How it started, and where it is taking me ...

[wheel-life]

I really enjoyed catching up on this thread, thanks for sharing your thoughts for your first 6-9 mos or so. I'm still waiting on my first EUC and decided to cancel my deposit on the V11 since I won't get much riding in before winter, not knowing where they really are in the production stage. Ewheels has some other wheels in stock like the 16X ready to ship though so I'm researching those and it led me to your thread. You have a gift for writing (and riding). Looking forward to hearing more in the future!

[Scottie]

@manieuc Thanks for the nice words ... much appreciated.

I am highly interested in the V11 also, but I am in a wait-n-see mode for a little bit. There are interesting things happening at Gotway with the EX suspension wheel and Monster Pro.

If you want a larger wheel soon to get rolling on, the 16X is a great 1st wheel. It has gone through some teething issues and improvements. Plus it is a wheel that is nice to keep and ride even after getting more advanced wheels. Mine has been trouble free even though I've dropped it 200+ times. eWheels sent the Roll-NZ bodyguard cover with it when I ordered it. And the 16X is tested to be run over by a bus and survive! Maybe you already saw this thread?!

Edited August 26, 2020 by Scottie
sound more charming

[Scottie]

"Like A Ninja"

I can tell I live far from the EUC hot-spots like Los Angeles, New York City, Stockholm, etc. due to the comment I heard from a teenage girl who was part a large gathering of about twenty teenagers under a local park pavilion shelter full of picnic tables. There is a trail that goes by this shelter that has an incline that is steep enough to make it hard going to pedal a bicycle up it. The surface is a mixture of gravel and mulch. Difficult for a bicycle is easy for an EUC.

Today is a gorgeous sunny mid 70's F day, and I just finished watching one of @Mike Sacristan videos where there were about five of them. One fellow just got a new Nik+ with a large battery and he mounted a seat on it. They spent the day enjoying each other's company and blasting around having lots of good clean fun and practicing new tricks. Mike's videos always get me stoked for a ride. So I had to take the MSP out, and as I was riding the MSP up that trail and went by the park shelter, I heard one of the girls say, "He looks like a ninja on that thing". That is what I mean by living far from EUC hot-spots ... she had no idea that I am somewhere between a "horrible newbie" and a below average rider. I must have been the first EUC rider she has ever seen. As mentioned earlier, basic EUC riding looks like a circus act to those that have never seen it. I had a helmet on, so she could not see my balding head with the Captain Jean-Luc Piccard remains, so it may have been hard to tell how old I am. But anyway, I'll take the ninja comment. It could have been much worse! 

 

I just caught on to Mister Elwood's videos this week for the 1st time. Since I hear the 'Siren Call' of the V11, I watched his V11 first impressions video. I liked his style of video, so today I watched S18 vs V11 Detailed Faceoff. I can't say I agree or disagree with the S18 issues since I have no 1st hand knowledge. But he did seem like an honest, straight shooter. I've seen other people's videos that described the S18 as more Jeep-like in its suspension reaction to a bump. And watching many V11 videos, the suspension seems more car-like, visibly absorbing the smaller bumps. And it depends on the setup. Some V11 videos made it look like they did not set up the pressures at all and the V11 appeared to take bumps like a conventional EUC.

So I finally answered the Siren Call and ordered the V11, the deciding factor for me has always been the battery size, since I'm on the heavier side. And I'm curious about InMotion products. The Mten3 got ordered at the same time, since we all seem to need one according to many sources around the forum. I think I remember @Marty Backe mentioning that it puts a smile on your face while goofing around in the driveway. I can always use another smile. And I plan to keep that one in my car since it can replace walking any major distance for me if needed, which has become a chore due to the knees. The Mten3 could turn out to be a convenient, neat mobility device. My pride will not let me sit in one of those electric scooter wheelchairs as long as I can stand. And an Mten3 is easier to haul around buy a long shot. Getting into EUC riding was driven by this issue since I saw that guy whiz past me on the trail last October on one. It's fitting that the V11 and Mten3 should arrive this October. Or maybe that means nothing ... hmmmm .... I'm rambling again.   

[Mike Sacristan]

I love reading about your adventures.

Congrats on your new upcoming wheels! The V11 is going to be awesome.

[c5flybyu]

I ride in downtown Indy and on the canal everyday so I may have been the not so "young man" that passed by.  It would be great to get you and your buddies added to our little FB group so we can schedule another group ride.  Only 3 made it on our first ride but we've added 4 more in the last month.  Check out my quick video of our last group ride:  

 

[Scottie]

Nice video. I should have read this before your PM. Please PM me on the forum when you are planning another ride. I am not a big FB fan.

