Yes, I do love the Sherman...so far

[.....]

I got my Veteran today. I am typically a person who is disappointed in about 70% of the things I purchase. I won't muse about if it's my fault or theirs. Anyhow, I am NOT disappointed with the Veteran. Now, Im not blown away by it of course, but it does seem to fall squarely in line with what I was hoping for. I enjoy my 18L immensely, I love my mten completely, and this Sherman will definitely earn a place where there was a lack, in my euc collection. At aruond 80lbs, I was VERY worried I wouldnt even be able to lift it.  Well, it's heavy, but its a balanced weight. I wouldnt want to carry it up stairs, but its not too bad to lift over small obstacles w/o blowing out my back. The weight also worried me as far as... could I hold it up with my leg. Again, it was a surprising non-issue. I have leaned it over while standing and quickly realized you can't be lazy about it. But, even after just a few dismounts, it should be a non-issue.  I partly expected this thing to take off like a rocket. Well, it doesnt. It does accelerate with less force than my 18L, but its a very manageable and predictable acceleration. It reminds me of my 1100cbr sport/touring bike. Gobs of power, but in a stylish way. Kind of how a lexus V8 has the balls, even if the honda has the ponies. The weight of the wheel actually gives it a very solid stance. The tire (knobby) is impressive and reminds me of a dirtbike/enduro tire. There is a lot of sidewall here and a lot of tread. I was riding at a mere 15psi (i'm 130lbs) and it felt very compliant on the asphalt, but still not too much give to be a danger with typical road riding. Now, 15psi may be low for harsh impacts, but it was nice to see the lower pressure and it really did compare to the soft feeling of my mten at 15-20psi. The knobby tire is smooth on the road. I find the humm it makes, kind of enjoyable. Remember the whine of the 18l and how we measured speed by its tone? The knobby will do just the same. I have no doubts that its tread design (combined with weight) will perform just fine on mild/intermediate) offroad terrain.

Be warned... this euc can and WILL hurt you. As a rider that likes to travel near tiltback on the 18L, I was curious to see if 30mph felt as close to the edge, on the sherman. Let me tell you this.... once I figured out how to turn off the low speed tiltback, it was a mere 2/10ths a mile on grooved ashpalt and I was doing 30mph. I THOUGHT it must have been telling me kmh. My 18l on this same stretch, feels a little iffy above 25mph. It isnt until I hit less grooved asphalt and onto pavement, that the 18L felt 'safe' at 28mph+. The sherman had me doing 30-35mph+ on the same road and I really did just figure it HAD to be km.  3 minutes Later in my maiden voyage , I looked to see my readout at nearly 40mph. Mind you, Im in a t-shirt and honestly thought it was only kmh. I could tell by the sound of the tire that I was moving quickly, it just didnt feel like it. No wobbles, no excessive lean needed to keep the pace, no tire hop, just smooth sailing. I would compare the feeling of 40mph on the sherman, to that of a bike when you hit that perfect speed where everything just smoothes out. When I got home and reviewed the tape and the wheel settings, I was SHOCKED to realize it was already set for mph. I am already planning a speed run to my gas station, and Im WAY less worried than I probably should be. The sherman felt very planted thru the turns. I was going comfortably thru the same turns as my 18L, but accidently doing it at 5-10mph faster. So, be warned. If you come from a background of hi-speed activities, you will be hitting the top speed on the sherman  and not even realize it. It will lull you in and prolly kick yours and MY asses eventually.

Its not ALL roses. The sherman has a pretty mean forward dip when doing 180's in the street. You know the type. You want to turn around but stay in your lane. Well, be ready, as the pedals dip a lot. I will continue to play around with the modes, but medium is enough dip that you will need to modify your ride characterisitcs for it. Im more worried about pedal dip in hi speed sweeping turns, than I am about the top speed of it.

Long boring read I'm sure. Its just rare that I am content with something I buy, so I figured I'd share my first 4 mile hike and what my thoughts were on it. I have a video up of the same shit quality as usual, so feel free to steer clear or not. I can see how the veteran is setting the pace for now. I can also see that the pace will make the euc a little more regulated in the future. If you can, buy one. I just have this eerie feeling that we are at the peak of freely enjoying them (some places have past that timeframe) and if you wait, you may find its illegal, or not as economically feasible. Sieze the day!!!

