What got you started riding EUC's?

[Vellberger]

1. Three friends of mine - which are brothers - bought one of the very first (?) solowheels, each, round about seven years ago. Although none of my family was ever talented in driving things that can make your feet faster than your body, I was able to more or less ride the solowheel after a while. Big thanks to my friends to teach me and risk all the scratches on there devices. At the end we even had a little tour. These days I really wanted to buy a solowheel too, but it was too expensive for me at this time. I wanted to legitimate it by using it for work, like one of the brothers did, but it was way too far and not practical. So nothing came out of it.

Now in 2020 I read an article about e-scooters which are now allowed in germany. So I wondered what became of the solowheels. And I was pleased to see that monowheels are still alive and technology went on so dramatic. Now I have round about 10 km flat terrain between my house and my work. (Tried also to take a bicycle, but I was too lazy.) EUC are so much faster now, have more range and all kinds of features. And fortunately I have more money as I had back then. So I thought if i can legitimate a EUC by using it for comuting today. But then I decided to buy one for fun and have the ability to take it to the office. (Most people come to work with a motorcycle because they drive one, but few buy a motorcycle to come to work. Why should it be differnent to my EUC?) So I ordered a V8F from amazon.

2. During my learning period a colleague left the company and gave a barbecue. I was totaly hooked up and so I brought my wheel with me, trained a bit beside the party. My colleges were interested and also a bit laughing on me  clandestinely for sure. So I offered them to try out riding by themselfes. Most of them tried but gave up after a few minutes. Seamed to be harder as expected after all. This was the only one I tried to teach others. May be there is one more colleaugue I will teach. He seams to be interested at least. I decided to offer a lession to everybody who wants to learn. As well as my friends did for me one day. I think I would never have bought a unicycle without knowing I can do it. 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Vellberger

[eve]

On 5/8/2020 at 6:59 PM, Scottie said:

1st) I'm interested to know what got you started riding. Do you remember that 1st spark of interest? How did you 1st find out about EUCs? What made you take the leap?

2nd) Have you persuaded anyone else that you know to try riding one? Did anyone you know approach you and ask that you teach them from the beginning, from where they could not ride at all? And the same question but for a stranger that possibly saw you riding and got very interested? Did you help anyone choose a wheel? These kinds of questions are related to you helping someone in person, not over the internet.

1. So i remember eyeing the first Boosted board on kickstarter long time ago. At that time i had no money. So i forgot about it. After a while i got a nice job and saved up some money so i decided imma buy an eSkate. So i looked for the best and it seemed Boosted went off the radar and ive seen that Unlimited took its place working with Loaded. I didnt wanted an eSkate that would have a shit board made buy some new company that didnt have any ide how to make boards.
So my only choice was getting Unlimited so i got the Icarus Racer Complete. 

I was watching Ronnie Sarmiento on Youtube at the time and he had a video where he talked about PEVs and which one would be the best one and they talked about EUC. My first impression was: "Why do they look so ugly?" 

But i stumbled on Kujis V11 review and thats when i knew that i had to get one. It looked like a vehicle and not a roomba.

I was going to order a V11 but considering i bought the eSkate my funds were pretty sure and then i stumbled on Chickway and i went for it and ordered an S18. I wanted a wheel for fun or Sherman as first. No way i was getting Sherman since i didnt have enough money so went for S18. 

It should be coming soon!

2. Not yet but ill definetly will! 

[PLEASE_DELETE]

Deleted.

Edited March 18 by PLEASE_DELETE

[eve]

Sure thing! @/Dev/Null 

V11, Sherman and S18 look 1000x much better then any other wheel that came before so it was my queue to get into EUCs. 

Only Gotway getting ready to release EX and MonPro with the same design that they had for years! 

I most likely never buy a Gotway.

[KiwiMark]

On another forum there was a thread on the Zero scooters, I Googled those to find out more about them, this lead to Youtube videos on scooters and I thought they would be great fun and a good way of exploring interesting places around the country.  Some of the videos had EUCs in them, they seems interesting but surely would be insanely dangerous.  So I ended up buying a Kaabo Mantis Pro, but I still checked out different videos and kept on seeing EUCs.  Adam from Wrong Way! explained why he thought EUCs were better than scooters, so I'll put the blame on him!

