Learning to EUC on Vancouver Island...

[VikB]

7 hours ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

@VicB, listen attentively to @ShanesPlanet, @Tawpie and @Scottie888...they'll help you a lot with all your doubts. They helped me tons of times. Btw, I went for the KS16X for my 1st wheel and the Inmotion V11 for my 2nd. And that was a long time ago when i started EUC riding....about 48 day ago!!!! 

You should see me in my 1st days. This  61 year old f*rt was quite happy to ride 5 meters holding onto a wall. Now I'm doing between 22 and 25km a day!!!

 

Hi Paulo. I read your learning to ride thread and it motivated me to post my own. It's helpful for new people to get a feel what the first days and weeks of EUC life are like and as other folks have mentioned everyone is different so it's good to get a wide variety of perspectives to see what is what.

I posted a photo of my learning to ride protective gear.

- bike helmet

- gloves w/ wrist guards

- high top skate shoes with ankle padding

- MTB knee and elbos pads

I'll also wear long pants and a hoody sweatshirt for a bit of speed skin protection.

That's funny that you upgraded the 16X to the V11 in such a short time. I hope I can hold out longer! 

[VikB]

Day 1 - Unboxing/Padding/First Morning Practice

I padded up the V10F with baby protection then I put the InMotion cover over that. Doing it that way I didn't need any double sided tape after all. I just used electrical tape and then the cover over the padding makes it look less budget! I trolleyed the EUC over to a basketball court 3mins from my house. The handle has that bit of play in it everyone reports. Feels odd at first then I stop noticing it. The EUC moves around easily with the trolley handle. That's great! My One Wheel is not much fun if you are not actually riding it. The EUC also feels like a high performance machine with lots of weight and power. The One Wheel feels like a toy in comparison. 

I started with just balancing on the EUC using this fence and rolled it back and forth to get a feel for it. Then I moved away from the fence and did some circles with both feet to determine which foot I want to use as my control foot. Turns out it's my left foot, which is the same one I put at the front of my skateboard. I did some straight line hops, but didn't feel ready to put the other foot on the EUC yet.

So I went back to the fence and I started riding down its length and then back holding onto the fence. Eventually I got to the point where I can mount at one end of the fence and ride next to it without touching it. That's about a ~60' run. I'm not steady and I need the mental crutch of the fence nearby I can grab, but it feels good to be riding without touching something. I also feel pretty natural about speeding up and stopping. It's happening fairly automatically.

I did some practice runs where I purposefully swiveled the EUC left and right all the time.  That helped a lot to get a feel for correcting imbalances and putting the wheel back under me.

After an hour I decided it was time to head home for some water and some lunch. I'll go back this afternoon and do some more fence runs. If I am feeling it I'll try going from the fence to the basketball net support pole. That is behind me in the top photo. Probably 100' away and no supports in between. It'll give me something to shoot for visually. If I am not feeling it I'll save that for tomorrow. Actually I better go from the basketball net pole to the fence. Much bigger target that direction! 

One thing I will change is I will put some extra padding at the top of the EUC where it touches the inside of my knee. I am finding the unit feels narrow. It seems easiest to touch the EUC with the inside of my left [control foot] knee and not touch it with the other leg. No pain anywhere, but it was a short session. No falls and I didn't drop the EUC so I haven't tested the padding yet! I may also add 5psi to the tire. I was running it at 30psi and I weigh ~185lbs out of the shower. It felt okay, but a little soft. So I think 35psi might be worth a shot.

At first I was annoyed by this street hockey goal built into the fence as it meant short runs, but once I was able to go the whole length of the fence it forces me to do some maneuvering which actually felt pretty good and boosted my confidence. I tried riding on the grass side of the fence and it was way too hard! I'll stick to pavement for now.

Okay. Time for some water and food.  

Edited March 18, 2021 by VikB

[Paulo Mesquita]

1 hour ago, VikB said:

Hi Paulo. I read your learning to ride thread and it motivated me to post my own. It's helpful for new people to get a feel what the first days and weeks of EUC life are like and as other folks have mentioned everyone is different so it's good to get a wide variety of perspectives to see what is what.

I posted a photo of my learning to ride protective gear.

- bike helmet

- gloves w/ wrist guards

- high top skate shoes with ankle padding

- MTB knee and elbos pads

I'll also wear long pants and a hoody sweatshirt for a bit of speed skin protection.

That's funny that you upgraded the 16X to the V11 in such a short time. I hope I can hold out longer! 

