First Ride King Song 18XL

[bigwave]

Hi Everyone!

I am the original poster for the thread "Introduction and first wheel advice" . After receiving my King Song 18XL from @Jason McNeil at eWheels on Feb 12th ,the weather was not co operating . The Groundhog lies all the time!!! But, that has turned out to be a good thing. 

I started first in my kitchen ,doing the circle drill to learn control of the wheel with my dominant leg(right). I then moved upstairs to my 12ft long hallway. There I practiced rocking back and forth, going along the wall, stepping on ,stepping off etc. I did this for  3 sessions a day for 4 days . On day 2 I started to try learning starts which I quickly realized will be a challenge. No damage to me and more importantly, the walls( the wife is happy!)

Today was very nice so I thought lets get outside. I went to a local school and found a suitable spot to try. The wife was with me as video director and first responder if things went south! lol

I used the wall initially for a run then just rode beside it. These were my first starts and there a little shaky .

The next video is my first ride without a safety net, aka the wall. First turns too!

It was a very successful first day! I rode a total of 20km . I only dropped the wheel twice, both times starting. I decided against the leash. You will probably get a laugh at my safety gear. I used my hockey equipment . The "Robo Cop" comments were made...lol. I didn't know what to expect so I armoured up! 

So much still to learn. Again ,many thanks to the forum members who took the time to educated me about the EUC! I'm so excited !!!

Edited February 17, 2020 by bigwave
spelling

[Unventor]

@bigwave that it nothing less than awesome looking. Good job on the slight bend in the knees, that is your suspension.

Like I said I don't thing a leach would benafit your much. Main reason your brain it working hard processing this new balance sensation. I found I worried more dropping the wheel than focusing riding it with the leach. Also the leach becomes something you pull at making the balancing part more difficult. 1 or 2 days more you will be zipping about if weather permits it. 

Keep up the great progress and work. 👍👌

About turning. I don't understand French but @Hirsute made some great learning videos. This on is how to control turning.

You need to master/have fair control over 3 things. 

1) mounting and dismounting the wheel. 

2) braking. 

3) turning. 

Once you can do these thing you can start adventureing about. Once you do that you get much more relaxed and it becomes much easier. 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Unventor

[Rywokast]

very nice, man you make that wheel look like a v5 does on me haha

[.....]

Man you are totally getting it! You should already be VERY convinced that youll be great at this in NO TIME! You look much more stable than I was, and very quickly. I hope you are happy with your choice of wheel, as I know its nerve wracking to spend so much on something we know so little about. I had never seen a wheel in person when i got mine. I also realized that as soon as I moved around at all, no return policy available. Wear whatever gear makes you more comfortable.  I'd say to just get out in a huge open lot and quit thinking and just ride. You obviously are past the "i gotta think too damn hard" curve of it all. Your grit and willingness to accept that you may fall (but do it anyhow), is inspiring! Be prepared to all of a sudden be 'the coolest guy ive ever seen' , once some high schoolers see such an OLD MAN, having more fun than a kid does. My age went backwards 10 years after the 10th mile on mine! I steer and stabilize a LOT with my legs on that uber comfy cover. Get you some wide open spaces and get a little more speed up and i bet youll find a great compromise between safety and how damn smooth it gets. If you wobble a lot, just lean a little and use those legs for a tiny bit of grip. When i get the wobbles, a slight leg grab and change of lean (usually i lean back as Im going faster than I can run) straightens it right out. DOnt underestimate how an uneven asphalt road, can induce wobble. Flat smooth pavement seems amazing, after a few miles on pocked asphalt. You are REALLY good at ground control when moving with just one leg on. I STILL after over 100miles, have a tough time keeping the wheel under me when I stop and try to turn with one leg. Hell, I still drop it at a stop, just standing still sometimes. Its really fun isnt it? Just wait until you can focus on whats around you and weave about without looking. The random soreness in the hips and legs will go away REALLY soon, if you ride a bit regularly. Be prepared to go backwards in learning after a few days of riding too much. After day 6 in a row on mine, my sore muscles seemed to screw with me more than one would assume they would. I got down on myslef for losing ground and after two days off, I was back to it and better than before. Very odd how learning and muscle memory curves work. Perhaps you wont suffer the setback i did, but if you do... dont fret, you are a natural. Thanks for the video share, you are really knocking it outta the park!