[Scottie]

Full Circle!

The Indianapolis USA crew is starting to blossom. As seen a couple posts above, a few guys just started a local FaceBook page to schedule rides and other such things. Looking at the video picture two posts above this one ... @c5flybyu on the left, behind the white EUC, tracked me down on the forum here and told me about a monthly group ride ride they were planning. An EUC addict can't pass that up! The ride was yesterday and I met the guy that 'closes the circle for me'. 

The 16X rider sitting in the middle of the 3 guys above is the guy that past by me on the local trail last October. The dancing lights of his 16X mesmerized me and sent me down the Google path to see what that thing was all about. Now I am Full Circle. I got to ride with the guy that started all this for me, and he had no idea at the time. I was just another random guy on a bicycle being passed during a ride. But that was all it took. We live in different towns, which explains why I had never seen him again until this ride.

My situation made me wonder what it took to cause the rest you to respect the wheel. So curiosity made me post this. {"Thank you" to those that responded!} On that thread, for the most part, people had a live sighting of a wheel going by, or they fell down the YouTube rabbit hole , and then "took matters into their own hands". During the ride I asked c5flybyu if he had a lot of people asking about the wheel when they saw him go by. He said "Yes, and so have you", ... or something close to that. Then I said something like, "Yes, and I'll bet most of those people are asking about the wheel to satisfy an immediate curiosity, and likely nothing more will come of it. Very few will act on it". That other thread found that @UniMe did act on his interview with a wheel rider. So it can happen. Lesson: Be polite and take some time with people if they are curious.

It was a great 3 hour ride, with a couple of rest breaks for my feet. During one of the breaks there was some wheel swapping happening, to see what the other model is like. There was lots of wheel talk, and get to know you talk! The temperature was perfect. We had a 14S, 16X, S18, and an MSP rolling along amazing a few folks with such a rare sight around here. As you can well imagine, people around here are used to seeing 4 wheels on a race car ... not 4 wheels each going their own separate way with a man standing on each one!

If you care to watch, here a quick video of our ride that c5flybyu made. I'm the guy wearing the white shirt. Now you know why I like strong wheels ... so I don't have to try and dig holes with my face.

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by Scottie
too excited when I wrote this and had to correct for over-exuberance

[c5flybyu]

Scott,

It was great meeting and talkin to you!  It's amazing how nice all the EUC riders are, excluding me...  I DID drop your wheel at 1mph!What an awesome nimble wheel.  Can't believe that's an 18" wheel.

 

[Scottie]

On 9/12/2020 at 1:45 PM, c5flybyu said:

It was great meeting and talkin to you!  It's amazing how nice all the EUC riders are, excluding me...  I DID drop your wheel at 1mph!

What's the best way to say this? I feel the same way ... it's amazing how nice all the EUC riders are .... nobody excluded. I enjoyed my time riding and talking with you guys immensely. Learned a lot watching and listening to you guys.

And of course, the wheel is fine. And even if it wasn't fine (which it is), as they say:

• Down under ...... No worries, Mate!
• Locally .............. It's all good!
• Somewhere?..... Ain't no thang! 

On 9/12/2020 at 1:45 PM, c5flybyu said:

What an awesome nimble wheel.  Can't believe that's an 18" wheel.

Even though it is made by a different company, to me it feels like a bigger 16X. And the 16X rider in the group thought so too.

I'm looking forward to the next ride.

[Scottie]

RS ... It's Calling

Hint: Right-click any links, and select 'open in new tab' to keep the continuity of the story going.

A short, short time ago, on a road close, close by ...

I've been enjoying the day-time rider (MSP) a lot lately. Because the MSP encourages lots of 'Tom Foolery', last week I took a short-cut across some grass and was about to get back onto a sidewalk. I misjudged the height of the sidewalk concrete above the surrounding ground due to the grass masking it somewhat. As I hit the edge of the sidewalk at about 5 to 6 mph (8 - 9 kph) the wheel stopped because I lacked enough intent/lean, but my body did not stop. @Mike Sacristan talked about and demonstrated rolling in a video a while ago, similar to this guy. I have that sort of thing always playing in the background of my mind, and when the wheel stopped, I managed a nice tuck and roll on the concrete sidewalk, with not a scratch. As I was in the middle of the roll (and such things seem to take a long time ... like being in a car crash) I heard my wheel banging around as it was crashing and I was more worried about it than myself. The wheel was fine since it stayed in the grass. Naturally people only see you take a bad fall. After this one I wanted to take a bow, but nobody was there.

