Oily Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 So, I've now been using my generic 14" EU for about 2 months, for a near 3 mile commute (each way) every day. I've got to the point now I'm flat out when ever I can be and the angled pedals are driving me nuts, and it's just not safe - so I'm looking at upgrades/options. The cheap solution is to go Microworks upgrade route & fit a 500W motor, 30km/h controller & probably a 340 battery. BUT, would a 16" or a twin be better ? The biggest issue I have around London is the paved pavements, and on a single wheel, I sometimes find myself being dragged around/thrown off my path by badly laid slabs - I presume this would be a smaller issue with 2 tyres ? But I know a twin will be less maneuverable, but how much less - does weaving through pedestrians become harder ? Is a 16" better at higher speed, and how much less maneuverable is it than a 14" ? I'm guessing dropped kerbs are slightly easier due to the larger wheel, but this on it's own wouldn't justify the costs of the upgrade (although a self build on Microworks parts wouldn't be much more expensive than my 14" upgrade). Thoughts/suggestions welcome ! Olly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMo Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I would normally buy a better unit fully built rather than doing any upgrades which sometimes would not meet your expectations. Regarding 2 wheelers, they would be worse to ride on uneven pavements than single wheelers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddylaz Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Yeah, what SlowMo said. Two wheelers are very awkward on uneven paving slabs. You're going to get situations where one wheel is off the ground/one wheel is at a different angle of attack to the other. Plus general manoeuvrebility is much, much worse. I live in London too (you should come by Hyde park sometime!) and have had first hand experience with an Airwheel Q. Unstable for anything other than really flat ground Get a decent 16incher. Edit: Also.....stop me if Im being a pretentious asshole, but does anyone else think the two-wheelers kind of ruin the whole minimalistic beauty of eucs as a concept. Even if the two-wheelers WERE more manoeuvrable, I still look at them as sort of a shame because half the fun of the euc is navigating that steep learning curve to mastering just one wheel. It's what sets it apart. The vast majority of comments and 'wow' exclamations I hear from people as I go past are solely based around the fact that 'its just one wheel.' I don't know, theres just kind of a nice purity about the concept. Anyway.....I might just be talking bull****. I suppose if it's just for commuting the aesthetics don't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 1 hour ago, Oily said: BUT, would a 16" or a twin be better ? The biggest issue I have around London is the paved pavements. Olly Olly, l have never ridden a twin wheel, but the number of them you see for sale second hand speaks volumes to me. I also notice that Maplins in the UK are currently discounting the Q3 down to £499. They seem a great beginners machine but once you can ride IMHO they are just going to restrict you, they certainly will not be better over slopes and uneven surfaces. I am surprised you are finding London pavements a challenge on a 14" wheel and my suspicion is it is more the low power motor than just the 14" wheel? With enough power it should keep you upright OK and power over cracks etc. I ride the lower power 340Wh KingSong 14C (500W motor) in London and that includes a level crossing with the tracks at a 45 degree angle to the path, they scared the willies out of me first time I rode over the tracks but, even when wet they haven't caused a problem. A 16" wheel should be better over uneven ground and have better stability and I did seriously consider a 16" wheel as I ride quite a lot on bridleways (when it isn't too wet and muddy - amazing how rural SW London/Surrey borders can be!) I've certainly found wet leaves and tree roots can be challenging on a 14" wheel, but in the 2 months I have had it, after the first week of learning, I've only lost it once on wet leaves ( fortunately slow enough to run off it) and once when a car turned into its drive across me, I braked too hard and ended up sitting on the pavement - this latter encouraged me to ride a lot slower on any pavement where someone or something could pop out unexpectedly, wear wrist protection and check what every car is doing, even the parked ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oily Posted January 7, 2016 Author Share Posted January 7, 2016 1 hour ago, Paddylaz said: Also.....stop me if Im being a pretentious asshole, but does anyone else think the two-wheelers kind of ruin the whole minimalistic beauty of eucs as