How to ride an electric unicycle - understanding the dynamics

[erk1024]

11 hours ago, GMan said:

wheel starts to wobble

Do you mean a side to side wobble like speed wobble? Or do you mean you're losing your balance? Two different things with two different remedies.

If you are experiencing a braking (speed) type wobble, then it can help to keep your legs straighter as you brake. At least that helps for me. Whenever I bend my knees, there is more possibility of speed or brake wobble.

If you're losing your balance as you go slow, then you need to do a better job of tilting the wheel between your legs to balance. A wider stance on the wheel give more room for tilting it.

[GMan]

Thanks for you advice. I’ll try to pay attention and see if I am bending my knees. I think it’s a balance issue. I’ll be fine and As I slow down to stop I’ll get a wobble.

[Jean eRide.ie Community]

On 8/17/2019 at 2:19 AM, GMan said:

Thanks for you advice. I’ll try to pay attention and see if I am bending my knees. I think it’s a balance issue. I’ll be fine and As I slow down to stop I’ll get a wobble.

I also recommend you check this out, lots of tips for whichever you're struggling with or whatever you want to learn. 

https://eucriding.blogspot.com

[Blicky Te⚡️la]

Day 2 for me and having a blast (though my inner calf kills) I can ride straight fine, turns are tricky. I kind of lean my body and wheel....it’s not smooth...somewhat choppy. Other times it’s a huge looping turn. 

Turn tips? 

[Retrovertigo]

Tight turns are working best for me now (on a Z10) using the - one leg straight, the other bent - style. I still feel like I could tip off though (even though I haven't yet) and haven't quite got the hang of actually doing it in a tight space. 

If it is an open area I can turn quite sharply now, but if I try the same thing in a narrow section, I suddenly feel like I'll fall off and so stop myself. Even though I can turn tightly enough to actually make it.

[stephen]

1 hour ago, Retrovertigo said:

Tight turns are working best for me now (on a Z10) using the - one leg straight, the other bent - style. I still feel like I could tip off though (even though I haven't yet) and haven't quite got the hang of actually doing it in a tight space. 

If it is an open area I can turn quite sharply now, but if I try the same thing in a narrow section, I suddenly feel like I'll fall off and so stop myself. Even though I can turn tightly enough to actually make it.

You'll soon get the hang of it the z10 is the master of tight turns 👍 twist the top half of your body and the wheel follows you , your doing well 👍

[Retrovertigo]

4 minutes ago, stephen said:

You'll soon get the hang of it the z10 is the master of tight turns 👍 twist the top half of your body and the wheel follows you , your doing well 👍

Cheers mate. I am at a point now where I want to properly take to the roads to have a real good ride (well, as far as I get before my feet start to ache ) but while they are empty I have insomnia so about this time (5am) or even earlier (maybe 3am) I want to get kitted up and go wandering around and get used to the various road surfaces. 

The one thing I haven't had a chance to practice yet, and that I think will be a touch tricky, is hills. There is a cycle path near me that is a decent length, but is quite undulating. I'm wondering what it will be like the first time I go down a reasonably steep section!

[stephen]

37 minutes ago, Retrovertigo said:

Cheers mate. I am at a point now where I want to properly take to the roads to have a real good ride (well, as far as I get before my feet start to ache ) but while they are empty I have insomnia so about this time (5am) or even earlier (maybe 3am) I want to get kitted up and go wandering around and get used to the various road surfaces. 

The one thing I haven't had a chance to practice yet, and that I think will be a touch tricky, is hills. There is a cycle path near me that is a decent length, but is quite undulating. I'm wondering what it will be like the first time I go down a reasonably steep section!

I'm up at 5 but i fought i could get kitted up and go riding 😁 even though the roads are quiet , the z10 isn't the best at braking on steep downhills so get a feel for it first, as long as there's no sections where you don't have to make a sudden stop but it's a bike path so should be fine ,, I'm taking my Z10 to Blackpool tommow there's a few of us meeting , we don't go mad it's just a chilled ride if your confident around a load of cyclist, ride the lights at Blackpool 👍

Edited August 26, 2019 by stephen

[Retrovertigo]

1 minute ago, stephen said:

I'm up at 5 but i fought i could get muted up and go riding 😁 even though the roads are quiet , the z10 isn't the best at braking on steep downhills so get a feel for it first, as long as there's no sections where you don't have to make a sudden stop but it's a bike path so should be fine ,, I'm taking my Z10 to Blackpool tommow there's a few of us meeting , we don't go mad it's just a chilled ride if your confident around a load of cyclist, ride the lights at Blackpool 👍

Thanks matey. I would love to do the Blackpool ride, but I can't ride for long stints yet as my legs hurt too much (due to a  motorcycle accident - when I talk about getting out early here, I suspect a mile or so will be the max before I need to take breaks) and also travelling is difficult for me sadly. Just make sure you film it and get it posted here (please  )

