Pads, Why or Why Not

[gon2fast]

Personally, not a fan of power pads. I have the stock pads attached to my Sherman so I can safely lean the wheel against things. Weight and leg power take care of the rest. Please tell me why I am wrong LOL. 

[Flying W]

I was never a fan either, but I rode smaller wheels. I put the free pads from eWheels on my new RS and although I don't know if I like them yet the free ones are way less locked in feeling over other wheels I've had a chance to ride. 

I have large legs so most of the time the pads restricted me too much. I'm keeping these on for now, it really helps me slow down the stroller with the kid in it, and helps up and down steep hills off road. There is also the added benefit of more conditioning since I have bruises on my shins now haha.

I think if I made my own to fit my big legs I'd like having them even more. My seat of pants guess if I can get about 20% more accel and breaking using the pads. Especially climbing steep rutted hills. 

[Rawnei]

For me the pads help with some things like going up steep inclines, braking hard or leaning into them for tight turns but the biggest point of having them is that I get a point of reference and can easily feel where my legs are positioned on the wheel at all times, for me this is a huge thing and makes it feel like I'm more grounded to the wheel, in some situations this is a godsend like if I hit a bump at high speed and my feet moved a bit on the pedals it's so easy to get your bearings again and reposition like nothing happened.

[GoGeorgeGo]

Braking is the biggest thing i noticed.  It really lets you torque down on the wheel and on the v11 specifically it dramatically improves brakeing performance over naked riding imo.  

For acceleration i do like having something again to help torque down on the wheel with.  It lets you create a lever effect with your body so instead of just leaning your 80 pound torso over the machine, you can essentially lean your 80 pound torso out on your leg which is creating an 8-12" lever turning your 80 pounds into a couple hundred pounds of force .  So its a catch 22, it allows for you to really super charge your accelration but that also means overpowering the motor and battery sag become potential issues you can more easily experience. 

For me they are a must for braking, i can do without for accelration

[gon2fast]

2 hours ago, GoGeorgeGo said:

For me they are a must for braking, i can do without for accelration

I installed the stock pads to assist with braking when I first got the wheel, but immediately found that my calves bowed out past the pads when braking. I did leave the pads on it to protect the wheel when leaning it against things and crashes... Crashes, have had a few lol. Ran into a log in my front lawn this morning, user error of course.

[.....]

The stock sherm pads are too hard for my delicate nature. I also found them to be VERY narrow and limited how far I could lean. I never did get along with pads on my 18L, as the RollNz with stockers, give me the perfect grip, comfort and ease. The Sherman is a little bit more demanding because of its weight and my expectations. The stock sherm pads really didnt allow me to move around on my plates or lean/move my legs like i intended. Then they would get in the way of how I liked to lean a knee out and gingerly slide it back in after a turn. I rode it with no pads a bit more and found I still needed some reference point before the end of the machine. That, and the top edge of the sherm is rough as shit on the legs. So, I made my own pads. It took a TON of revisions, but in the end... winner! I was SHOCKED at how small variances in location and angles make a huge difference. Im fairly certain ANY off the shelf pads may be a slight compromise, as I had to measure and remake 6 revisions to find MY sweetspot. I found that a mere 10mm pad for comfort along the body, with 30mm tall caps on the widest part of the sherm, gives me comfort but not intrusion. Wide pads push your feet out or bow your legs on already narrow plates. My pads are VERY wide in between and I only lean against the front or back of them when accellerating hard or stopping hard. For mere cruising, only the 10mm center spot for comfort and traction is involved. I do miss being able to grab with my ankles. Even just the 10mm pads, makes my ankles not touch well enough. Im thinking that a mere 10mm thick strip near the bottom, would solve this as well.

As to your question...  I'm 130lbs and my sherman is over 80lbs. 'manhandling' the machine is not as easily done as it is said. With pads I can use them only when I need the extra security and leverage. Narrow power pads ruined my ride, but appropriate pads have enabled me a little more control. The caveat to pads is... don't train yourself to rely on them for basic handling. I found myself developing bad habit with stock pads installed.

Edited December 21, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[lirva]

I don't like to use power pads, i feel that they restrict the movement too much. But I haven't test them much, so could be that i'm just not used to them.

I do recognize that in braking in really steep hills pads are needed, but going up is fine. And pads might help making super fast takeoffs, but my 100kg fat ass on MSP is fast enough. I do have EUC bodyguard which grips a little.