So now I've ordered my first EUC and will patiently (or maybe impatiently) wait for a few weeks until it arrives, then I'll start learning how to ride.  I do enjoy learning new things, so it should be fun to gain a new skill on these things.

[.....]

2 hours ago, KiwiMark said:

On another forum there was a thread on the Zero scooters, I Googled those to find out more about them, this lead to Youtube videos on scooters and I thought they would be great fun and a good way of exploring interesting places around the country.  Some of the videos had EUCs in them, they seems interesting but surely would be insanely dangerous.  So I ended up buying a Kaabo Mantis Pro, but I still checked out different videos and kept on seeing EUCs.  Adam from Wrong Way! explained why he thought EUCs were better than scooters, so I'll put the blame on him!

So now I've ordered my first EUC and will patiently (or maybe impatiently) wait for a few weeks until it arrives, then I'll start learning how to ride.  I do enjoy learning new things, so it should be fun to gain a new skill on these things.

and euc's got me into getting a scooter. Much fun! I will say they are totally different riding experiences tho. I prefer the euc as its more an apendage of the body. I just feel like my feet have grown a wheel somehow. A scooter feels more akin to a device I ride atop of, not a part of. I also like having hands free on an euc. However, the scooter is great in its own right. I didnt bother with a toy scooter nor a toy euc, so I dont' know how they stack up at the lower end of the specturm. Welcome to the club! I will tell you this, an euc is WAY more difficult to learn than a scooter. Its also more gratifying once you do. I feel as tho the scooter is a bit safer a choice, but thats only if you ride both with the same over concern for safety. Its great to have both, as you aint getting a newbie to just jump on an euc and go for a ride with you. You can get a newbie to hop atop a scoot and survive first trip. This aint just me talking, its been this way so far with both man and woman that I've introduced the euc and scooter too. Its great to have and enjoy both!  Fwiw, research into the onewheel got me into Euc's, and i still have no desire to de-evolve and buy one of the OW things. Im sure its of highest quality, but it just doesnt hold a candle to the euc in specs and rideablility. I have to ignore ethics and build quality tho, as I don't even want to begin down that rabbit hole.

Edited October 4, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Scottie]

21 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I just feel like my feet have grown a wheel somehow.

That deserves an ... Amen!

[wheel-life]

Kuji Rolls and his Sherman video got me hooked thanks to the Youtube algorithm that had it on my main page. Before that, the closest I had seen to a EUC was the Segway Ninebot and Onewheels, I had no idea EUCs existed. I see his video is up to 2 million views now, wonder how many other new riders have that to credit for their first wheel. After that, an online friend told me they had been riding EUCs since 2015 so I started to actually consider it for myself. I kept watching videos and subscribed to as many riders as I could until putting my order in a few weeks later. 

EUC or electric unicycle is not the greatest name for these but seems too late now. Something like "eWheel" would be better for branding imo. Anyway, names aside, they are a blast to ride either way and searching EUC videos by most views on YT, guess I'm thankful I found Kuji's video and this wasn't my first introduction to them:

 

Edited October 5, 2020 by manieuc

[Roadpower]

1) Specific interest in EUC's started when I came across a video of a rider here in NYC who was hauling ass to my amazement. As my nickname hints at, I have a career in the transportation industry. But even so, what child grows up without roller skates, skate boards, bicycles, etc. Wheels are a pretty big deal to humanity.

2)  I can't help but show people the wheel and talk about it, that is my nature. I'm not in a position to teach anyone yet but I can give from my experiences so far.

[Toshio Uemura]

On 8/21/2020 at 10:52 PM, eve said:

V11, Sherman and S18 look 1000x much better then any other wheel that came before

Nothing looks (not rides! but looks!) better than the Z10 and its almost antique ancestor the Ninebot E+. The cool looks of the E+ was what got me hooked and fascinated in EUCs. Riding an E+ almost 6 years ago in 2015 and having a DJI drone flying right above you was so out of a science fiction movie at the time. I just couldn’t resist. And the Z10 is still the coolest looking wheel, the one that rules them all in sense of design and build quality with their engineers commitment to detail. The S18 is also a cool 😎 looking wheel but the V11 is for people who find a SAAB or Citroen good looking, so no wheel for me, ever. 🤣 

Edited October 7, 2020 by Toshio Uemura

[Toshio Uemura]

On 8/19/2020 at 5:16 PM, Vellberger said:

As well as my friends did for me one day.

