V11 vs KS16X safety for older guy; advantages & disadvantages.

[AKSkipper]

Hello:

This is my first post on this wonderful forum. I am a beginner, 71 yo, having put 800 mi on my 16X. I love the wheel, but I had a couple of crashes on small potholes, which at my age, took months to recover from. The crash typically occurs when I don't notice a pothole. Having read about V11 and advantages of it's suspension, I started thinking, maybe that's the way to go? Will it be really much safer on bad pavement?

I have some concerns, though:
V11 is 8 lbs heavier, so, maybe it is harder to handle? Not as maneuverable?
I love, how my 16X does carving and I am trying to learn some tricks, like backwards riding (looks like it will take forever), so how do these two wheels compare from this standpoint?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Edited February 10, 2021 by AKSkipper

[madbikes]

A suspension wheel like the V11 will help you take some "edge" off, sort of like going from a mountain bike without suspension to another one with front suspension where you will feel bumps much more bearable on your arms. It will be a lot more comfortable and easier going over ruts and bumps than a non-suspension wheel on your legs, but you still need to pay attention to the road.

V11 is a great cruiser. While the increased pedal height may appear a lot less nimble like a SUV, but I had no trouble hanging out with e-bike riding reasonably fast on paved trails with lots of sharp turns. I'm sure you will like it.

 

[mrelwood]

14 hours ago, AKSkipper said:

Will it be really much safer on bad pavement?

More than you can ever imagine. In addition to the suspension, the V11 has an 18” tire, which rolls much easier over bumps.

 The 18” tire will change the handling as wel though, much more than a little additional weight. A large wheel is not as nimble, and requires more effort to accelerate. I feel that the ride on an 18” wheel is more physical; when a 16” wheel can almost be operated with just the ankles, an 18” one requires more movement from the hip and other upper parts of your body. Once I got over the surprise though, I would absolutely never go back to a 16” wheel.

 Just like I will never ever purchase another EUC without suspension. After a few weeks with the V11 I realized how I am much more alert to my surroundings, since I no longer had to scan the ground with 120% concentration.

[Unventor]

Since I have both wheels I can give you my expiriance with both. 

Both on my wheels KS16X and V11 is early 1st batch wheels. With that come a risk of issues that dispite testi g only show once the wheel hit mass market. There isn't any shortcut about this. It happens. So it did too for me. Now since KS16X has been on market for some time I expect most of this is resolved with your wheel. The thing I really like about the KS16X was the CX tire. It is a huge fun factor, but the fun is partly by having the sensation on being on the edge (which isn't add safety feel to it). So when I got odd issues with my KS16X the 2nd time I chose to get the new stock tire. It made so much difference in the handli g. Much safer feel but also made me increase my speed because I had more confidence. And speed is not really the strong side of the KS16X. It is something you need to handle with care. 

So about the V11. It is scary at first. But it only take a brief moment to get over. It has to do with high pedals and how you feel the sag once you step up. You have a "longer" way down. On the other hand I grew very fund of the suspension very very quickly. I have bad knees so I feel the impact every time I hit something in expected. So due to this I too like @mrelwood scan my terrain 200% which mean my attention to my surroundings suffer. So the difference to me is huge in terms of safety. I can honestly say the things I have escape from without incidents would not be possible on any other wheel.

Okey trees do not grow into heaven but to me the V11 is the best wheel out there for many reasons some small some huge. I have put my V11 through a lot of different weather that my KS16X couldn't handle. I have not had any bearing issues yet. Some V11 owners are not so lucky but mostly this is handled under warranty. I can't say for sure if it is totally fixed or how many that have had issues. It is something Inmotion have addressed, but final solution remain to be seen. 

There have been other issues too but from now it is "only" some get random bearing issue that remains. 

But as for pot holes bumps or other obstacles, safer at higher speeds, weatherproofing in general, ride comfort, there is no doubt in my mind the V11 will come out on top. Even the trolley is better imo. Then you add lights and build-in stand (not perfect but yet useful). Do you then add hex pedals to it it make the difference even bigger. You can read about this in my review thread of the V11 in the review section. 

Hands up, yes guilty to being a huge fan of the new direction of Inmotion way of doing things and the V11. But to me tjis is next lever og generation of wheels. And it is not a fair comparison for the KS16X. 

The above comments in this thread reflect this too imo. 

To OP: I like your way of going about this a lot. (I totally forgot to mention that) 

Edited February 10, 2021 by Unventor

[AKSkipper]

Oh... thank you, guys, so very much for your input. I think, I am sold now to V11.

[Lylesgold]

I relate to this: 1800+ miles on a V8 then 1600 miles on my 16x, and well into my 74th year; so thank you OP, I really appreciate this post.

Like most of us given cold and wintry conditions, I ride less and due to my age, carry some anxiety, hence have less fun. So I'm also thinking about getting a suspension wheel for the additional safety on unfamiliar terrain and to extend both my enjoyment and riding career.

Thanks for the excellent information and advice above, but I have two remaining concerns:

1/ The weight of the V11, I was concerned about the 16x after a V8 in this regard, found that's OK, but another 8lb...

2/ I really enjoyed the V8 but it was underpowered. For me the 16x is a great cruiser but a less nimble ride, harder to make sudden directional changes in an urban setting.

5 hours ago, mrelwood said:

The 18” tire will change the handling as well though, much more than a little additional weight. A large wheel is not as nimble, and requires more effort to accelerate. I feel that the ride on an 18” wheel is more physical; when a 16” wheel can almost be operated with just the ankles, an 18” one requires more movement from the hip and other upper parts of your body. Once I got over the surprise though, I would absolutely never go back to a 16” wheel.

14 hours ago, madbikes said:

V11 is a great cruiser

As all my rides are for pleasure and typically less than 20 miles on busy shared use trails, I'm concerned from the above that the V11 will be tougher to handle and less nimble than my 16x, yet everyone seems to really enjoy riding the V11. So any more thoughts?

[Unventor]

1 hour ago, Lylesgold said:

1/ The weight of the V11, I was concerned about the 16x after a V8 in this regard, found that's OK, but another 8lb...

2/ I really enjoyed the V8 but it was underpowered. For me the 16x is a great cruiser but a less nimble ride, harder to make sudden directional changes in an urban setting.

I started out on a V8 myself. But I found that it felt like a toy once I started to ride a KS18L. 

Now about weight that is less of a problem as long as you ride or trolley it. Lifting it is a little bit different. But a V11 is a very slim design compared to a KS16X so the center is closer to the body so in practice the weight when lifting is feeling less heavy. 

I don't really agree with KS16X not being nimble. It is very easy to turn in low speeds. Because of a 3" tire so it easier to ride it at very slow speeds. Turning a wheel you can twist it by shoulder turning. Combined hip and angle/knee movement you can shift the wheel between your feet tilting it too. 

Now the V11 is heavier so it takes a little practice. But with the higher pedals you can make even sharper turns at low speed without scraping the pedals. The bigger rim mean bigger contact point balance at low speeds becomes easier. But you might have a slight adjustment time. In general I think people that like the KS16X will feel the V11 as a better upgrade.

Now I kept all my wheels but the V8. It needed major repair and due to the feel of a toy (imo) compared to my next wheel at the time I came to the conclusion it to being underpowered to how my riding evolved. 

I don't ride for speed so in many ways I think we ride for the same reasons. It is a convenient way to travel and can be a lot of fun too. It is not risk free, but it all comes down to calculate risk.