Edited September 19, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[travsformation]

Long yes, boring, not at all. Your observations and (brief) experience thus far are very valuable and much appreciated, thanks for taking the time to share. 

A "didn't disappoint ShanesPlanet" badge should be added to their website 😜

Looking forward to hearing your impressions as you put more miles on it! 👌 

Edited September 19, 2020 by travsformation

[.....]

Found a small issue while combing thru the exterior of the wheel. I don't know if this is a load bearing screw, or just an alignment screw. Its one of the 4 that goes under the pedals as a little clamp. NOt a very sound design choice, to use self tapping screws into thin wall pipe. Doubly so if its load bearing and susceptible to vibration. I found the screw was glued in with what seemed to be hot-glue. This indicates that the builder was aware of the problem, BEFORE it left the factory. A solution of drilling the tubing and tack welding nuts into the locations, would be the better solution, tho it would obviously require a much more involved initial manufacturing process. Let's hope this is a non-issue, as I completely expect to try and ride a sherman for many miles. Fwiw, I 'glued' the bolt back into place with balck rtv. Neither the clamp nor the pipe has any threading, so it simply pushed in.

Of note: Immediately upon showing my wife the wheel and turning on the flashing lights, she asked if it could be replaced or change color. Being a USA resident and driver, its all too obvious that flashing red OR blue lights, is reserved for law enforcement on the streets. I'm not sure its legal to have forward facing red lights at all, let alone flashing. Funny they went from blue to red and still didnt realize the issue at hand.

Edited September 19, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[travsformation]

BTW, went ahead and ordered one 

[.....]

8 minutes ago, travsformation said:

BTW, went ahead and ordered one 

Congrats! Its really a wheel in a class of its own at the moment. It aint magic and its still chinese built, but the recipe is good. Seems utilitarian and its just got so much power. Its a smooth power and it just really surprises you of how nimble it seems. I mean it aint an Mten, but within moments, I was carving and getting back MUCH less resistance than expected.  The gyro effect is there, but not bad at all. In fact, the gyro 'issue' may be hte exact reason I was doing 40mph within minutes of stepping on it, and i didnt feel any wobble or imbalance. You should enjoy it for sure! I'd suggest the offroad tire. It rode so damn smooth, even in sweeping turns. Aside from a little noise, its a damn fine tire. Hell, looks like it may do well off road too. Yup, I dont think people will mistake this one as a toy, it just looks to mean business. I carried it up my stairs, you dont really want to do that. Did i mention how nice it is to know you can see your speed at a glance. Onboard controls in a good spot, simple effective, comforting. This is a wheel you can take on a long trip and just assume it needs no additions. Standalone for the win! Combined with the fact that you cant do firmware updates easily, it pretty much FORCES you to accept the wheel for what it is an d isnt, and enjoy the fact that no point in worrying about it.  it is what it is.  This is all opinions but you should know by now, Im quick to judge, even faster to dismiss, and enjoy focusing on the negatives. I'm not on anyones payroll, so at least you know that my opinions are mine and typically unfiltered. for better or worse...

Edited September 20, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Willy510]

3 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

 

Of note: Immediately upon showing my wife the wheel and turning on the flashing lights, she asked if it could be replaced or change color. Being a USA resident and driver, its all too obvious that flashing red OR blue lights, is reserved for law enforcement on the streets. I'm not sure its legal to have forward facing red lights at all, let alone flashing. Funny they went from blue to red and still didnt realize the issue at hand.

 

It is not legal in the USA to have red forward facing light either solid or flashing , it's reserved by motor vehicle code for fire/EMS. Blue light are also Illegal and reserved for police so guess which one gets enforced more. Easiest way to change it it to but some of the orange clear lens repair tape and put it over the red side sections or replace the headlight if you don't want them there at all. 

[.....]

