Sherman impressions and experiences from a KS rider

[travsformation]

I received my Sherman today and thought I'd share my first impressions.

 

For anyone who doesn't know me, my name is Travis and I'm an EUC-aholic 😁 

 

First impression, pre-riding:

 

Videos don't do this wheel justice, it really does look intimidating in person. It just exhudes power and temperament (and... malice?), like a bull that's just standing there placidly but you know might try to kill you at any given time, especially if you try to ride it (but possibly also if you don't), so you'd better not turn your back to it. And that tire...in person it really causes an impression and adds to that "I mean trouble" look.

 

Build quality, as has already been pointed out by every Sherman owner before me, feels very solid. I was even impressed by the trolley handle, which, although not coimparable to KS ones, is very springy, requires a little force for it to click back into place, and isn't quite as terrible as I'd imagined it. Or maybe my expectations were just extremely low. I'll update that impression once I've actually used it a little.

 

The weight...you can see it...you don't even have to pick it up to sense how heavy it is. 

 

The pedals feel a little loose, but I don't know if that's the way they're supposed to be and I'm just used to stiff, non-magnetic KS pedals.

 

Oddly, the headlight it came with is the blue flashing one, while firmware version is 4.31, so I'm taking that as proof of true GW heritage:, they only switched the headlight for the models shipped to eWheels and are using up their remaining stock of "police headlights" for their other wheels. 😂 

 

The headlight felt like it was pointing a little too low (which I later confirmed when riding) and the tail light was sitting on the back more horizontally than I figure it should. Easily correctable, but a testament to production line workers' devotion and attention to detail 😆

 

I haven't opened it up yet but will do so soon. 

 

After waiting for a couple of hours for it to stop pouring (which it didn't; weeks of nothing but sunshine...until I received my Sherman, of course...😤), I decided I couldn't take it any more, checked the tire pressure (it was at 28 PSI so I left it like that for my test ride), geared up and took it for a spin. 

 

Note: I set the alarm for 46 km/h (my max. cruising speed on the 16X & 18XL) and tiltback to 50 km/h. Every reviewer I've watched has mentioned how stable it is at speed and how easy it is to end up going faster then you intended, and cruise faster than you're used to cruising. Thought it wise to let the wheel keep my enthusiasm in check in case I got carried away. 

 

First ride, first impressions:

 

Straight off the bat, as you're mounting, you can feel how heavy it is. I hopped on it with a more than healthy dose of respect, and after the first dozen meters, found myself pleasantly surprised by how docile it felt. The minute you start moving the weight ceases to feel like something that you might have to fight to control and starts to act in your favor. I rode up to the other end of the village, about 1 km away (it's a small town 😅), gently getting a sense for how it turns, accelerates, brakes and grips (it was pouring so I was extra cautious...needlessly, it would appear 😁).

 

Low-end acceleration wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. You can feel it's fighting against the weight during the initially slow build-up, but once you reach about 10-15 km/h, the power starts to come through in a delayed, springy kind of way (like KS wheels in soft mode) and acceleration is way more effortless than I thought it would be (I haven't installed pads yet).

 

The pedals are very comfy, nice and long, and the grippiest I've ever tried. I wouldn't mind if they were a bit wider, but I figure it would become a clearance issue, so they're perfectly fine the way they are (not an opinion I share about the 18(X)L's stock, non-XL pedals). I actually think I like them better than the 16X's, which are a tad short for my taste. 

 

2nd km was back down to the other end, slightly downhill. Kept my speed at around 30-35 km/h, started making long, gentle turns, getting a feel for it, and I have to say, it's incredibly planted and balanced.There's something about the way it moves and reacts to input that's unlike any other wheel...I can't quite put my finger on what it is. It's definitely connected with the weight and how well balanced it is, and it somehow feels like no matter what you do, it's acting in your favour: When you turn, you don't feel you have to fight it, it goes along with you nicely, but in a more mellow, graceful (yes, I just used the adjective "graceful" to refer to this tank of a wheel), less immediate/twitchy way than with any other wheel I've ridden---more like a car with softish shocks, where the weight shifts as you go into a curve and settles as you go around it. It feels like a more mellow experience in that sense. You get a whole different level of feedback from the wheel, you feel it much more, it seems to add a new layer of interaction/synergy I hadn't had before (now I understand what Marty was talking about, but I've only had a taste, I reckon' the emotional part will come on my next ride 😁 ). And when you straighten out, it almost feels like there's a counterweight helping it spring back upright (not in an unpleasant way).