Ha!!! dream on @VicB. you won't resist, it's a disease!!! Once you get the hang of your 1st wheel you feel this itch, and it itches, and itches and itches...and a little voice in your head starts whispering: " what would it be like to ride another wheel, different tire, different size, different torque, suspension...or no suspension? Music? stronger lights? etc, etc, etc,...and it goes on and on until you're ready to check in the loony bin... you'll see... ask @ShanesPlanet... he's committed quite a few blokes that totally lost it...

[Paulo Mesquita]

...btw, ankle guards are crucial. The pedal hitting the ankle is really a bad thing. It can cause a fracture! Be very careful!!!

[VikB]

Okay. I sold the V10F and have a pre-order in on a V12 Extreme Edition wheel. Wow. That was faster than I thought! 

[Paulo Mesquita]

10 minutes ago, VikB said:

Okay. I sold the V10F and have a pre-order in on a V12 Extreme Edition wheel. Wow. That was faster than I thought! 

dream on...that is science fiction 

[VikB]

2 minutes ago, Paulo Mesquita said:

dream on...that is science fiction 

Are you sure?!?!?! A dealer on Aliexpress just took my money and said it was going to be shipping tomorrow. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by VikB

[Scottie]

3 hours ago, VikB said:

Keeping in mind I have 5+ hobbies/sports to take up my free time.

Once you really get started on the EUC, those other hobbies are in danger of being put aside, at least for a while.   

[Paulo Mesquita]

4 minutes ago, Scottie said:

Once you really get started on the EUC, those other hobbies are in danger of being put aside, at least for a while.   

 

4 minutes ago, Scottie said:

Once you really get started on the EUC, those other hobbies are in danger of being put aside, at least for a while.   

oh yeah, I haven't touched my telescopes since,,,

[Surfling]

Not to hi-jack this thread but hey @VikB , were you riding a Knolly Endo a few years back??

[VikB]

37 minutes ago, Surfling said:

Not to hi-jack this thread but hey @VikB , were you riding a Knolly Endo a few years back??

Yes! I had a Knolly Endo and my GF had a Warden. We rode those bikes for ~4 years I think. Are you from MTBR? 

[VikB]

Day 1 - Afternoon Practice

Lunch and a nap then I was back at the basketball court to ride the V10F. I warmed up with a couple runs along the fence and a few one legged circles away from the fence. I also did a bunch of kick glide movements like I was pushing a skateboard. That felt pretty good, but I wasn't ready to free mount yet so I didn't try.

Then I started at the basketball net and rode ~120' to the fence a few times. I did a kick glide set to move back to the basketball net or trolleyed it depending how I was feeling. After about 4 runs from net to the fence I was bored of walking/kick gliding back so I thought I might try to ride back to the net. Obviously it's a much smaller target than the fence even though I was always riding at the goal area and landing at the middle. Mind games are tough.

So I decided it would be easier to ride to the net and then instead of stopping I'd just loop back to the fence. So I did a bunch of clockwise loops of the court. Then I did some figure 8's in the court and then loops counter-clockwise. I am definitely a better left turner than right turner.

I tried moving my feet around on the pedals and where I stood was huge for how well I controlled the EUC. I settled on feet to the outside of the pedals with a slight forward bias and my left knee leaning in to tough the upper padding. I bent my knees Cooch style and kept my arms out and bent pointing forwards where I wanted to go. Then I just made sure I looked at where I wanted to go. The extra knee padding I put on the EUC was helpful. I forgot to inflate the tire more. I'll try to remember before I head out tomorrow.

After a while a family showed up and kids were playing basketball at the net so I did loops and figure 8's in the half of the court near the fence. It was a lot harder as my turns had to be sharper. I had to dodge stray balls a few times and having people close to me was a bit stressful, but I figured that was good practice like when I would be riding on the bikepath so I stuck with it. Eventually the park was getting super busy as people got home from work so I decided it was best to call it a day and start fresh tomorrow.

All in all it was a pretty good day. No crashes and no dropped EUC. Two or three times when I couldn't get my turns right I just rode onto the grass and stepped off the EUC and was able to grab the handle. No pain anywhere in my feet/legs, but my sessions were short. I am trying to ride relaxed with my knees bent and not forcing anything with my legs or the EUC. That seems to be helpful.

I feel safe and in control. I'm not ready for the bikepath yet, but I'll head to the parking lot tomorrow or the next day where I have a lot more room to maneuverer and try stuff in a safe space.

Onwards! 

Edited March 18, 2021 by VikB

[Surfling]

I thought so....familiar handle from the Knolly forum at MTBR & I might have traded posts with you and Krob back then . I got the very last 26" Endo frame from the factory and built it up back in early 2018 - sold it last year tho.