34 minutes ago, Willy510 said:

It is not legal in the USA to have red forward facing light either solid or flashing , it's reserved by motor vehicle code for fire/EMS. Blue light are also Illegal and reserved for police so guess which one gets enforced more. Easiest way to change it it to but some of the orange clear lens repair tape and put it over the red side sections or replace the headlight if you don't want them there at all. 

My mistake. I thought that being reserved for emergency personel meant that it was not legal for personal/public use. I do know that if you have blues or reds in your headlights, you WILL be stopped around here for it. I'd imagine it is regulated by state code if its not a federal code violation.  I do know you can get away with amber around here. Moot point as I just need not turn them on.

Edited September 20, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Willy510]

2 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

My mistake. I thought that being reserved for emergency personel meant that it was not legal for personal/public use. I do know that if you have blues or reds in your headlights, you WILL be stopped around here for it.  I do know you can get away with amber. Moot point as I just need not turn them on.

I used to work Fire/EMS  and I honestly don't think anyone would really care about the red lights unless you are doing something stupid like trying to get cars to move over or rolling through an accident scene otherwise you'll probably get the regular "What the hell is that thing?"  But any blue forward or rear face light will quickly get the attention of the local Barney Fife and you'll get to find out just how bored they are. 

[.....]

21 minutes ago, Willy510 said:

I used to work Fire/EMS  and I honestly don't think anyone would really care about the red lights unless you are doing something stupid like trying to get cars to move over or rolling through an accident scene otherwise you'll probably get the regular "What the hell is that thing?"  But any blue forward or rear face light will quickly get the attention of the local Barney Fife and you'll get to find out just how bored they are. 

Very possible it would be overlooked. Of course, its best not to tempt ANYONE when rolling around on an unlicensed, uninsured, unregistered 80lb "wheel thing" that does 50+mph on public roads. Don't poke the bear or there may be NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!

Edited September 20, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Willy510]

4 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Very possible it would be overlooked. Of course, its best not to tempt ANYONE when rolling around on an unlicensed, uninsured, unregistered 80lb wheel things that does 50mph on public roads. Don't poke the bear or there may be NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!

Since the flasher is all in the headlight and it's just another switched 12v at the plug I'm replacing the flashers with some COB LED driving lights that will mount in these clamp on light mounts I came up with.  I'm going to extend the brake light with these too but I need to make the light for that since its a 5V pixel array and not just a brake light. 

[.....]

cool idea! Me, I dont even turn the damn light on anyhow. I was always one of those kids that removed the reflectors off his bike. Hell, I still pull that bullshit refelctive seam fabric off my jackets when I can. Some like being seen, some dont. I have knuckle lights for when I need to see to ride. You won't catch me in one of those neon vests by choice.... EVER!

Edited September 20, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Planemo]

Good review Shane, don't ever worry about how long a review is, always nice to hear your thoughts when I know they won't be floured up with any affiliated/backhanded bullshit.

Re your screw falling out, I think I would be very tempted to fit RivNuts and use short bolts. Same with any other shitty self tapping areas on the wheel that look a bit suspect.

[.....]

13 minutes ago, Planemo said:

Good review Shane, don't ever worry about how long a review is, always nice to hear your thoughts when I know they won't be floured up with any affiliated/backhanded bullshit.

Re your screw falling out, I think I would be very tempted to fit RivNuts and use short bolts. Same with any other shitty self tapping areas on the wheel that look a bit suspect.

thanks, and is that an easy solution you are offering up? I'll have to look that up, as I've never heard of 'RivNuts'. Its is of a little concern for me, as its one of the 2 that holds each pedal on. However, I dont know if it supports much. I didnt feel like tearing it apart and having to think about it again. Many thanks on the info, maybe a simple solution is out there and I'll just preemptively correct all 4 and be prepared for the next. Hell, it wouldnt surprise me if ALL attachment opints to the tubing were the same. 

*ahh, rivet nuts. I was thinking I should just rivet the damn thing on and when the time comes I need to repair or take it off, just drill the bitch out and do it again.