 

Braking feels excellent (at least at the speeds I was doing, = <30 km/h), and going down a fairly steep hill, I found it much more controllable than either the 16X or the 18XL. 

 

I intentionally rode over cracks and irregularities, which it didn't seem to even notice, and found it didn't much mind small potholes either. It takes speedbumps with a confidence-inspiring nonchalance and overall is extremely comfortable to ride.

 

Looking for comparisons in the automobile world I first thought of a Cadillac. But no, it's more like a 500 HP turbo-diesel (turbo-lag included) Range Rover that's a beast on-road and off it. Just don't try to follow a Suzuki Jimny up the narrow trails and steep hills cause you're carrying a trailer and the air suspension is locked into the low highway setting 😉 

 

And just as I thought of that, I passed a dirt trail and swiftly turned around to go down. And there...WOW!

 

I found myself riding down a muddy trail, in the rain, after only 2 km on the Sherman, with a degree of comfort and confidence I wouldn't dream of on either of my Kingsongs out of fear the wheel would slide out from under me. So I started riding a little less conservatively, turning and slaloming a bit more aggressively, and realized it would really take an effort to break traction. On mud. And gravel. Mud on gravel. 2 km into my first ride... That's when I started to see its potential and fall in love with it.

 

After the mud, bumps (if you take them straight on or at a slight angle, it feels like the wheel's doing the balancing for you) and rocks (which it just steamrolls over and displaces as if they weren't even there), I had full faith in the wheel's grip and stability so the wide, deserted streets that previously seemed dangerously slippery felt like an open invitation to relax, turn off overcautious mode and let go.

 

And WOW, is this a fantastic wheel to cruise on...because that's definitely what it is: a cruiser. You don't need to be a speed demon or a fast rider to enjoy the Sherman experience, it's extremely pleasant and easy to ride at 20 or 30 km/h. It goes where you want it to go, turns how you want it to turn...it feels like it'll do anything you want or expect it to do as long as you bear in mind what it was designed for: comfortably eating up miles on the open road or (or riding on the streets, among and keeping up with cars in a city). Just don't expect it to turn on a dime like a 15 kg 16" wheel or be as agile in dense areas involving a lot of tight turning. 

 

Just yesterday I watched MADpack's review of the wheel, where he mentions the Z10 effect, how you have to put a lot of effort into turning, and how it's terrible at quick, sharp turns (see min. 1:04), and I have to say I disagree with all of the above. Either he wasn't riding it at the right pressure, or he was trying to make the wheel adapt to his riding style instead of the other way around, because I'd clicked with the wheel before I hit the 4 km mark and felt the wheel was very clear about what it can and cannot do, and will / will not put up with. If you try to ride it like a 16X, making tight turns by rotating it on the vertical axis with your knees and ankles and shifting weight aggressively with your lower body, not only will it take a lot of effort (that's a lot of weight he's trying to move around from pedal-height), but the wheel will most definitely tell you to go f* yourself and try to throw you off. If you respect the riding style it demands and turn with your hips and upper body, it flows very gracefully and effortlessly (at least in my experience) and deals with aggressive riding just fine. Yet again, you can't drive a Land Rover or a Cadillac as if it were a Mini Cooper S.

