here bought a new high end car to learn to drive in?

It’s about the life expectancy of the purchase. Would you have bought a car you’d be selling in less than a month? I’m guessing no...

If the EUC was comparable to a car, the cheaper ones would already be safe enough, fast enough, and go far enough for most riders. But they don’t.

These aspects make it worthwhile to at least seriously consider a single purchase EUC instead of two.

[bigwave]

16 hours ago, mike_bike_kite said:

I think it's because the V10 only used to have a 650Wh battery which was quite small for the size and cost of the wheel. The V10F offers better value with a 960Wh battery. Things have changed a little recently because the the V10 has recently started shipping with a 750Wh battery and the price has reduced a bit.

I find it a bit weird that beginners are often recommended the most expensive wheels out there. I accept the argument that a high end wheel will continue to be useful after learning but I'd just ask - how many folk here bought a new high end car to learn to drive in? I'm guessing no-one. I'm the same size, and nearly the same age, as the OP but I bought a lowly V5F to learn on. It made it easy to learn on and I didn't feel heartbroken every time I dropped it. A big advantage of the Inmotion wheels in general is they have a fairly inexpensive cover available for them which protects them during the learning phase. The disadvantage of learning on any cheaper, less capable, wheel is that you soon hit it's limits and feel the need to upgrade. For me that was less than a month but I live in London and found it fairly easy to sell the wheel.

@mike_bike_kite I was recommend the 18XL by several of the members on the forum here after I initially asked about the 16x and the Nikola. My research was based on YouTube reviews of various wheels. I didn't ask about less expensive wheels. I think an Mten will be in my wife's future ;)...lol

I'm very grateful to the forum members who helped me with my decision to purchase the 18XL. Like I said, this 18XL is the first and only wheel I have ever seen live. I'm very impressed with it.Still , blown away by the weight but I'm getting more use to it every time I get on it. Due to the weather , I've had a few sessions in my house in our hallway (about 12ft long) . Focusing on the basics. I've improved already and walls are still damage free....lol.

 

 

[alcatraz]

The weight is a kind of necessary must. I crashed riding my previous lightweight wheel at up to 100-105% of it's power.

It was an unnecessary crash and my shoulder hasn't completely recovered. You might wonder why do it? I loved that wheel, been riding it for 3 years and done over 10.000km. Never let me down once until it happened. Snow, rain, arctic temperatures etc.

I recommend everyone out there to always have more power than you need. If you want reliability then ride a wheel at maximum 80-90% of its rated power/speed. Lower if you're heavier. If this means you have to carry 4kg more up stairs then so be it.

This becomes important over lets say 25km/h when injuries are a bit more severe.

Also something rarely mentioned. A powerful wheel stops faster than a less powerful wheel. So if you want to ride alone on a parking lot sure pick anything but in traffic, then get a good safety margin of power reserves.

It might not be a perfect method but a good indication to see what your wheels maximum pick up free speed is. A V8 is 44-45km/h, a tesla is 67km/h. For a light rider maybe take 15km/h off of that. For a heavier maybe 20. That's your 100%. If the speed you get from this is lower than your max set you're in a high risk category.

Edited February 16, 2020 by alcatraz

[mike_bike_kite]

21 hours ago, mrelwood said:

Would you have bought a car you’d be selling in less than a month? I’m guessing no...

You guess correct - I still have the first car I bought 35 years ago! I loved it then and still love it now even if I don't drive it much these days.

[Unventor]

On 2/14/2020 at 7:39 PM, bigwave said:

travsformation great tip on the dog leash. I will start a new thread when I can get outside. Just being on the wheel a second time this morning has made me feel more comfortable. Even in my little hallway its a workout! 

I tried that, you might have seen on my YouTube training videos. It might work for some but for me I did it once, then dropped the idea. 

You can also use a belt or a luggage/suitcase strap. 

I took my KS18L for a ride today in the strongest winds I have ridden so far. 11-12 m/S with much higher gusting winds at times. I were riding around 25-30ish km/h but when going home the back winds were so high that I had reverse airflow in my TSG Pass helmet. That was an odd feeling to say the least. 

So my point here is if I were on a lighter wheel it would be much harder to control in those windy conditions. As this is why I would think twice to buy a light weight whhel these days. My personal tip to people reading this considering their first wheel. 

[MartE]

1 hour ago, Unventor said:

I tried that, you might have seen on my YouTube training videos. It might work for some but for me I did it once, then dropped the idea. 

You can also use a belt or a luggage/suitcase strap. 