Yesterday I was stopped and standing on the MSP in the grass by the side of the road, while holding a sign pole to steady myself while waiting for traffic to clear enough for me to cross the road. After the road was nice and clear of traffic, I started to cross. Again, with the grass and not enough intent! I took off to too easily with the lean and the MSP stopped at a bump while I had to step off. The wheel continued on into the road a bit. I did not see the MSP as I jogged off the wheel, but the sound of the MSP crashing on the rough asphalt and doing the Gotway dance filled my ears as I felt bad for the wheel. Under normal circumstances, this would have been one of my many non-issues. But this time the wheel flailed around loudly on the old rough asphalt. It left a mark!

I guess we are all the same. Just like you see on YouTube, when someone drops a wheel during a crash, unless there are bones sticking out, or too much blood, invariably everybody runs over to their wheel to see how bad it is, thinking "How's the wheel? Is the wheel okay? Save the wheel!" I also have the same thoughts about a wheel that Chooch describes at time index 1:27 to 2:07 of this video. I want it to look nice ... stay nice ... as long as possible. But ultimately there will be scuffs, gouges, and other battle scars. That's the nature of riding around on one wheel, unless you are avoiding having any fun after having learned to ride. Anyway, I'm getting some of the foam tape to prevent further scars and possibly some damage. I should have done it earlier, but I did not know the behavior the MSP was going to bring out of me, such as taking more chances about randomly going this way or that and the inevitable hazards. After a couple years, like Chooch said, I will not care what it looks like, as long as the battery stays inside and it keeps running safely. My night-time rider (18XL) does not see such hazards and damage because at night I'm forced to ride like a Straight Man and keep everything on the up-n-up, at least for a while.

             

If something was to break on the MSP, or get too badly cosmetically damaged to make it embarrassing to ride, the Gotway RS torque model will have to step in as the replacement. Just as Chooch mentioned in the video, the MSP is a good rough and tumble wheel. Its a blue collar wheel, jeans and T shirt, like me. The 18XL and V11 seem a little white collar, suit and tie ... for steppin' out bad ass, but fancy, like James Bond. There is a time for both types.

Speaking of James Bond, are we ever going to see EUC's featured in a major big-time movie? Mike, your assignment should you decide to accept it: is to write, direct, produce, and star in a movie where the damsel in distress is rescued from the evil villain. Replace the white horse with a black EUC! Or maybe the white 18XL will do.

Off Topic Warning: Most of us have waited, or are waiting for a wheel to come. I find that I am enjoying the wait as much as the actual receiving of a wheel. It makes me salivate, anticipate, and wonder what the new wheel will be like. I am wondering if the Mten3 is going to be too sketchy. Are the V11 pedals too high? Did I waste my money or can I adapt to them? I'm thinking I can. It should not be as bad as ordering that 1st one and not knowing how to ride at all. That was a big leap of faith. I forget where I heard this, but someone said that when you buy a wheel, you are highly motivated to learn to ride it, much more than if someone just let you try their wheel out to see what you can do. You can walk away from that one. But the one you bought ... not so much!    

Edited October 1, 2020 by Scottie

[Mike Sacristan]

Awesome post as always!

Knowing how to do a roll is better than not knowing how to do a roll. Or you can just eat hot cinnamon rolls and then fall like a pancake. Breakfast is served!

Grab yourself some Frank pads so that you stop falling off the front. The 30mm ones are great. They are there when you need them and they are not intrusive or detracting.
So if you fall off the front your shins will hit the front of the pads and save you from falling and at the same time apply torque to the wheel to get you out of harm. Unless you are speeding at 60kmh and hit a pothole then you will torque through it and face plant. But that doesn't seem your style.

The Mten3 is sketchy enough is just the right kind of sketchy. The V11 will make you feel like you are on a pedestal looking down at everyone else lol.

The MSP/MSX family take the hardest knocks above the headlight. They headbutt themselves and the shell splits there. A soft bumper helps.
But not falling off the front helps more. Prevention.

Bang it up and scar it up.. every scar gets a sticker on it. When it looks too much like crap you will be free to enjoy it.. or put a rollnz cover on it.

[Scottie]

20 hours ago, Mike Sacristan said:

Awesome post as always!

Thank you sir!

