Kingsong 16S New EUC rider in France

[LeKeiser]

Hello everyone,

First, let me introduce myself. 52 years young, 1m81, +/- 100kgs (I'm working on that, really, but it's hard  ). I live  1km from Paris France. 
I ride bikes as much as I can. I even started to ride an esk8 again but the weather hasn't been kind those last weeks, so I haven't been able to ride it a lot... But it was really fun
I also own two escooters, Segway G30 and Xiaomi m365 Pro. Got a really good deal for both of them. I love riding them in Paris. It's like riding a bike but you don't sweat The really bad thing is that I can't bring them with me in most of the shops, and I can't bring in in the theaters  
I was watching some videos on YT and I started to get hooked with all the videos about the EUCs. I watched a lot of them and decided to get me one. 
I want to be able to ride the EUC on the bike lanes in Paris, not sweating, and carry it with me in the shops and the theaters and...
So I went to an EUC shop and I was offered two choices : Inmotion V10F or the Kingsong 16S. I went for the latter because of its size (compact, I'll be able to store it under the seat in the theater), it's a bit lighter, and its trolley. I really thing the trolley of the Inmotion sucks, it looks weak, breakable. I was also told that some models had some troubles with the motherboard. Just a few, very few.
So I bought the Kingsong 16S. And a cover, to protect it
That was about 3 weeks ago. 
Now, due to the bad weather again (rain, lots of wind...) and our curfew (everyone had to be home by 7pm) it was hard to find some time to practise.
I started to stand on the KS at home between two doors. But after I knocked those two doors while dismounting, I decided to stop practising at home.
I went to my parking lot. It's covered. But it's not very convenient. A 5 meters wall only that I could use to keep my balance, and lots of cars... 
So I went to a back alley, but there were too many people walking by. And when you start riding an EUC, you need a quiet and peaceful place... 
I found a nice long alley near the Seine with a nice guardrail. I started there, and was happy to be able to ride more than 10 meters. But I realized I was depending too much on the guardrail. My hands would fly over it, and I wouldn't change my line. And because it's a nice alley, lots of sportmen practise here, so the guardrail was becoming smaller and smaller...
I started to look elsewhere and found a park 20 mins away. Seems quiet and all. A nice flat grassy area. I went there yesterday but I found it hard, harder to ride on grass than on concrete. So I wasn't able to ride more than 2 meters before I had to bail off... And then the curfew showed its ugly head and I had to stop.

So I haven't made any progress in 3 weeks and I'm really getting frustrated. Ok, 3 weeks, let's say 4 hours total learning the EUC, alone. It's nothing. But when I read the posts of all the people startingt to ride, I think I am way behind, I'm so slow... Thing is that I haven't been able to practise two days in a row. Sometimey , I had to wait 4 days before being able to go out with my KS again. So progress was even slower.
I am able to do those half turn, my dominant right leg on the EUC, the left on the ground. I can turn and turn and then I get car sick
I'm able to turn around a pole, no problem. Then I get dizzy and sick again 
I'm able to push the EUC with my left leg. But it's really tiring :O
And that's about it  
Thing is, I read many posts, and watched tons of videos. And I know it's stupid, but so many are saying "You will fall!!!" that it sticks into my mind when I want to launch myself, and while I am protected (helmet, knees, elbows, wrist, I even have a dental protection...) I think about those comments and... Like I said, I have a cover for my KS, so I'm not worried for it. Even more if I start to practise on grass. I shouldn't be worried about myself since I'm not riding fast at all. WHEN I'm riding. But still, there is  that fear of launching the EUC. I know that once I get overt that stupid fear, I'll start to get some confidence and some joy. 

I'm also wondering if I made the right choice with the KS 16S. Maybe I should have picked the Inmotion V10F because it's taller? Is it possible that the KS is too small for my height? Or it has nothing to do at all and it's just me and my relation with the KS? And I'm just trying to blame this great EUC for my fears and my failures?

I really really want to ride it. I really really want to see some tiny little progress. Enough so that it would push me everyday to go out with  it again and practise again. Right now, when I take it outside, I'm thinking "Will I be able to ride it faster than this snail? Maybe I should bring a hat with me and lay it on the ground, people will drop a coin or two, I look so ridiculous when practising  "

Well, I wanted to write a small introduction and well, I also failed here. 
Hope I didn't bore you. 
I'll try to go out again later today. I'll let you know how it goes, if you're interested
Till then, take care and ride safe

[Camenbert]

You will progress when you find good condition for early practice.
In the beginning I pack my wheel like a xmas gift so it wont get damage, and I found an open air sport park where i found space, stuff to grab and soft floor.
The soft floor and low pressure in tire make the first try easier.

I learn completely alone and i didnt found video useful, because it's all about how you fell (the balance and how react the wheel)

100 km on the wheel then i could stop training and just go. Patience

We nearly have same weight, wrist protection is a must (they cant take that weight!!)

[Roadpower]

I did many very short sessions when I was in the infant steps of learning to ride. I live in an apartment building with short pile carpeted floors. I would literally go only back and forth a few times before calling it quits. I did this because of concerns of making too much noise at night and because feet not being being strong enough and not being confident of footing and all sorts of things. I did this over the course of weeks, not days.