 

I will say, on the subject of pedal dipping (as seen here) , that it definitely does dip and it doesn't help at all in the aggressive carving department. On low-speed  tight turns and 180's the pedals dip noticeably forward, bringing the pedal on the inside of the curve uncomfortably close to the ground, and then tilt back rather abruptly as you straighten out the wheel (when you don't particularly need/want it to do so). It feels like an overly eager and badly-timed, delayed response on the part of the algorithm, and it'll definitely throw you off balance if you don't expect it. The first time. If you insist on doing it again, that's on you. When the Sherman speaks, one listens or faces its wrath, it's that simple 😂 

 

I'm not excusing it or overlooking what does feel like a poorly implemented algorithm (this is a very premature "diagnosis"), but I will say that the only situation where I noticed it was when doing a tight 180, taking a tight, 90º or less turn or intentionally slaloming in a way that the Sherman clearly isn't meant to. 7 km in, I don't feel like it'll pose a problem if the wheel is ridden according to what it was designed for, but I do look forward to seeing how it does on long, sustained curves or wide curves that tighten as they go so I can get a sense of what the "issue" is and what not to do if I don't want to enrage the beast and risk being thrown off 😅

 

Unless this proves to be an issue, which I don't particularly anticipate it being, I have to say I actually like how clear-cut and straight-foward it is about letting its likes, dislikes, limits and preferred riding style be known. As someone who's owned a ton of old, temperamental cars (that's actually been the case with all of the cars I've owned 😅), each with specific quircks that required their own driving style, I enjoy that. It adds a layer of character that makes the experience more "interactive" and enjoyable. I'm not saying ther Sherman feels like an old car, but it does share the same temperament: "This is the way I was designed, this is how I'm to be ridden, I ain't no compact SUV packed with creature comforts to make life easier for you, so take it, leave it". Which is something I just so happen to like 😁 

 

As to high torque and steep incline situations... One ride on this wheel and you know it's not meant for things like overheat hill. If it made it to the top on try 1, one would think "Holy crap, this thing is indestructible", but I don't think it's a reasonable expectation to have of this wheel. By any means. @Marty Backe, I deeply respect the fact you took this beast up that hill, understand and appreciate why you did it, and the entire community owes you a debt of gratitude for doing so (especially considering that it prompted corrective action on the part of Veteran), but 1) You're freakin' insane and 2) If the wheel had treated you to a proper, mouthfull-of-dirt faceplant, you would have deserved every last mouthful of it for torturing the poor thing like that 😜 😂 

 

As to speed, I didn't push it past 43 km/h, and have to admit that (as I believe @ShanesPlanet pointed out), it was quite a chore. I don't know if it's the lack of pads, the fact that both of us come from KS wheels and are used to their more immediate, responsive acceleration across the board, or it's just beginner's fear of pushing the wheel, but there's definitely a point where acceleration seems to say "I've made it effortless until now, but if you want to go any faster, you're really going to have to work for it" 😆

 

More on that after ride 2 😁

 

So, overall, after 7 km on the Sherman, I'm impressed and looking forward to a proper, daytime, non-raining ride. But I can already see that I'm going to fall in love with it, not want to do anything but ride in the foreseeable future, neglect my obligations and...be a verry happy person 😁 

 

On a sidenote, I'm going to have to build a makeshift mudguard. Coming from Kingsongs with factory mudguards, I didn't even think of it until it was too late and my ass and lower back were soaked and covered in mud. Live and learn 😅

[travsformation]

P.S: It came with 90% charge. When it reached 99.1 V (96% battery according to EUC World) the charger light went green. If I recall correctly, @Marty Backe, you wrote somewhere that 100%  is 99.5 v? Maybe I was just too impatient and should leave it plugged in longer. Any thoughts on whether this is normal?

Thanks!

Edited November 6, 2020 by travsformation

[The Dude]

22 minutes ago, travsformation said:

P.S: It can with 90% charge. When it reached 99.1 V (96% battery according to EUC World) the charger light went green. If I recall correctly, @Marty Backe, you wrote somewhere that 100%  is 99.5 v? Maybe I was just too impatient and should leave it plugged in longer. Any thoughts on whether this is normal?

Thanks!

Nyx hasn't charged above 99.3. I'm assuming a couple of the 18650s aren't pulling their full weight. Couldn't agree more with the appreciation for @Marty Backe. Great review, safe travels, and happy riding.

[meepmeepmayer]

You finally got your hands on it, nice!

Looks like it has excellent weight balance.

Veteran pls build an upgraded version with suspension.

