Some beginner questions

[Nachos]

Hey all.  I've been my eye on a One Wheel for a while but realized that EUCs seem to offer more value in terms of range, speed and features.  What an amazingly efficient and elegant transportation solution.  

Planned usage: In order of priority, I'm envisioning using my device for: 

1. Cruising/joy riding in parks, long bike paths, neighborhoods and (eventually) canyons and road bike routes up to 30-40 miles on mountains and up to 3,000-4,000 vertical feet of climbing,
2. commuting 8 miles round trip in hilly terrain,
3. and running random errands close by (grocery store, library, visiting friends).   
4. occasional trail use if possible/allowed, I'll save the techy stuff for my mountain bike though.

I live on a mountain so any ride will have at least 600 vertical feet.  I am a skier, road, and mountain biker so I'm used to speed, traffic and balance.  After searching the forums and watching quite a few Youtube videos, I think I've zeroed in on my first EUC purchase. I think a 16" Tesla V2 strikes a good balance for my use case but open to suggestions.  

As I get ready to pull the trigger I have a few questions: 

1. Tires: I'm concerned about getting a flat and having to change a tube and/or tire.  How common are flats?  It looks like quite a project to change out.  Are any EUCs easier in this respect?  How easy is it to access the valve to put air in?  I run tubeless with sealant on my bikes.  Is that common/recommended in EUCs?  Which ones have tubeless to start? 
2. Support. I'm unaware of any EUC shops in Denver.  Where to you take your EUC for maintenance or is it all DIY?  
3. Point of purchase.  Where to buy?  Aliexpress has a good price and but IDK about ordering direct from China.   Are we responsible for paying import fees/duties? 
4. Community, it would be fun to have peeps to ride with.  I don't know anyone around here with one nor have I ever seen one in real life.  Hopefully they don't ban them when they get popular.   

[Chriull]

3 hours ago, Nachos said:

Hey all. 

Welcome.

I moved your post to "Which Unicycle to get" - seems to fit there best?

3 hours ago, Nachos said:

I think a 16" Tesla V2 strikes a good balance for my use case but open to suggestions.

Seems to be a good EUC from the reports here.

3 hours ago, Nachos said:

road bike routes up to 30-40 miles on mountains and up to 3,000-4,000 vertical feet of climbing,

Sounds like you'll need the biggest battery that's available!

Do not trust the manufacturers spec regarding range - especially in going up inclines. Or riding faster... Both eat up battery really quick...

BTW - have you seen 

?

Seems like a nice table - just looked up my KS16S which shows there a range of 34 miles (25 Wh/mi). This could be reached driving at flat roads, but i never reached this in hilly terrain - and this withoug height differences of 3000-4000 feet...

Maybe you should look more for the 1500Wh+ wheels? Or do you have the possibility to charge your wheel inbetween?

3 hours ago, Nachos said:

I'm concerned about getting a flat and having to change a tube and/or tire

Here are many reports about putting "slime" into the tire: google for

site:forum.electricunicycle.org slime

3 hours ago, Nachos said:

Community, it would be fun to have peeps to ride with

We have a "Local Groups Meet Ups" subforum here - maybe you'll find some fellow riders in your area?

[cowolter]

Hi all, just joined yesterday. 

May I ask here. I'm a big fan onewheel and love riding it but I keep hearing and seeing EUCs. Any recommendation for a model that I can pick up used and give it a try?

[meepmeepmayer]

8 hours ago, Nachos said:

Cruising/joy riding in parks, long bike paths, neighborhoods and (eventually) canyons and road bike routes up to 30-40 miles on mountains and up to 3,000-4,000 vertical feet of climbing

You need a bigger battery for 30-40 miles. 1600+Wh. So looks like you need one of the big boys: 16X, Nikola, MSuper Pro (MSP) or MSuper X (MSX), 18XL. All are great, personally I'd recommend an MSP (nice big comfy tire, great torque, big battery) for you.

8 hours ago, Nachos said:

commuting 8 miles round trip in hilly terrain

You may also enjoy a nice comfortable 3 inch wide tire for a regular commute, like the big boys have (2.5 on the 18XL). Though 4 miles one-way is fine with every wheel and tire size.

