Week one with my first EUC and I'm looking for hobbyist must-have recommendations!

[Kommienezuspadt]

Alright,

Quickly, I need to set this up. I'm a professional editorial fashion photographer and I travel a lot! Around five years ago, I was working in New York City, and for those of you that haven't been, you're options are to walk, cab or Lyft it, or the train. All of them suck. I saw a business guy in a suit, holding a briefcase splitting traffic on an EUC, and that was the beginning of my intrigue.

 

My 67V MTen3 came last Thursday, and now I'm totally obsessed. Today was my first grown up ride. A bike friend of mine here in Minneapolis showed me how to navigate the green lane. It was about a 4 mile ride that went through downtown. I did surprisingly well now that I'm learned how to step on/step off at lights, stop signs, etc.

Here a few questions I have for the EUC veterans.

- I dealt with a lot of pain in the flat/arch of my foot, just standing on it. I bought a pair of Vans skate shoes and they're new. Were these a bad choice for EUC riding? Is that something that'll go away as I get used to it or do I straight up need a different style/brand of shoe?

- Firmware updates on the MTen3. Is that a thing? If so, how do you do it? I see it has a USB port. I also have the paid version of DarknessBot.

- I'm seeing these amazing videos with 360º cameras that stitch themselves out. Any idea what brand they are? I own a THETA360S. I don't use it much any more but this is making me want to dig it out of storage and shoot.

- Selfie stick brand recommendations?

- I've seen @Marty Backe’s MTen3 videos and it looks like tire and tube issues happen. I'm trying to get ahead of that before I run in to the same problem, which I'm sure is inevitable.I want to order replacement tube and tires for the MTen3, so that when I get a flat, I can do something about it right away. I'm seeing a lot of options on eWheels. Can any of you recommend a tube and tie?

- I'm still a novice taking baby steps with my MTen3, but while speeding both up and down hills, I heard what sounded like a single beep warning. I doubt I was going too fast, because I'm still scared shitless to go fast. Could it have been something else, or was it a speed thing? Battery seemed fine, but I've come across a few videos of riders on EUC's that said they got a warning beep, ignored it, and then got thrown off.

- Lastly, and this may be premature, but I think I'm preaching to the choir; if I were to consider a second EUC once I graduate from the MTen3, what brand/model would you recommend?

 

Thank you all for your patience with the new guy. I seriously haven't had this much fun in years!

Edited June 24, 2020 by Kommienezuspadt

[.....]

If you need arch support as a rule when walking, I'd see no reason this would be any different on an euc. I have worn flat skate shoes for decades and my arches like it. If you wear 'dress' shoes usually, perhaps try to imitate the support your current pair has in them. There are pedal upgrade options and some of us custom tailor the angle. You didnt mention knee or hip pain, so Im assuming the angle is fine, its just the flat surface thats getting you. Flat is flat, just like standing on concrete.

No firmware updates on the mten, it is what it is.... Usb is for charging devices, I've never even tried it tho...

The gopro max and insta360 are the 2 big choices I've seen lately for video. You will find MANY threads on these here.

Selfie stick is personal preference. Marty has a gear list about it too I think. I use the goPro maxgrip mostly, but I've half dozen on my wall to choose from already.

My mten is a tubeless tire. They came with both, but i think the new ones are also tubeless. Check your valve stem. It doesnt hurt to have a spare tire handy, I guess it all depends on how long to ship to your house, how imperative it is you dont miss a day, and how much $$ you want to spend on spare items. I'd match the tire it has on it, just to keep it simple.

If you overlean the mten, it makes a series of very fast beeps. Iirc, mine beeps like crazy and just gives up. I bet you heard a speed warning, 10-12mph sneaks up on me REALLY fast sometimes. Check your settings in your App, I recommend EUCW for droid. A member here is responsible for the bulk of eucw, it works really well. Theres a HUGE thread on it as well. Darkness bot is also a good choice, same basic functions, different wrapper.

The kingsong 18L or 18XL and the mten is a VERY potent set to have. If the price is right, I'd see little reason to buy an 18L over the XL. Your last question is a can of worms and you will find many opinions and lengthy threads about this as well.

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Kommienezuspadt]

Man, thank you, @ShanesPlanet

When I got this thing and started feeling the early signs of "Oh, shit! I think I'm really going to like this!", I decided to join this forum immediately. Leading up to my MTen3 delivery, I found a lot of resources on this forum before I was a member. What a great community.

The tilt warning makes more sense given the situation I was in when it happened. 