Sehr schön und interessant erzählt! I love your heartfelt story very much. 👍 

[Scottie]

5 hours ago, Toshio Uemura said:

the V11 is for people who find a SAAB or Citroen good looking, so no wheel for me, ever. 🤣 

I like the comparison , even though you do not like the V11(or SAAB and Citroen) appearance !

[AtlasP]

I was surprised that the Z10 doesn't look nearly as good in-person as it does in renders (still looks quite good in-person, just not *as* good). Conversely the V11 actually looks way better in-person than it does in renders. It's also interesting to me how different various wheels look in glamour shots by themselves (without rider) versus with a rider (some wheels look better with a rider than without, whereas others look better in shots without a rider than with).

But either way, the Z10, V11, S18, and arguably Veteran (for those into the Jeep/Hummer look) are all certainly leagues better-looking than any EUCs that came before.

Edited October 29, 2020 by AtlasP

[Tasku]

1) My bike got stolen  I just wanted to get something to move around.

I had been following tech and devices of all sorts to join one way or another the electrified revolution. I have been working with electric motors and getting electric motor operated device was no brainer. I was very close to get "cool electric skateboard" but I was never happy with specs. Also I was afraid the small tires would slip on wet surface and all that jazz. It just lacked in many ways now that I compare these devices. No regrets going for EUC. For specs I ended up thinking of: Nikola+ and MSP both was good enough, just turned out I found MSP available first. I did go through all the devices available, but I felt comfortable maintaining these myself and that was one of the biggest reason I ended up getting one.

I watched videos from EvX and Wrongway Adam. Also Vee and U-stride for learning stuff. All of em influenced me one way another. And let's not forget Marty, he such jolly fella to follow  After I got my wheel I was told to check out Mike from Sweden. Can't wait to see what drama they bring up next episode in the wheellog.

From this forum I was lucky enough to find someone who took time to gimme a practice lesson. It helped me to so much, the msp was clumsy to start with I give you that. Even few hours with lighter device helped greatly.

After 2000 km now I feel like I might be trying to polish something of my own style. My current riding style quite influenced by EvX but I gone with my own custom ankle pad to keep me up on wheel to fight em potholes. I also kinda love the motorcycle/skating/skiing vibe of having one knee free to maneuver in corners. 

I am still looking into new wheels. Ideally something that can go further but not that much weight. I just might get to replace the battery packs on my current wheel some time in future and get the range I want to my current wheel..

 

2) Everyday I been riding, I heard people saying "I want one". I see the "wow" the wheel makes when I pass people by and try to give a friendly greet. I been tempted to get another wheel and start giving lessons. Maybe next year when summer comes.

[Dreygun]

Came across a fellow jeeper on IG posting onewheel videos of himself. Starting researching and came across euc videos (chooch/ chang/ kuji/ wrong way). Got obsessed and researched more. Put a deposit on a v11 (batch two), but went with a 16x a week before my v11 came in. Didn't want iasues and wanted to learn before snow arrived. Been riding like crazy for the past 1.5 weeks. I'm hooked!

[gon2fast]

After watching for several years I purchased a Boosted Board. Fun, but not very useful for everyday errands. I had seen EUCs, but as a snowboarder/skater the stance looked too much like dual planking so I did not put a lot of energy into it. 

Shortly after, while I was trying to get funding for a Onewheel, my cousin went to NYC and saw a EUC in action. He captured a video, which he shared with me and I have been addicted ever since... 

[Scottie]

16 hours ago, Tasku said:

My current riding style quite influenced by EvX but I gone with my own custom ankle pad to keep me up on wheel to fight em potholes.

Please post a photo of the ankle pads. I am thinking of what to do with my MSP in that area, while waiting for power-pads.

 

17 hours ago, AtlasP said:

But either way, the Z10, V11, S18, and arguably Veteran (for those into the Jeep/Hummer look) are all certainly leagues better-looking than any other EUCs ever made.