[Mango]

Your first impression and detailed riding breakdown is exactly how I felt riding my Sherman. I absolutely love my Sherman.

 

Wait until you go past 45km/h, it really SINGS. An absolute beast! I ride it hard for hours, and feeling ready to quit as my urge to ride is satisfied, then I look down and see battery only at 50%. This gives me a big smile.

[null]

Nice write up; congratulations with the Sherman!

As for rail effect I don’t think anyone else ever said such a thing, must be him there is an issue with.

Edited November 6, 2020 by null

[.....]

2 hours ago, null said:

Nice write up; congratulations with the Sherman!

As for rail effect I don’t think anyone else ever said such a thing, must be him there is an issue with.

If the 'rail' effect is a way to describe how it likes to stay going forwards and fights you as you dive into turns... I have the issue as well. Its not overwhelming, but the gyro forces are enough that if I try to switch directions quickly, it surely does hesitate and somewhat fights against me. Maybe its that I weigh so little.  Mines an e-wheels version, it came with blue lights and some seriously disturbing pedal dip. Hopefully FW update will fix this soon.

 

Nice writeup travs, pretty much on point. Im guessing our differences in weight make the experience a bit different. I've had mine up a mountain and it seems a little more difficult for me than  it is on my other wheel. As far as eating up miles at speeed, sherman wins by quite a margin. Smooth sailing on the Ks18L is around 24mph. Smooth sailing on the sherman seems to be around 34mph. When the 18L runs out of zoom, the sherman is asking me to simply set the cruise control and not worry, theres more left if i need it.

One of my pedals is pretty loose, the other takes a swift kick to get it to fold. Reminds me of when those people were acting like a stuck pedal was on purpose for a kick stand.  The factory mud guard fits perfectly and snaps on easily. The factory seat fits well too, tho its a little to the rear. When seated riding I have to lean a LOT forward to kep rolling and damn these long legs! I ride on my ass but my feet stay on tip toes as its a really crowded fit. I bet I look even more like an escape circus freak while seated. You didnt mention how the knobby tire rides like a dream and makes you sound like an indy car flying down the street. Even the noise makes me smile as its an indication of... you gna hurt REAL bad when this goes wrong .  Power pads seems to help a little, but not as much as I assumed. The sherm seems to ride pretty much the same, and getting more leverage on the beast, doesnt seem to change it as much as it would a lesser wheel. Still, pads on the sherman are pretty needed in compare to my others. Having something to remind you where the end of the machine is, comes in handy. I mean hell, its a flat sided cube!

 

Edited November 6, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[fbhb]

19 hours ago, travsformation said:

Oddly, the headlight it came with is the blue flashing one, while firmware version is 4.31

I also had my Sherman arrive this Tuesday again surprisingly with the blue flashing lights, but also on firmware version 4.31.  I have only ridden mine on Three occasions so far, but each ride ended up at 100km as I just was unable to call it quits until down to around 20% charge! So total mileage so far shows 313kms and I already really love this wheel, if you couldn't tell!!!

[travsformation]

22 hours ago, The Dude said:

Nyx hasn't charged above 99.3. I'm assuming a couple of the 18650s aren't pulling their full weight. Couldn't agree more with the appreciation for @Marty Backe. Great review, safe travels, and happy riding.

Thanks!

I'll plug mine in today and leave it for a few hours after the light goes green to see if by any chances the packs will balance.

Safe and happy riding to you too!

[travsformation]

22 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

You finally got your hands on it, nice!

Looks like it has excellent weight balance.

Veteran pls build an upgraded version with suspension.

