Veteran Sherman from King Song 18XL

[r_713]

Alright! (or is it "all right"? I know that "alot" is supposed to be "a lot".)

Anyway, my VS arrived today (west coast to east coast) and I went out for a quick 10km jaunt. Roads should be dry tomorrow and I'll probably take a long-route ride over to Manhattan tomorrow for a good 80km or so. In the meantime, here are my initial impressions. Mind you, my only EUC experience is a King Song 18XL of which I've logged around 1500km over the past three months.

Impressions upon unboxing and setting up:

1. Maybe I'm used to slugging the 18XL up a flight of stairs several times a week but I was a bit shocked about the weight of the VS. In that, I mean it wasn't heavy. For me. I've watched several youtube videos of riders struggling with lifting it, or struggling to push the box into their apartment.

Sorry guys. You're either being overly-dramatic or you need to go to the gym. It's not THAT heavy. Perhaps your girlfriend can carry it up the steps for you.

I was concerned but after real world experience, I have no worries about carrying it one-handed up a flight of stairs (albeit I'll be a bit winded, no lies).

2. From an industrial art/form factor viewpoint, I love it.

3. I hate that there isn't a lift sensor. I'm used to the 18XL, so I naturally lifted up the VS (with both hands) which then spun up at a ridiculous rate and not being able to stop it, I had to set it down. This happened twice. I now have two nice, big, black skid marks on a yoga mat. Hopefully, they'll wash out. Hopefully, I'll learn not to do this again.

4. I'm unable to connect with EUC World on my Android. I CAN connect to darknessbot (is it just me or is this a weird name?) but it's my work iPhone and, for obvious reasons, I don't want to use this.

5. I've never used power pads. I installed the factory ones and they are custom-tailored to fit.

6. The LeaperKim charger "wheezes" a lot. I need to test it but it seems a bit suspect.

7. The on-wheel control panel is a whole other set of criticisms which I won't go into here. Suffice it to say, it's a good start but needs feedback and refinement.

8. Oh, and eWheels (Jason and Drew) have been great!

 

Impressions after riding a short 10km:

1. I was immediately impressed at the balance, much better than my 18XL. The VS is VERY well balanced. Shockingly so. Great engineering.

2. I've never ridden a suspension wheel, but compared to the 18XL, this was what I imagined that suspension would feel like. Obviously, the VS is not a suspension wheel. I suppose the feeling is mostly due to the knobs of the tire. Regardless, I was riding over rough patches with ease (I'm excited to ride this down the entire length of Broadway in Manhattan) and I felt so much less vibration traveling through my knees. As such, I found myself taking it for granted and not being diligent in looking ahead at the pavement (which is NOT smart).

3. I've decided that I don't like power pads. On my 18XL, I've learned (and like) to flick the wheel around back and forth between my legs, a bit like alpine skiing. On the VS, the power pads kept me too locked in, or the pad would prevent the wheel from returning to position. I did a series of 180s and the pads greatly hindered me. I will remove them for tomorrow's ride and I'll be able to get a better feel for the VS's nimbleness. They also hindered my ability to brake hard as I had to shift my calves out of the pads to continue moving backwards (I like to start bended as I lean back to brake but end the process with straight legs which helps prevent wobbles for me). It was annoying. If someone could enlighten me as to what problems power pads solve, I would be much appreciative. (maybe I'm not riding aggressively enough to warrant their use). Otherwise, I'll opt for the simplicity of legs and wheel.

4. I wish that roll.nz would make a cover. I don't want to scratch this up. Redundancy alert: I find it a beautiful piece of industrial design.

5. DAMN, the front light is bright. This will be super helpful in being noticed.

6. Can I exchange the rear Superman light for a Marvel character light? Maybe SpiderMan.

7. Oh, and I almost forgot... while doing my 180s, I felt some serious pedal dipping. I almost fell forward the first time because, not used to it, I thought that the VS was cutting out. I don't like this and this definitely needs to be addressed.

Anyway, if you're serious about EUC, I definitely think that the Veteran Sherman is an option that requires serious consideration. I'm glad that I made the splurge. Anyone want to buy an 18XL? 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Edited January 1, 2021 by r_713

[Mango]

Great writeup on first riding impressions. I always like reading these as it helps me to remember my first time riding my Sherman... definitely very memorable.

 

Re: powerpads, I used them for about 2,500 kms before removing them as I started developing some bad habits using them. I now just use a plain rubber anti-fatigue mat as my power pad and much prefer this, in addition to riding in Soft mode which works just as well to accelerate and brake as before. The pedal swing assists and whilst it is disconcerting at first, it has become so natural I don’t even notice it.

