I may have passed the bug on to my girlfriend... and now I need a second wheel

[Spaghetteh]

I got an 18L towards the end of July and am now sufficiently hooked. My girlfriend has enjoyed watching me learn and now she wants in on the action. We went out to a park yesterday and after an hour she got to the point where she could keep her balance for 50 feet or so in the grass; I expect she'll be catching up to where I'm at before long.

So now my predicament is that we only have this one PEV between the two of us. So I've started looking into options for another wheel. I'm very curious about the V11, it sounds like a great cruising wheel that's beginner friendly but will still be something we'd use after getting past the beginner stage.

I'm thinking of commuting with an EUC once we move back to San Francisco where the roads aren't always in the best of shape. The 18L I have seems like a great commuter wheel but if I had a V11 I'd have options to switch it up. Plus, the 18L and V11 seem like they'd pair well together for weekend cruises around the city. Has the bearings issue been solved in recent batches? It doesn't often downpour in SF but it can get wet and misty.

The only problem with the V11 is that availability isn't expected until mid-September and I don't know if I can wait a whole month and share a wheel in the meantime. It seems like the 18XL might be available the next couple weeks on eWheels. If so, I'd be almost content with picking one of those up instead of the V11 since they're still a community favorite but I also don't want to miss out on all the cool features the V11 offers.

I also noticed the 16X is expected to be available this month as well... Would that be different enough from the 18L and V11 to be worth picking up now and still getting the V11 next month? I'm curious about trying out a 16" wheel and it sounds like the 16X great for off-roading. I am 6'3" (~180lbs) however and wouldn't want anything that felt too small/under-powered for me. I was checking out the V12 as well. It's intriguing but suffers from the same September availability as well as seems intimidating for my semi-beginner self currently.

It's also worth mentioning that I'm feeling a bit freaked out about Gotway/Begode wheels right now. Reading about bad QA, cutouts without warning, and random fires in storage had me feeling concerned already and then that PSA they released the other week broke my confidence and trust in their products. I know many of you have had zero issues with your Gotway wheels and I don't doubt those unfortunate instances are rare but the nightmare scenario of a wheel starting a fire in my apartment building with my dog home while I'm away is too much for me to consider getting a Gotway wheel right now.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

[Scottie]

You are thinking about a lot of things!

The 16X will easily move you around. I am 240 lbs and it handles me effortlessly. And it has a different enough ride feel to complement the 18XL. It is a little slower, but not much. The stability at speed is just a hair less but still good. It is a more playful, maneuverable, fun wheel than the 18XL.

The 18XL is the slightly better commuter wheel for it slightly better stability at speed. It is easier to lift and handle while on its side due to the way you can grab the handle and a pedal to lift and place it somewhere. You have no doubt already noticed that with you 18L.

I have about 500 miles on my batch 4 V11 with no bearing issues so far. It has never been wet. It is a fun wheel after you become accustom to the greater height of the pedals. If it has been a while since I rode it, it feels a little twitchy for a mile or so, but then the reflexes automatically adjust and the ride becomes as straight and true as any wheel. The suspension allows for overlooking the smaller bumps of the ride. I don't have to constantly scan for the smooth way through.

All 3 wheels will do commuter duty well. The King Songs have best ever trolley handles. But the V11 trolleys very well also, just behind the 18XL and 16X. The wheels are different enough in ride feel to give the variety you are looking for and still all do the job well. Get the ones you can get if you don't want to wait. They are all keeper wheels even after you are way, way past the beginner stage. 

Disclaimer: I look for the positive in every wheel and use it according to its strengths. So far I haven't met a wheel I did not like. I've been lucky in that they have all worked properly so far. So my opinion may not be the one you are looking for.

 

Edited August 11, 2021 by Scottie

[.....]

hmm... so many difficult questions.  If you can wait, it kind of sounds to me like the v11 would be good for its smooth ride on cobblestones. I cant comment on water and bearings, but surely there's a solution, should you forsee it.

If you cant wait, perhaps snag a 16x? Is your girl a speed demon or do you think she will be? I could see a danger in having 2 speed freaks, but one on a slightly slower wheel. If meandering is her thing, perhaps you can buy a 16x for your own offroad pleasure, and LOAN it to her for group rides? Win, win! Or maybe you'd loan her the 18L and ride the 16x? Win win!

You could always buy an 18XL and then you two would be pretty evenly matched. I love my 18XL, but its hard to suggest owning TWO of the same wheels. If the second wheel is HER wheel, perhaps just ask her and nevermind what YOU already own. I still like my previous suggestion better.