I took my KS18L for a ride today in the strongest winds I have ridden so far. 11-12 m/S with much higher gusting winds at times. I were riding around 25-30ish km/h but when going home the back winds were so high that I had reverse airflow in my TSG Pass helmet. That was an odd feeling to say the least. 

So my point here is if I were on a lighter wheel it would be much harder to control in those windy conditions. As this is why I would think twice to buy a light weight whhel these days. My personal tip to people reading this considering their first wheel. 

On the point of the wheelsize. I am mostly on my KS16X now, but I still return to my old 16S sometimes.  Specifically when I know that I need to have just a little help in commuting short distance, or need to hide the wheel somewhere under the table. Totally different wheels, but both are fine to ride. Of course,if I had to pick 1, then no question - 16X is the one for all my needs, city commuting, weekend ride, fun of going off the roads... 

[.....]

A leash on a wheel? Sounds like a dangerous plan for the rider.  My theory was to recall how big my nutz were as a kid riding a bike in the 70's with no pads no helmet and no worries. Im not sure i was even capable of overthinking it back then. You've a wheel cover, and some nuts... go for it! Too much putting your toes in the water before jumping in.  I find mine heavy too, but it assures me that i paid for some big damn batteries at least. Everyday I am enjoying it more and more. After 100 miles, I can finally ride around and not think about the wheel and just enjoy the glide while looking elsewhere.  Ive never had my wheel run away from me, before i could catch it. Only once did it try, and i did realize that it could be dangerous. However, I didnt learn in crowds nor on mountaintops. My fav thing about the wheel is that i can grab it and go in less time than it takes to retie my shoes. My safety gear is doing what mine always does.... gathering dust. I am still fairly certain that the chances of severe injury on my wheel, are much less than it is while I stand on a street corner watching 2,000lb phone booths roll by me. Grats on the 18xl, and great plan on the cover. Let us know when you knock the new off it, get a scratch and get to REALLY enjoy the damn thing, with much less pointless worrying.

Edited February 17, 2020 by ShanesPlanet
A spelling disaster as usual

[bigwave]

3 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

A leash on a wheel? Sounds like a dangerous plan for the rider.  My theory was to recall how big my nutz were as a kid riding a bike in the 70's with no pads no helmet and no worries. Im not sure i was even capable of overthinking it back then. You've a wheel cover, and some nuts... go for it! Too much putting your toes in the water before jumping in.  I find mine heavy too, but it assures me that i paid for some big damn batteries at least. Everyday I am enjoying it more and more. After 100 miles, I can finally ride around and not think about the wheel and just enjoy the glide while looking elsewhere.  Ive never had my wheel run away from me, before i could catch it. Only once did it try, and i did realize that it could be dangerous. However, I didnt learn in crowds nor on mountaintops. My fav thing about the wheel is that i can grab it and go in less time than it takes to retie my shoes. My safety gear is doing what mine always does.... gathering dust. I am still fairly certain that the chances of severe injury on my wheel, are much less than it is while I stand on a street corner watching 2,000lb phone booths roll by me. Grats on the 18xl, and great plan on the cover. Let us know when you knock the new off it, get a scratch and get to REALLY enjoy the damn thing, with much less pointless worrying.

@ShanesPlanet I decided against the leash for my first outdoor ride today. It went pretty well. I posted in the Learning to ride forum. Thank you for your advice again!

 

[alcatraz]

It's good to be cautious but you probably should use the leash for a month or two.

You don't need it when you ride relaxed doing simple riding but when you try to explore what the wheel can do. You know, trying new things.

Every time you jump off and bend down to catch the wheel you take a chance of it slipping away and taking damage.

Also anticipating that reaction to bend down is going to distract the way you should relax when learning.

The leash can't be long enough to get stuck in the wheel should you let go of it. Just long enough so you can stand up straight relaxed with it hanging loosely from your fingers.

It doesn't need to be strong like a dog's leash either. You're not lifting the wheel. Just strong enough so you can keep it upright.

[mrelwood]

6 hours ago, alcatraz said:

It's good to be cautious but you probably should use the leash for a month or two.

You don't need it when you ride relaxed doing simple riding but when you try to explore what the wheel can do. You know, trying new things.

Every time you jump off and bend down to catch the wheel you take a chance of it slipping away and taking damage.

Also anticipating that reaction to bend down is going to distract the way you should relax when learning.

The leash can't be long enough to get stuck in the wheel should you let go of it. Just long enough so you can stand up straight relaxed with it hanging loosely from your fingers.

It doesn't need to be strong like a dog's leash either. You're not lifting the wheel. Just strong enough so you can keep it upright.