Yeah! I'm impressed, when I made the order I accounted for the 10-day manufacturing + 1 month shipping stated on myewheel's website, and added a "Sherman should be here today" note to my calendar (expecting it to arrive at least 1 month late), and much to my surprise, it arrived a day before! 😱

Yeah, it really is well-balanced. Did some off-roading on it yesterday and when going over bumps and rocks at an angle, the wheel either refuses to "acknowledge them" at all, or swings over to the opposite side, then back to the center, like one of those round-based paperweights

The only scenario I can envision the weight acting against you is if you ride fast over very rough terrain, causing the wheel to bobble about between your legs and mess with your balance and ability for fine control, kind of like when Kuji takes it off-roading in one of his reviews. But as I said, this wheel is very assertive about what it will and won't put up and how it will react if you fail to comply with its wishes 😂

And about suspension...I dunno. Between the large balloon of a wheel and the extra padding those large rubber knobs provide, I don't feel the Sherman needs suspension or would benefit much from it—rather the opposite. If I had any say in a Sherman refresh, I'd probably sacrifice 200 Wh to make the body and cage angle up a little, extend the "roll bars" an extra cm on the top so they protect the wheel a little better, change the headlight to something that doesn't stick out the front (and something without those pointless blue lights) and...for now, i think that's about it. I'm tempted to say I'd increase pedal height a bit but I have a feeling that height plays an essential role in how balanced the wheel is.

And after the refresh, I think they should focus on an RS torque competitor/offroading beast. I don't see any point in them foraging into suspension so early in the game (in terms of how long they've existed as a company), I think their R&D should focus on getting the basics perfect before adding more complexity to their wheels (also in terms of issue-free releases and whatnot) 🙃

In any case, we live in an exciting time for EUCing, I look forward to seeing whatever these lunatics concoct next!

[travsformation]

22 hours ago, null said:

Nice write up; congratulations with the Sherman!

As for rail effect I don’t think anyone else ever said such a thing, must be him there is an issue with.

Thanks! Wrote it immediately after I got back from my first, 3 AM ride, while it was still fresh and the excitement was bubbling over

The tram-lining, Z10 effect....I'm pretty sure that must have to do with tire pressure (or the rider) hehe

[travsformation]

On 11/6/2020 at 7:09 PM, ShanesPlanet said:

If the 'rail' effect is a way to describe how it likes to stay going forwards and fights you as you dive into turns... I have the issue as well. Its not overwhelming, but the gyro forces are enough that if I try to switch directions quickly, it surely does hesitate and somewhat fights against me. Maybe its that I weigh so little.  Mines an e-wheels version, it came with blue lights and some seriously disturbing pedal dip. Hopefully FW update will fix this soon.

Hmmm....my first thought is tire pressure, but I recall you mentioned in another thread that you've tried different tire pressures. You do run it pretty low though, don't you? Somewhere around or below 20 PSI? Too low a pressure will make any tire a bit of a chore to turn, and this one in particular. You're also a very light rider, so there's that too...Maybe play around with it a little. I started off with 28 PSI and like the way it rides, maybe you could try in the vicinity of 25.

Otherwise....eat more? 😂

On 11/6/2020 at 7:09 PM, ShanesPlanet said:

Nice writeup travs, pretty much on point. Im guessing our differences in weight make the experience a bit different. I've had mine up a mountain and it seems a little more difficult for me than  it is on my other wheel. As far as eating up miles at speeed, sherman wins by quite a margin. Smooth sailing on the Ks18L is around 24mph. Smooth sailing on the sherman seems to be around 34mph. When the 18L runs out of zoom, the sherman is asking me to simply set the cruise control and not worry, theres more left if i need it.

One of my pedals is pretty loose, the other takes a swift kick to get it to fold. Reminds me of when those people were acting like a stuck pedal was on purpose for a kick stand.  The factory mud guard fits perfectly and snaps on easily. The factory seat fits well too, tho its a little to the rear. When seated riding I have to lean a LOT forward to kep rolling and damn these long legs! I ride on my ass but my feet stay on tip toes as its a really crowded fit. I bet I look even more like an escape circus freak while seated. You didnt mention how the knobby tire rides like a dream and makes you sound like an indy car flying down the street. Even the noise makes me smile as its an indication of... you gna hurt REAL bad when this goes wrong .  Power pads seems to help a little, but not as much as I assumed. The sherm seems to ride pretty much the same, and getting more leverage on the beast, doesnt seem to change it as much as it would a lesser wheel. Still, pads on the sherman are pretty needed in compare to my others. Having something to remind you where the end of the machine is, comes in handy. I mean hell, its a flat sided cube!