Edited August 11, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Tawpie]

Have you thought about used wheels? There are pros and con of course, but after a couple hundred miles you can be more assured that the infant mortality problems have been shaken out (assuming it's not a lemon, that's a bit of a risk).

The 16x has excellent range, much better than the V11 and probably your 18L. It truly is a great 'charge it and ride it' wheel, goes anywhere with plenty of torque, takes an absolute beating, and as a bonus it doesn't look like an egg. But like your 18L it isn't a speed demon's wheel. Since I'm not a speed junky anymore I really like my 16x a lot, so much so that it's difficult to justify another purchase. Suspension would be nice and is likely to be on my next wheel (I really like trails, of the MTB variety), but right now the extra fiddling and loss of range isn't really worth it. What I like about the 16x's range is I can ride to the trails, wear myself out on the trails and get home without having to carry a charger... it's something most wheels can't do.

I too would advise against matchy-matchy, every wheel rides differently and is better in its own arena—variety is the spice of life. Unless of course, you hate the woods or something, then I'd def go for an 18" because the bigger diameter wheels are fundamentally more comfy when you're just cruising.

[Spaghetteh]

3 hours ago, Scottie said:

You are thinking about a lot of things!

Lol yea... I have a tendency to get stuck doing too much of that.

3 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Is your girl a speed demon or do you think she will be?

At first I thought I'd be more prone to pushing the speed dial... But then she reminded me that she drives faster than me. I think casual, meandering rides are the plan for now at least.

1 hour ago, Tawpie said:

Have you thought about used wheels?

Yea, I got my 18L used (courtesy of @ShanesPlanet ). But I don't think I'd want to get the V11 used unless I was sure the warranty transferred over as well. It seems like a really difficult wheel to disassemble and diagnose problems with; especially for a beginner. I wouldn't be opposed to getting a 16X used if I find one, I'll keep an eye out

1 hour ago, Tawpie said:

after a couple hundred miles you can be more assured that the infant mortality problems have been shaken out

Oh interesting, I've heard of wheels being DOA or experiencing failures shortly after being powered on but how often do wheels experience failures after 20 or so miles? I've heard people recommend taking apart Gotway wheels to check for loose screws that could short the board, does that extend to all wheels?

Good to hear the 16X sounds like a solid wheel! And yea, I agree that the 18XL would be too similar to my 18L, especially now that I'm anxious to experience a variety of different wheels; thanks for calling that out. I'll start looking around for a 16X. Thanks for the advice!

[Tawpie]

7 hours ago, Spaghetteh said:

how often do wheels experience failures after 20 or so miles?

The thing with all electronic devices is that their when their parts fail, they usually fail shortly after they get put into service (infant mortality) and wheels are no exception. It's comforting to know that a particular set of doodads has gotten past that point, especially when failure leads to face plants and sometimes ignition. Of course, buying used is no guarantee—previous owners may have bashed the thing so badly it's hanging on by a thread, but life is about risk so there you go. I've read about a number of instances where Gotway's wheels have just up and died in their first hundred miles, know personally of a V11 that died at ~300 and recently there's more chatter about pedal hanger screws working themselves loose on the V11. I'm 100% sure all brands have similar issues at some level because nobody burns them in. The advantage of gently used is that somebody else did the burn in for you, but regardless of new or used I would ride a new-to-me wheel careful and conservative for the first 'while'. And you will still fall, so wear your gear.

 

7 hours ago, Spaghetteh said:

I've heard people recommend taking apart Gotway wheels to check for loose screws that could short the board, does that extend to all wheels?

Gotway's designs and rep are such that it's a good idea to do the disassembly and QC check, but regardless of brand, proper assembly is so important for these things to work properly it is prudent to check things for yourself. KS had significant problems putting their 1st batch of S18s together and still hasn't gotten it 100%—but their issues were more with the suspension mechanics than safety. I didn't bother though, not my 16x, not my MTen either, and other than a super slow leak on the MTen's tire I've been fortunate. I was worried I'd break something, turns out that was a misplaced concern... the wheels I own are very straightforward to work on and exercising the tiniest bit of care along with a good dose of retentiveness is all that's necessary. Because I ride my 16x on rough trails, I've opened it up two or three times just to snug things down and make sure nothing is rubbing through insulation etc.

Don't forget that the 16XS is a 16X that has a lightweight zero watt hour "second battery" and a slightly lower factory speed limit. I added a second battery to mine and it was a matter of plug and play (all the cabling is already there) so there is that option if you find a deal on an XS.