Calling all tall riders....

[drader]

6'4" here, with a Tesla V2 since Xmas. I made a cover for my Tesla, and I glued thick (like 3/4") soft foam from a yoga mat to each side; somewhere around 10"x10". It made a world of difference for that inner leg pain the Tesla is famous for, and also for clamping the wheel when needed.

[filbert]

I am 6'3" with a used 18XL that I got before Christmas. I bought the Rolls NZ cover for it and it made a big difference. I am still learning as there is still alot of snow and ice around here.   

[HighEndScooters]

You know now with a few hundred km under my belt i have grown as a rider alot.  I can tell that the rollz case would provide the friction needed to assist with braking and acceleration. 

I got the gotway pedals yesterday and see how much they improve my ability to generate speed as my feed are locked against pedal studs. 

[Comrade]

I'm 194 cm (6' 4.5") and I wear shin guards on the inside of my calves when riding. I pretty much have to cause ever since my first practice day a month and a half ago, I developed leg swelling from repeated EUC hits, and it's never went away.

Anyway, that extra bit of padding allows me to grip the wheel better. That said, I still get nasty wobble when breaking hard, so take that with a pinch of salt. My guess is that this has more to do with my (lack of) proficiency than my ability to grip the wheel

[HighEndScooters]

2 hours ago, Comrade said:

I'm 194 cm (6' 4.5") and I wear shin guards on the inside of my calves when riding. I pretty much have to cause ever since my first practice day a month and a half ago, I developed leg swelling from repeated EUC hits, and it's never went away.

Anyway, that extra bit of padding allows me to grip the wheel better. That said, I still get nasty wobble when breaking hard, so take that with a pinch of salt. My guess is that this has more to do with my (lack of) proficiency than my ability to grip the wheel

Reading your message it felt like i was reliving my early learning struggles again. 

As you can tell from the topic i was at a complete loss at the time of this thread but now with a few hundred km under my belt i can now pass my thoughts. 

Height does not make a difference to riding although i think a tall wheel helps a taller rider.  Your breaking will improve the more miles and practice you put in you will see your stance change regularly once you build up leg strength which will directly affect your ability to brake simply by your ability to grab the wheel, speed in which you lean and the control in which you perform the braking. 

I started riding on Nov 21 and i immediately got a brusises that lasted 2-3weeks easy, now the bruises have gone completely although now i have the appearance of the bruise only not sure how long that will take to go but im practicing 1 leg riding so alot of pressure of legs now more so than standard riding. 

Keep drilling your braking, accelerating in an open space. I drilled these 2 things for at least 4 hours in total now i do believe too many people unleash themselves on the road as soon as they can ride without being strong riders. 

Keep riding as much as you can and keep up the drills like me you will find yourself responding to people going through your same pain points in weeks to months to come. 

 

[mrelwood]

While my replies may not be relevant to the op anymore, hopefully they will be to some other novices reading this.
 

On 1/9/2021 at 4:24 AM, Hecticc said:

I have heard in video to grab the unit hard between legs before throwing bodyweight backwards.

Suggesting to grab the EUC with one’s feet can definitely cause more problems than it can solve. As has been mentioned, grabbing the wheel - and other situations of tense legs - are the most common cause for beginner wobbles. And it’s the mechanism that can easily escalate a wobble into a crash.

 Start crouching down while riding, and you will set immediately what tense legs does. Unless you possess the advanced skill of crouching relaxed, the wheel will start to wobble. Just like it does when you brake hard... with tense legs.

 Hugging the wheel is a common beginner mistake when one looks for support. But the wheel needs a little space to be able to tilt between one’s legs, otherwise you’re also increasing the turn radius big time.

On 1/9/2021 at 9:25 PM, Hecticc said:

I thought these power pads were to assist jumping only.

Loyal to their names, power pads help in unharnessing the rest of the power out of the wheel (especially in steep inclines and declines), and jump pads assist in jumping. Some modern pads do both.