 

20 hours ago, Mike Sacristan said:

Grab yourself some Frank pads so that you stop falling off the front. The 30mm ones are great. They are there when you need them and they are not intrusive or detracting.
So if you fall off the front your shins will hit the front of the pads and save you from falling and at the same time apply torque to the wheel to get you out of harm. Unless you are speeding at 60kmh and hit a pothole then you will torque through it and face plant. But that doesn't seem your style.

Since I've become a little more adventurous on the MSP lately, I have a set of these on order for it and the Monster. Are these close to the type you speak of?? My local riding buddy is on a Monster and he says these transformed the wheel for him. Like you say, for the MSP they will help get me through an unexpected incident. And for the Monster ... they will just help make it go easier. As you well know, that big wheel takes a lot of pedal input and/or grabbing the factory pads with the legs. I'm hoping to be able to ride it further, since it shouldn't be so tiring with these. Power pads of any type will be a new experience for me.

Yes ... you are right. I will never need to worry about a pothole at 60 kmh.

 

20 hours ago, Mike Sacristan said:

The Mten3 is sketchy enough is just the right kind of sketchy. The V11 will make you feel like you are on a pedestal looking down at everyone else lol.

Sketchy - as in very quick to obey my every thought? Or so quick it works ahead of my thoughts? And for the V11, will I need a ladder to mount?

 

20 hours ago, Mike Sacristan said:

The MSP/MSX family take the hardest knocks above the headlight. They headbutt themselves and the shell splits there. A soft bumper helps.
But not falling off the front helps more. Prevention.

Okay, roger that. Working on both.

 

20 hours ago, Mike Sacristan said:

Bang it up and scar it up.. every scar gets a sticker on it. When it looks too much like crap you will be free to enjoy it.. or put a rollnz cover on it.

I am almost free to enjoy it! And I almost went for the cover, then I saw the Chooch video and how you've padded yours up. I think will wait on the cover and see how some carefully placed padding helps, starting where the scars are.

Edited October 2, 2020 by Scottie

[Tasku]

5 hours ago, Scottie said:

As I was in the middle of the roll (and such things seem to take a long time ... like being in a car crash) I heard my wheel banging around as it was crashing and I was more worried about it than myself.

I got some ukemis in my belt. I got story too when I needed it and I would say it prolly saved my life. I lost control of my mountain bike during going down a hill. You know things aint right when the handlebar is sideways and tires are slipping away.. and I remember it like being a slow motion movie. I was gonna fly over the bar, there was no way about it. The amount of inertia I had, well there was only one option for me - To jump over the bar of the bike and land my fall with ukemi. That move barely got me past a big rock.  And as I was lucky to hang into my life another biker drove past, not bothering to stop. He said nothin but he gave a look saying "idiot".  Maybe it was that smirk I had, being so happy after a disaster stuck. I continued to ride to medical centre, 20 clicks away. My shoulder was in bruises and the pain got to me later. I got lucky, I did not even break a bone.

Train that Ukemi, you never know when it might come handy.

 

1 hour ago, Mike Sacristan said:

Grab yourself some Frank pads so that you stop falling off the front.

 The one thing that keeps me on my wheel is pads to my ankles in my MSP. This also lets me use my knees more to control the wheel, time to time atleast and yes I keep one knee supporting the frame at all the time. There be so many times I had a pothole on the road but now the wheel now comes with me and I do not lose footing. I made my first with velcro and took foam from the package it arrived. Then just extra glue, velcro here and there and shaped it with knife. I placed it under the RollNZ cover that makes my wheel look good as new even I had crashes with it. That (RollNZ cover) delivers about week from order if they have it in stock. No regrets with that purchase, that cover is worth it. I also get very good grip from the cover.

I also have fair bit of knee bent and off-set stance. Something like you might see @evX_Mick have in his videos. That stance is amazing.. took some time to get the feel but now I feel like I can stop any wobble and it enhances my breaking potential. Combination of safer breaking ability? Priceless. So basicly my left foot is more front and right foot backward on the plate. I feel like surfing, snowboarding, skating with carving or iceskating, or even downhill skiing vibes. The turning is more sharper and gotta mind the posture more. The faster I go, the more the knees bend and lower the stance goes. And you turn your body to suspension.

5 hours ago, Scottie said:

Because the MSP encourages lots of 'Tom Foolery', last week I took a short-cut across..

I can't resist but share a story. Short-cut just like yours  Riding my MSP, I would say it is confidence I was building.