a concept. Even if the two-wheelers WERE more manoeuvrable, I still look at them as sort of a shame because half the fun of the euc is navigating that steep learning curve to mastering just one wheel. It's what sets it apart. The vast majority of comments and 'wow' exclamations I hear from people as I go past are solely based around the fact that 'its just one wheel.' I don't know, theres just kind of a nice purity about the concept. Anyway.....I might just be talking bull****. I suppose if it's just for commuting the aesthetics don't matter. As above - from a fun perspective - ABSOLUTELY ! On a single you can lean & weave, and it just looks so cool (comment from a passing mountain bike this morning "that looks really cool man"). The only reason I'd go 2 wheel would be for ease of use commuting - I figured there is probably less getting off/on when you get to a red light or need to wait to cross a road. BUT - nothing like as cool as a single ! Regarding the issues I have with pavement slabs, crossing them is not a problem (although I do agree, a bit more oomph would help my slightly bulky 92kgs get up kerbs/hils that bit easier), it's more when running on the joins (number 3 in the pic below) that I sometimes have issues - could just be my tyre I guess ? My other problem is budget - I don't have £800? to spend on a Ninebot/Gotway 18 (as much as I'd love one), but I can wing enough cash to do a home upgrade - which in its self probably answers my own issue ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddylaz Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 12 minutes ago, Oily said: As above - from a fun perspective - ABSOLUTELY ! On a single you can lean & weave, and it just looks so cool (comment from a passing mountain bike this morning "that looks really cool man"). The only reason I'd go 2 wheel would be for ease of use commuting - I figured there is probably less getting off/on when you get to a red light or need to wait to cross a road. BUT - nothing like as cool as a single ! Regarding the issues I have with pavement slabs, crossing them is not a problem (although I do agree, a bit more oomph would help my slightly bulky 92kgs get up kerbs/hils that bit easier), it's more when running on the joins (number 3 in the pic below) that I sometimes have issues - could just be my tyre I guess ? My other problem is budget - I don't have £800? to spend on a Ninebot/Gotway 18 (as much as I'd love one), but I can wing enough cash to do a home upgrade - which in its self probably answers my own issue ! Speedyfeet are currently selling an ex-display Ninebot for £529...... Also Jason's Wheelgo site sells both the ips 132 and ninebots for great prices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BA-B8 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 There's always the single tubeless fat tired IPS Kahuna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oily Posted January 8, 2016 Author Share Posted January 8, 2016 I quite like the wide rims, but the Kahuna tyre just looks so square, I can't see how it will roll that well - and battery life has to be worse as a result of all that drag ! BUT, an update on my tram-lining issues - checked tyre pressure this morning, and I'm back to 20psi !???? I must have a slow puncture, as I only pumped it up a few weeks ago - task for the weekend ! Back up to 35psi this morning, and tram-lining almost gone !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BA-B8 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 ^^ SlowMo bought a Kahuna. He seems to like it. You can ask him how it works. http://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/2132-my-ips-kahuna-k1s-260wh-with-handlebar/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowMo Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 15 minutes ago, BA-B8 said: ^^ SlowMo bought a Kahuna. He seems to like it. You can ask him how it works. http://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/2132-my-ips-kahuna-k1s-260wh-with-handlebar/ My son loves it but we never use it on vastly uneven pavements. The single wheel of the Kahuna is very similar to other 2 wheel brands like the Inmotion V3 and the Airwheel Q3/Q5. They all require a different approach when turning where you need to move your body weight to the side where you intend to turn in order to lift the other wheel and properly execute the turn. Also, you cannot ride them very fast because they will wobble and you might lose balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oily Posted January 12, 2016 Author Share Posted January 12, 2016 For commuting, speed (to a degree) is fairly important as I'm ultimately looking to increase my distance to about 8 miles once I've upgraded/replaced my EUC. So I've now ruled out a twin (thanks guys), and the quest continues. I am a tinkerer, so