[Planemo]

I have to admit I find the desperation for so many 'general' riders to use pads quite amazing, especially new riders who seem to go nuts for pads about 36 seconds after buying their first wheel. I can't help but feel that these newbies think it will help the learning process, whereas IMO it will only hinder. Part of learning to master an EUC is to be able to really let it move around under you. Forwards when braking, back when accelerating, left and right when cornering or when wobbles start. The movement on the EUC needs to be totally fluid. Once this has been mastered, lock yourself in if need be but every rider should be able to throw the wheel around under them IMO before going down the locked in leg route.

As with a lot of things EUC though, far be it for me to tell anyone what they should be doing, but I have never felt the need for anything more than a small simple pad, just to stop my shins from touching hard plastic.

I will add the caveat that I don't do tricks or steep hills where anything that helps lock you in will really help, but for general riding I find them a hindrance, my main beef with them being that it hinders leg suspension. This point is massive for me, when I am regularly at 30mph+ on UK roads and my legs are jumping up and down like a toddler at Christmas.

[Rawnei]

8 minutes ago, Planemo said:

I will add the caveat that I don't do tricks or steep hills where anything that helps lock you in will really help, but for general riding I find them a hindrance, my main beef with them being that it hinders leg suspension. This point is massive for me, when I am regularly at 30mph+ on UK roads and my legs are jumping up and down like a toddler at Christmas.

The Power Pads, at least the ones I have on the MSP doesn't hinder leg suspension at all, got lots of playroom for the legs to move around there, on the contrary they help when going off-road.

[Planemo]

I use EUC Guy type pads, that's about as much as I need. Even then, my shins come further forward of the pad edge when at speed. If I move my shin back to the pad and try to torque the wheel using the pad, it then restricts my knee movement.

Suspension (totally unhindered knee/shin movement) is more important to me than being able to torque the wheel.

And I don't really do off road.

[Dave Wood]

I use diy ones but i don't really find myself needing them for acceleration but they definitely help with braking, iv also found them especially invaluable in a safety/stability sense when you hit them unexpected bumps, just having more contact points with the wheel that pads give you has saved me from flying/bouncing off the wheel numerous times.

[Bumblebees]

7 hours ago, Rawnei said:

The Power Pads, at least the ones I have on the MSP doesn't hinder leg suspension at all, got lots of playroom for the legs to move around there, on the contrary they help when going off-road.

I would use power pads strictly for offroad use.  The pads allow increased maneuverability.  

[Lylesgold]

I added the eWheels 'stock' pads to my 16x and have only been out once since. Got them to improve breaking ability.

Positioning them on the wheel was tricky (no advice, help or instructions) but the bulges are modest and don't give me the sense of being locked in that some riders complain about. They did take some getting used to, I'm aware of new pressure points on the inside of my legs and ankles, but expect to get used to that.

Early days, but they seem to work. I also feel more connected, hence more confident, and get consistent foot positioning (less shuffling) when mounting the wheel.

[Darrell Wesh]

18 hours ago, Planemo said:

my main beef with them being that it hinders leg suspension. This point is massive for me, when I am regularly at 30mph+ on UK roads and my legs are jumping up and down like a toddler at Christmas.

That’s funny... powerpads are incredible for going off road because they negate the need for lots of leg suspension. By locking in and blocking your shin from moving forward on the pedals, you can ride through any pothole and come out still on top of the wheel. 
 

That’s the main problem with hitting bumps. You hit them repeatedly and your feet start to bump forward and you lose control. Even one big one is enough for that. The powerpads stop that. You can test this out by riding through grass. You don’t need to crouch as low as chooch tech with powerpads on. When I had them on my MSX I felt invincible. 
 

If I were off roading I would want them on but for street riding I don’t like them. 

[Flying W]

I'm noticing the benefits off road with the eWheels pads and they don't lock you in nearly as much. I hit a rut that would have sent me off the front but my shins just torqued the wheel right through.

This is the first set of pads I've had on my own wheel amd the first time I've rode a wheel with pads that didn't lock me in like a straight jacket. 

I prefer breaking with then too, steep down hill section are much easier. 

I do still prefer no pads on flat ground though.

[Planemo]

2 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

That’s funny... powerpads are incredible for going off road because they negate the need for lots of leg suspension. By locking in and blocking your shin from moving forward on the pedals, you can ride through any pothole and come out still on top of the wheel. 

That's funny.... by not locking myself into the wheel and keeping suspension that pothole is unlikely to give me a problem in the first place.

I've ridden through grass, offroad, even MTB tracks and I don't like being held in. And for high speed street riding, no way.

Whatever works for you bro.

[EUC Custom Power-Pads]

I don't like logged in feeling either, but I would never ride without power pads again, no matter where or how. 

If you don't plan on jumping or doing tricks exclusively, you have to use power pads that are there when you need them and are almost not there when you don't. 

I can say for myself that there is no situation where the power pads bother or negatively affect me anymore.

