Popular Post VikB Posted October 26, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted October 26, 2021 (edited) I got the V10F as my first and so far only wheel. I figured I would throw up a few comments as I think if you are unsure what to get as your first wheel it's a solid choice. Sorry I couldn't help showing off for the camera ^^^. Ha! It seems like there are 3 schools of thought for first wheel: One and done! Buy the fanciest/$$ wheel you can afford and one you'll keep forever. [ie. folks buying Shermans as their first wheel] Middle of the Road. Buy something capable, but not crazy so you won't grow out of it fast. [ie. V10F] Go small. Buy a small/cheap wheel just for learning and plan to upgrade fairly soon. [ie. Mten3/V5F] I can see the pros/cons for each option and the right answer depends on you. I went with #2 because I figured the wheel was light enough to learn on without making life too hard and once I was past the newb stage it would still be useful as a commuter/cruiser wheel and as a wheel to teach my GF/friends should they show some interest. InMotion has a reputation for quality and the V10F is not a bleeding edge wheel so how it performs is well understood. It was also in stock so no waiting for a new wheel to be released and a padded optional cover was available. The fact it was reputed to handle wet weather well appealed to me since I live in the PNWet North. I liked the big flat foot plates and I thought it was a good looking wheel. The 2.5" tire seemed a good compromise in width for general urban riding. The ~50km range seemed to hit a sweet spot for doing stuff locally and the price was not so high I was worried I'd wish I had not spent it. As a well established wheel I also figured I could sell it fast if I didn't love it. Buying new for my first wheel was risky. Both in terms of damaging the wheel when learning and also $$ lost in resale if I didn't want to keep it. With not much of an EUC community where I lived buying a used wheel long distance wasn't super appealing so I decided it was better to buy new. I got the optional padded cover as I figured that would be useful to protect it. I'm 5'11" tall & 185lbs +/- 5lbs depending on tacos/beer. The V10F fit me well in terms of size/weight and foot plate height. It wasn't so small/light that it felt unstable and it wasn't so big/heavy that it was hard to control. I learned fast on the wheel with only a few drops and no real damage other than the bottom of the foot plates. So being worried about trashing a new wheel wasn't a real concern. Since I got the hang of riding in a day or so I was into chill cruise mode right away. Had I bought a tiny starter wheel I would probably have been shopping for wheel #2 by the end of the first week. As it was the V10F was perfect for post-newb, but not quite intermediate stage. Fast enough to be engaging without getting out of hand and powerful enough that cut outs are not a worry for reasonable riding. It's agile enough I can ride at walking speed if I need to wait to pass and fast enough to get away from people I don't want to deal with. Stopping and starting are drama free. A few months later I've made it to what I'd call solid new intermediate level of skills as an urban EUC rider. Think bicycle commuter, but on an EUC. I'm not doing tricks/jumps and I am not doing Kuji style accelerations/weaving, but I can get around town without being a danger to myself or others and have fun. The V10F is still a great wheel for me. Being realistic the speed/range is all I need. It can go everywhere I need to and doesn't have any obvious weaknesses. I watch the new EUC review videos like everyone else, but I have not had a real itch to spend any money on a new wheel. If I did get a new wheel at some point I'd keep the V10F as it is a great wheel to teach someone else and then let them use to ride with me as it's capable enough to really explore the town. Since I do a lot of errands on this wheel I like that it's got a slim/refined form factor that doesn't put people off when I want to roll it into a building/office. It looks more cute than HALF-ELECTRIC-DIRT-BIKE!!!! I don't need extra attention. So what are some negatives? Well it's not an exciting wheel. It feels like a Honda Civic not a Jeep or Ferrari. It rides/trolleys so light/easy that it's always shocking when I pick it up and have to move 50lbs around. I'm strong enough to carry it as needed, but ya it's not light. The lights are adequate as "be seen" lights in chill conditions, but I add a red flasher to my pack and hold a small/powerful LED flashlight in my hands for riding when things are getting dark. The warning sounds are really loud if you are trying to be stealthy. I think I'd prefer a 3" tire, but I'm just guessing as I haven't tried an EUC with a bigger tire. The optional cover is very functional and it's not bad looking, but the graphic design isn't amazing either. Plus the cover obscures the side lights so you don't get to enjoy them. I like the way the trolley handle works, but it has some play in it that's a touch annoying. That's about it. There isn't much to complain about. I haven't played music on my V10F's speakers as I ride so I can't comment on that feature. If I had to start again I would happily get another V10F. It's been a really good experience from newb to now. EUC technology is changing so fast I don't think spending a year or two on this wheel will be something I'll regret because when/if I do decide to spend a bunch of $$ on a bigger/fancier wheel it will be so much better than what's available today. Plus the V10F will remain capable enough to keep around. So if you are wondering what to get for your first wheel and can't decide I wouldn't hesitate to recommend buying a V10F. Edited October 26, 2021 by VikB 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mango Posted October 26, 2021 Share Posted October 26, 2021 This has been my experience and thought as well. I still have my V10f and ride it daily… coming on almost to years now. This wheel is solid and very reliable. No bearing issues after riding in two wet seasons. I did find the ride boring after a couple months but I don’t feel that way now. It is just different… very comfortable and predictable, which is a great thing. If I had to do it over again, I’d likely get the V8f/V8s as my starter wheel. It’s because this wheel would complement well a higher performance wheel like the Sherman. I only need 2 wheels to fulfill 97% of my needs anyway. And then splurge on a specialty wheel like an Abrams or S20. Having more than 3 wheels becomes too much in terms of space, maintenance, riding time, upkeep etc. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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