Good choice picking up the V10. I think the mten3 might be a bit harder to learn on. It's great for metro errands - very stable at pedestrian speeds, supertight turning and easy to lug around. I find it uncomfortable after 5 miles of riding potholed NYC roughments. Currently deciding on a bigger commuter EUC for work. I'm done commuting with my bike with all other PEV riders, scooter delivery ninja's increasing in the area.

So, I also owned a couple of Sector 9 longboards (sold last year as well) when my neighbor had me try his new Pint OW. Long story short, I ended up with a ninebot C. I remember the hardest part was dealing with shin pains from mounting practices. I got that fixed using mtb kneepads. Ankle guards were def needed and I had an old pair of Axo's from Pricepoint. You'll likely discard them once you get comfy. I would cruise on flip-flops and boardshorts last summer

Try the same mtb rule of looking way ahead (at least 30 ft.) once your going. And as you know, where you look, is where you end up. It's good to see you here! Keep at it!  You'll be rolling like a boss in a few weeks!

[VikB]

2 minutes ago, Surfling said:

I thought so....familiar handle from the Knolly forum at MTBR & I might have traded posts with you and Krob back then . I got the very last 26" Endo frame from the factory and built it up back in early 2018 - sold it last year tho.

Good choice picking up the V10. I think the mten3 might be a bit harder to learn on. It's great for metro errands - very stable at pedestrian speeds, supertight turning and easy to lug around. I find it uncomfortable after 5 miles of riding potholed NYC roughments. Currently deciding on a bigger commuter EUC for work. I'm done commuting with my bike with all other PEV riders, scooter delivery ninja's increasing in the area.

So, I also owned a couple of Sector 9 longboards (sold last year as well) when my neighbor had me try his new Pint OW. Long story short, I ended up with a ninebot C. I remember the hardest part was dealing with shin pains from mounting practices. I got that fixed using mtb kneepads. Ankle guards were def needed and I had an old pair of Axo's from Pricepoint. You'll likely discard them once you get comfy. I would cruise on flip-flops and boardshorts last summer

Try the same mtb rule of looking way ahead (at least 30 ft.) once your going. And as you know, where you look, is where you end up. It's good to see you here! Keep at it!  You'll be rolling like a boss in a few weeks!

Nice. Small world online! The 26er Endo was a special bike. Everyone that had one loved it.

Ya at the time the Mten3 seemed less intimidating as an early days starter, but when I looked ahead a bit the V10F seemed like a better wheel to have as I build skills this spring/summer. Now that I have actually tried riding the V10F it seems like a totally reasonable wheel to start on. The size/weight seem good for me.

I made sure right from the start I did not look down at the EUC or my feet. I looked up into the distance and picked a spot to aim for. That helped a ton. I also remembered reading that trying to balance at a stop or super slow speeds was really hard...which makes sense from riding bikes. So I also made sure that I got up to a fast walking speed as soon as possible. Slow enough I felt safe and could jump off if needed, but fast enough to get some stability out of the wheel.

The high top skate shoes I am wearing seem good from the ankle protection point of view. I haven't really had any problems with the pedals and my feet. I'm not coming off the wheel much and mostly I am able to stay on and ride it so opportunities to get ankle strikes haven't been frequent. I expect that'll be more likely once I start trying to free mount the wheel.

Thanks for reaching out. Good to run into you. 

[VikB]

9 hours ago, Tawpie said:

 

When they finally get around to opening the border I live just south of you and am aching to swing up and ride the island a bit. We visited a couple of summers ago (whales etc.) and you gots a wonderful locale for wildly diverse riding venues. Daughter lives in Van, so we have plenty of excuses.

I don't think I replied to this part of your post. For sure once the border is open if you come to Victoria drop me a line. I am usually free and even if I have some work to do I can shift it around to a different day/time. I have a sweet coastal route that I do on my longboards and bikes that I'll show you. It'll be great on the EUC. 

[VikB]

Helmet ordered. My moto helmet is Sherman worthy and seems like overkill. This ^^^ will give me an option between a half-shell and a moto helmet.

I also got some knee/shin pads. I have a nice moto jacket with padding so when I want to gear up Robocop style I'll have the gear. 

[Paulo Mesquita]

21 minutes ago, VikB said:

Helmet ordered. My moto helmet is Sherman worthy and seems like overkill. This ^^^ will give me an option between a half-shell and a moto helmet.

I also got some knee/shin pads. I have a nice moto jacket with padding so when I want to gear up Robocop style I'll have the gear. 