-

The Tesla is a great fun wheel, a great wheel to learn on, and expensive enough already. But I don't think it's enough for you, you'll enjoy a bigger and badder wheel more.

9 hours ago, Nachos said:

Tires: I'm concerned about getting a flat and having to change a tube and/or tire.  How common are flats?  It looks like quite a project to change out.  Are any EUCs easier in this respect?  How easy is it to access the valve to put air in?  I run tubeless with sealant on my bikes.  Is that common/recommended in EUCs?  Which ones have tubeless to start?

Flats are very rare if you have normal tire pressure, and you can use slime to protect you further. But of course it can happen.

Tire changes are a bitch on any wheel. Probably Gotways are a bit easier, but don't choose your wheel according to how the tire change works. You can normally expect to do it once every 1500+ miles when the tire has worn down. It's not that bad, you just do it when you have to.

Valve access is no problem, worst case you need an extender (probably not for these big boys with exposed valve).

Tubeless wheels are the mten3 and Z10. Not sure if there are (m)any tubebless conversions, there's nothing wrong with tubed tires.

9 hours ago, Nachos said:

Support. I'm unaware of any EUC shops in Denver.  Where to you take your EUC for maintenance or is it all DIY?

For problems, refer to your seller. For a first wheel I recommend buying local (aka ewheels.com for the US) if you have the money. Dealing with a Chinese seller when something is wrong with a brand new first wheel is no fun.

As for maintenance, EUCs need no maintenance (just don't store yours in your personal pool of acid or your oven or something equally egregious). Once a wheel works, it can be expected to work reliably till you get tired of it and get a better one.

9 hours ago, Nachos said:

Point of purchase.

ewheels.com or any other reputed US seller.

9 hours ago, Nachos said:

Community, it would be fun to have peeps to ride with.  I don't know anyone around here with one nor have I ever seen one in real life.  Hopefully they don't ban them when they get popular.   

There's some riders in Denver (since you mention Denver), including the legendary Chooch (probably the best rider your side of the Atlantic). Check out "chooch tech" on Youtube. You should find some people to ride with!

[Nachos]

Thanks everyone.  I have a Tesla coming my way.  I may end up outgrowing it and wanting more range but it should suit most of my needs.  Look forward to seeing some of you out there!

[Stillhart]

7 hours ago, Nachos said:

Thanks everyone.  I have a Tesla coming my way.  I may end up outgrowing it and wanting more range but it should suit most of my needs.  Look forward to seeing some of you out there!

Let us know what you think!  It's one of the wheels on my list for my first upgrade.

[Nachos]

I got my wheel! Well, actually it arrived Sunday but was dead so they exchanged it for me right away.  The new wheel arrived today but it's been snowing non-stop here so I can't take it outside.  Hope to start riding soon! 

 

[Nachos]

The snow melted off the streets today and I was able to get this baby out for a test.  So fun!!!  I'm stoked.  I started in a parking lot and then rode around my neighborhood a bit.  The app says I did 11 km in total.  I'm okay once I get going but mounting is an issue.  I need a pole or something to brace myself against and get my other foot on.  So that is my goal for the weekend.  

[RockyTop]

It sounds like you are off to a great start!   I guess you are one of us now. Kiss your wallet good bye. Don't tell anyone but I was one of those guys that traveled way too many miles before I learned to mount properly.   It is worth the trouble  learning proper mounting sooner rather than later. The skateboard start seems to work well for beginners. 

WE have another GW rider,  ........ evil laugh........ Welcome to the dark side. 

[Stillhart]

25 minutes ago, RockyTop said:

It sounds like you are off to a great start!   I guess you are one of us now. Kiss your wallet good bye. Don't tell anyone but I was one of those guys that traveled way too many miles before I learned to mount properly.   It is worth the trouble  learning proper mounting sooner rather than later. The skateboard start seems to work well for beginners. 

WE have another GW rider,  ........ evil laugh........ Welcome to the dark side. 

Resident beginner here!  Dude I haven't been able to get the skateboard start going hardly at all.  I mostly just stand up and lean forward lol.  On a good day I'll get a tiny push before I stand on it.  I'm hoping my new wheel will make it a little easier, but if not, I'll just have to work harder at it.