Of course, you can do without, somehow, but if they are perfectly adapted to the rider and the intended use, they are a "must have" in my eyes.

Without pads, I could never ride the way I ride and wouldn't have nearly half as much fun doing it. 

 

 

[Planemo]

19 minutes ago, buell47 said:

If you don't plan on jumping or doing tricks exclusively, you have to use power pads that are there when you need them and are almost not there when you don't. 

Agreed, which is why the early version EUC Guy pads I have are enough. They have a small lip at the front to help with hills on the rare occasion I need it but that's it. I have never needed anything on the rear because I have never needed to stop quicker than I can. Maybe I am just used to hanging off the back of the wheel if needed but even that is rare as I try not to get myself into such situations.

[.....]

21 hours ago, Planemo said:

Agreed, which is why the early version EUC Guy pads I have are enough. They have a small lip at the front to help with hills on the rare occasion I need it but that's it. I have never needed anything on the rear because I have never needed to stop quicker than I can. Maybe I am just used to hanging off the back of the wheel if needed but even that is rare as I try not to get myself into such situations.

I LOVE hanging off the back of the wheel. I'm with you about pads needing be out of the damn way for most riding and only get touched when you start reaching for a LOT of wheel authority. I have ot admit tho, with a little bit of pad behind me at the very back edge of the wheel, I can damn near drag my ass on the ground with so much lean. Stopping force has become amazing. Still, I learned to ride wthout pads and even with pads on, the majority of the force is still in grabbing the wheel rather than leverage on pads. I dont know why, but leveraging the pads just seems less ideal and i prefer to do it as little as possible. I dont find pads to help much off-road, but thats because they are only in front and back. They really dont assist much in keeping my feet centered or giving me more grip when Im not at front/back extremes. Hell, If im at the front or back pads on dirt, I'm defying the physics of traction on dirt and should be a magician anyhow. I guess an ankle pad or more locked in pad would help offroad bounces, but I REALLY hate the locked in feeling.

Edited December 23, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[chroma]

v11. Had two wheels before the v11 and I was sure that I would never need them, but I was wrong. The V11 is way too slippery to safely brake, so yeah I found myself investing 80$.  Let's just say never say never.

[EUC Custom Power-Pads]

3 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

They really dont assist much in keeping my feet centered or giving me more grip when Im not at front/back extremes

My usual offroad tour mostly through the woods over bad trails is 50km and I need around 80 minutes for that. At the end my feets are on the same place on the padels without readjustment. 

My power and ankle pads didn't do the job alone, but with spiked pedals it's perfect. 

I also have a good grip even if I'm not at the front or back from the pad. 

[.....]

12 hours ago, buell47 said:

My usual offroad tour mostly through the woods over bad trails is 50km and I need around 80 minutes for that. At the end my feets are on the same place on the padels without readjustment. 

My power and ankle pads didn't do the job alone, but with spiked pedals it's perfect. 

I also have a good grip even if I'm not at the front or back from the pad. 

You do realize youre a total a**hole, as now I can't avoid having to harrass nylonove until he makes my pockets MUCH lighter?!

Edited December 23, 2020 by ShanesPlanet

[rumpel]

I just ordered pads for my 18xl. I have done on it 700 KM and before that 5000 KM on 16s all without pads. Although on a 16s I did not feel that I need one but now my breaking ability and controll is much worse on bigger wheel. I started to use shins much more to "move" wheel which helped and finally I assumed that power pads could farthermore improve my breaking and turning ability. When I will get them I would wrote what are my experience, if it is helpful to use power pads with such commuter style wheel like Kingsong 18xl.

[Utopian2713]

I thought the same thing too.  I had a MCM5.  The torque and braking on it was so excellent, I wondered why anyone would need pads.  I replaced it with a 18XL early last year.  Acceleration is fine but braking was a chore, especially when approaching intersections on a downhill slope.  A couple of times, I overshot the intersection.  The slope wasn't even that steep!

I bought pads two months ago and I can brake more responsively and come to a stop from higher speeds in shorter distances and I don't even have to do the "squat" to do so.  For me, it definitely is a large safety boost to have pads on the 18XL.

[Punxatawneyjoe]

On 12/22/2020 at 2:18 AM, Planemo said:

by not locking myself into the wheel and keeping suspension

I'm no expert, but if the pads are placed correctly, you have plenty of room in between them to bend your knees/absorb the bumps and move forward and back on the wheel. I think a lot of people think they should be "locked in" with them like a ski boot but i find if you can't move around in them then shifting your weight around doesn't happen and you need to be able to do that in an instant. I keep mine far enough apart to be able to lean forward and hit them for acceleration and back to use them for de-cell and just the toe part over my foot enough to catch it if i jump something.