EUCs can be dangerous

[East Coast]

@bkw

Thx! I heard about the slime but still iffy on doing it. I noticed Marty has a video on how to do it too.

I'm glad I revived the thread too

It's interesting what you said about the PSI but oddly enough once I charged my EUC for the 2nd time since getting it to 100% the wheel feels harder to manage which is kind of odd. I'm thinking of lowering the PSI to see if it helps.

Next wk we're back to warmer weather so I will have more opportunities to practice!

[mrelwood]

 

On 3/10/2022 at 4:56 AM, ShanesPlanet said:

Speed and distance is somehow a fluid concept, not an actual measurement..

That’s how it is nowadays: Reality is simply just one of the beliefs, and one can choose to believe any hoo-haa instead of the truth if one so wishes. Which has brought us the endless joy of mocking flat-earthers for example…

 

On 3/10/2022 at 6:13 AM, bkw said:

I can't tell you the PSI anymore for what I ride because I haven't checked it since I lowered it.

While there is a whole lotta wisdom in @ShanesPlanet’s fine ramblings, doing psi by feel only is a very very advanced approach, and requires a few decades of working professionally with tires etc…

The last time I rode with someone who went by feel only, after the ride we measured 17 psi on this ~95kg rider’s 18x3” tire. We were both shocked, and relieved that the rim was still almost straight. Bottom line, human senses both lie as well as adapt. Measure your psi!

 

On 3/10/2022 at 6:13 AM, bkw said:

I hear every wheel PSI is different, so it makes sense to me to go by feel

Well... Every tire size is different, because the amount of air is different. And of course moto tires are a bit different. But “every wheel” is not really different.

It’s not easy to separate the feeling of the tire pressure from the huge bunch of feelings your legs give you when switching a wheel. Unless you’re very well familiarized (like, @ShanesPlanet level familiarized) with how a certain pressure feels in any specific wheel, measure your psi!

Besides, it’s much easier to remember that you prefer 28 psi on your Sherman, 30 on other 18x3” wheels, 38 on 16x3”, etc, than to bounce and ride a bit in various environments with each wheel before pumping up the tire… and then repeating…

And a tad bit more professional as well.

 

On 3/10/2022 at 6:13 AM, bkw said:

if the wheel is too squirrelly then I know now for certain the PSI is too high;

Or you’re simply having a squirrelly day. Feet are sometimes tired. We are sometimes nervous. Measure your psi!

 

On 3/10/2022 at 6:13 AM, bkw said:

if it's tow, then I should be able to feel it too (sluggish when turning, feeling harder when I hit bumps, etc).

If the wheel feels hard on bumps because the tire pressure is too low, you have already dented your rim. Measure your psi!

[BKW]

3 hours ago, East Coast said:

@bkw

Thx! I heard about the slime but still iffy on doing it. I noticed Marty has a video on how to do it too.

I do deliveries on an ebike. Slime is a must and it absolutely works for most punctures. I pulled a small screw out my ebike wheel yesterday, it started losing air, so I turned the hole toward the ground for gravity to help the slime find the hole and it sealed it right up. It's the one thing that actually works as advertised until the hole gets too big or too many punctures in tube

[BKW]

@mrelwood I'll buy a gauge

[.....]

4 hours ago, mrelwood said:

While there is a whole lotta wisdom in @ShanesPlanet’s fine ramblings, doing psi by feel only is a very very advanced approach, and requires a few decades of working professionally with tires etc…

I dunno about wisdom, but I sometimes forget that a few people havent spent decades mucking about with tubes and bicycle tires etc... I use a gauge once I arrive at my 'prefect' number by feel. By 'feel' is how I arrive at the number I pump up to when I go around and fill ALL the tires. By feel is typically how I check them (bounce) before and while I ride. I find its pretty easy to bounce and feel if you're gna hit rim, but again, it could just be that I've mashed so many rims in my youth, I kinda got a feel for it.

At any rate, a tire gauge is definitely a win. Same as a spare tube, valve core remover and some kind of pump/compressor.