Well I felt good doing trails and went to new environment to explore. It started well. There was huge hill to cross and the trail upwards was no problem to my MSP torque. Tip toe the hill and wiggle around, good stuff! Up top I feel confidence in my new found abilities. I pass a family on the trail, they cheer me as I pass and wonder what is the device. But now the trail gets more narrow and now theres a downhill ahead. The other side of the hill must be downward slope, that is how hills tend to be.  

I can't let the crowd down now, can I? I should turn back but I think "I can dodge those rocks and when I am in motion I can figure the rest of the hill." (famous last words?)

So I hop on, down the hill we go. I dodge the rock just as I planned.

Well it turns out that hill was way longer than I anticipated and the rocks on that hill downward on the path just increasing covering the whole trail. During the downfall of the hill, there was no way to avoid rocks anymore. I just had to roll em over and try to maintain balance. It was wet and muddy and my heart was racing. I knew when trying to break speed I was not in full control. If I would have tried to stop the wheel - it was too steep for me to stop the wheel, I could have bailed but I decided to commit. 

But story here did not end in tears or pain. It ended in success. Half way down I was certain of doom and somehow I knew that I had to commit or fall. A safe planned fall could have been a safer way. I got more than I bargained for and felt like mortal again. Having gear like wrist-, elbot-, knee-protection, backpack and helmet I felt like I should survive. Prolly worst case bruises, muddy clothes and my ego beaten down.

My point being here was that I decided half way on that "impossible" hill to do my best instead of thinking the fall. 

I should have had camera with me cause I do not plan to take the short-cut again

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by Tasku
typos and jazz

[Scottie]

15 minutes ago, Tasku said:

But story here did not end in tears or pain. It ended in success.

  As I was reading that, I was holding my breath. MSP's are doing amazing things around the world under the skillful feet of great riders. And good luck never hurt anything! After seeing the great videos and reading things like yours, I know I'm not worthy of it ... but I'm keeping it anyway!

 

21 minutes ago, Tasku said:

I can't let the crowd down now, can I? I should turn back but I think "I can dodge those rocks and when I am in motion I can figure the rest of the hill." (famous last words?)

There is something about people watching that causes us to over-ride common sense.  

[Scottie]

Rekindled Romance

It reminds me of the story about the frog that comfortably boiled to death when it was put in a pot of water and the chef ever so slowly turned up the heat and the frog got used to the heat until it was cooked. Well, I didn't get cooked. But I did slowly get used to the 16X forgetting how to do do things properly ... toes going up or down depending on turn direction ... and the in past couple of months the 16X pedals have been wanting to dump me of the front when slowing down. But like the frog, I got used to it as the months passed. And there are the old sayings that play in my head, "If it isn't broken, we will keep fixing it until it is " or "If it is not broke, don't fix it ".

But then I remembered reading some posts on the forum here and there about when it is time to calibrate this wheel or that, the MSP in particular. So I searched the forum and ran across some posts about the 16X that fit my issue. I did a calibration and now it feels like a new wheel. The pedals are much better behaved about staying level after turns, not perfect, but a lot better. And the pedals are much better about staying level during speed changes. It is such a stable platform now that it has become one of the primary choices for a cruise now, rather than just a wheel to goof off with in front of the house. The Mten3 should take that spot soon, along with being the wheel kept in the car for whatever need arises (until it gets to cold for that).

 

More Riding Buddies

The Indianapolis Facebook riding group has added a few members. The last ride was pretty big for this part of the world. We started with six EUCs and a boosted board. Halfway through the ride, one of the EUCs and the board rider bailed out for home. But then we picked up a new EUC rider that had one week of of EUC experience. He is a college age guy that had some one-wheel time (that electric one wheel, wide tire skateboard). He has a natural skill and rode so well that a few of us hated him ... the hate that comes from love, admiration and jealousy! And of course we still like him after all that stuff.     

I just got back from a nice ride around my local area with one of the Indianapolis guys that came out to my small town. He just got an S18 and was busy jumping of curbs and speed bumps. (We have two S18's in the group now, a black one and a white one). He has been riding EUCs three years and took to it like a duck to water. We stopped by our local skate park and he did the stairs a couple times and did a few jumps off a ramp. I am to big and old for such things and kept my 16X firmly on the ground due to my special relationship with gravity and inertia.

 

 

 

 

[Scottie]

The Tiny Beast ...

Rick-click any links and select 'open in new tab' to protect the story continuity ... please!

