Suspension for Skate Park YEA or NAY?

[Scottie888]

For those who wanna get good with EUCs at skateparks, learn how to ride a MUNI (ie. manual unicycle) & learn it well. I rode with @Unipsycho a coupla weeks ago & man, did he show me a very different side. Mike (ie @Unipsycho) gives new meaning to technical EUC riding. He goes up stupid bumpy sharp inclines like nothing & whips around allover at speed on tight tech twisties where everyone else has trouble getting going...slow. Compare to him, I feel like a noob when in actually fact, he only started EUCs a month or so ago!

There's no doubt in my mind. For those into serious tricks/stunts incl nasty offroad stuff, get a MUNI & get it going. I have a hunch that once Mike gets going on his S18, he might give emtbs heart attacks.

[Unipsycho]

19 hours ago, Scottie888 said:

For those who wanna get good with EUCs at skateparks, learn how to ride a MUNI (ie. manual unicycle) & learn it well. I rode with @Unipsycho a coupla weeks ago & man, did he show me a very different side. Mike (ie @Unipsycho) gives new meaning to technical EUC riding. He goes up stupid bumpy sharp inclines like nothing & whips around allover at speed on tight tech twisties where everyone else has trouble getting going...slow. Compare to him, I feel like a noob when in actually fact, he only started EUCs a month or so ago!

There's no doubt in my mind. For those into serious tricks/stunts incl nasty offroad stuff, get a MUNI & get it going. I have a hunch that once Mike gets going on his S18, he might give emtbs heart attacks.

Haha, thanks @Scottie888 for the comments, I've ridden about 25,000 km of offroad pedal MUNI in the last 33years, so those skills became very transferrable starting out on the EUC.  I've been ripping at a couple pump tracks in fish creek/okotoks recently on a couple rides, and the suspension isn't helpful in the pumps, so I have to lock it out to not kill the legs on the track.  It's kinda of a tradeup though, as the suspension is WAY better for the jumps and drops, but not in the up and down smooth ramp changes where you normally pump it.  The suspension absorbs your speed there and tires the legs FAST.  

As with anything, you put in the hours of practice, whether its a EUC or a MUNI, you are going to get a lot better.  If people want to get better at technical riding though, you have to focus on riding technical trails, riding 1000km on the street won't help you be a better technical riding, its useless for that.  Get out and practice weaving rocks, bumping over roots, backwards riding, bunny hops, drops, narrow tracks, spins, sideways idling, one foot riding, one foot idling, all the stuff that helps riding and stay on in rough terrain.  All that was naturally transferred for me to the EUC by about ride #5.  I've got about 300km in riding offroad now on the S18.  Damn fun!

[Scottie888]

1 hour ago, Unipsycho said:

Haha, thanks @Scottie888 for the comments...

All good bruh, just sayin' like it is (& I'm not exaggerating either). While most of us are awed (deservedly so) with the Fantomas/EUC Bros big speed big air big jumps & big landings stunts, to me you bring a Danny Macaskill...ish (in MTB analogy) skillset to the table.

I remember you climbing a 10ft or so twisty bumpy dirt 30-35ºish incline mid way up a hill. I haven't seen anyone do it (live or YT) or perhaps would even try but you scooted up that like nothing. From a standstill, mid hill where a fall means a possible 30-50ft tumble & pain (& then some). To me, thats amazing balance & control. Makes choochtech offroads look like kiddie playground stuff.

The simpliest I can put it is MX vs Trials bike difference in skillsets. We're used to MX & try to emulate it in our dirt adventures but for sure, the Trials thingy is perhaps just as much fun but likely more difficult. IMO ofcos

Edited May 14, 2021 by Scottie888

[Averian]

On 5/8/2021 at 12:10 AM, mrelwood said:

Also, the stock V11 suspension sliding mechanism can wear out in about 3000km, and is not the best design for very harsh hardcore off-roading. So, while much better, not perfect.

Wow, the V11 suspension system can wear out in as few as 3000km? Do you have more details on what's going on there and if the parts that wear out are reasonably cheap enough to replace as wear & tear items or are they expensive and it's a real deal killer for anyone that wants to use the V11 off road? 

[mrelwood]

2 hours ago, Averian said:

Wow, the V11 suspension system can wear out in as few as 3000km? Do you have more details on what's going on there and if the parts that wear out are reasonably cheap enough to replace as wear & tear items or are they expensive and it's a real deal killer for anyone that wants to use the V11 off road? 