[Nachos]

Yeah, so far so good.  I'll definitely work on the starts once I have some grass available to practice on.  I just went out for another ride after dinner.  Some thoughts so far.... I really like the machine.  I added some air to the tires which turned out to be a little tricky.  I ended up having to use my shock pump to connect to the valve stem.  The head on my floor pump seems too big to fit.  The padding on the sides is pretty firm but when I scoot my feet outwards, it eases the pressure.  Maybe my legs will get used to it?  I'm surprise how easy it is to control going downhill, feels very intuitive to speed up and slow down.  It gets A LOT of attention with everyone who sees it, lots of "wow that looks cool!!"  I'm sure I look like a totally dork though  

Edited April 18, 2020 by Nachos

[HuskerDawg]

Welcome aboard Nachos. I am a newbie too. Your legs will for sure get used to it. I could hardly ride for 10 minutes without my feel/calves feeling like they were cramping. 

I ride several miles now twice a week. I have a knee ache going on but I am old so thats expected. How do you like the Tesla V2?  

[Nachos]

The Tesla's great.  It sounds like there's gerbils in it when it's on and not moving, reminds me of an old school desktop computer. I assume that is the gyroscope doing it's thing.  I read the king songs are pretty slick too.

[.....]

I dont skateboard start much either. Every now and then I forget its not a skateboard and roll-start myself right off it(always good for a laugh). Granted, Ive only around 250miles, and most of its traveling not stopping/starting. Its coming to me tho, even without focusing on it, I can see how different start/stop techniques come to you. Enjoy the new wheels! Colorado seems like a pretty dandy place to ride. Beware the EUC disease, it attacks your wallet and induces minor injuries at a moments notice.

Edited April 18, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[mrelwood]

Congrats on getting into an amazing transportation/hobby/addiction!

On 4/9/2020 at 6:36 AM, Nachos said:

I live on a mountain so any ride will have at least 600 vertical feet.

Something very important that unfortunately wasn’t mentioned yet: You can’t ride steep or long downhill with a fully charged battery!

The regenerative braking of an EUC charges the batteries as you go downhill. If the batteries are full, there isn’t an alternative mechanism to dissipate all that energy, so the batteries will get over charged. The wheel is supposed to alert and slowly tilt back so you can’t ride anymore until the battery is back to a safe level. But if you brake strongly, or ride fast downhill, it may not have enough time, and the battery may simply just switch off. That would hurt.

 The flip side is that the batteries require to be balanced at least every tenth charge or so. To balance, leave the wheel in the charger for several hours still after the charger led has turned green. The balancing only starts to happen when the strongest cells are already full, which is when the battery is practically full already.

 If you stop the charging every time before the cells get the chance to be balanced, in the worst case scenario your battery may be ruined as soon as in six months.

 You need to develop charging habits that take both of these aspects into consideration. Riding uphill or on level ground for a few minutes before going downhill may be enough, depending on how steep and long the descent is.

[Stillhart]

18 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

Congrats on getting into an amazing transportation/hobby/addiction!

Something very important that unfortunately wasn’t mentioned yet: You can’t ride steep or long downhill with a fully charged battery!

The regenerative braking of an EUC charges the batteries as you go downhill. If the batteries are full, there isn’t an alternative mechanism to dissipate all that energy, so the batteries will get over charged. The wheel is supposed to alert and slowly tilt back so you can’t ride anymore until the battery is back to a safe level. But if you brake strongly, or ride fast downhill, it may not have enough time, and the battery may simply just switch off. That would hurt.

 The flip side is that the batteries require to be balanced at least every tenth charge or so. To balance, leave the wheel in the charger for several hours still after the charger led has turned green. The balancing only starts to happen when the strongest cells are already full, which is when the battery is practically full already.

 If you stop the charging every time before the cells get the chance to be balanced, in the worst case scenario your battery may be ruined as soon as in six months.

 You need to develop charging habits that take both of these aspects into consideration. Riding uphill or on level ground for a few minutes before going downhill may be enough, depending on how steep and long the descent is.

Both of these are news to me.  Is there a thread somewhere with tips like these condensed in one place?

[mrelwood]

6 minutes ago, Stillhart said:

Both of these are news to me.  Is there a thread somewhere with tips like these condensed in one place?

Unfortunately not. Yet at least. It would be unpractical as a traditional discussion thread anyway, since there is so much to cover. There has been discussion about a wiki, but it hasn't materialized just yet.