Edited February 18, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[travsformation]

I'd seen the 1st video on Instagram---black and red EUC bodyguard on an 18XL, hockey gear...I figured it had to be you!

Great progress, @bigwave! Congrats!

[Unventor]

Good post @ShanesPlanet

[bigwave]

@Unventor, Thank you for sending the video. That rider is super talented! I will try turning using the shoulder method. I did manage to turn(only left) within the width of my street several times but its still sketchy . Yes, they are the 3 key components to master. While I got most of my starts, only a couple were smooth. Practice. My Dismounts on the other hand were perfect! I practiced them a lot indoors and it translated nicely to outdoors. I do a little turn to the left and step off. I worked a little on the braking by sitting back a bit to get the feel. I slowed pretty quick but I was not going very fast. 

@ShanesPlanet Indeed, that was an excellent post. I'm not sure about what OLD MAN your talking about? Certainly not me....lol. Its funny how my first comment about the 18XL was the weight and yesterday I didn't even notice it! I practiced the circle drill with the one leg on a lot indoors. When I get a little more comfortable riding I'm going to start practicing with my non dominant leg (left) to control so I have better chance of saving it if I have to remove my right foot. I don't think I'll be getting too much riding in due to the weather currently.

@travsformation I was really hesitant to even try to ride yesterday. I had envisioned grass as my first attempt but thats not happening anytime soon. So, the Hockey gear made the program! I was initially concern on how the shin guards would feel against the wheel but it actually felt pretty good. They will be good for the cooler weather in the spring but I'll get some Leatt's for summer. I also didn't use my MX Helmet yesterday. Like the shin guards, I was concerned of the feel so I just went with a snowboard helmet . I'll practice with the full face indoors today to get comfortable. I want to use the MX Helmet full time as it offers the best safety. 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by bigwave
spelling

[rainystateguy]

@bigwave, that is really impressive!  Great job!

[Espen R]

@bigwave Great to see you ride. Looks like you and the 18XL are a perfect match:)

[Unventor]

@bigwave I can relate to the old man comment. In some ways I am old despite only 48 yet. It is in the eye of the beholder. Kids at 5-10 will you as old regardless. Teenagers too to some extent, as I am their parents age.

People at my own age tend to view my wheel as mind-blowing hard and how I learned this at my age as a wow you must be special gifted. Truth is that most stop learning meteoric motions in their early 20ish. 🙄

So in this regard my 46 years when I picked up EUC it fairly old for most. Then we are a few that never settle down and keep expanding our horizon 😉👌

You will find you can turn in 3 ways or a combination of them. 

1) shoulder twist, good for slow speeds and slippery conditions. 

2) bend one knee, other leg straight, easy to show when not on a wheel, your hip will dip a bit to one side. Might range speeds, or combined with a bone for a tighter turn. 

3) lean at side, similar to high speed turns on mc or bicycle. 

I know it seems a bit overwhelming right now, but with your progress this comes much sooner than you think. There is this magic moment when it clicks, and that is when you start to play with the above. 

More or less all that started and shared this since I joined here too share the same training progression. It is all about breaking down to small  tasks or 🥅 😁

 

[.....]

Its okay to admit to being old. Wasnt long ago in american history, making it to the ripe old age of 40 was a miracle. I am willing to accept that I'm over 40 and more than likely past the halfway point. Arthritis, lack of memory, many things to remind me each morning that I am indeed NOT young. Unlike many, I dont care Im old and will continue to do wtf I want, even if Im more likely to be injured, Im losing motor function and dont heal like I used to. Young people seem amazed at what some of us 'old' people do, since its more common for people to become boring and scared as they age. It aint like this stuff gets easier as we age, but some of us would prefer to live our lives rather than bow down to responsibility by default.  Noone relies on me for anything, so i can be entirely selfish in my pursuit of happiness, tis a great feeling! Its amazing how the majority gets closer to the end, and THEN decide that living a longer life of boredom is better than enjoying the time you have as much as possible, be damned how long it goes. Kudos to ALL of us that still weigh risk and reward with a little more abandon than the expected. Heart attack on a EUC > heart attack in a hospital bed. If the last thing I see before meeting my maker, is the side of a mountain at terminal velocity with an euc chasing me overhead, I'll call that a damn WIN!!

