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Reliable chinese knock offs?


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Im at 270 lbs, and 6 foot, i already know im most likely gonna need a high torque wheel, and i like the weight and size specs for most 18 in. Wheels,  but, problem i have is price.  If my family found out i dropped that much,  I'd be lying in an unmarked grave somewhere! So my question is,  are there any reliable knock offs or off brands  that are cheaper and would work for me,  or possibly a way or place i could get parts piecemeal and build my own "franken-wheel"?

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Thanks for the advice,  I've basically been looking for a city commuter solution,  i live about two miles from work but a car ain't worth it, and storage space is VERY limited. Ive thought about an e-board, but i like the responsiveness of an euc better,  not to mention bumps in roads or sidewalks would be less of an issue thanks to tire size. Urs one of the reasons i wad thinking about buying parts here and there and slowly building my own, that way i could modify as needed instead of forking out for a whole new wheel. 

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There are no cheap EUC knock offs in the same way that there are no cheap airplane knock offs. EUCs need to have a certain standard in power/safety (same thing in this case!) and you can't really compromise on that. Every EUC company that still exists is good, simply because any other company would have found no buyers if it didn't offer a certain standard. Not that that standard is particularly high, as Shane said above.

Building from parts also isn't a thing with electric unicycles. Sure you could buy the parts of a specific model, but it would cost much more than just outright buying the thing right away. Repairing a damaged wheel would also cost more than just buying a good one right away.

Used wheels can be had for a great price! That really is your best bet here. Anything from an Inmotion V10F upward (in terms of battery size and tire size) should be strong enough for you. You are heavy and that necessitates a certain amount of power to be safe for you, but otherwise your requirements aren't much. I like to send people to https://www.ewheels.com/shop/ simply for a quick market overview of the currently available models, with pictures etc., so you know what options you have. V10F, King Song 16X or 18XL, Gotway/Begode Nikola or any 18 inch model (MSX, MSP, RS, ...), and so on, there are a lot of suitable wheels.

Check out the Private Sales forum here, and see here on what to look or when buying used (not much to know, but it might help). If you say where in the US you are, there are some good spots where lots of used wheel should be going around (like NYC or Southern California). Have a look, and you can also make your own topic like "270 lbs, looking for 2 mile commuter wheel".

Edited by meepmeepmayer
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Indeed, a working used wheel is your best bet. If the V10, V10F and higher (Ks18L,KS18XL,KS16X, gotway tesla etc) prove to be too expensive even on the used market, perhaps a KS16S would work, but you would have to ride at high pressure [to avoid rim damage] and be careful -- avoid jumping up and down curbs [to avoid rim or axle damage] or accelerating and breaking hard [to avoid overpowering]. It would still be a proper EUC experience -- efficient as a transport and enjoyable as a rideable. 

Personally, 2 miles is about the distance that I would choose to walk instead of ride (I ride with a bunch of protective gear, it's a bit tedious to put it all on, especially during cold seasons). However, if walking does not work for you in this situation, then this in its own should be enough justification for spending money on an EUC. No idea how much public transportation costs in your area but I guess that the EUC would pay for itself in 1-2 years compared to a bus/subway. Paying off in 1 year is lucrative enough for most people :) You also save a lot of time and are much happier.

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5 minutes ago, yoos said:

Personally, 2 miles is about the distance that I would choose to walk instead of ride (I ride with a bunch of protective gear, it's a bit tedious to put it all on, especially during cold seasons).

2 miles is like 30 minutes if you have a few red lights etc. That's not short. <10 minutes aka "over before you know it) on a EUC. I think walking vs. riding makes a big difference.

Personally, for such a short commute (and probably not too high speeds) I'd go with wrist guards (always!) and possibly a helmet. Take 20 seconds to put on and are no hassle or interfere with the clothes. Wouldn't bother with any other, more fiddly gear.

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29 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

2 miles is like 30 minutes if you have a few red lights etc. That's not short.

The choice is very personal of course, 1hr walking commute every day would have me tired, but I like the occasional walk :) I usually wear atgatt -- it's easier on my brain than evaluating scenarios every time (what's the weather forecast? What's the route? Will I be tired on the way back? Will it be dark? Is there a chance of a detour? Are there dress code considerations?). Even if I dress light (which I sometimes do), the added hassle of storing/trolleying the EUC in cafes or elsewhere might not be worth it. I also live on the third floor with no elevator, so it all adds up.

However, if it's just a 2+2 mile errand that doesn't require me to undress or otherwise appear elegant, then I will take the EUC. 

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I have to travel 0.25 -0.5 miles repeatedly back and forth throughout the day in different locations. It saves a lot of time using the EUC. However if I know that I am going to stay in a location for an extended period of time and i don’t have storage for my EUC I will walk. … Two miles? I wish I had the time. 

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In the countryside I may do the same -- skip the gear when riding short routes I know by heart. However, most of my riding is in Moscow city center which is swarmed by pedestrians, delivery e-bikes, scooters, cabs, stealthy road works etc -- very similar to Manhattan but with faster car traffic. In this environment too much depends on external actors so I still wear gear that will handle a fall comfortably. Also my wedding contract requires me to wear a helmet at all times (the only exception is when I am not on the EUC).

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I commuted just under 2 miles for a while living in Florida; (I even downgraded my euc for a while). At the time, I was walking (ugh), biking, euc-ing, and moped riding to work; and had no general preference; (unless it was raining). However, after work I wanted to ride more and longed for more euc battery. An 800W wheel was enough to get my 100kg ass to work everyday; (in no particular hurry). At 125kg, you'll need more power than that, but maybe not much more if your main concern is avoiding walking. Then again, you might consider other options (for such a short commute) and want to focus on long range euc riding. Probably, you'll end up getting a bigger, battery-laden wheel at some point because you will get addicted.

I thought I had a point, but maybe not. Two miles is a damn long way to walk and once you have an euc you'll agree: "walking is for suckers"...

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