[stephen]

18 minutes ago, Retrovertigo said:

Thanks matey. I would love to do the Blackpool ride, but I can't ride for long stints yet as my legs hurt too much (due to a  motorcycle accident - when I talk about getting out early here, I suspect a mile or so will be the max before I need to take breaks) and also travelling is difficult for me sadly. Just make sure you film it and get it posted here (please  )

Will deffo be getting some footage,, had a couple of bikes myself until i came off 😬 so then i thought these are a bit dangerous ,,, well other drivers are 👍,,, what will be less dangerous so i bought a one wheel with a motor 😂😂 never had so much fun though and explore more 👍

[Blicky Te⚡️la]

On 8/25/2019 at 10:48 PM, Retrovertigo said:

Tight turns are working best for me now (on a Z10) using the - one leg straight, the other bent - style. I still feel like I could tip off though (even though I haven't yet) and haven't quite got the hang of actually doing it in a tight space. 

If it is an open area I can turn quite sharply now, but if I try the same thing in a narrow section, I suddenly feel like I'll fall off and so stop myself. Even though I can turn tightly enough to actually make it.

What are other turn styles? (turnstyles 😊)

[meepmeepmayer]

1 hour ago, General Principle said:

What are other turn styles? (turnstyles 😊)

 

[M640x]

I thought I'd chime in since I'm a complete newb and have spent a total of an hour on my wheel.  I took it out in the yard for the first time yesterday.  I have been watching

videos and reading info on here as much as I can.  All of the info is helpful.  I started by just standing on the wheel while holding on to a car.  I moved forward and backward only about

2 feet for 2 minutes to get used to the feel of the wheel.  I then circled the car slowly while hanging on for dear life, lol.  I did that approx. 5 times.  I then said what the heck, let's go

out into the yard.  To my amazement, I was able to go straight for approx. 30 feet before I had to jump off the wheel.

I did that a number of times.  I'd go across the yard, stop and step off, turn the wheel around with my hands, and continue the other way.  I continued that for an hour.

I got very proficient at starting and stopping and going straight.  It's comical to watch though.  I posted in another thread that it looks like a buzzard in a hurricane

the way that I'm flapping my arms to stay balanced.    I'm still working on turning.  I've tried it a number of times and yeah, that's going to take a lot more time.

 

I ride a Onewheel and learned to ride it in grass.  The time in the grass built a skill level that transferred directly to the street because the grass is harder to navigate through.

Plus the grass is more forgiving on my 55 year old body and the wheel lol.  

[mrelwood]

Great work, Senior!

Quote

I'm still working on turning.

To severely cut down on the time it takes to learn how to turn by oneself, try to let this old video sink in:

The second method is how slow speed (= practice speed) turning happens.

Do note that tilting the wheel between your legs like this requires some room, so if your feet are firmly planted next to the shell of the wheel, now is the time to spread them out an inch.

[M640x]

I've been working on this every day for hours and I've got this turning down.  I can actually turn better than going straight.  Still wobbly going straight but I can turn this thing pretty tight.

[Retrovertigo]

I must admit I am still finding the camber on the local streets here to be a right royal pain in the backside. It doesn't look that bad, but compared to videos I see of guys here riding in other countries, it's like riding on an upside down halfpipe! 

It makes me much more unstable than I am when riding on a flat surface. In fact I reckon on the flat, and turning, I could ride indefinitely (foot pain allowing!) but cambers are my nemesis.

[The Fat Unicyclist]

1 hour ago, Senior Coffee said:

I've been working on this every day for hours and I've got this turning down.  I can actually turn better than going straight.  Still wobbly going straight but I can turn this thing pretty tight.

When you ride straight, just carve side to side... Then it just becomes a series of turns, which you have already stated that you can deal with!   

21 minutes ago, Retrovertigo said:

I must admit I am still finding the camber on the local streets here to be a right royal pain in the backside. It doesn't look that bad, but compared to videos I see of guys here riding in other countries, it's like riding on an upside down halfpipe! 

It makes me much more unstable than I am when riding on a flat surface. In fact I reckon on the flat, and turning, I could ride indefinitely (foot pain allowing!) but cambers are my nemesis.

The Z10 is notorious for this... What is your tyre pressure set to ?

[Retrovertigo]

10 minutes ago, The Fat Unicyclist said:

When you ride straight, just carve side to side... Then it just becomes a series of turns, which you have already stated that you can deal with!   

The Z10 is notorious for this... What is your tyre pressure set to ?

I've been fiddling with tyre pressures for a while, and at the moment have settled on 23psi. I know that is higher than some have it, but based on my weight (95kg appx) anything less started to feel a bit too squashy and squirmy. Would you recommend something different?