Thanks! Yeah, I'm pretty sure weight has a fair bit to do with it, particularly in terms of getting the wheel up to speed. Pads will probably help a fair bit, I have the stock ones that came with the Sherman (similar to the top model in the pic), as well as a larger set I ordered (exactly the same as the bottom ones)

I've ordered some heavy duty velcro so I can transition gradually to pads without installing them permanently—start off with the more subtle ones and move on to the more I-mean-business ones if the other ones don't suffice, since I've tried riding with pads and wasn't too fond of them (I like to be able to move my legs around freely).

I ordered a seat too (and an additional charger & mudguard) so you won't be the only circus freak in town!

Until my factory mudguard arrives, this is my current, 2', DIY fix:

And yeah, that knobby tire rides amazing, both on and off-road! How awesome it was to ride over gravel and mud without fear of the wheel sliding out from under me...and to be able to ride aggressively on sketchy-traction paths! Awesome! And that sound...🤤 😍

BTW, is it me or does the tire look like it is a little offset? Or maybe it's just the knobs, but I've checked the rim and it's definitely not misaligned (thank f*!)

Edited November 7, 2020 by travsformation

[travsformation]

8 hours ago, fbhb said:

I also had my Sherman arrive this Tuesday again surprisingly with the blue flashing lights, but also on firmware version 4.31.  I have only ridden mine on Three occasions so far, but each ride ended up at 100km as I just was unable to call it quits until down to around 20% charge! So total mileage so far shows 313kms and I already really love this wheel, if you couldn't tell!!!

Yeah, weird that they ship new wheels with the new firmware but the blue lights. I guess they just want to use up the stock...

But just to be on the safe side,  I'm going to take the wheel apart and take a look at the board, fuse, screws. Maybe later I'll edit the footage I recorded yesterday 🙂

Ah, how I envy you going on such long rides! Here the weather has been crap since I received the wheel, and to top things off, we have a COVID curfew... no ones outdoors from 10 PM to 6 AM, and we're not allowed to leave our town/city on the weekend. I happen to be in my mom's village in the mountains so there are plenty of trails to off-road on, but most of them are overheat level steep or way too rutty. But there's still plenty to enjoy...if is stop raining 😅

[fbhb]

5 hours ago, travsformation said:

Yeah, weird that they ship new wheels with the new firmware but the blue lights. I guess they just want to use up the stock...

But just to be on the safe side,  I'm going to take the wheel apart and take a look at the board, fuse, screws. Maybe later I'll edit the footage I recorded yesterday 🙂

Ah, how I envy you going on such long rides! Here the weather has been crap since I received the wheel, and to top things off, we have a COVID curfew... no ones outdoors from 10 PM to 6 AM, and we're not allowed to leave our town/city on the weekend. I happen to be in my mom's village in the mountains so there are plenty of trails to off-road on, but most of them are overheat level steep or way too rutty. But there's still plenty to enjoy...if is stop raining 😅

I agree that they are most likely using up the stock of Blue lights for any orders other than for Jason eWheels.  I have to admit, I did pull both side panels after seeing the Blue lights, just to make sure my wheel was the current spec that my seller had promised and found it had the thicker/wrapped cables/fuses etc. - so All Good there! 

I did try an allen key on the pedal hangars to check their tightness and was able to get a little bit more on most of the screws, Not loose but part of a turn away from completely tight.  Have not had the top cover off to check the board as yet, but will do shortly. 

I am so stoked to be able to finally do long rides, as my only other wheels so far would not allow anywhere near a fraction of this level of range!  Added to that, being here in New Zealand is actually fortunate for 2 reasons: 1. COVID is generally confined to managed isolation cases at our border and Not out in the community, so we are able to pretty much come and go around the whole country as we please (Well done Jacinda!) and 2. Being in the Southern hemisphere means that we are in spring here, with summer still to come!

5 hours ago, travsformation said:

BTW, is it me or does the tire look like it is a little offset? Or maybe it's just the knobs, but I've checked the rim and it's definitely not misaligned (thank f*!)