[redsnapper]

2 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

doing psi by feel only is a very very advanced approach, and requires a few decades of working professionally with tires etc…

much more so than on a bike, euc inflation is highly individualized (rider weight,riding style,machine,etc). hard tires can really change the riding characteristics of a machine by increasing the gyro effect. There is a minimal amount of pressure needed to be sure, but beyond 15psi, there is a wide range of pressures that can be right for any given rider/scenario. winter riding I drop my psi to the lowest possible for better traction etc... definitely worth testing different psi to see how they feel.

[Skeptikos]

On 1/19/2022 at 4:10 PM, ShanesPlanet said:

mten 20psi, sherman 20psi, 18xl 30psi

While we're talking about pressures, isn't 20psi on an MTen extremely low? I thought smaller tires generally needed higher pressure, and expected a 10" tire to need 40 or 50psi like an e-scooter tire.

I don't have one, just curious

[Paul A]

On 12/31/2021 at 9:43 AM, bkw said:

I guess I wanted to write this because it seems to me a lot of people in the EUC community are a little too confident in their safety and their wheel.

 

[Tawpie]

1 hour ago, Skeptikos said:

While we're talking about pressures, isn't 20psi on an MTen extremely low?

It's low, but it seems like for EUCs tire pressure is more about how the wheel rides, and having enough to protect the rim when you hit something. I ride my wheels at 25 psi, for no good reason other than it seems to be a nice pressure that soaks up the little pebbles, isn't too squirrly, and I don't jump. Much.

[Eucner]

1 hour ago, Skeptikos said:

While we're talking about pressures, isn't 20psi on an MTen extremely low?

Low profile tire needs stiff carcass, which bears a significant part of the load.

[.....]

3 hours ago, Skeptikos said:

While we're talking about pressures, isn't 20psi on an MTen extremely low? I thought smaller tires generally needed higher pressure, and expected a 10" tire to need 40 or 50psi like an e-scooter tire.

I don't have one, just curious

Yes, it is pretty low, even for my 130lb ass. We air my scooter tires up to more like 30psi and there's 2 of them, same size, stiffer carcass(it has suspension). The mten has a playdoh soft tire, and running 20psi makes it VERY vulnerable to damage from spinnin in place and how it conforms to irregular surfaces. I sometimes jump up and down curbs, but am always mindful of sucking up the impact. If not for the rim, its also to protect a known weak axle.

Edited March 15, 2022 by ShanesPlanet

[BKW]

@Paul A Yeah, his name is "Live". I've seen a decent amount of his videos. He's skilled, but he's also very reckless. The one that really got me was when I saw him riding his Nikola on West Side highway in Manhattan. That's just crazy (@6:20 mins in):

I wouldn't advise anyone ride like that. This is one of the rare instances he actually wears a helmet.

Edited March 15, 2022 by bkw

[Paul A]

Skilled rider 'Live' is the same YouTuber (Unicide Squad) that crashed in the other video.

Time mark 4.51 onwards.

 

 

[BKW]

^^^ Lol. So it is. I remember that video

Edited March 15, 2022 by bkw

[Eucner]

9 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

The mten has a playdoh soft tire

To my understand Mten has low profile tire with aspect ratio 65%. How can it hold this shape under pressure, if there is no stiff carcass or thick rubber? Pressure would make a soft tire's section profile round.

[Tawpie]

4 hours ago, Eucner said:

How can it hold this shape under pressure

If the rider weight is low enough, "it just works". But caution is advised if you have any meat on your bones at all! And yes, the profile does get flatter, but that makes the MTen just a bit less squirrly. Mostly though, it makes the ride more comfortable because the pneumatic "suspension" is available.