The only time I find turning to be a little challenging, is when Im trying to do it at 15-20mph. Its still pretty easy, just a little less smooth. Turning is like on a bicycle/motorcycle. Look, lean, go. Slow speed and high speed, I lock my inside leg into the top of the wheel and lean it over that way. I routinely scrape pedal at very low speed tight turns.  Dedicate to trying and youll find its easier than you thought. I can usually spin until im dizzy, w/o leaving one marked lane. If I learned it quickly, it obviously can't be too tough.  I tried overthinking turns and remembering what each leg is doing, but in the end... lock that leg into the euc and lean over to taste. I find turning to be WAAAY easier than getting on from a stop. If you want to give yourself a challenge, practice starts and 180's on soft, wet grass on a slight incline. I spent my first 2 days in a wet, grassy, uneven yard. Once i got the nerve to hit uneven asphalt, i realized it was so much easier. First concrete parking lot (flat) i rode on, and I almost laughed at how easy it was, in compare.  I only hit the ground once(grass) and it was simply because i decided to bail at a speed greater than I thought it was. Pretty misleading for sure. I rolled out of the bail and was sore for 2 days (yes im old). Since then, only one more injury and it was because I managed to hit my own damn ankle with a pedal at a whopping 1mph standing. Holy crap, the bruise that showed was amazing for such a slight knock. Still, I suffered much worse as a child, learning to ride bikes and skateboards. Now that I can ride well enough to enjoy it, I dont focus much on learning, as it just happens when you ride more. It also helps that my only goal is to enjoy it. Im a person that quits enjoying things,  once it becomes goal oriented or when i start being critical of what im doing. Ride, ride, ride. .. it'll come to you or it wont. In the end... is it fun?  I dont know about you, but I freaking LOVE it! Rolling down the neighborhood aimlessly is surely a way to enjoy life more than watching the TV and being brainwashed by the news. My biggest problem now, the rain and cold weather piss me off more. I am SOO ready for spring, I wanna get some tours worth mention under my belt and feel that warm breeze on my face...   fwiw, Im not sure shin injury is very likely on the list. I suspect that ankle, elbow, knee,wrist and face are more likely. Im eagerly waiting to see how my first 20mph face plant goes. I aint got much for teeth anyhow, and am already ugly.

Edited February 18, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Unventor]

@ShanesPlanet if I didn't calculate wrong your are approaching the meaning if life soon, 42. And you discovered EUC riding. This will be your summer 😁.

If you have missed what 42 is a reference to. Look up Douglas Adams and 42 😉. Very funny book imho. 

[bigwave]

7 hours ago, Espen R said:

@bigwave Great to see you ride. Looks like you and the 18XL are a perfect match:)

 

@Espen R Thank you! So far it has been a great choice. I'm a little confused about the pedal settings. Using the Darkness Bot I have 3 settings Soft, # 1 and Hard. Yesterday, I rode on #1 . Is it just a feel thing or do the setting affect the performance? 

@ShanesPlanet Yesterday ,all armoured up for the yard sale I did the same thing as you. I fumbled a start and the pedal clipped my ankle. I stung like a mother....

I even used my high tops but oh no. After the little bite I put on some Neoprene cuffs (old wetsuit) which I used to use for hockey. PITA to put on and off but might help. Of course I didn't fumble anything after that. I was just kidding about the Old Thing. I am old but I think young. As soon as I found out about EUC I was in! Age never was a factor in my decision to do this.

Edited February 19, 2020 by bigwave

[travsformation]

19 minutes ago, Unventor said:

if I didn't calculate wrong your are approaching the meaning if life soon, 42.

I nearly had "Don't panic" embroidered on one side of my EUC bodyguard, and this on the other

16 minutes ago, bigwave said:

Thank you! So far it has been a great choice. I'm a little confused about the pedal settings. Using the Darkness Bot I have 3 settings Soft, # 1 and Hard. Yesterday, I rode on #1 . Is it just a feel thing or do the setting affect the performance? 