 Due to unavoidable wheel geometry, wheels with 18” and larger tires require much more forward lean for the same amount of acceleration than on a 16”. Just as does braking. 18” first timers are always surprised how sluggish their new and powerful wheel feels. This is only because of the geometry, and can’t be overcome by software or anything else. Power pads are a must for many riders on a 18” wheel, while 16” wheels do just fine without. Especially for us taller people. (I’m 193cm.)

As for overcoming obstacles in learning, one simply has to ride more. But riding straight legged at a fixed speed doesn’t teach anything, one has to challenge oneself! Ride on slanted  surfaces, on gravel, brake hard, ride off-road, even down a few steps of stairs. Learn to stop for a second and continue without stepping off. That’s how you learn to form an intricate symbiosis with your wheel.

[.....]

18 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

While my replies may not be relevant to the op anymore, hopefully they will be to some other novices reading this.
 

Suggesting to grab the EUC with one’s feet can definitely cause more problems than it can solve. As has been mentioned, grabbing the wheel - and other situations of tense legs - are the most common cause for beginner wobbles. And it’s the mechanism that can easily escalate a wobble into a crash.

 Start crouching down while riding, and you will set immediately what tense legs does. Unless you possess the advanced skill of crouching relaxed, the wheel will start to wobble. Just like it does when you brake hard... with tense legs.

 Hugging the wheel is a common beginner mistake when one looks for support. But the wheel needs a little space to be able to tilt between one’s legs, otherwise you’re also increasing the turn radius big time.

Loyal to their names, power pads help in unharnessing the rest of the power out of the wheel (especially in steep inclines and declines), and jump pads assist in jumping. Some modern pads do both.

 Due to unavoidable wheel geometry, wheels with 18” and larger tires require much more forward lean for the same amount of acceleration than on a 16”. Just as does braking. 18” first timers are always surprised how sluggish their new and powerful wheel feels. This is only because of the geometry, and can’t be overcome by software or anything else. Power pads are a must for many riders on a 18” wheel, while 16” wheels do just fine without. Especially for us taller people. (I’m 193cm.)

As for overcoming obstacles in learning, one simply has to ride more. But riding straight legged at a fixed speed doesn’t teach anything, one has to challenge oneself! Ride on slanted  surfaces, on gravel, brake hard, ride off-road, even down a few steps of stairs. Learn to stop for a second and continue without stepping off. That’s how you learn to form an intricate symbiosis with your wheel.

This is good info for sure!

Im not a great rider at all and am always ready to learn something new. You make me wonder if grabbing with my ankles at times, to keep me from bouncing off the pedals, is an acceptable and understandable practice? I also notice a tendancy to grab with my legs to help assist in maintaing higher speeds: is this also a bad idea? I don't ride with a tight grip on my wheels for most occassions, and wobbles are definitely made worse FAST, if I did. Im just wondering if maybe theres a balance in there somewhere? Perhaps at times, a tight grab on the wheel is useful, as we really have NOTHING else (but gravity) holding us down?

I dont use or want pads on my 18L, so I do tend to hold it at the ankles and grab with legs sometimes. I can stop that badboy on a dime too! My sherm has pads, and I find I dont need to 'grab' it hardly ever, as I use leverage on the pads instead. However, I can say that getting used to leverage isnt better than knowing how to use weight shift without it. Pads can be great, but I REALLY think beginners need learn without. Pads are to assist you, not do the work that you were never inclined to learn on your own. Just my $.02 on the whole pad thing anyhow.

You are spot on with the crouch example as well. I recall the first time I tried to sit and I was WAY too stiff and it went badly. Second try I allowed the knees to more fluidly get out of the way and sat with much less tension. Lo and behold, once seated and relaxed, it was not much different than standing. SO yes, I think that staying relaxed can be helpful most times. Hell, staying tense when no need, also wears a person out faster. Once legs get too tired, the wobble monster typically makes an appearance. Shivering cold only intensifies this issue.

Thanks for the insights Mrelwood. I value your opinions/info of course, and enjoy mixing em up with my own, in this odd shaped head of mine.