[BKW]

I have a bike air pump with a gauge on it that also works with my 16X. Man, I forgot what PSI I pumped it up to 2 days ago, but it was probably 10 more PSI than where it was -- pretty sure before the PSI was under 20, then I pumped it up to either 30PSI or 35 PSI. When I went to try it out it felt too full because it felt hard, extra bouncy, and more squirrelly in general, so I lowered it a bit by sticking my keys in the valve at the park. Still felt a little high, so I pulled over again and lowered it some more. It's prefect now, but I don't have a portable gauge yet so my guess is the PSI is probably anywhere 25-20PSI.

Also, I've been doing food deliveries for hours on it when the weather is decent in NYC. I think I might do it full time now, especially when the weather gets better. I'll use my ebike when it rains or w/e. The 16X is especially useful for portability with the kill switch and handle. I carry it with me everywhere. Only times I leave it somewhere is at the base of steps at the drop off location, in which I will set the alarm and turn off all the lights. When the sherman comes I already bought a thick 12mm chain and 16mm lock, but it's pretty heavy. Not sure I'll go through with the chain. Maybe a long thick ulock for the bars on the sherman. It's an expensive wheel. I'm still debating if it's worth it or not.

Edited March 16, 2022 by bkw

[Paul A]

Maybe take note of the serial number for positive identification if ever needed for the police.

Perhaps an Apple tracker tag concealed inside the wheel somewhere in case it is stolen.

Just too easy for a thief to carry an EUC away.

 

Think this stolen EUC had been spotted for sale.  Recovered by friends of the owner.

 

Found my friend’s stolen unicycle and got it back

330K views · 1 year ago

 

[Paul A]

In the Alley Cat Race video, 'Live' is right behind 'Turbo' when they both speed through the red light at a pedestrian crossing.

Narrowly missing the little girl and her mother.  The riders are yelling at the pedestrians to get out of the way.

Time mark 11.38 onwards.

[BKW]

7 hours ago, Paul A said:

In the Alley Cat Race video, 'Live' is right behind 'Turbo' when they both speed through the red light at a pedestrian crossing.

Narrowly missing the little girl and her mother.  The riders are yelling at the pedestrians to get out of the way.

Time mark 11.38 onwards.

Yeah, example of how not to ride like a j-a$$.

Good idea with writing the serial number down. I'll do everything I can to make sure the sherman will be tracked, with alarm, thick lock, etc. Riding the 16X around for deliveries, I thought there would be more instances where I'd leave the wheel unattended, but, for example, the 3.5hrs I was out yesterday I only left it briefly with the alarm on at the base of a residential stairwell inside building while I went up 3 floors. The other thing that worries me is that some doorman are required not to allow you to bring such items with you while you deliver your items. However, I'm sure most wouldn't mind if I left it by them until I returned. Will see

Another video of guy who got his EUC stolen in NYC (@6:05):

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by bkw

[BKW]

@Paul A I just watched that whole video you posted about getting "friend's stolen euc back". That was a twist I did not expect lol

[Paul A]

Likely a thief would seek to sell a stolen EUC.  

Need skill to ride an EUC.

Might be an idea to check for sale advertisements.  Thief would probably want to sell it quickly.

If a rider stole it, it would be too risky to ride it. 

EUCs would be niche, even in NYC. 

Riding community might know of each other, distinctive personalized/modified wheels, recognize it, information for lookout of stolen wheel circulates etc.

Would need to change its appearance to avoid recognition.

Should report to police so the theft and serial number is documented.  

[Mango]

Motor code and bluetooth module are two things that can identify a Sherman. Easily remedied if a thief knows how. Possible Airtag can be defeated with random location and screw driver. Got a dent… make that dent larger. 

[StudentOfTheWheel]

12 hours ago, Paul A said:

In the Alley Cat Race video, 'Live' is right behind 'Turbo' when they both speed through the red light at a pedestrian crossing.

Narrowly missing the little girl and her mother.  The riders are yelling at the pedestrians to get out of the way.

Time mark 11.38 onwards.

christ these people are assholes

[.....]

2 minutes ago, StudentOfTheWheel said:

christ these people are assholes

There's an entire thread around here about NYC alleycat races. Im surprised when anyone is surprised anymore