Soft settings is...well, as the name suggests, softer: when you accelerate, the pedals gently dip/tilt forward as you apply pressure, acceleration and braking are more gentle and gradual, meaning it's more forgiving in terms of how it processes acceleration and braking input, sparing you from accidental "bursts" of acceleration, which can be a hindrance when accidentally applied with the inner foot while learning to turn. The same goes for accidental overlean, accidental acceleration when hitting a bump, etc.; it gives you more slack in terms of responding more gently to the throttle (think of it as setting an automatic car's gearbox in "eco" or "comfort" mode as opposed "sport").

It also changes the dynamic of the ride. Some people find the soft mode more comfortable/easier to learn with (Kingsong refers to them as "Learner" [soft], "normal" [medium] and "Experienced" [hard]), others enjoy the overall "slinky feel" long after they've mastered riding (think of a slinky being pulled from the front end, and you an your EUC being at the rear end of the slinky: there's initially very little acceleration, and then suddenly, a spring-like pull as acceleration "catches up with you").

I personally never liked anything but the hard mode, even when learning: I prefer the immediate response of hard mode and the sense that I have finer and more precise control over acceleration. Try them all out and see what you feel the most comfortable with

Same goes for tire pressure. Some people prefer the more "nervous", responsive feel that comes with higher pressures and feel that lower pressure makes it harder to turn and slow to respond, while others enjoy the more comfortable, laid-back "low-rider" mode and aren't at ease with the "squirrely" response that comes with higher pressures.

Maybe you'll find 40 PSI easier than 45. It's just a matter of playing around with different variables and seeing which suit you better (and you preferences might change as your skills progress)

42 minutes ago, bigwave said:

Yesterday ,all armoured up for the yard sale I did the same thing as you. I fumbled a start and the pedal clipped my ankle. I stung like a mother....

Ouch...when those pedals getcha....

[.....]

52 minutes ago, Unventor said:

@ShanesPlanet if I didn't calculate wrong your are approaching the meaning if life soon, 42. And you discovered EUC riding. This will be your summer 😁.

If you have missed what 42 is a reference to. Look up Douglas Adams and 42 😉. Very funny book imho. 

OF COURSE... 42 is the answer. I cant believe I didnt put it all together b4 you said anything. I answer with 42 all the time and in fact... I'll be 42 4 months... it is BOUND to be great!

Ever since the week long reminder about hitting the ankle, it hasnt happened since. Im pretty sure the learning curve has led me to a much more exciting crash in the future.  I ride in hard mode and learned that way. In soft grass, it seemed to help and Im also of the preference of immediate response. I would rather have too much response than too little, as the first can be mitigated thru riding style. I could be wrong in this assumption, but I have also learned that having TOO much power is better than too less. Its all about finesse'. I weigh in at a measly 135lb and ride at 35psi. Even at 20mph, it soaks up the rugged asphalt bumps and dips w/o too much rebound. I would guess that a larger man would do just fine at 40psi. When I go down curbs in town, my legs soak up the impact (as in skateboarding), so i am fairly certain i high pressure isnt needed. I havent gone UP many curbs, so I cant say how much compression of tire happens. I'd imagine its very slight, if you unload and pop it just right.  I tried 45psi but it liked to bounce a bit much at speed, bouncing off the pedals scares the sh** outta me.  I bet the answer to the tire pressure, starts at....42!

[rainystateguy]

6 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Its okay to admit to being old. Wasnt long ago in american history, making it to the ripe old age of 40 was a miracle. I am willing to accept that I'm over 40 and more than likely past the halfway point. Arthritis, lack of memory, many things to remind me each morning that I am indeed NOT young. Unlike many, I dont care Im old and will continue to do wtf I want, even if Im more likely to be injured, Im losing motor function and dont heal like I used to. Young people seem amazed at what some of us 'old' people do, since its more common for people to become boring and scared as they age. It aint like this stuff gets easier as we age, but some of us would prefer to live our lives rather than bow down to responsibility by default.  Noone relies on me for anything, so i can be entirely selfish in my pursuit of happiness, tis a great feeling! Its amazing how the majority gets closer to the end, and THEN decide that living a longer life of boredom is better than enjoying the time you have as much as possible, be damned how long it goes. Kudos to ALL of us that still weigh risk and reward with a little more abandon than the expected. Heart attack on a EUC > heart attack in a hospital bed. If the last thing I see before meeting my maker, is the side of a mountain at terminal velocity with an euc chasing me overhead, I'll call that a damn WIN!!