I got the Leatt v1 BMX helmet. It was the lightest on the market and one of the few... for my head size... 😏. 

 

As for the knee and elbow pads I just ordered the best ones from the 100% brand. Bloody expensive, but I tried them on and they were great. 

Get the ankle protection pads!!  They are the most important for beginners. Those pedals hit your ankles real hard and even with that protection it will hurt like a b*tch!!! 

Somethingike this:

https://www.xtremeinn.com/desportos_radicais/ennui-protetor-de-tornozelo-st/137868427/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=11997566&country=pt&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0caCBhCIARIsAGAfuMzrtdx6_-HeQ4tTcyTCjsjjQL0bbC9fQAHlHFX7BoI1O3PDExqWrz4aAjpKEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Edited March 18, 2021 by Paulo Mesquita

[Surfling]

46 minutes ago, VikB said:

Nice. Small world online! The 26er Endo was a special bike. Everyone that had one loved it.

.....well, I rode it for one season but honestly, I rode technical climbs better on the GT Sanction (w/ a higher BB). But I easily sold the Endo for a really good price with the COVID bike shortage last year.

Anyways, if you haven't yet, start tinkering with tire pressures on the V10. 

I use "3M Safety-walk slip-resistant tape" for a better-looking and effective shell protector.

Y'know, at least, we don't have to stress about industry standards, geometry, suspension kinematics and efficiency with this wheel. :-)

[.....]

You guys and your trying so hard to not enjoy the painful and slow motion injury of running your own ankles over. Jeez, kids these days always trying to take the easy way out. Get some spiked pedals, don some flip flops and raise the stakes a bit. I mean hell, I thought you dern Canadians were tough?!

Just popped in to remind you to NOT use the fence but for the top most part. Resist the urge to put your fingers between the links. Ankle bites AND missing fingers is a dish best served seperately.

The mten isnt much a learner wheel imho. Awesomely nimble, uber portable and fun, but very small and it REALLY likes to bite. I had mine out in a city today and I carried it a bit when pedestrians were crowding. The worry of my mten going awol and biting someone was too great. Oddly enough, the bigger wheels don't 'dance' as much, tho they are carrying more weight if you lose one at speed rolling. The v10 is a great size. I think it shall serve you well. I have heard about the shell being a little slick, so I am not surprised that a little minor padding is helping. It sounds to me like you are figuring it out fast, so theres not much for me to add.

Edited March 18, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Surfling]

4 minutes ago, ShanesPlanet said:

You guys and your trying so hard to not enjoy the painful and slow motion injury of running your own ankles over.

......nah, bro.....

1 hour ago, Surfling said:

I would cruise on flip-flops and boardshorts last summer

....downtown NYC on a sunday afternoon....

Edited March 18, 2021 by Surfling

[Paulo Mesquita]

... Got my 100%'s...

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Paulo Mesquita

[Paulo Mesquita]

12 hours ago, VikB said:

Day 0 - Afternoon Practice

I am definitely a better left turner than right turner.

...same here...

[VikB]

I've been riding in these ^^^ shoes. They are a high top that goes above the ankle and there is a lot of padding up at the ankle. Not hard armour, but that should provide some protection from the foot plates. I haven't had any ankle attacks yet so I'll re-evaluate the situation if/when that happens. 

With a soft skate sole these shoes provide a lot of pedal feel and stick to the V10F's grip tape well. At least for sub-35kph riding I think these will be my EUC shoes.

[VikB]

We've got some rain in the forecast for today...off/on not steady. So I'll try and get a couple more practice sessions in at the basketball court when it's not raining. I don't feel like testing my EUC's water resistance yet. I think riding circles and figure 8's today in both directions is a good goal. Yesterday I was just happy to be cruising around away from the fence/pole. Now I want to make sure my posture is good and I am learning muscle memory with good technique.

[VikB]

10 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Just popped in to remind you to NOT use the fence but for the top most part. Resist the urge to put your fingers between the links. Ankle bites AND missing fingers is a dish best served seperately.

Thanks. This fence is a perfect height to rest my hand on the top of the rail when standing on the EUC. The good news is I feel like I am done using fences to help me other than to mount the EUC initially. I can see how putting your fingers into the chain links would not be a great idea when something goes wrong.

I'm glad I didn't get the Mten3. The V10F was not as hard to get started on as I thought it might be. And now that I am actually moving around the weight/size seems like it's actually helpful since the wheel isn't super sensitive to every input....while also not being so much of a tank I can't get it to respond.