Edited September 20, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Planemo]

11 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

*ahh, rivet nuts. I was thinking I should just rivet the damn thing on and when the time comes I need to repair or take it off, just drill the bitch out and do it again.

Yeah there're great, I use them for all sorts of things, and good when trying to do something with a blind hole. Never as strong as a nut and bolt of course, but sufficient for most jobs. For anyone else unsure:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivet_nut

a classic example for those who may not have come across them before is for bicycles, where the water bottle cage is bolted to the thin walled alloy frame

 

 

[.....]

16 minutes ago, Planemo said:

Yeah there're great, I use them for all sorts of things, and good when trying to do something with a blind hole. Never as strong as a nut and bolt of course, but sufficient for most jobs. For anyone else unsure:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivet_nut

a classic example for those who may not have come across them before is for bicycles, where the water bottle cage is bolted to the thin walled alloy frame

 

 

I'll have to look it over a bit. I have rivets and a rivet gun here. If I KNEW I could get the damn thing to come out once I drilled it (rather than stuck in the tube) I'd just go cheap and rivet it. I guess I need to look at some teardowns and see in what event would those need be removed at all. I decided to NOT drool over the info and speculate and research much on the Sherman. Hell, my last snafu of an euc, I spent WEEKS studying the tidbits, and we see how good that worked out for me.  Im printing some spacers atm. Hoping to get some better roll points in a crash...

[Toshio Uemura]

16 hours ago, travsformation said:

BTW, went ahead and ordered one 

Congrats. Good choice 👍 

[travsformation]

5 hours ago, Toshio Uemura said:

Congrats. Good choice 👍 

Thanks! 

You bought one too right? Skimming over another thread, I seen too remember you're still waiting for your wheel. Or waiting just for the batteries, which were shipped separately? 🤦‍♂️ 

Was that you? 

[Toshio Uemura]

5 hours ago, travsformation said:

Thanks! 

You bought one too right? Skimming over another thread, I seen too remember you're still waiting for your wheel. Or waiting just for the batteries, which were shipped separately? 🤦‍♂️ 

Was that you? 

Yes, that was me. Fixed all issues yesterday and had my first ride: This thing is amazing 😉 it really is a different generation of wheels. Coming from the Z10 it feels like the wheel has suspension. Even in the strong mode it is a very soft ride. The acceleration is insane and you loose the feeling for speed. It just accelerates on and on and when you change the alarm from 40 something to 60 something km/h it just keeps going and the peep just comes later. It did not go faster then 60 km/h. After all it was my first ride. 🤣 

Returning home I immediately got on my Z10 to see what feels different. And then I had a kind of déjà vu: it felt like riding the old Ninebot E+ after having ridden the MSuper V3s+ . The Z10 is a nice wheel, it just does not have enough range and speed. But it’s nice for doing tricks in the park and commuting in the city. So they are not really comparable. It’s nice to have both. But before the Z10 just felt a little too slow, now it feels almost unbearably slow. The Sherman definitely sets a whole new benchmark.

 I remember 2 years ago I was contemplating aloud in the forum how long it will take until the unicycle will let us cross the 100 km/h line and someone lectured me about pedal friction and the wind that would blow you off the wheel and and and. May that be ... but I still believe it will be done by someone somewhen soon. 🙃

The Sherman points the way in this direction. Once all the snow is gone and ⛄️ snowboarders and skiers all discover the EUC as a satisfying alternative, there will be race tracks and EUC competitions and Olympic Games and with that comes speed and further development. And it will come fast. Mark my words. 

 

[.....]

I'm surprised to hear when people say the sherman has such great acceleration. I must not be riding mine right yet, as I find it comparable to my Ks18L and of course: miserable in compare to the mten. I'm not complaining at all, but it does seem a little slow off the line. So many times when starting, I almost step off the front, as its just not under my foot when I take off, like I'm used to the 18 being. It happens quite often and I need to learn the sherm better. I just figure this is an indication that it does NOT start with as much agility as the 18, or my  foot would land exactly as assumed. I reviewed a ride of mine and can clearly see it happen. This isnt a complaint, as its obviously having to get more mass going as its a larger wheel. I also didnt notice it going from 10-20mph much differently than my 18. Again, not a complaint, but I did expect it to take off with more authority. I think its just fine and powerpads help a bit.