Amen, Brother.  Amen!

[Espen R]

@bigwave I have never tried the softer settings:) Before the latest FW update, the hard setting felt soft to me, and since I came from a Onewheel where I didn’t like the soft settings, I didn’t even bother to try. I first started with a 30min session the evening we got home with the KS16S, and I rode up and down our gravel driveway a few times. The next day I went for a 5 km ride on fairly loose and muddy gravel, which left me drenched in sweat and totally exhausted. Probably did 100 starts and the equal number of ungraceful dismounts on that first long ride, good training though. For the next few days I only rode on gravel or grass, because I didn’t want to ride on the fairly busy road into town. When I finally rode on hard level ground, my brain couldn’t figure it out. It had gotten used to riding on rough surfaces where it had to do small corrections all the time, so I think the brain felt a bit unemployed on tarmac, and therefore started to invent unevenness that wasn’t there. So, my first ride into town was not very graceful:)

[mrelwood]

 

18 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

If the last thing I see before meeting my maker, is the side of a mountain at terminal velocity with an euc chasing me overhead, I'll call that a damn WIN!!

Oh man, you just won the unofficial ”Phrase of the Year” award of 2020!

I think I finally found something I’d consider worthy of a tattoo.

[bigwave]

Had my second ride today. Went  17.5 km with an average speed of 19.8 kph. My max speed was 31 kph according to DarknessBot. I would have rode longer but its a little chilly -5 C. Some observations....

I wore my Shoei VFX helmet today. I'm definitely going to have to get a mirror . I didn't trust myself to turn my head far enough around to see. Its a very good helmet and I feel protected wearing it.

I was basically riding around the block in both directions. I ventured on to the "main road" several times. I had to stop once before entering the road and it was a slight grade on to the road. Well, I flubbed 2 starts and final got going but it was sketchy . My starts were not bad today until that moment . Practice.

I can see how this is going to be really fun! I was gliding along, carving side to side.Pretty happy to be cruising around between 20-30 kph! I have no issues turning both directions, staying  in my lane. Slow tighter turns will require lots of practice . The video of the french rider turning the shoulders worked great. 

All in all, super fun! Hopefully it will warm up I can ride longer !

 

Edited February 19, 2020 by bigwave

[.....]

EUC tour or it didnt happen.    Im headed out myself. Cold here, but the lure is too great and its gna get colder. SOunds like it wont be long before theres nothing more for you to say in the 'first rides' category. We should start seeing you over in the 'insane tricks and speed' section soon?

[travsformation]

1 hour ago, bigwave said:

Had my second ride today. Went  17.5 km with an average speed of 19.8 kph. My max speed was 31 kph according to DarknessBot. I would have rode longer but its a little chilly -5 C. Some observations....

I wore my Shoei VFX helmet today. I'm definitely going to have to get a mirror . I didn't trust myself to turn my head far enough around to see. Its a very good helmet and I feel protected wearing it.

I was basically riding around the block in both directions. I ventured on to the "main road" several times. I had to stop once before entering the road and it was a slight grade on to the road. Well, I flubbed 2 starts and final got going but it was sketchy . My starts were not bad today until that moment . Practice.

I can see how this is going to be really fun! I was gliding along, carving side to side.Pretty happy to be cruising around between 20-30 kph! I have no issues turning both directions, staying  in my lane. Slow tighter turns will require lots of practice . The video of the french rider turning the shoulders worked great. 

All in all, super fun! Hopefully it will warm up I can ride longer !

 

Awesome progress! Based on your past experience with balance sports, I had a feeling you'd pick up on this pretty quickly!

So you're starting to get a sense of just how fun this is going to be then...Just wait 'til it fully clicks, you're in for a very pleasant surprise!

As is your wife when she finds out how eager you are to hop on the wheel! My girlfriend would send me grocery shopping (15 km round trip), then when I'd get back, she'd forgotten to add butter (or something) to the shopping list, and I'd happily go back!

