Personal responsibility.

[Mac]

As I ride for the most part fairly conservatively, I’m responsible enough to wear protective gear. Personally Responsible. But what about others that I put in harms way when I crash? Tethering my S-18 is a responsible act. What do you think? I’m not riding at break neck speeds but if it gets loose at 20mph and hits someone it could maim or even kill a kid! Shouldn’t this be a part of our safety gear?

[Ben Hatfield]

I appreciate the concern - as a comparison, I think more drivers of cars need to be aware they are surrounded by 1000's of lbs of metal, plastic and glass, when making choices on the roadways

However, I don't like the idea of using a tether, generally speaking.  While it may help in certain situations, the erratic possibilities of crash with a tether do not seem appealing to me.  I feel there is a predictability to coming off the wheel - that one can get familiar with.  Then one can attempt to stay away from dangerous situations, through experience.  And again via experience, ride with caution when caution is most needed.

 

[.....]

When you begin down the path of 'what if', you'll find you dont make it very far and run in to a lot of distractions. I don't find tethering to be a viable option for my ride style or where I ride. I also don't feel it has enough benefits on enough occassions to warrant the rider risk involved. I also don't like the extra gear, worry or hasstle of it. Hitting a bystander with a wheel is a valid concern, just not much of one for my areas. Hell, i grew up playing lawn darts, so i wont lie and act like i give much a rats ass. I would suspect that it makes more sense to ride responsibly and minimaize crashes and not to ride wrecklessly in congested areas, rather than leash a wheel. If the odds of a wheel becoming a stray projectile are so great that a leash begins to have merit in the equation, perhaps OTHER factors need adressed instead?  @Ben Hatfield pretty much nailed it on the head. A rogue wheel is just part of my daily dice roll. I guess after the first time it injures someone ELSE or creates damages, I'll reasses my opinion. You know, once its too late to matter

Edited December 19, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[EUChristian]

I would be scared of what would take place on my body when the 75lbs rocket flew out at 30mph and the tether snapped taunt. That's quite a body yank regardless of where you tether it to. 

[Planemo]

I'm really undecided about tethers. I bought one recently but haven't used it yet. I know a few guys who do though. They use the type which has a plastic buckle at one end and a metal spring loaded clip at the other which attaches to your trouser belt loop. The idea being that in a fall, either the plastic buckle or the belt loop will break, but the process will at least pull the wheel away from being upright and hence reducing the amount of distance it will travel.

I am fairly confident that a big wheel (Monster/MSX/Sherman) would have enough inertia to break the weakest point on the tether but of course it only really helps in those crashes where the wheel might carry on upright. Most of the high speed crashes I have seen generally show wheels tumbling anyway, not running upright.

So I'm still unsure of the validity tbh. Unless you use a non-breakable tether but that's a highly risky situation IMO. I appreciate it might protect the public (a little) but the risk on the rider goes up enormously.

[Unventor]

I fully understand your concern @Mac. I take your post is a sign of how to ride safer for your surroundings. 

(From this point on please read "you" as reader of this reply in general). 

It might have worked years ago. But with modern wheels I doubt it will work as intended. 

First of wheels are getting heavier due to bigger motors/power/battery/rims. 

They are much stronger so at high speed the energy you trying to hold back is likely to result in one of two things. Either to snap the weakest point on the link. Or it could hold back wheel to do a EUC ballet with you as a main target. (such a ballet can give some nasty bruises). 

This is one of the reasons why I think there is a max limit around 50kmh for EUCs. It isn't that they can't be made faster. It is about how an EUC have traction and how it need this to maintain balance. And when things go bad how fast it goes really bad. 

I understand some prefer to ride very aggressive for fun. But I still think a rider should consider his or hers impact on their surroundings. And take that into consideration when they ride in traffic. 

At a closed area the rider can play as on a race track. 

 

[GothamMike]

I've fallen off and had the EUC keep rolling. I'm concerned it would roll into a stream, into traffic, or a pedestrian or vehicle. 

[Unventor]

50 minutes ago, GothamMike said:

I've fallen off and had the EUC keep rolling. I'm concerned it would roll into a stream, into traffic, or a pedestrian or vehicle. 

That is one thing to consider when riding and having fun. Any suprise can change things very fast. 

That is part why I really thing the rider should think a 2nd time when pressing past 50kmh on an EUC.

[RockyTop]

I don’t think that a tether is a good idea, however........ if anyone does use one I suggest two things. 
1) have a mechanical fuse. Use a break away. Limit the force that the wheel can pull on you with something that will break after 50 pounds. 
2 ) make it count. Attach to a location on the wheel that will encourage wheel to fall over. So if you live in a country where people drive on the right side of the road have it attached to the right side and if people drive on the....  wrong side of the road  attach on the left. 