... just arrived yesterday. I told myself yesterday that I would not bother to have my 512Wh/84V MTen3 unboxing until today, since I had just arrived home from work and was tired. Well, I must have lied to myself, because the next thing I knew I was riding it around on the back porch concrete.  Somehow I found the energy ... or the wheel gave me some of its energy! I found I was able to ride it fine after a couple of minutes to adjust to the immediacy with which it does things. The tiny little circles it can make are smile inducing. However, mounting that little thing is proving to be challenging. It is small and light, so it has little inertia of its own to help keep it upright when hopping/stepping up with the trailing foot. I have to hold onto something until I'm up on it ... then it is pure freedom! Hopefully I will soon find the magic somewhere that will allow me to free mount. I did detect a hint of being able to start riding backwards on it. That is another major learning curve for me. Right now my brain goes into instant panic before I make it past 1/3 of a meter in reverse on the 16X. I did not know I could panic and bail so fast!

For the past month or so I've been practicing snail and ant racing on the 16X in preparation for the Mten. A few times I was able to get a 3 second count when balancing while stopped. I think I need some hypnosis, or acupuncture, or psychedelic drugs to allow me to ride backwards ... or maybe some more Mten3.    

The Mten arrived with about 25 psi in the tire and about and 80% battery charge. I pumped it up to around 35. The tire looks to be the exact same one that the Segway MiniPro uses.

I just did about 10 minutes of Mten porch riding since it is raining now. And now it is getting its 1st charge to 100% plus some time for cell balancing. Hopefully later today when the rain leaves, the Tiny Beast will be set free on my quiet street.

The crazy thought that has been running through the brain is to ride the Mten for 5 minutes, then the Monster, then the Mten, then the Monster, etc. just to try to force instant/quick adaptation, if that is even possible. It will be a fun experiment, or I will hurt something, or both. I hurt myself on the 16X three times while learning (still learning) and kept having fun anyway.

 

Last Week

Last Thursday was a great day, about 75F and sunny. I went for a ride around downtown Indianapolis with the owner of a new S18. I was on  the 18XL and fortunately for me, it never left the ground. Although I did have a fall while I was stopped due to overestimating the holding power of the wheel on a bit of an incline. The only thing damaged was my pride, but I got over it because I'm used to that now! Now back to him ... He is a great rider that has been at it for 3 years. He is loving the new suspension wheel for jumping. I caught this shot of him in one of those moments of joy!

 

 

Here are both of the S18 guys in the Indy crew practicing stairs and jumps. I may be able to do some of those stairs after some time on the V11,  which should be arriving soon. Yes, MSP's can do that stuff ... just not with me riding it. Who was it that said, "A man's got to know his limitations."?

 

 

[Scottie]

Update: I tried the Mten3 without shoes. My legs fit against the wheel body just a bit lower without the thick sole of the usual running shoes; low enough to give the 1st leg just enough control of the wheel body to allow free mounting. So I need to find some thin sole shoes ... something like the shoes Wrong Way wears, maybe some sailing deck shoes.

[Scottie888]

36 minutes ago, Scottie said:

Update: I tried the Mten3 without shoes. My legs fit against the wheel body just a bit lower without the thick sole of the usual running shoes; low enough to give the 1st leg just enough control of the wheel body to allow free mounting. So I need to find some thin sole shoes ... something like the shoes Wrong Way wears, maybe some sailing deck shoes.

If you don't mind the protection (or lack thereof), I highly recommend Vibram Five Fingers. They have a line of shoes for different usage so I'm sure you can find a pair that suits the function.

I have a pair KSO EVO Cross trainers & they work wonders for my Kettlebell workouts. As foot placement & balance is vital for Kettlebells, the FF KSO's are even better than barefoot esp on grass & other slipperier surfaces. I also have a pair of  FF V Trail Runners for walking & other duties that requires a stiffer sole. I think the V Trail's might be a good choice for the Mten3 as they have great grip & give amazing foot/sole "feel" which is what's needed for trail running & ofcos wheeling.

[Scottie]

On 10/29/2020 at 12:06 PM, Scottie said:

The crazy thought that has been running through the brain is to ride the Mten for 5 minutes, then the Monster, then the Mten, then the Monster, etc. just to try to force instant/quick adaptation, if that is even possible.

Would you rather know a little about a lot, or a lot about a little?

Stupid Reflexes

I could not decide what to name this post. So I will just get into it. Just now I did that experiment. I had been riding the Mten a lot for the past week to get used to it. I learned how to free mount. I just don't want anybody to see me do it because it is not pretty, but I can get on and go every time now. I got used to the speed at which things happen and even had a few nice meters/yards of backwards riding, if you add it all up!