For tighter turns, and seeing your mindset, the approach I used might be helpful to you: analyze the bio-mechanics, I have a feeling it'll come to you quite intuitively. What are you instinctively doing when you turn? If you break down the process, there's leaning in the direction you want to turn (like high-speed MC turns), even if subtly; there's shifting weight from one pedal to the other, flexing the opposite knee, and there's "twisting" the wheel on the vertical axis, which is accomplished with the hips/torso (which follow where you point your shoulders). Ride "normally", as you have been doing, then "deconstruct" what you're doing by trying to make yourself aware of each one of these "separate" techniques used for turning (you're probably already applying several of them at the same time unconsciously). Then consciously try broad turns using each of these different methods separately, each one of them for a little while, to get a feel for what each of them involves, and how it affects the turn. You'll probably find that you can't lean without shifting your weight, for instance.

Each person is different and has a different way of learning, but I found that by doing this, I was able to see the "chain" of how these different "techniques" (or cogs within a larger process) all flow together. Once I understood that, I started consciously trying to use them in unison. Then I'd go back to just riding for a while, without thinking about what I was doing, and after a while, I'd go back to consciously practicing these different techniques, then chaining them together. Having done plenty of balance sports, a lot of it came to me intuitively (which I think is your case too), but the analytical part in me also wanted to know the exact dynamics behind how things are achieved and understand them rationally so I could break them down and focus my practice on specific techniques (which, as an instructor, I imagine you're possibly also inclined to do). For me personally, the perfect combination was mixing intuition, instinct and rational analysis/training. The quickest progress came from striking the right balance...not enough analyzing and you get stuck/keep making the same mistakes/pick up bad habits; too much analysis and you end up overthinking it, which both hinders progress and takes away a lot of the fun

I found that what worked best was a combination of "just ride" >> analyze >> conscious practice >> just ride, where you start off instinctively applying what you picked up the day before, do some conscious practice in the middle, and then go back to just riding, letting what you've learned sink in and become instinctive. I was always amazed at how something I'd just barely figured out how to do on the previous session would come to me automatically, with no effort whatsoever, on the next session.

I hope the weather warms up so you can get longer rides in. Also remember not to push it too hard in one session or you'll end up too sore to ride the next day! (I know how hard it is not to get carried away, maybe the weather is actually doing you a favour)

And as @ShanesPlanet said, I can already imagine you posting trail-riding videos in no time!

[mike_bike_kite]

In a few days you'll be whizzing around like like a true professional but ...

[bigwave]

4 hours ago, mike_bike_kite said:

In a few days you'll be whizzing around like like a true professional but ...

LMAO ! It's a tough crowd in here! 

Edited February 21, 2020 by bigwave

[bigwave]

Had a great first week on the King Song 18XL! Put on about 80 km with not really going anywhere...lol. Had my first get off and the Hockey Equipment worked great(slow tip over) !. I don't care what Batman says! 

@Espen R thanks for explaining the pedal settings. I like the hard setting best I think. @travsformation your advice on turning is excellent! I practiced quite a bit on left and right slow tight (for me). What seem to work for me was getting the wheel to "fall into the turn " ,then a hip/shoulder combo to control the radius. Still thinking about it but I guess that's expected.

@ShanesPlanet I don't think I'm posting anything anytime soon in the Speed and Trick section. I did hit 38 kph for a brief moment but I really enjoy the 20-30 cruising .I really like the 18XL ! Very smooth. The only weird thing its done 3-4 times is it beeps twice and then falls over when leaning against a wall. Its very random. I'll send eWheels an email about it.

 

[Rywokast]

2 minutes ago, bigwave said:

 

@ShanesPlanet I don't think I'm posting anything anytime soon in the Speed and Trick section. I did hit 38 kph for a brief moment but I really enjoy the 20-30 cruising .I really like the 18XL ! Very smooth. The only weird thing its done 3-4 times is it beeps twice and then falls over when leaning against a wall. Its very random. I'll send eWheels an email about it.

 

how much of an angle are you leaning it at? you can lean any wheel against something and it wont turn off but it sounds like you are describing the tilt angle cut off... all remotely modern wheels have an angle at which they will cut power to the motor in case of an accident to prevent the wheel from thrashing around.. it is generally around 5 degrees greater than the angle that the pedal would hit the ground, so it wouldnt be possible to hit it while actually riding... when leaning it against a wall just stand it up more straight and it should never turn itself off until the battery dies