Edited March 6, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[mrelwood]

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Im not a great rider at all

I disagree, you’re wrong! 😉

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

You make me wonder if grabbing with my ankles at times, to keep me from bouncing off the pedals, is an acceptable and understandable practice?

There definitely isn’t just one correct technique, just as there isn’t just one place to ride. Or a single wheel model. If you look at any known YouTuber riding, you only need to see their legs to recognize who it is! It’s not like all but one of them is doing it “wrong”.

 I think the key point in the quote is in the wording “at times”. Surely when I go down a rocky section of a forest path I grab onto the shell and pads for dear life!

But I think advising beginners to do so while braking or whenever is a tip easily misunderstood. Learning a good riding position and then learning to stay relaxed on it is work enough for the first few hundred miles.

I mentioned riding position, since almost everybody who hops on the wheel for the first time stand way too far back. The position alone prevents them from relaxing, as they try to mimic a vigilant boxing posture.

 Cut off your toes, and only then center your foot front to back. You must be able to relax your feet without the wheel starting to go backwards.

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I also notice a tendancy to grab with my legs to help assist in maintaing higher speeds: is this also a bad idea?

I do wonder how grabbing the wheel helps? Perhaps you are also standing a bit back so that at higher speeds you are forced to balance on the balls of your feet? That would surely make one look for additional support!

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Perhaps at times, a tight grab on the wheel is useful, as we really have NOTHING else (but gravity) holding us down?

Sure. “At times”.

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I dont use or want pads on my 18L, so I do tend to hold it at the ankles and grab with legs sometimes. I can stop that badboy on a dime too!

18L is a large wheel, and without pads one does need to have a few tricks in one’s sleeve in order to stop fast. Sounds like you have found yours!

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I can say that getting used to leverage isnt better than knowing how to use weight shift without it.

On flat ground, sure. I like to go gnarly, and a lot of the inclines I ride wouldn’t simply be possible on an 18” wheel without pads.

I agree that a beginner on pads on flat ground does enable one to stand all wrong and just lean on the pads all the way. That creates big problems when one wants to advance, to curb hopping, off-road, stairs, or anything really.

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

You are spot on with the crouch example as well. I recall the first time I tried to sit and I was WAY too stiff and it went badly.

My brother had ridden quite a lot, but he had the exact same reaction. I told him to crouch with his heels, ankles and knees completely relaxed. He was immediately able to sit down on the 18XL without a seat with zero wobbles!

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Once legs get too tired, the wobble monster typically makes an appearance.

It sure does! Tired legs can’t be controlled very well while being relaxed, so one has to tense them up. That’s an immediate stop and a break right there.

4 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Thanks for the insights Mrelwood. I value your opinions/info of course, and enjoy mixing em up with my own, in this odd shaped head of mine.

Thanks for the kind words, Shane! You’ve surely been around long enough to have collected a good bunch of knowledge as well!

[HighEndScooters]

On 3/5/2021 at 10:29 PM, Comrade said:

I'm 194 cm (6' 4.5") and I wear shin guards on the inside of my calves when riding. I pretty much have to cause ever since my first practice day a month and a half ago, I developed leg swelling from repeated EUC hits, and it's never went away.

Anyway, that extra bit of padding allows me to grip the wheel better. That said, I still get nasty wobble when breaking hard, so take that with a pinch of salt. My guess is that this has more to do with my (lack of) proficiency than my ability to grip the wheel

Threads like this i love because i leave the thread much more informed and armed with new knowledge im eager to implement.  Thanks to all who have contributed with questions and answers you have all enhanced my understanding of the wheels dynamics. 

[.....]

Im curious if any of you taller guys are riding with the balls of the feet PAST the front edges of the pedals? I tend to ride at the edge (front) with balls of the feet just barely on. Any further forward and It REALLY sketchy. Perhaps theres a few here with a style that rides even more forward?