in all honesty, I think I'll be building my own 14", 500W, 30km/h, 340Wh Microworks special - unless I can find a 16" case ! Thanks for all the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oily Posted July 4, 2016 Author Share Posted July 4, 2016 A follow up on this, and now a dilemma !! So I ended up not building my own, as the cost all got much the same as buying a Gotway/Freeman. I ended up going with the high-speed Freeman (A4H), as I'm a speed junkie (500W 30kmh, 340wh) but had LOADS of issues with it & should be getting a refund tomorrow. While trying to get the Freeman sorted, I managed to buy a used Ninebot C+ for an absolute bargain. I LOVE the Ninebot, (I've now done 60km on it) it's so stable, and the 16" wheel makes bumps & kurbs that much easier, but the top speed is bothering me. In the morning when it's cold (and it's hardly scorching in the uk !) I can cruise at 19-20kmh with bursts up to 21-22, but in the evening when it's warmer I can't break 17kmh - which feels pedestrian ! I'm now up to a 7 mile commute each way, and I really need/want something that will cruise at at least 20km/h. I'm tempted to speak to Speedyfeet about a Ninebot P (E/E+ doesn't seem worth the effort?), which would be ideal, but I've probably only got £400 to play with plus the trade in of the C+, although at that sort of money, would a Gotway MSuper 18 be an option ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 @Oily the Inmotion V5F+ goes 25-27 kph with I think a 460wh battery for 795pounds at Wheelgo.com. It is faster than NB! E+ and should have considerably more range if you get the biggest battery. But it appears to be on backorder, might take a couple weeks to get one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefork Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 Check with @Jason McNeil, they have some units coming in, and they might not all be sold yet if you're lucky. I'm currently waiting for mine (should be delivered this week according to Jason). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 After reading some posts in the Inmotion section I discovered that it is a 14 inch tire. I don't know why, but I thought it was a 16. So it will be more nimble, but as for bumps I don't know. Probably doesn't matter that much if the performance is there. But also it is lighter, so that is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefork Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 What sold me on the Inmotion was the combination of speed (30 kmh), battery (460 Wh), formfactor (it's slim), weight (12 kg), safety (the V5, an older model, has a solid track-record) and build quality (it's seems very well put together). I haven't actually tried it, though, so I don't know if 14" would be enough, or if a larger one would be preferrable for bumpy roads. I will write up a mini review once I receive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve454 Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 I watched a take apart video and there sure are a lot of screws to take out. Seems very well designed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electric_vehicle_lover Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 9 hours ago, Oily said: A follow up on this, and now a dilemma !! So I ended up not building my own, as the cost all got much the same as buying a Gotway/Freeman. I ended up going with the high-speed Freeman (A4H), as I'm a speed junkie (500W 30kmh, 340wh) but had LOADS of issues with it & should be getting a refund tomorrow. While trying to get the Freeman sorted, I managed to buy a used Ninebot C+ for an absolute bargain. I LOVE the Ninebot, (I've now done 60km on it) it's so stable, and the 16" wheel makes bumps & kurbs that much easier, but the top speed is bothering me. In the morning when it's cold (and it's hardly scorching in the uk !) I can cruise at 19-20kmh with bursts up to 21-22, but in the evening when it's warmer I can't break 17kmh - which feels pedestrian ! I'm now up to a 7 mile commute each way, and I really need/want something that will cruise at at least 20km/h. I'm tempted to speak to Speedyfeet about a Ninebot P (E/E+ doesn't seem worth the effort?), which would be ideal, but I've probably only got £400 to play with plus the trade in of the C+, although at that sort of money, would a Gotway MSuper 18 be an option ? With MicroWorks as you mentioned before, you can go up to 25km/h easily. Building your own means that you can also keep upgrading later, as MicroWorks is developing even more powerful controllers and I guess there will also be more powerful motors. Please see my build of EGG EUC with MicroWorks board and motor: https://github.com/EGG-electric-unicycle/documentation/wiki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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