The pedal dip is driving me mad. I put the tiltback by +1 in the settings, and it helps a bit. Riding in hard mode helps also. But, they're merely bandaids to the problem. Hard mode seems to just wear my bones out a bit more than medium. Tiltback +1 may be nice, but I just am ocd about having all my wheels at 0. +2 was WAY too much for me. I'll play with the tilt more, but its still not the solution. I have to remember about the dip when riding around in the street, as its enough to catch you off guard in pivot turns and single lane play session of wandering. Uphill hi-speed turns are madenning. It takes a bit of effort to hit a turn at 35mph and dive into an uphill sweeper. You have to input MORE force to accelerate the turn and push out of the apex. When it dips and I'm already in an attack posture, it forces me to decrease my lean angle a tad and I lose turn authority. No big deal, but accelerating out of a turn, becomes "maintaining speed" at exit. Theres no gears on this thing, so I cant bang it down one to get that extra HP as I brake prior to turn entry. I could always LEAN INTO the dip, but man does that really push face angle. Im typically pushing with all i have on any pads already. Anyhow, all of this may be for naught, as Jason at e-wheels is kindly assisting me with a chip update. I really hope it goes well.

I am currently making myself some pads. Im not a power pad enthusiast, but i do think the sherman REALLY needs some. If I didnt plan on riding with some serious leverage and speed, I wouldnt bother mounting up the sherman anyhow. For long rides at speed and cruise control comfort, the sherman kicks some serious ass! My beloved 18L still beats the shit out of it for curve comfort and overall refinement, but i think the sherman covers ground the 18L can't. Once I get a chance to try the new pads out, perhaps the sherm will get a little bit more enjoyable to ride. As it is now, the sherman feels like a machine built for purposes that didnt include comfort and nimble. Still not complaining as its definitely a weapon and I LOVE having it. Its like a sport bike that sits in the garage, waiting for the perfect moment to break free from reality. My other wheels are more like daily drivers, but just as a civic can do what it does, the sport bike does something entirely different.

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Bridgeboy]

15 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I'm surprised to hear when people say the sherman has such great acceleration. I must not be riding mine right yet, as I find it comparable to my Ks18L and of course: miserable in compare to the mten. I'm not complaining at all, but it does seem a little slow off the line. So many times when starting, I almost step off the front, as its just not under my foot when I take off, like I'm used to the 18 being. It happens quite often and I need to learn the sherm better. I just figure this is an indication that it does NOT start with as much agility as the 18, or my  foot would land exactly as assumed. I reviewed a ride of mine and can clearly see it happen. This isnt a complaint, as its obviously having to get more mass going as its a larger wheel. I also didnt notice it going from 10-20mph much differently than my 18. Again, not a complaint, but I did expect it to take off with more authority. I think its just fine and powerpads help a bit.

The pedal dip is driving me mad. I put the tiltback by +1 in the settings, and it helps a bit. Riding in hard mode helps also. But, they're merely bandaids to the problem. Hard mode seems to just wear my bones out a bit more than medium. Tiltback +1 may be nice, but I just am ocd about having all my wheels at 0. +2 was WAY too much for me. I'll play with the tilt more, but its still not the solution. I have to remember about the dip when riding around in the street, as its enough to catch you off guard in pivot turns and single lane play session of wandering. Uphill hi-speed turns are madenning. It takes a bit of effort to hit a turn at 35mph and dive into an uphill sweeper. You have to input MORE force to accelerate the turn and push out of the apex. When it dips and I'm already in an attack posture, it forces me to decrease my lean angle a tad and I lose turn authority. No big deal, but accelerating out of a turn, becomes "maintaining speed" at exit. Theres no gears on this thing, so I cant bang it down one to get that extra HP as I brake prior to turn entry. I could always LEAN INTO the dip, but man does that really push face angle. Im typically pushing with all i have on any pads already. Anyhow, all of this may be for naught, as Jason at e-wheels is kindly assisting me with a chip update. I really hope it goes well.