I can see that. Although I am a Function over Form guy, appreciating what the wheel does more than what it looks like, I do find myself admiring the look of a wheel. Fortunately for my eyes, they have a wide variety of taste, so none of the EUCs offend my artistic sensibility.  I find the S18 very interesting to look at.  

[Toshio Uemura]

20 hours ago, Scottie said:

I like the comparison , even though you do not like the V11(or SAAB and Citroen) appearance !

Thank you. I am sure SAAB builds very nice cars 🚗 It’s all a matter of taste, I guess. I am more into this kind of 🚘 design:

 

Wish they would build unicycles. 😝 
 

🤣

Edited October 8, 2020 by Toshio Uemura

[Tasku]

 

2 hours ago, Scottie said:

Please post a photo of the ankle pads. I am thinking of what to do with my MSP in that area, while waiting for power-pads.

You sure you want pics? Let me give a desc of it first

I have RollNZ cover. Under the cover I have placed some cut foam from the package I received my wheel with. I tried to maximize the surface connection where I attached it cause I used velcro. (This way I can remove it without a hassle too) So to foam I glued velcro piece and to plastic cover some velcro too, both horizontal and vertical connections. This works well cause the RollNZ cover grabs the whole shape of foam and gives me better hold and it will not get ripped off so easy.

The foam is shaped like slope that matches my ankle. It does not look too bad cause the cover hides the foam, but not a final thing (so maybe I shall not share pics yet).

The shape also lowers over my toes. I can jump if I want. Just don't rely the foam too much this point to make it a habit yet. It was trial and error for me too. Because I can keep my ankle connected to the wheel now, I can move with my knees to control my movement. I love this new found freedom because reminds me bit of cycling a bicycle without holding the bar, or motorcycling, or shalom, snowboarding, skateboarding, fast ice skating.. feels good that's what I mean anyway.

Cause I have offset stance the pads I have are placed A-symmetric. Left side is closer to front and right side pad lets me hold my toes even with the pedal. To be clear, my left foot is even at the backside of the pedal and rest of my foot is off the pedal. With this stance I can say breaking power increased and wobbling is gone. The best things this stance has, well there be increased acceleration too but breaking power is key.

This might sound weird to some, a friend of mine said it was weird to get used to on his first try. I can say it lets me break harder and stay on wheel when I encounter even nasty potholes. 

 Later on I plan to attach the shape over the RollNZ cover. But not the foam, a better material that I be looking for. Jimmy Chang had video about jumping, what that material was called again.. Anyway.. The pedals do not currently stay up as well as they used to, because the cover is the way it is, bit in the air where it used to be even matched with the plastic cover. Hopefully that confuses everyone enough

Edit: link to Jimmys video

 

 

One more thing, when I step on the wheel (I am right footed) I "hog" bit more space to begin with and move my leg lil behind as I go.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Tasku
typos and link to Jimmys vid

[Scottie]

20 hours ago, gon2fast said:

I have been addicted ever since... 

 

21 hours ago, Dreygun said:

I'm hooked!

Do we start a support group? ... Or just let the addictions play themselves out?      I am inclined toward the later, and I hope it takes a long time.

On 10/7/2020 at 9:13 AM, Roadpower said:

But even so, what child grows up without roller skates, skate boards, bicycles, etc. Wheels are a pretty big deal to humanity.

And around here, wheels are honored and respected more than usual!

Edited October 8, 2020 by Scottie

[Lillian]

1. The glide feels most similar to my Segway PT (now defunct). 

2. The small footprint.

3. The ability to take it with me at my destination.

To elaborate on this point,  I have owned many PEVs. But once at my destination (a store, office, etc.), would I be refused entry? In 2012, my Segway was rejected from the indoor bike room at work. Since 2018, I have rolled my EUC past that same security checkpoint with no objection. So it can go where some PEVs are rejected. 

[Tawpie]

I was a downhill then a cross country skier (to telemark), tried snowboarding but having the hand-o-god smack me in the back for an instant faceplant plus old age => increasing caution and the cost of winter sports pretty doomed that. But I still wanted to carve.

Commuted the last mile for 7ish years on a kick skooter, it was as fast as running without all the sweat. But you can't really carve. During this time the Solowheel appeared in Seattle but the price... with kids in college that was a short mental discussion!