Then I remembered the crazy thought, and got the Monster out. The last time I rode it was on a long cruise a month ago with a couple of the crew, and I rode it like I owned it. But today I rode it like it belonged to someone else. That's what I mean about stupid reflexes. My mind remembered how to ride it, but the reflexes adapted to the Mten and could not remember exactly what to do on the Monster for a few minutes. The timing and flow and intent were all off. After maybe 5 to 8 minutes it started to feel like the wheel I remembered. Then I was back on the Mten and sort of lost my ability to ride it as well as I was doing just a few minutes ago before the Monster ride, because the stupid reflexes could not keep up with the experiment. I swapped wheels a couple more times and it got a little easier each time, but it amazed me how fast my reflex adaptation was ruined for another wheel. These wheels are extreme opposites as everybody knows, which is why I wanted the body confusion; just to see what it would be like.

Last Sunday I went for an early morning ride around town on the 16X after having rode the Mten for a few days. Even the 16X felt like a Monster after having adapted to the Mten!   The 16X took a few miles to become a 16X again for my feet and reflexes.

[Tawpie]

So today, Nellie and I (named the 16XS thusly because like a horse it didn’t want to be ridden, knew I wasn’t yet its master, threw me countless times, went where IT wanted to go, and had me saying “woah Nellie!” while learning to stop) did 8ish miles on the ski/bike trails around Sun Mountain Lodge in north central Washington State. Wow, that was fun. No, I wasn’t on the gnarly singletrack, but these trails are in the mountains and are absolutely a blast. Up and down and rocks and mud and roots and fall colors and views. Do try to get off road—I’d read that it hones your balance real fast and believe it does, but mostly because it’s super cool that there’s an entirely different environment to explore beyond pavement. Maybe next fall I’ll be on the gnarly singletrack, who knows!

[Scottie]

Stupid Reflexes Update

I found that if I have a few hours in between riding the different models, my memory is more in charge of the ride than the reflexes, and I am not thrown of my game. Each wheel feels natural when there is time between it and another one.

It seems for me that my reflex conditioning between the wheels is more like short term memory. It is similar to getting used to temperature, like when getting in different temperature water. I wonder if a sports physiologist would have anything to say about this. Is this a universal condition, or just related to my relative inexperience?

[Scottie]

My 2nd Calibration

The MSP has been getting a bit much with the pedal dipping lately. Since calibrating the 16X a month ago for the same thing and getting good results, it was time to give the MSP a try. This other thread I remembered from a while ago had me a bit nervous, but it turned out to be easy with a good result. @Marty Backe kept me straight with a video from back in the day!

 

Harry Potter

Just saw a story about these broom EUCs on the local news and tracked it down on YouTube. See if you can recognize the wheels under there. I think one was a Nik.

 

[Scottie]

MSX Perception

Recently it seems a few of the YouTubers (Chooch and Wrong Way come to mind) are backtracking from the modern suspension wheels or Sherman to a favorite wheel of the recent past ... the 100v MSX. . "Backtracking" might not be the best word. But they have been back on the older model recently after having sampled the S18, V11, & Sherman. Maybe the MSX just ticks the boxes the right way. The simplicity, lighter weight, & battery size might not have been that easy to walk away from. I am reminded of how people enjoy classic cars and motorcycles for similar reasons.

The Nik

I think the Nikola has been seeing some revival of interest around the forum. It appears to be another wheel that is still relevant for reasons like the MSX/MSP, and people are circling back to it for another look. I know it has captured my attention more than usual. Maybe it's the forum chatter. But the wheel has some good specs. If I were a faster rider, I could click the 'order' button.

But the 16X is fast enough for me and suits my legs and feet just fine. I don't ride in rain and avoid puddles, so no 16X water issues for me.

Mileage Report

@ShanesPlanet started an interesting mileage thread. A few of those guys live on the wheel. I only have time to play on mine. I really did not ride well enough to build mileage, due to winter hassles, until March. I like doing updates every couple months. Here's what my numbers look like now, for a 2226 mile (3582 kilometer) total in 9 months of practical riding.