[Nachos]

11 hours ago, mrelwood said:

Congrats on getting into an amazing transportation/hobby/addiction!

Something very important that unfortunately wasn’t mentioned yet: You can’t ride steep or long downhill with a fully charged battery!

The regenerative braking of an EUC charges the batteries as you go downhill. If the batteries are full, there isn’t an alternative mechanism to dissipate all that energy, so the batteries will get over charged. The wheel is supposed to alert and slowly tilt back so you can’t ride anymore until the battery is back to a safe level. But if you brake strongly, or ride fast downhill, it may not have enough time, and the battery may simply just switch off. That would hurt.

 The flip side is that the batteries require to be balanced at least every tenth charge or so. To balance, leave the wheel in the charger for several hours still after the charger led has turned green. The balancing only starts to happen when the strongest cells are already full, which is when the battery is practically full already.

 If you stop the charging every time before the cells get the chance to be balanced, in the worst case scenario your battery may be ruined as soon as in six months.

 You need to develop charging habits that take both of these aspects into consideration. Riding uphill or on level ground for a few minutes before going downhill may be enough, depending on how steep and long the descent is.

Thanks Mrelwood.  I was actually wondering about that.  I assumed that the braking used regen but I wasn't sure what happens after the battery is full.  I just have the standard charger so I don't know if there's any way to do a partial charge other than setting a timer.  My work commute is mostly downhill to get to work so maybe I should be charging there for the climb home.   

I just went out for another ride this morning.  I'm impressed with the range.  It had around 80% battery after a 15 km ride.   

One thing though, my shins are pretty sore from where they are contacting the upper pads.  Is this an issue specific to the tesla or just specific to newbs?  Should I add more padding to this area of the wheel (padding on top of padding)? 

 

[RockyTop]

30 minutes ago, Nachos said:

One thing though, my shins are pretty sore from where they are contacting the upper pads.  Is this an issue specific to the tesla or just specific to newbs?  Should I add more padding to this area of the wheel (padding on top of padding)? 

 

It is mostly a newb problem. The only time that I get sore shins or inner legs is after a long day beating myself up on difficult mountain bike trails. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by RockyTop

[PennBruce]

6 hours ago, Nachos said:

One thing though, my shins are pretty sore from where they are contacting the upper pads.  Is this an issue specific to the tesla or just specific to newbs?  Should I add more padding to this area of the wheel (padding on top of padding)? 

As RockyTop states the pain goes away eventually.  In the meantime, ankle and shin guards will help with the problem.  

I use Shadow Invisilite-Lite.

 

Bruce

Edited April 18, 2020 by PennBruce

[Nachos]

Thanks Bruce.  I threw on some shin pads and it feels much better!  It's going to take some time for my body to adapt.  As far as riding goes, it reminds me a lot of inline skating mixed with biking.  

[PennBruce]

2 hours ago, Nachos said:

.... As far as riding goes, it reminds me a lot of inline skating mixed with biking.  

Yes, it does.

Bruce

[mrelwood]

GotWay wheels in general are shaped quite boxy, so while your legs will get used to the pain, it’s something that many of us end up improving with a little DIY. I wouldn’t wait too much in pain, buy a yoga mat and double sided carpet adhesive/tape and go crazy with scissors!

[Nachos]

2 hours ago, mrelwood said:

GotWay wheels in general are shaped quite boxy, so while your legs will get used to the pain, it’s something that many of us end up improving with a little DIY. I wouldn’t wait too much in pain, buy a yoga mat and double sided carpet adhesive/tape and go crazy with scissors!

Yeah, I'm planning to do some kuji pads for it soon but for now, the skin pads I'm wearing help a ton!

[Nachos]

Day three on the machine. 

Got out again this morning and I learned the skate start!  I no longer have to find a post or something to brace against so that's a big improvement.   This video that someone posted in another thread was really helpful.  

I hit 75 km on the wheel this morning and I feel pretty comfortable navigating around, turning and maneuvering as needed.  I'm keeping it pretty slow for now.  Will the wheel beep or tilt back when I approach the power limit or is it just a speed thing?  For example the thing is rated for 30 mph but I assume that is on flat terrain.  If I'm on a steep hill how will I know when to back off?