The wobble you see is definitely the Kenda tire and common to most Sherman's with the knobby tire to a degree, but some are luckier than others.  Mine was a lot worse than yours out of the box (a good 5mm of more of offset), but I have since deflated it and tried to massage the beads back as centrally as possible.  It will still need tweaking a little bit more, but I just wanted to get it close enough to be able to ride and get accustomed to the Sherman experience for now!

Edited November 8, 2020 by fbhb

[null]

Same as @fbhb , had to twist and bend a bit to seat it better. Deflating, then spinning the tire looking at some center line to see what is to be done. The line close to the rim can also be a good help to check the alignement.

[travsformation]

3 hours ago, fbhb said:

I agree that they are most likely using up the stock of Blue lights for any orders other than for Jason eWheels.  I have to admit, I did pull both side panels after seeing the Blue lights, just to make sure my wheel was the current spec that my seller had promised and found it had the thicker/wrapped cables/fuses etc. - so All Good there! 

Hahaha Same here! When I saw the blue light I thought "Oh, crap, I've been sent a unit from an old batch", but sighed with relief when I saw that FW was 4.31 in EUC World, I figured everyone but eWheels were getting the old blue stock, but still had a splinter in the back of my mind that maybe they'd sent me an older model with updated FW, so took it apart this evening, and sure enough, all's up to date: thicker, thermal-wrapped cables, a 50A fuse per side/battery pack, etc.

Nice wheel to work with, very minimalistic and straightforward.

3 hours ago, fbhb said:

I did try an allen key on the pedal hangars to check their tightness and was able to get a little bit more on most of the screws, Not loose but part of a turn away from completely tight.  Have not had the top cover off to check the board as yet, but will do shortly.

Same here. I'd say about 1/3 were completely tight, and the others as you described, could use a little tightening; nothing serious, there was only one that needed 1/4 of a turn, the others were more like 1/8th at the most. I might buy a small tube of RTV silicone, open the wheel up again and add a touch under each screw to make sure they don't loosen with vibrations. Same with the screws on the frame.

I might also waterproof the edges of the shell (although I don't see water ingress as much of a risk the way the wheel is set up), and the top, where the board lives (which I haven't opened up either yet) + LCD.

3 hours ago, fbhb said:

I am so stoked to be able to finally do long rides, as my only other wheels so far would not allow anywhere near a fraction of this level of range!  Added to that, being here in New Zealand is actually fortunate for 2 reasons: 1. COVID is generally confined to managed isolation cases at our border and Not out in the community, so we are able to pretty much come and go around the whole country as we please (Well done Jacinda!) and 2. Being in the Southern hemisphere means that we are in spring here, with summer still to come!

Ah, that's awesome! What great timing! Here it's getting colder and rainier and as you know, COVID is out of control here in Europe, in Spain I reckon it'll be a week, 2 at the most, before we're back in full lockdown. You lot definitely have it good with such a competent head of state!

Enjoy the freedom and good weather!

Edited November 8, 2020 by travsformation

[travsformation]

3 hours ago, fbhb said:

The wobble you see is definitely the Kenda tire and common to most Sherman's with the knobby tire to a degree, but some are luckier than others.  Mine was a lot worse than yours out of the box (a good 5mm of more of offset), but I have since deflated it and tried to massage the beads back as centrally as possible.  It will still need tweaking a little bit more, but I just wanted to get it close enough to be able to ride and get accustomed to the Sherman experience for now!

3 hours ago, null said:

Same as @fbhb , had to twist and bend a bit to seat it better. Deflating, then spinning the tire looking at some center line to see what is to be done. The line close to the rim can also be a good help to check the alignement.

Thanks guys! It isn't so bad it makes it unstable, only barely noticeable, but I'll definitely follow your advice and see if I can straighten it a bit. If I remember correctly, @ShanesPlanet has a large bucket of grease for such endeavours, of which he only used 0.5%...maybe he can mail us each a blob?

[travsformation]

17 hours ago, travsformation said:

Thanks guys! It isn't so bad it makes it unstable, only barely noticeable, but I'll definitely follow your advice and see if I can straighten it a bit. If I remember correctly, @ShanesPlanet has a large bucket of grease for such endeavours, of which he only used 0.5%...maybe he can mail us each a blob?