3000km is surely a worst case scenario, and even most off-roaders don’t need to worry about it. But if your weight more than 100kg, you like fast riding on a very bumpy terrain, you don’t care to take care of the V11 suspension, and you use grease on the sliding rails to attract sand and dust, etc... then the rails are probably done for at 3000km.

I don’t know how much the rails cost, but probably around $200-$300 a pair. They should be reasonably easy to replace, unless you have a 1st batch V11 that uses permanent thread locker in the motor bolts. In that case, a new motor is the only sensible way to go.

[Unipsycho]

On 5/14/2021 at 3:31 PM, Scottie888 said:

All good bruh, just sayin' like it is (& I'm not exaggerating either). While most of us are awed (deservedly so) with the Fantomas/EUC Bros big speed big air big jumps & big landings stunts, to me you bring a Danny Macaskill...ish (in MTB analogy) skillset to the table.

I remember you climbing a 10ft or so twisty bumpy dirt 30-35ºish incline mid way up a hill. I haven't seen anyone do it (live or YT) or perhaps would even try but you scooted up that like nothing. From a standstill, mid hill where a fall means a possible 30-50ft tumble & pain (& then some). To me, thats amazing balance & control. Makes choochtech offroads look like kiddie playground stuff.

The simpliest I can put it is MX vs Trials bike difference in skillsets. We're used to MX & try to emulate it in our dirt adventures but for sure, the Trials thingy is perhaps just as much fun but likely more difficult. IMO ofcos

Thanks @Scottie888 Ohh, any mention of a Danny Mac...  skill level is one HUGE compliment.  Anyway dude, it definitely comes with the hours of riding and offroad, that is for sure. I did trials unicycling for years as well and can bunny hop onto the top of picnic table using a pedal climb technique on the muni.  Just started hopping some logs now on the EUC the other night, can get over 6-7 inches, hope to raise that up to 12inchs or so with practice maybe more, we'll see. Started catching some air at the dirt pump track too.  Tons of fun!    Maybe skills come faster with a bit of fearlessness as well because of all that time in the saddle.  Fearlessness directly equals stupidity at times though, haha!  

Also, you rode with us with Eric on his ebike, I taught him to ride my EUC too, so who knows, maybe he'll have one in the future as well.  

Edited May 15, 2021 by Unipsycho

[Scottie888]

On 5/15/2021 at 3:46 PM, Unipsycho said:

Also, you rode with us with Eric on his ebike, I taught him to ride my EUC too, so who knows, maybe he'll have one in the future as well.  

Awesome! Convince Eric he needs a stable of wheels. A Sherm for the I wanna ride Cowtown top2bottom at topspeed itch, an S18 so he can join us on the dirt, an MCM5v2 for skatepark adventuring, an Mten3 for downtown window shopping (or whilst waiting for the missus shopping😋) & a V12 as city runabout and cos its new & full of gadgets! O & throw in an RS or EX.N or even the Mpro24 just cos we all need a big Gotway (cos we all need a firestarter for the bbq...just kiddin😆).

And make sure you tell Eric he can have all that for less than what he paid for his Specialized Turbo Levo SWorks & get a Mexican all incl. vacay thrown in with change to spare🥰

PS: hope Danny gets his RS back so we all go do a ride soon🤞

[MrH]

Something I haven't seen anyone note is that on the s18 you can lock/turn off the suspension if you want to ride it without suspension for a session. 

[Unipsycho]

MrH, yes I use the lockout often even in offroad on my S18, as lockout is better for climbing typically (sometimes jumping actually if the landings are ramped) and it is useful to 'feel' the trail more.  It is not a hard lockout there, there is still the top 20-30% of suspension in the lockout mode, so its still a soft ride, but much reduced suspension.  You can easily reach down and flip it while riding too, so you don't even have to stop.

[OldFartRides]

It’s funny, I’ve been riding more technical single track mtb trails of late, then revisited a park I hadn’t been to in a month.

Those trails which seemed so hard before are now easy. Three feet wide is like a highway.

Met up with a yearling bear just the other day. He/ she took one look at me and turned tail and ran. Made my day.

Hats off to anyone who can ride a muni. I’ve tried and failed and gave up.

These gismos are easy peasy compared to them.

[Scottie]

9 hours ago, OldFartRides said:

Met up with a yearling bear just the other day.

Me ... not knowing much about bears ... has a yearling bear left Mama bear? Cause we don't want an angry Mama Bear around! 

[OldFartRides]

Yeah, this one probably three foot tall on all fours. Maybe 250. Pretty. And fast.