A bit later, hearing that oneWheel was designed to emulate snowboarding, I was mildly interested but never saw one in action. Then with the release of the pint they started appearing with regularity and got me to give them a serious look (still wanted to carve). But the prospect of a nosedive was frightening—no time to do anything except know how much it was about to hurt. In the end though the relatively short amount of "fun time" before being chained to Grand Coulee Dam was what ultimately doomed them for me. Along the way I of course got sucked into the YouTube rabbit hole where I discovered that EUCs had come a long way since the Solowheel... a very long way indeed.

Add in the pandemic, general boredom with walking around the neighborhood every day, the chance to learn a new skill, more-than-workable range (time on station for me since I'm too old and too cautious to go very fast), and OMG you can seriously carve on those things—so now Mr. Visa says i owe him for a 16XS and $600 of protective gear. Fortunately nobody charges for the goofyassed grin that's gotten stuck to my face.

I think that around here there are enough esk8ers and eBikes and Lime scooters that PEVs are kind of not that special. I've had a couple of questions (how do you stop?) but so far nobody has been sufficiently inspired to inquire further. Maybe the grace and style of a rider with 120km on the odometer has something to do with that. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Tawpie
wordsmithing

[Nostris]

I stumbled upon Nonstop Neal on the tube, and became absolutely fascinated. He bought a V8 as he was on a major tour of European cities as he worked on a Touring show. His videos are excellent, not just for the euc riding, but as a travelogue of European cities.  Look him up...well recommended.  Anyway, thanks to Nonstip Neal, I now have a V8f. 
 

at present too busy trying to not fall off to speak to anyone. 

[drader]

I was turning 50 and wanted a toy. Tried a Onewheel Pint, and the initial wobbles took me by surprise. Just seemed like an impossible undertaking.... not related to skateboarding or snowboarding in any way - more like a plank on a basketball. I felt like I was too old to learn something like that, and it made me depressed. A week later I ordered a Revel Kit (electric skateboard, which is fantastic, btw). I loved the Revel, but the foot fatigue on urethane was huge. Ordered a Verreal RS and converted to large pneumatic tires, and a 44" deck. Also an amazing machine; the double-kingpin trucks are addicting. I road the shit out of both my boards all last year; love ripping up fireroads on the pneumatic; love passing cyclists in the wind and on hills. I did try a Pint again, and this time it seemed easy to ride, but not really a cruiser. But I kept running into people who would say "Pssst! Dude, you need to try an EUC... it will change your life" and I knew they were legit... the passion was unreal. I watched all the vids out there at least a dozen times each. For Xmas I bought myself a Tesla V2, because I could get it in just a few days, and learn over Xmas break. It has been quite addicting , I pretty much need to ride it for at least a half hour each day.

[EUC Sharkman]

I started in PEVs using a Christmas gift card to buy a GoTrax G1 Glider. I worked at a company that was doing construction on the main building so we had to park out cars off-site, and having a scooter helped get me from the lot to the building without having to wait for the company shuttle.

 

Once I got into PEVs, I started looking into the OneWheel. I'm big on funding KickStarter campaigns and really loved the 2015 OneWheel KickStarter beginnings, but it was too expensive for me then. I picked up a great deal on a used one, but also liked watching videos on OneWheels from folks like Jimmy Chang, Slydog Stroh, and other who really made it fun not just to ride, but to also make videos to capture the moment.

 

What drew me to EUCs was the fact that it had power, speed, range, but such a tiny footprint. It was challenging bringing my OneWheel and at times even my scooter around in the car on trips due to their size. Then last December, there was some deal for refurbished Ninebot One E+ for sale at a pretty cheap price, so I figured this was the best time to pick one up and see if I'd enjoy it. If it didn't work out, no big deal, just sell for cheap and move on. Given the learning curve associated with learning EUCs, it was a low risk move.

 

It took me all of January to figure out how to ride. Throughout the month, I watched more EUC videos from folks like Chooch, Wrong Way, Hsiang, but also caught up with EUC vids from OneWheelers like Jimmy Chang and Slydog. 

 

In February, with the help of folks on the forum, I picked up my next wheel, the Tesla v2. Looking forward to getting more miles in, using the Tesla as my new primary commuting wheel (when they actually let us in the building after COVID), and getting some modest videos made to help capture the moments of the rides.