@meepmeepmayer I got mixed up there didn't I? It was @Tilmann who bought the big bucket of grease, wasn't it? 😅

Edited November 8, 2020 by travsformation

[meepmeepmayer]

8 minutes ago, travsformation said:

It was @Tilmann who bought the big bucket of grease, wasn't it? 😅

Now that you mention it... I think so (sorry I'm too old and forget everthing).

Is the offset tire noticable during riding? Or just during the wheel inspection?

[travsformation]

6 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Now that you mention it... I think so (sorry I'm too old and forget everthing).

Must be that...

Sorry @ShanesPlanet, you must have been wondering WTF I was on about with the bucket of grease

7 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Is the offset tire noticable during riding? Or just during the wheel inspection?

I noticed it once during a very small window of time, less than a second (probably something like 27-29 km/h), then it was gone. So, short answer, no 😅

[.....]

42 minutes ago, travsformation said:

Must be that...

Sorry @ShanesPlanet, you must have been wondering WTF I was on about with the bucket of grease

I noticed it once during a very small window of time, less than a second (probably something like 27-29 km/h), then it was gone. So, short answer, no 😅

I figured you were referring to either 'elbow grease' or the big bottle of dish soap I use to grease up tires. Or hell, just the buckets of grease I have laying around in general. No worries, when I dont understand a referance, I typically chalk it up to me being a burnout.

[travsformation]

4 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I figured you were referring to either 'elbow grease' or the big bottle of dish soap I use to grease up tires. Or hell, just the buckets of grease I have laying around in general.

I guess I wasn't that far off the mark then 😂

4 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

No worries, when I dont understand a referance, I typically chalk it up to me being a burnout.

When dealing with me, it's just as safe to assume that it's me who's out of touch with his own brain 😅

[travsformation]

A few highlights from my first off-road ride on the Sherman.

I'd only put 7 km on the wheel when I recorded this, which goes to show how grippy this tire is and how much (over?)confidence this wheel inspires

(As long as you're mindful of the pedal height) 😅

 

[Scottie]

On 11/6/2020 at 9:22 AM, travsformation said:

You don't need to be a speed demon or a fast rider to enjoy the Sherman experience, it's extremely pleasant and easy to ride at 20 or 30 km/h.

Well, I was keeping the Sherman off my radar because of its reputation as a speed machine. Now you say its nice to ride at moderate speeds. Now I have to put it back on the radar.

I will join in with the rest and say that was a great write-up. Now I know who to blame if a Sherman box arrives at the door. Just kidding. I will take some of the blame.

[travsformation]

14 hours ago, Scottie said:

Well, I was keeping the Sherman off my radar because of its reputation as a speed machine. Now you say its nice to ride at moderate speeds. Now I have to put it back on the radar.

I will join in with the rest and say that was a great write-up. Now I know who to blame if a Sherman box arrives at the door. Just kidding. I will take some of the blame.

Guilty as charged 😅

No shortage of torque up to 40 km/h. In the video above I was riding in the vicinity of 30-35 km/h and it felt great. There's a short but steep climb in the video and at my weight (68 kg + gear) it didn't struggle in the slightest. 

To me its best attribute is the way it rides... That tire is great whatever you throw at it, and at times it almost feels like it has suspension: there are bumps that would propel me into the air on the 16X that this one just rolls over as of they were barely there.

And on the "open road" the handling is very good and the stability and composure are ridiculous for a one-wheeled vehicle, it's a real joy to ride. The 16X is my de-facto off-roading wheel, so I bought the Sherman as a replacement for my 18XL, my "long-distance touring wheel", and it's definitely the perfect upgrade. My speed alarm is set to 50 km/h and tiltback at 55; I've yet to hit tiltback and I'm having a blast on it.

I'd still recommend it even if it were capped at 50 km/h. 😱

On the negative side, not as convenient as the 18XL with its more modest 25kg and fantastic KS trolley handle with lift sensor 😅

Edited November 10, 2020 by travsformation