[The Fat Unicyclist]

1 minute ago, Retrovertigo said:

I've been fiddling with tyre pressures for a while, and at the moment have settled on 23psi. I know that is higher than some have it, but based on my weight (95kg appx) anything less started to feel a bit too squashy and squirmy. Would you recommend something different?

Now that is like asking whether you should wear boxers or briefs...  And before all of you jump in with exactly that recommendation - STOP!

Every rider is different. For the Z10, I have heard some people say that more tyre pressure is the answer, while some say that less is better! I suggest that you find a good route that is repersentative of your regular riing and try it at 35psi, 30psi, 25psi, 20psi and even 15psi...

As you go, note down your thoughts... If you like it less as it gets softer then focus on higher pressures, and vice versa...

Ian at Speedyfeet has just released a 650 km review on the Z10, with comments about the difference between riding on and off road... Have a look at that and see if you think you should tweak things as a result...

[Planemo]

I saw Ians vid today. I dont agree with everything he says but he was right on saying (words similar to) "The Z10 is like a bowling ball running down a gutter, bouncing off the sides".

Probably the best way of describing the Z10 handling I have seen lol

Narrow (1 foot or less) gravel paths with turf on either side are a bloody nightmare on the Z. I know cos I did about 5 miles of them today. It became tiresome in the end.

And I run 14psi all the time.

Its deffo not an offroad wheel, even on low pressure. My buddy on an msx wasnt even trying on the paths whilst I was fighting and cursing with the Z just trying to keep in a straight line. It knackered me more than the other 20 miles of smooth stuff.

At least one thing though, the Z is still the best looking wheel in the world 😭

[Retrovertigo]

Yeah I had seen Ian's video yesterday. I was interested in what he might say, especially as I bought my Z10 from him. But I was confident going in, that I'd know exactly what he thought of it, and I was right. Like Planemo, and despite me being a beginner, I don't agree with everything he said. You only need to see somebody like Rober Ace riding the Z10 to see what a beast it can be  

I'm cool with it being a wheel you need to manhandle, as that is how I liked my motorbikes. I like the physical aspect and having to put the effort in order to get something back from the wheel. I guess I am an aggressive rider - when it comes to motorbikes for sure - and maybe that just isn't Ian's style. But hey, he has years more experience than me so what do I know. I don't have any frame of reference, as this is my first wheel and I haven't even owned it 2 months yet

Will definitely still experiment with those tyre pressures though. I bought a rechargeable pump so that adjusting it up and down is pretty painless!

[The Fat Unicyclist]

13 minutes ago, Planemo said:

At least one thing though, the Z is still the best looking wheel in the world 😭

Sometimes "form over function" is worth the pain!
Just ask any woman wearing a stilleto heal!

[Retrovertigo]

It's weird how some things suddenly click out of nowhere. Just been out for a little spin on my street and the adjacent side street where it's nice and quiet (having said that, just as I was going back into my flat, I saw a police van pulling out of the retirement home car park next door. Narrowly avoided having to possibly explain myself to Mr Plod ) anyway, found that by just giving little nudges with my knees on the wheel, is much better for dealing with the camber, than trying to constantly steer against it. Up until now I have not really been gripping the wheel with my legs.

 And from having my feet feel like they were welded to the footplates when I was riding, I suddenly found myself relaxing my legs and just shuffling my feet around to ease the foot ache. I have several metal pins in my feet as well as having had tendon operations, so I suspect my foot ache will take a while to ease off. My new Skechers help a lot though.

[Planemo]

Yeah you dont grip the Z in general at all. The only time my legs touch the wheel is when cornering fast (the outside leg rests on the wheel) or when fighting cambers when the wheel wants to do the hokey cokey between your legs so it constantly touches one leg or the other with the oppostite knee bending at the same time.

Good work on the feet. They are indeed welded when starting out. Over time you will relax and be able to nudge them around a bit (by putting more and more weight on the opposite leg) to get the correct positioning without the help of a lamp post. Eventually you may end up being able to ride one legged 😊

In any event, over time you really need to be able to adjust not only front to back pressure but side to side also, as when cornering at speed on the Z you really need to hang off and the only way to get your inside knee in the correct position is to tilt you foot into the corner so that your weight is along the outside edge of your foot, not along the bottom.

[Phong Vu]

After 4 days, I finally can drive my wheel at ease.
Fast, slow, turning, carving, up hill, down hill, stop, etc.. of course some more training will be needed before I can confidently drive in traffic.

The only problem I got now is pain in arch (bottom) of foot and ankle after driving for around 15, 20 min.
The pain only go away if I stop and rest for 1,2 minutes.

Could I ask if anyone experienced the same thing when you start driving?
If you do, what's most likely the problem, and how can I fix it?

Any advice and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.