You might be underestimating the tumbles these EUCs can handle.

I wholeheartedly disagree with your leash recommendations, and have personally seen the damage a leash can do to the learning process and enjoyment. With the exception of a self-retracting leash used during the first few days of riding, I consider any kind of leash to be a bad idea on an EUC.

[alcatraz]

I'm not worried he'll break the wheel. It will just look like crap after a few tumbles. And the time to learn is longer for us old guys (I include myself @37y ) which means more tumbles or longer learning time compared to the average user.

Location could also play a role. I live in a dense city. Riding anywhere means going into dense traffic and groups of people.

 

 

[travsformation]

42 minutes ago, alcatraz said:

I'm not worried he'll break the wheel. It will just look like crap after a few tumbles.

 

 

That's what the EUC bodyguard is for    That neoprene is impressively tough

[mrelwood]

 

3 hours ago, alcatraz said:

the time to learn is longer for us old guys (I include myself @37y ) which means more tumbles or longer learning time compared to the average user.

Ah, great to see such young blood at the forum!  I learned at 39 yrs, turning 42 in March.

Actually the average rider (or at least forum member) age was astonishingly high. I think even I was a bit younger than average.

More than age, I believe the amount of tumbles is about the learning method and attitude. If you just try to fly without a methodical approach, of course the wheel will tumble like no other. But if you take for example the approach from the marvellous EUCO learning video, you’ll have some balance and grasp of steering already before your first actual ride. And you might not even have more than just a few tumbles altogether.

3 hours ago, alcatraz said:

Location could also play a role. I live in a dense city. Riding anywhere means going into dense traffic and groups of people.

That is a point I didn’t think of. If there isn’t even a park or an empty parking lot available for learning, a leash might indeed be useful for the first few hours of actual riding. But two months? That way the leash itself makes the learning happen so slow that a leash remains ”useful”.

[bigwave]

4 hours ago, alcatraz said:

I'm not worried he'll break the wheel. It will just look like crap after a few tumbles. And the time to learn is longer for us old guys (I include myself @37y ) which means more tumbles or longer learning time compared to the average user.

Location could also play a role. I live in a dense city. Riding anywhere means going into dense traffic and groups of people.

 

 

I dropped the wheel twice yesterday. Once ,after a start I lost balance and the wheel hit the ground. The cover did its job. 

16 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

 

 

More than age, I believe the amount of tumbles is about the learning method and attitude. If you just try to fly without a methodical approach, of course the wheel will tumble like no other. But if you take for example the approach from the marvellous EUCO learning video, you’ll have some balance and grasp of steering already before your first actual ride. And you might not even have more than just a few tumbles altogether.

 

@mrelwood I totally agree with you! I watched that video so many times and it was very instrumental in my progress. I don't agree with learning timeline vs age. Every individual is different. Back in the day when I taught kitesurfing lessons. One of my best ever experiences was with a 62 yr old former professional football(American) player. He listened to my instructions and replicated them perfectly. It was his background that made his ability to learn a very difficult sport faster. Another video I really enjoyed was by Ustride . It was all the basics where he advocated many (30) repetitions of each drill. As everyone knows ,repetition is the key. I play drums(sorta..lol), An amateur plays a song 100 times till he gets it right, a professional plays a song a 1000 times so he can't get it wrong!

My approach even before getting the wheel was about being prepared. I spent lots of time on an Indo Board (Balance Board with Roller) just standing feet close together to enhance my balance. Did it help? I'm sure it did. When I got the wheel, indoors I did the drills, circle ,on off , back and forth, going beside my wall. The only drill I did not do a lot of was the hoping on off beside the wheel. Not enough space. It showed yesterday on my starts cause I was definitely shaky. Thats an important drill. All the preparation resulted in a very successful first ride!

I live in a rural area so finding empty places to ride are no problem. The problem currently is weather! Never believe a rodent who tells you there is an early spring!!!!

[Unventor]

6 hours ago, bigwave said:

I live in a rural area so finding empty places to ride are no problem. The problem currently is weather! Never believe a rodent who tells you there is an early spring!!!!

From your videos I think you benafit in the long run training like you posted. It pushes you to have a sense or where you are going. 

Like you said some are gifted with good listen and learning and then put to practice, whether that be physical activity or language or math. We are all different. 

With your background as an instructor I think you have an more investigation approach compared to some that just jump on and try. Due to this and what you posted as your background I think you will nail this with in a week and ride about as you do on your Pint, onewheel thingy😊 (if I recall it's name right🙄).