A photo of me with the best wheel of 2020. You should know what it is before even clicking.

[Sushiroller]

Marie Kondo would say that the best wheel is the one that speaks to your heart and sparks joy.

When you look at the wheel you have to ask yourself:

"Does this wheel represent me?"

"Do I want to carry it forward in my life?"

"What purpose does it fill?"

"Am I showing enough gratitude toward my wheel?"

"How does this wheel help me live the life I want most?"

[.....]

My sherman is the best wheel at COLLECTING DUST. I ride my 18L (and mten) far more often and for longer than my Sherman in most cases. If raw speed was my goal, I have other vehicles that win. If comfort in handling is my goal, the sherman loses by a bit. If ease of transport is my goal, the sherman loses. If ability to turn around or make direction changes is important, the sherman loses again. The sherman is a good wheel, but it is far from the best. It is closer to being a decent wheel than the s18 is, by far! As @rogueone elegantly put it, the wheel that does it for me, is the 18L. Makes me a little sad, as the Sherm was VERY expensive and I had VERY high hopes for it. It has it's own niche, but I'd be misleading people if I were to claim it was 'the best'. I guess if having a horrid tilt issue and being heavy was the main goal, the sherman would win hands down.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[null]

What high hopes did you have for it? All the negatives you list where known before, and you are apparently not interested in any of its merits. You bought a random wheel that didn’t correspond to your needs and now you’re ranting that it doesn’t fit you? Good job 🙄

Edited October 22, 2020 by null

[Ádám Szitás]

Good to see other people too that care more about EUCs other than speed and range, a lot of times those get overshadowed here. I Think the best is the one that fits the highest amount of users, is reliable, does not cause any inconvenience and it would probably be the v8f and the 18xl because they are just good and reliable all around.  So which wheel would that be in 2020?

[.....]

29 minutes ago, null said:

What high hopes did you have for it? All the negatives you list where known before, and you are apparently not interested in any of its merits. You bought a random wheel that didn’t correspond to your needs and now you’re ranting that it doesn’t fit you? Good job 🙄

Why does every opinion I have, automatically get considered a rant?  I am interested in its merits, I do like having the sherman and the tilt issue was NOT known before I purchased it. I never said it didnt fit me either. It has the range and speed I was hoping for. Just because it isnt THE BEST wheel of my collection, doesnt put it in the 'trash' category. Being NOT the best, doesnt mean useless. MY best wheel isnt a 2020 model so I guess I'm wrong anyhow. I don't keep crap wheels, I sell or destroy them. Altho, the Sherm won't see as much use as planned, until they can sell me a board that doesnt tilt so much that I can ride it how I would prefer.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Mike Sacristan]

2 hours ago, mike_bike_kite said:

The problem with your fun calculation is that it unfairly favours large battery wheels. Your list might as well be a list of wheels with the biggest batteries. Something like an Mten3 would likely be near the bottom of your list while something like a monster is great if you want to do long distances but is that really fun? Personally I think you need to include motor power and weight somehow.

I don't know if you are being serious or not. Could you clarify how you feel that battery is being favoured? I didn't add a modifier to the range value.

[mike_bike_kite]

50% serious and 50% fun. I thought it would be interesting to see if you could work out which wheels are likely to be fun or not just from their data. Obviously no formula would be perfect. Battery is being unfairly favoured in your formula because the formula is Wh * range / price => but range is mostly dependant on Wh so the formula is really Wh * Wh / price => which means the formula is heavily weighted to Wh. Power to weight might also be a good indicator of fun as might tyre width.

 

[.....]

7 minutes ago, mike_bike_kite said:

50% serious and 50% fun. I thought it would be interesting to see if you could work out which wheels are likely to be fun or not just from their data. Obviously no formula would be perfect. Battery is being unfairly favoured in your formula because the formula is Wh * range / price => but range is mostly dependant on Wh so the formula is really Wh * Wh / price => which means the formula is heavily weighted to Wh. Power to weight might also be a good indicator of fun as might tyre width.

 

Quite an undertaking to try and make sense of the calculations included in 'fun'. Dollar for dollar, my mten is most 'fun' to me. However, its REALLY poor if you use any calculations in distance and speed. Maybe we could meaasure the amount of smiles? Its also of note that my most 'fun' wheel, doesnt have the most miles. So I guess if it was fun per mile, the mten is WAY out in front. Of course, 'fun' means different things at different times. Its also fun and exhilirating to go 40mph on a single wheel. If we put emphasis on that, the results are VERY different. The stats on eucw are VERY usefull, but I dont know how we could gauge 'fun' from those specs either. What about the people who commute all week, but only get to ride their 'fun' wheel on nice weekends? DO people that work from their wheel, also get to include that distance/range as 'fun'? I think they are all fun. I also think they ALL have their own strong points and weak points..   Still waiting for the impossible 'one wheel to rule them all' scenario.