I'm going to pick up a selfie stick, but I also have a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone. It crashed about two weeks ago. I just had it repaired and will be back here this Thursday. I can't wait to shoot some foot with the drone following me. I'll definitely share it here when I do.

Great recommendations for the next week. This world just got really big for me, really fast. I love it!

[.....]

I have a few videos of having fun on the ole mten, from a newbie perspective. I enjoy it immensely and since I got my wheels, I dont walk much.. I do however, find myself exploring around randomly, instead of just standing around. In the time I can stand and smoke a cigarette, I can ride 4 damn miles+.  The mten is a pretty sturdy little wheel, so have fun with it. ANY wheel is a gateway drug, but the mten just always seems to be in the dish of party goods, sometimes its the first taste.

Edited June 23, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[mrelwood]

The mTen pedals are quite small and won’t probably support your foot very well. I also get foot pain very quickly on small pedals. The pedals on the mTen can be switched for larger ones if you want to invest, but modern bigger wheels in general already come with much larger ones.

 Make sure you keep the battery in a good charge. The balancing power of the wheel gets lower as the charge goes down. Maybe you heard the beginning of a low battery warning as you stressed the wheel more on an uphill?

 While there are quite a few options for a larger wheel, the most common ones are 18XL, MSX/MSP, Nikola, (and 16X). Different strokes on each, but all good and worthy choices. The community is buzzing around the forthcoming V11 and S18 that have a proper air shock suspension, but it could be worth waiting a bit on other’s experiences on those, unless you really “need” the feature.

[shellac]

18 hours ago, Kommienezuspadt said:

- I dealt with a lot of pain in the flat/arch of my foot, just standing on it. I bought a pair of Vans skate shoes and they're new. Were these a bad choice for EUC riding? Is that something that'll go away as I get used to it or do I straight up need a different style/brand of shoe?

I’m also new and had this issue when I was starting out, almost 2 months ago now, with the 84v mten3. I got mine from ewheels which has the larger ACM pedals. 
 

In the beginning I was getting bad foot pain after just 5 minutes on it. Now I can go half an hour before I get a little hint of pain. Probably much more than that if I’m conscientious of my foot position. 
 

I don’t think it’s related to shoes or anything like that. I’ve tried different kinds of shoes and what I’m currently using has a very thin sole. The pain seems to come from a lack of confidence in your own stability on the wheel. Unconsciously you are trying to grab the pedals with your feet and toes, which quickly causes pain. At least that’s how it was for me. 
 

When I am very relaxed on the pedals I won’t get pain. If I go on less certain terrain and I’m not consciously trying to relax my feet they will start to hurt. 

[AtlasP]

When requesting wheel recommendations, it is important to include your approximate weight, price range, and general usage scenario(s)/priorities.

To help you visualize the set of options, check out my up-to-date comparison table at: https://1drv.ms/x/s!Ag0ky7mWfH9cm9dMfvYothdqZtIsdw

Edited June 23, 2020 by AtlasP

[erk1024]

It's pretty common to get fatigue in the arch of your foot. But more time on the wheel per week will help.

mTen's are supposed to be super fun. Haven't had a chance to try one myself.

If you go to one of the bigger wheels, it may not even seem like the same hobby. I know a guy who had the 14" InMotion V5F, and he tried my 18XL and really didn't like it. The feel was too different. For him it was all about maneuverability. Of course, that wheel maxed out at 15mph, and range was limited to ... 15ish miles? Something like that. 

But a bigger wheel would be much more roadworthy and comfortable, so you could go farther and faster than you ever could on your mTen. I've been having fun with the Monster V3. There are bike paths with a good mix of sweeping curves and straight sections where you can really open it up. Something like the Monster, you have to put a few miles into it before you appreciate its unique attributes. 

Off-road can be a thrilling as well. Its very technical, and chances you'll have to bail off the wheel at some point. The 16" wheels (16X or Nikola) are really maneuverable and zippy. You can do a U-turn in the middle of a sidewalk--something the Monster couldn't do. (You just can't tilt the body enough to pull that off. Or at least I can't. But no problem on the Nikola)

So the question is, what sounds like fun?

Now that you have the smallest, maybe your next one should be the largest. Get the Monster Pro with a 24" wheel. LOL.

Edited June 23, 2020 by erk1024

[null]

Just a side note about going to larger wheels, right away they feel more sluggish (and are) but it’s also a habit. If you try a large wheel just for a short moment it might not feel maneuverable because you’re not used to throwing in weight. Ultimately they are safer on potholes, powerful around cars, and all over more suited to actual long range transportation.