These were truly baby steps. Had I known then what I know now I could have had a much more rapid development but that is okay I don't regret the mistakes I made. I also had watched many videos, it was in part from watching those that set my fate on a very slow learning path. What I know now is that my mistake was not focusing on learning mounting and dismounting. I finally did discover a video in which the teacher was educating his friend on how to ride which made prominent the practicing of mounting and dismounting which is a core requirement/ability of riding. But this was already after I finally made it past the baby steps.

This said, I must be fair to everyone and state that it is still a subjective experience, different people are going to be able to do things differently because of their innate abilities and strengths. I just found through my own experiences that learning mounting/dismounting is a critical component of learning to ride. Using stationary support objects or even a buddy is in my view something that actually handicaps your learning, or at least it was definitely so during my learning trials.

While it is probably scary, learning on hard and relatively smooth ground is untimely the best medium for learning on. After I had had enough of the carpet I went outside to ride on concrete. I was constantly strategizing moving from one fixed support object to the next, this is how you know what a terrible mistake I made in not gaining mastery over mounting/dismounting. I also did many sessions of this while I dealt with foot weakness and mind over matter resistance (IE lack of confidence), etc.

I hope my telling of the mistakes I made, helps others avoid them.

[LeKeiser]

Hello and thank you for your replies

I went yesterday to see the shop where I bought the KS, just to see them use it in front of me
Now I know that it's really me the problem
They told me I have  to relax more. And that I have to loosen up  my legs, I was keeping the KS too tight between my knees. 
They give lessons so I will get one (or two or three) and see how it goes (y)

@Roadpower do you still have the link to the video with the mount/dismount practise? I would love to see it
 

[Roadpower]

Here it is but just a warning that he does not structure his channel towards being family friendly and he might be an acquired taste for some people. I enjoy his content but I had to warn people if they had concerns due to children or certain sensibilities.

[LeKeiser]

7 minutes ago, Roadpower said:

Here it is but just a warning that he does not structure his channel towards being family friendly and he might be an acquired taste for some people. I enjoy his content but I had to warn people if they had concerns due to children or certain sensibilities.

Thanx a lot for your reply
I know him, great videos indeed and great tips. It's funny, I was surfing on YT and watching his latest video right now.
I'm going to watch this one again. His student at first is really as good as I am, so
I hate those kinds of fence actually. It hurts the fingers bad when you want to grab it while moving. At least, I hurt my fingers, so I try to avoid them. I prefer a nice guardrail when I can find one

Edited May 30, 2021 by LeKeiser

[Roadpower]

1 hour ago, LeKeiser said:

I hate those kinds of fence actually. It hurts the fingers bad when you want to grab it while moving. At least, I hurt my fingers, so I try to avoid them. I prefer a nice guardrail when I can find one

See, that is just the thing, you want to be independent of fixed solid objects beyond the very initial stages of learning. That is why the practicing of mounting/dismounting is crucial to rider development (in my view). 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Roadpower

[hannesd]

look for a good spot to learn , even if you have to drive out of Paris centre...

[Cycleops]

I've had a similar experience. 

I'm 51, & bought a KS16s.

I found some cricket practice nets near where I live which had smooth astro-turf & a fence I could hold onto.

I tried to do a little each day when I had time & found that the less I thought about what I was doing, the better I progressed. It's really not a cognitive skill. It's very much a subconscious learning.

The cricket nets face a relatively flat football field, so I could commit to heading out on the grass. The unevenness of the grass throws you around a bit though.

It took me a lot longer than I thought, but I can now ride to the shops competently. I just need to get better at stopping & dismounting.

My wife Has found it more difficult, but I think this is because she couldn't practice as frequently.

I think short but frequent sessions are best, to reinforce what you have learnt.

[LeKeiser]

5 hours ago, Cycleops said:

I tried to do a little each day when I had time & found that the less I thought about what I was doing, the better I progressed. It's really not a cognitive skill. It's very much a subconscious learning.

Hello,

That's exactly what I should do : not think about what I'm doing and how I'm doing it and how I should be doing it... Leave everything behind, and just launch myself and the KS, and just ride. I'm always thinking about the placement of my feet, how I'm standing on the KS, how are my knees, ... Too much I think for my (little) brain and so I am too tense, and think I cannot do it. 
Now, easier to say it than...   But I'll try. I need to find that quiet spot, not too many people around so I won't get distracted. So far, even a drop of sweat on my nose and I'm done

 

[Roadpower]

9 hours ago, LeKeiser said:

Hello,

That's exactly what I should do : not think about what I'm doing and how I'm doing it and how I should be doing it... Leave everything behind, and just launch myself and the KS, and just ride. I'm always thinking about the placement of my feet, how I'm standing on the KS, how are my knees, ... Too much I think for my (little) brain and so I am too tense, and think I cannot do it. 
Now, easier to say it than...   But I'll try. I need to find that quiet spot, not too many people around so I won't get distracted. So far, even a drop of sweat on my nose and I'm done

 

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