[Carl Svanfelt]

I also found it problematic in the beginning with the wobble. Over time, it disappeared as I began to become more relaxed while riding. My position on the footplate was also a decisive cause of wobbling. Wobbling cannot be avoided entirely because of the way our legs and feet are constructed. Man was created to walk and run, not to ride an electric unicycle. But I have found two simple methods to reduce the phenomenon:

1. Position your feet so that the weight from the wheel feels slightly behind your legs (almost like the flag (wheel) on a flagpole (your leg)).
2. Take a few steps forward, stop and look down at your feet. What is their position? Use a slightly wider v-shaped position on the footplates.

This is how you can move the energy from the wobble to the strongest part of your legs. The wobble ends on its own and you do not have to spend all your energy resisting it.
Relax and enjoy your wheel!

[Boogieman]

Info:

Im192cm (6.3ft?) 88-97Kg depending on season, Tall by most measures, weight i dont realy give a f about as its the muscle amount vs fat that counts and right now im on the fatter side :-)

Background

Been riding tesla v1 for several years, still hard to find a wheel that is as flickable in the newer gens (msx 84V coming closest). The bigger the wheel daiameter and the wider the wheel, the less flickable.

Have a few threads on beginner issues i had, but in short, this is how you ride/brake the Tesla most effective.

How to ride

1. When braking HARD, DO NOT CLINCH THE WHEEL with your knees.it will only result in more wobble during braking. If it starts to wobble, TOTALLY release the pressure from the wheel (except ankles)

2. If you ride crouched, DO NOT clinch the wheel, it will only cause wobbles (the harder you clinch, the more it wobbles)

3. When breaking, lean back hard, but be aware that the Tesla V1 is not as powerful as the recent wheels and you CAN over power it, both during accel (i did it once at a heavy lean forward racing, soo close to a crash but just managed to save the day with wheel steuggling and wobbling to catch me up as i leaned back to save me from a face plant) and during deccel, ESPECIALLY at the lengths we are at. We have such a huge momemtum from the torque given by our length that accel and braking does not need that huge amount of effort. The weight is against us though :-)

4. Turning, zigzagging, high speed pedal scraping, avoiding pedal catching offroad obstacles = mods.... tell me if you want tips here or search my content on mods and the way i find riding the most convenient and effective.

5. Tyres affecting the ride.

Also tyre choice on Tesla makes an enormous difference. If you want razor sharp turning (but nervous riding, more wobble, not recomended in the first months of EUC riding) i would say my current tyre takes the price, Chao Yang H-5102. Also the Kenda K924-003 is super zippy. But the original CST gives for a really nice ride, pretty comfy and pretty zippy. The knobby Kenda k-50-001 is totally different from the others, runs at lower pressure (by default) and has knobbies and is thus a lot more comfy, MUCH slower to turn, noisier (love it) but also A LOT more prone to punctures (snake bitte twice for me) but its basically my choice for offroading as i didnt try any of the 2.4" partial scraping tyres (they only seem to be 2.2-2.25" actual anyway)

Best of luck, it will come to you real quick. By now im sure you allready understood a lot of above on your own, but if not, hope it helps.

Boogieman

 

 

[FinRider]

7 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Im curious if any of you taller guys are riding with the balls of the feet PAST the front edges of the pedals? I tend to ride at the edge (front) with balls of the feet just barely on. Any further forward and It REALLY sketchy. Perhaps theres a few here with a style that rides even more forward?

I am not a tall rider measuring in at 180 cm (about 6') but I have developed a similar "problem" with my stance. When I started, I would be standing way back on the pedals. With guidance from @mrelwood I changed the position of my feet way forward, to the point now where the balls of my feet are indeed at the front edge of my pedals. Or if looked from the other side, where the heel of my foot is on the back edge of the pedal.  I modified my beginner wheel (KS16b/c) with custom made foot plates that are the same size as my shoes so that I could get my entire foot planted while standing like this. Now on my KS S-18 I have the same issue, my toes are hanging off the front edge of the pedals... I will be modifying the pedals to get more support for my toes as it will give me more comfort. Oh, worth mentioning is that I do have big feet for my height EU 45 / US 11. This is project no2 on my list at the moment, I am currently creating my own custom made power pads.