 

One thing to note is not to straighten your legs when braking because I have fallen off doing this. If you brake with straight legs and hit a bump, you will get thrown off. It is better to brake with knees bent in a semi crouching position.

[brockj]

I also prefer riding without power pads. I've bought so many different kinds of pads based on the number of people who have insisted that I'd get more out of my wheel with pads. I have the Chinese blocky pads, the eWheels custom softer pads, and Clark Pads v2. (They are all better than the Veteran pads, because those are so narrow and the position they are made to fit into forces my feet too far forward.)

But anyway, I've mostly ridden without them and I love it that way. Soft mode makes carving and digging in really flowy and fun. That dramatic dip when you do a 180 takes some getting used to, but I appreciate how that helps me turn on a dime (it's much more pronounced on Soft). I think I would want the pads for more secure cruising above 30mph, but I rarely do that.

@houseofjob made some really good notes on riding this way. Similar context too as I was describing my impressions coming from the 18XL:

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by brockj

[r_713]

@brockjI went ahead and removed the power pads and added three strips of baby bumper padding on each side. Much better and great cushioning, however I wish the baby bumpers were a bit less "sticky" - my jeans don't slide over them as easily as I'd like. I'm going to try diying some type of slippery fabric over them.

[r_713]

On 1/1/2021 at 1:46 AM, Mango said:

It is better to brake with knees bent in a semi crouching position.

I appreciate the tip, however I think that this might be a "different strokes for different folks" kind of thing. In the course of my past 1600km of riding, I've found that, for me, 100% of my wobbles have been due to me and not to the wheel. Either my feet are in an unbalanced position, or my leg muscles are tired, or I'm simply non-symmetrical. Braking in a crouched position, for me, causes wobbles (more concerning than hitting a bump). Straightening my legs stablises my muscles, thus exerting a much more equal force on each side of the wheel. The wobbles disappear. Again, this is for me. Everyone else's mileage may vary (though I suspect that this may not be the case - we never like to blame ourselves).

[Meserias]

my strong suggestion is not selling your trusty 18XL (at least not yet) ........
try to teach your GF or wife to step on it.....You will find some quality time together far from home.

cushion effect that you felt between XL and VS it's mostly from tire dimension (balloon size)
I wish were exist an 18XL with 2.75 (!) or 3'' tire but this is another story....

r_713: how is the braking experience compared to XL ?

Edited January 3, 2021 by Meserias
typo correction ...

[Daley1]

Congrats on the big step up.The Sherman is a big beast for sure,.Things u need to address will be a silicone bead around the lcd screen,update ur firmware to stop pedal dip and drop ur tyre pressure down to 25psi or less, get the mudguard.Take the Sherman for a couple of  moderate speed runs and make sure there is no wheel vibration at all up to 50kmh.Then ride it to u cant stand up no more!

[.....]

I find the two are so vastly different that one CANNOT replace the other. I enjoy both the sherm and 18L for different reasons. I enjoy my 18L so much in fact, Im 'upgrading' to an 18XL, and this is almost a year AFTER buying the sherman. Diff strokes for different folks I guess. FOr me, Im keeping both and gna have to think hard on if I should even sell the 18L or just have a spare. As @Meserias mentioned, maybe keep it so you'll have the 18 to share or let newbies see what its all about. Of course, its May now, so I wonder what you ended up deciding to do?

80lbs is 80lbs, no matter how much of your life you waste in the gym. Lifting the sherm one handed is difficult and its not just because of the weight. Its great you are strong and have young bones/joints. For some of us, its not a matter of strength, but a matter or physical limitations. 80lbs is also well over what is considered safe for a single person to lift in most workplaces

Edited May 2, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Dominic Winsor]

Quote

3. I hate that there isn't a lift sensor. I'm used to the 18XL, so I naturally lifted up the VS (with both hands) which then spun up at a ridiculous rate and not being able to stop it, I had to set it down. This happened twice. I now have two nice, big, black skid marks on a yoga mat. Hopefully, they'll wash out. Hopefully, I'll learn not to do this again.

You know, you can tilt any wheel that is doing this the other direction. For example, if it's spinning forwards, tilt it back until it slows to a stop and then set it down. That's what I do, works well. That said, as I see from your write up there aren't many of us lifting our Shermans!

[Tawpie]

On 1/2/2021 at 1:55 PM, r_713 said:

I'm going to try diying some type of slippery fabric over them.

you might consider gaffers tape, it's cloth-like on the surface. Downside is it's pretty easily removable. There is also a tacky rubberized tape that some here use on their seats that seems durable and retains it's not-so-slippery characteristics with heavy use.