Edited October 22, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Mike Sacristan]

4 hours ago, Mike Sacristan said:

speed*battery/price

 

3 minutes ago, mike_bike_kite said:

50% serious and 50% fun. I thought it would be interesting to see if you could work out which wheels are likely to be fun or not just from their data. Obviously no formula would be perfect. Battery is being unfairly favoured in your formula because the formula is Wh * range / price => but range is mostly dependant on Wh so the formula is really Wh * Wh / price => which means the formula is heavily weighted to Wh. Power to weight might also be a good indicator of fun as might tyre width.

 

Now I understand the misunderstanding.  

My formula is speed*battery. Although a 20 kmh cruise on a 2000Wh wheel and a 40 kmh cruise on 1000Wh would probably be worlds apart.

Power to weight could be interesting. I wonder how much weight people would be willing to lose to improve this.
Also a standard Nik+ 1800Wh weighs 25.5kg. My Nik weighs 29.5kg. They both have the same power in watts. So which one would be more fun?
Mine feels more planted and makes the standard Nik feel like a sketchy toy in comparison. It does have other advantages though...
I would need to include pedal height, magnet width, tyre size, pads, etc and then make the most advanced formula ever with weighted modifiers.
Then I wouldn't even be able to call my document fast wheels anymore... 

Also bonus points would be added for having a CX-321 tyre. I think I will put that on my Nikola soon. I am sure it will be fun.. until I ride the crappiest city streets I can find at 60kmh. Or who knows maybe it will be so much fun that I will be stimulated enough at a lower speed. Oh yes.. PSI as a variable too!

[AtlasP]

5 hours ago, Ádám Szitás said:

Good to see other people too that care more about EUCs other than speed and range, a lot of times those get overshadowed here. I Think the best is the one that fits the highest amount of users, is reliable, does not cause any inconvenience and it would probably be the v8f and the 18xl because they are just good and reliable all around.  So which wheel would that be in 2020?

• The V8F is still unmatched for its category (16" + at least 1k W motor/22 mph + sub-32 lbs + close to $1k) and as such is not just the wheel of the year but the wheel of the decade for that category--combined with its earlier incarnation, the V8, have certainly outsold all others by a long shot.
• As a huge fan and long-term defender of the 18[X]L, I have to say the V11 is almost a direct successor & certainly a direct upgrade to it--similar thin & tall feeling (people who love the feel of the 18[X]L will feel absolutely at home on the V11), but with much better ride quality due to the suspension & wider tire, plus all the niceties of the improved lights, BMS, kickstand, etc.

So ultimately I would agree with your general sentiment, but for 2020 I would replace the 18[X]L with the V11.

Edited October 22, 2020 by AtlasP

[AtlasP]

7 hours ago, Kai Drange said:

EUCs have some unique benefits/strengths as vehicles. If I had to designate a specific wheel as best, it would be one that "is good at being an EUC". ... I'm sure riding [the Sherman] is fun, but so is (probably) riding a motorcycle. And it is not obvious to me why the Sherman is a better choice than a motorcycle if range and speed are the only criteria worth considering.

This is an absolutely-beautifully-crafted argument against the idea of speed & range as the only predominant considerations when reviewing/rating EUCs. Seriously, I'm jealous I didn't write it.

Edited October 22, 2020 by AtlasP

[null]

That argument doesn’t go far, motorcycles dont have the benefits of EUCs.

Its very simple really. Some people enjoy riding EUCs far. Some enjoy riding EUCs fast. Others have different priorities.

Luckily there are wheels to suit our different priorities. Being good at being a EUC doesn’t mean the same to any if us.

(edit: I don't defend le message of the thread title, the Sherman is too specialised to be for everyone.)

Edited October 23, 2020 by null

[Kai Drange]

11 hours ago, null said:

motorcycles dont have the benefits of EUCs.

Yes, agree. That was what I was getting at. Motorcycles obviously win at speed and range. Yet we ride EUCs. Which to me indicates speed and range aren't the only features worth considering.

And yes, I also agree we all have different priorities which makes the claim that anything is the best wheel close to pointless. It just seems to me that too much importance is generally assigned to speed and range. I can think of a quite long list of other features I personally consider more important, at least.