I am currently making myself some pads. Im not a power pad enthusiast, but i do think the sherman REALLY needs some. If I didnt plan on riding with some serious leverage and speed, I wouldnt bother mounting up the sherman anyhow. For long rides at speed and cruise control comfort, the sherman kicks some serious ass! My beloved 18L still beats the shit out of it for curve comfort and overall refinement, but i think the sherman covers ground the 18L can't. Once I get a chance to try the new pads out, perhaps the sherm will get a little bit more enjoyable to ride. As it is now, the sherman feels like a machine built for purposes that didnt include comfort and nimble. Still not complaining as its definitely a weapon and I LOVE having it. Its like a sport bike that sits in the garage, waiting for the perfect moment to break free from reality. My other wheels are more like daily drivers, but just as a civic can do what it does, the sport bike does something entirely different.

 

Shane, you're lighter so you're naturally going to have a tougher time leaning a 77-lbs wheel over. However, I experimented with the pedal tilt quite a bit and the more you lean them backwards (+) the harder its going to be to get the wheel accelerating forward. I ride with a 2° forward pedal tilt (-) and I accelerate very quickly now and can get up to 50-MPH in no time if I want. I also ride in soft mode which lets me control the wheel better by granting more leverage.

But I do not expereince pedal dip so if you are I can understand your reluctance to tilt the pedals forward. I have firmware 1053.0. What version do you have?

Jason at eWheels tells me he's about to send me another update firmware module soon too.

[.....]

I have no idea what fw version I have. My darknessbot says 'unsupported" and eucw may show me but i cant find it. If you had pedal dip, there's no way you would be able to set a forward tilt. I find it odd that a lot of people just dont know wtf I'm talking about. Well, not that they don't know, but they don't seem to have it on theirs. Trust me, its NOT in my head and if yours did it, theres no way in hell you wouldnt notice, I prefer medium mode and 0 tilt, but thats only when the wheel acts as it should. So far, hard and backwards tilt is the best way to mitigate the dip issue. I've accelerated with power pads on and it gets up to speed just fine. I just don't seem to be getting into the mid 20's any faster than an 18L would. Fast enough, but definitley not a rocket. Perhaps the fw update will change the behavior a little. Mine was first batch from e-wheels, tho i still dont know wtf all that entails as far as changes Veteran has made. I was told that they arent very open about the fw changes, so thats fukn lovely. I may be pretty light, but perhaps this is offeset by me being 6'3" tall and having leverage with long legs and being top heavy for a head full of rocks? I've never had a problem sliding knee pucks on my 500lb 1100cc bike. I  am good for hanging off the side of these machines like a monkey.

Edited October 31, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Bridgeboy]

@ShanesPlanetWell it's definitely your firmware then if DarknessBot is not even reporting what it is. Mine clearly reports 1053.0.

When you are about to choose your wheel in DarknessBot to connect to it, what does it list your wheel as being? Mine is LK1158. I'm told that means it's the 1,158th Sherman made.

Yours is probably a very low number and the original F/W that has pedal dip.

Once you get the firmware update module you'll probably be good to go.

[M640x]

I don't have a Sherman, going to wait for a while to get one when the "bugs" get all worked out.  I do understand the pedal dip as I've had it in other wheels.  It's very uncomfortable to put it mildly the first time it happens.  I was able to get used to it a little but still not having the dip is a much better option.  I hope it gets worked out.

[Bridgeboy]

On 11/2/2020 at 3:09 AM, Senior Coffee said:

I don't have a Sherman, going to wait for a while to get one when the "bugs" get all worked out.  I do understand the pedal dip as I've had it in other wheels.  It's very uncomfortable to put it mildly the first time it happens.  I was able to get used to it a little but still not having the dip is a much better option.  I hope it gets worked out.

It's already worked out. I have not experienced any pedal dip.

[stephen]

I need more money😁  i really want the sherman  more for the range than anything else its winter here nearly so maybe early next year but then again the sherman would be good for winter ,,can't win l