1st wheel   16X ................... 590 miles (learner wheel, now contender for favorite day and night rider) 

2nd wheel  Monster 84V .. 327 miles (when in the mood for strange)

3rd wheel   18XL ................ 560 miles (favorite night rider - but barely)

4th wheel  MSP-t ............... 738 miles (favorite daytime rider - but barely)

5th wheel  Mten3 ............... 11 miles (mostly in circles for 3 weeks - I'm dizzy! )

Bearings

Although I'm glad to be getting a V11 somewhat soon, I will be keeping my fingers crossed concerning the large diameter wheel bearings on the hollow bore motors, which are getting lots of attention recently.   I've been pretty lucky with me wheels so far ... hope it holds.

Winter and Mten3

I am glad to have an Mten3 now. I may be stuck inside when it gets crazy cold for riding. I will move some furniture out of the way and take the Mten for a spin around the house when the urge to roll happens ... it happens often! That will help maintain sanity. I also have a problem with the weather looking like this. Some of us are out there anyway. I wish I was still that tough. But I'm not, so here I am typing. Oh wait! It's clearing up! See ya'! 

       

[Tazarinho]

On 11/21/2020 at 1:34 AM, Scottie said:

Harry Potter

Just saw a story about these broom EUCs on the local news and tracked it down on YouTube. See if you can recognize the wheels under there. I think one was a Nik.

Wonderful! Have been arguing for a long time that quidditch should actually be played on EUC's !

[Scottie]

One Year Later

As always ... right-click a link and select 'open in new tab' to keep the story flowing properly!

One year ago (3 months after my 1st 16X sighting) a 16X arrived at my door and the adventure began. This year of pandemic craziness and heartache was mixed with the joy of learning a new motor skill (yes ... you can use that both ways ... physically and electrically!) and making new local friends to ride with, and world-wide friends to type like crazy with on this forum.  Add in some YouTube ... and we have a wonderful sport - hobby - past time that we can share and teach and learn and mix it up with.

The hobby came along at a perfect time for me ... for pandemic reasons, and my own mobility issues due to my knees being less than cooperative. I found on this forum that I am not alone with either issue. Many/most of us are getting up there in years and have the same or similar challenges. But on a EUC, we feel like we are on equal footing (um ... wheeling) with the world and can get out and about to see and do things, and enjoy the wind therapy, which helps restore and keep a proper perspective on things. If you are young or do not have any health challenges, EUC's are a new extreme sport that you can push your boundaries with ... then they will later help you get around when you are old or otherwise compromised. And hopefully you get old!

Learning EUC riding has been as interesting, satisfying and fun a challenge as anything I've done. I haven't done snow-skiing, or scuba, or para-sailing, or motorized para-gliding, or surfing. But I have learned to fly airplanes, water-ski, ride street and dirt motorcycles, drive semi trucks, dig holes with bulldozers and excavators, kayak, and some other stuff. I was very glad at 60 years old that I could still learn a new physical trick; a trick as significant as learning to ride a bike or swim. I will probably never become a trickster, a speedster, or airborne on a EUC (on purpose), but I have become good enough to go where I want to for the most part. Although I still avoid automobile traffic like the plague pandemic and will continue that way ... too much texting going on. With the exception of the bad knees that don't like walking very much, my legs have become quite strong for a bloke my age, due to the crouch stance and fine moves to control the wheel. Simple things like standing up from sitting in a chair have become effortless. I'll take that!

I am hoping to be able to ride these things for another 20 years, if they are still in production. I think that with newer style batteries being developed, that personal electric mobility will always be around in some form, unless it leaves its niche status and becomes so pesky that PEV's are regulated, maybe outlawed, as in some parts of the world already. But I think most police are too busy to worry about someone on a perceived toy if they're not bothering anyone. But we have also seen that there are exceptions.  It is also possible that police will adopt the wheel themselves to aid their mobility, just like they have done with electric assist bicycles. 

The world-wide nature of this forum and sport were very eye-opening for me. When I saw people enjoying EUC's all over the world and coming together on forums like this to share their learning trials and tribulations, their successes, their technical ability to repair, mod or create a new EUC, their enjoyment, and so on ... well, that all gave me a warm fuzzy feeling that we may all someday be able to get along better on a national level as well ... if the politicians don't ruin it! Maybe the legacy of the pandemic that affects us all the same (Mother Nature does not play favorites) will be a big step in that direction someday  ... if the politicians don't ruin it!

It goes without saying that the form factor of the EUC pulled me in. It is faster than the average person on a bicycle, has good range, has a road-worthy size wheel, and is small enough to carry in a car without any fuss or kept in an apartment (if the batteries behave ... most have ... but beware). When I look at a bicycle now, I wonder what the 2nd wheel is for!