Edited February 11, 2021 by RockyTop

[Rich Sam]

1 hour ago, RockyTop said:

I don’t think that a tether is a good idea, however........ if anyone does use one I suggest two things. 
1) have a mechanical fuse. Use a break away. Limit the force that the wheel can pull on you with something that will break after 50 pounds. 
2 ) make it count. Attach to a location on the wheel that will encourage wheel to fall over. So if you live in a country where people drive on the right side of the road have it attached to the right side and if people drive on the....  wrong side of the road  attach on the left. 

Mechanical fuse sounds like a good idea but I would only consider maybe a 5lb max breakaway, perhaps combine with an electrical shutoff similar to Jet skis.  I don't like the idea of being attached to something that could be theoretically punted by a car or go off a steep hill.

[RockyTop]

1 hour ago, Rich Sam said:

Mechanical fuse sounds like a good idea but I would only consider maybe a 5lb max breakaway, perhaps combine with an electrical shutoff similar to Jet skis.  I don't like the idea of being attached to something that could be theoretically punted by a car or go off a steep hill.

A 50 pound fuse is not very much. If a 150 pound person drops 6 feet on a tether they exert over a ton of force. I could snap a 50 pond fuse fairly easy with one finger. 
The jet ski switch sounds good until you realize how easy they are to pull out. I can’t keep my headphones plugged into my front shirt pocket to save my life. However if you add the mechanical fuse that you have to break before the plug comes undone you may have something. 

[Paulo Mesquita]

In Portugal it's starting to be a big issue. A new Law has just come out that is limiting the power of electric vehicles....than none on the market and streets have!!!

I've just joined a portuguese group that is writing up a petition to create a proper regulation under the very advanced public policy of "going electric". The portuguese society has growing very fast with electric cars, so our argument is that it shouldn't limit personal EV's.

I do think, however, and so do other Portuguese EV riders (EUCs, Scooters, etc) that we should be allowed two things:

- having a proper licensing

- being able to buy personal responsibility insurance.

I'd gladly pay for both...and get a weight off my shoulders when I start riding in the streets.

Of course....just my $02

 

[Unventor]

7 minutes ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

 

I do think, however, and so do other Portuguese EV riders (EUCs, Scooters, etc) that we should be allowed two things:

- having a proper licensing

- being able to buy personal responsibility insurance.

I'd gladly pay for both...and get a weight off my shoulders when I start riding in the streets.

Of course....just my $02

 

I have since long back spoken about both your suggestions. And agree very much. The benafit of this is people that misbehaving can loose their privilege with the need to punish a hole group. Just like a car driver or mc rider. 

And In case of an accident then insurance will help those who are unfortunate to be involved. 

It would also decide the serious riders from the unskilled once off rider that test something that doesn't understand what they just got into. 

And being legit part of traffic means more would like understand how we move in traffic and look out for us before they turn. Maybe not always but still chances it could improve. 

It could also help spreading the EUC as resellers no longer risk their products being bannen to the same degree. 

Yes it might cost more. But in the end I still think it would benefit most people directly and indirectly. 

[Rich Sam]

I feel EUCs should have the same protections as bicycles provided you stay under a certain speed limit perhaps under 30.  Once you go over 30 though you are getting in moped territory, 40 and 50 getting into motorcycle territory.

In America, we need a lobbying organization to fight for our rights and place, it's the lobbyists that mold law.  I don't think PEVs are in a very good light with bycyclists who I know have some pretty powerful groups behind them.  I have seen a few low level local PEV groups that lobby, but would be nice to have a country wide maybe even worldwide entity someday to fight for global rights.

[GothamMike]

On 2/11/2021 at 11:56 AM, RockyTop said:

I don’t think that a tether is a good idea, however........ if anyone does use one I suggest two things. 
1) have a mechanical fuse. Use a break away. Limit the force that the wheel can pull on you with something that will break after 50 pounds. 
2 ) make it count. Attach to a location on the wheel that will encourage wheel to fall over. So if you live in a country where people drive on the right side of the road have it attached to the right side and if people drive on the....  wrong side of the road  attach on the left. 

I would just use a little bit of velcro, like you mentioned on the CORRECT side of the EUC.  Just enough to tip it over. 

 

Funny Story: I was in NYC waiting for the light to change on Lexington Ave, which has a gentle slope in the East 60's. A gigantic truck tire rolled by, and kept going for several blocks before it rolled to the side, further up the hill was a dump truck missing a front wheel! Amazing no one or no vehicle was hit.

[WI_Hedgehog]

There was a thread on tethers 2 years ago. I have a clothesline leash on my slow wheel, but also bought paracord and snaps for my bigger wheel based on input from ingenious members (it's the "mechanical fuse" concept). I'm not much for safety, but not endangering others makes sense...

...still working on getting that "bigger wheel."

 

I went out with "Gail the wiring harness Gal" from Gotway...I'll never buy one of their products at retail price...ever...

[Aztek]

On 12/19/2020 at 3:27 AM, Mac said:

loose at 20mph and hits someone

Just ride very slow around people?

It is similar with other means of transport: one doesn't slalom between people at full speed.