[CharlesRomer]

13 minutes ago, Kai Drange said:

Yes, agree. That was what I was getting at. Motorcycles obviously win at speed and range. Yet we ride EUCs. Which to me indicates speed and range aren't the only features worth considering.

And yes, I also agree we all have different priorities which makes the claim that anything is the best wheel close to pointless. It just seems to me that too much importance is generally assigned to speed and range. I can think of a quite long list of other features I personally consider more important, at least.

Could you name a few?

[mike_bike_kite]

Off the top of my head here's a few:

• Portability - can you easily get it up a flight of stairs or easily trolley it through a coffee shop
• Ruggedness - is it going to look knackered after a 20mph slide down the road
• Design - if you're paying decent money then I want to feel a little proud of my wheel
• Waterproof - I don't want to walk just cause it's raining
• Lighting - are the lights good enough to be used in traffic at night
• Value for money - speaks for itself

[.....]

1 hour ago, mike_bike_kite said:

Off the top of my head here's a few:

• Portability - can you easily get it up a flight of stairs or easily trolley it through a coffee shop
• Ruggedness - is it going to look knackered after a 20mph slide down the road
• Design - if you're paying decent money then I want to feel a little proud of my wheel
• Waterproof - I don't want to walk just cause it's raining
• Lighting - are the lights good enough to be used in traffic at night
• Value for money - speaks for itself

The biggest one and its impossible to define. Does the wheel SPEAK to me in a language I can comfortably  translate? As in... NOW you're speaking my language! Similar to how I describe why I'm still married after 20 years. Oh yeah, I'll CLAIM its the 'best' but then I can't recall exactly why... oh yeah, it 'speaks to me'. Speed and range may be easy to defiine on paper, but it doesnt mean they're the most important. I sold my 200mph sport bike but kept my 80mph supermoto and yet STILL ride my euc more regular. Speed/range are just a tiny bit of a much larger equation.

Edited October 23, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[Kai Drange]

1 hour ago, mike_bike_kite said:

Off the top of my head here's a few:

• Portability - can you easily get it up a flight of stairs or easily trolley it through a coffee shop
• Ruggedness - is it going to look knackered after a 20mph slide down the road
• Design - if you're paying decent money then I want to feel a little proud of my wheel
• Waterproof - I don't want to walk just cause it's raining
• Lighting - are the lights good enough to be used in traffic at night
• Value for money - speaks for itself

Pretty much the same points I had in mind. On my list I'd also have:

• Safety/reliability - do I need to worry about cut offs or aggressive tilt backs

Then there is the weird one that actually was a big influence on what wheel I ended up buying:

• Not high max speed

In Norway the legal max is 22km/h. The police are actively trying to get rid of illegal PEVs at the moment. There is a real risk the police is going to stop me and check the listed max speed for my EUC. If the listed max is 30km/h I will probably get off with a warning. A fine at most. If it is listed as 50km/h+ I'd probably lose both my wheel and my drivers licence. As I'm happy riding along at aprox 30km/h I actually don't want "excessive" speed that can get me in trouble.

[mrelwood]

 

9 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Speed/range are just a tiny bit of a much larger equation.

It’s all about smileage!

[Pingouin]

Hi guys !

I've tried some of the most recent EUCs that have come out this year, the sherman is a beast of an EUC for long rides, road trips but for city riding even with it's incredible balance, it's not as convenient as some other EUCs. Do I enjoy riding a sherman ? YES. Would I buy one ? Absolutely NOT.
Suspension EUCs great for comfort, the tradeoff is the size and weight. My personal favorit actually is...the Tesla V2. Why ? Just because it fits in my life perfectly, but it's just my life for a friend of mine it would be a trash EUC because of the lack of range.
What I need the most would be :

• Portability : it needs to fit in tight spaces and needs to be easy to lift up
• Reliability : I don't have the budget to repair my EUC all the time or invest in new ones on a regular basis. Water resistance is needed here.
• Agility : it needs to be easy to manoever in crowded areas
• Convenience : does it have a practical trolley handle, a cut-off, sufficient lighting, is it easy to dissassemble
• Performance : I would still want a minimum of performance, so nothing under 25kph & 30km range, but all modern EUCs fit in

Daily, I still mostly ride an old inmotion V8, people have said to me it is completely outdated and lacks peformance making it a shitty EUC. I agree it is old & that it doesn't have either speed and range, but it has things that make me love it. I think that no EUC is shitty, they are have their + & -.
Finally, like Mrelwood I think it's all about what EUC makes you smile the most. Some might prefer protability, others range & speed.. every EUC rider will have his personal favorite, and I really think that there are no best EUCs.