The two most reliable commuter wheels on the market?

[txwheel]

I'd love opinions from everyone in the EUC community on this question - What are the top two "most reliable commuter wheels" currently available on the market?  Feel free to base your opinion on personal first-hand experiences and/or knowledge you've learned second-hand.  

By "most reliable commuter wheels", what I mean are wheel marketed primarily for on-road use that are the least likely to experience a cutout due to failure of their board/batteries/motor/etc when ridden moderately (not within 10% of the wheel's limit for speed, battery life, temperature, etc).  

I'll wait for replies before I share my own opinions so I don't bias the responses. 

 

 

 

[UniVehje]

I would wager one is 18(X)L and the other could be V10F. 

[meepmeepmayer]

Honestly, all wheels are reliable in this sense. Nobody would ride a manufacturer's models if they weren't. There are some duds due to the lack of QC by all manufacturers, and they tend to fail right away when you get them, but that is pretty much it (aside from first batch issues).

As you mention commuting, my current favorite would be a V11. Just so nice overall, has all the features you need (lights etc.), and a comfy suspension to make the commute extra relaxed.

I'd guess the "most reliable" ones in your head are the oldest models, simply because they are older and well known quantities. 18XL and some other one?

[Richardo]

I agree with Meep.
But if I had to make a short list: 

kingsong 18x, 16x, Nikola+, inmo v11

They're all beloved, have been around long enough to be considered reliable, and meet my threshold of 'you should have a 2000W motor for commuting'. 

Of those, I went with the V11 and absolutely love it.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Richardo

[enaon]

the 18xl has silently changed over time, it now responds as 18LH on the Bluetooth, and has a true speed of 50km/h where as the 18XLwas doing 42km/h gps when it was saying 50.  

Edited May 4, 2022 by enaon

[UniVehje]

24 minutes ago, Richardo said:

Of those, I went with the V11 and absolutely love it.

I agree that the V11 is really nice ride. But is it the most reliable? Far from it. Unless the very latest units have changed dramatically.

[.....]

27 minutes ago, enaon said:

the 18xl has silently changed over time, it now responds as 18LH on the Bluetooth, and has a true speed of 50km/h where as the 18XLwas doing 42km/h gps when it was saying 50.  

I think my 18XL also shows as 18LH now. Mines one of those bastard models with the smaller 1200w motor or something. I honestly don't recall much about it, as it has simply worked without problem for so damn long. I simply LOVE it, as it does what I want, w/o much frills. I've been meaning to open it up to do some preventative maintenance and check the board for indication of rubbing, corrossion and drying heat compounds. However, it simply works and I just keep putting it off. My other wheels (mten & Sherm) have been problem free for a while also. Even so, I simply trust the "old" 18XL most. Its kinda like a mid 90's toyota. Its greatness lies in the fact that it does what it does and thats that....

[Tasku]

KS18XL - People have been using it for soo long. I do not own unit personally but everyone I know says it is simply put, hassle free.

I try to think some wheel that would be as reliable but..

Most of the suspension wheels seem to have lil extra to deal with. But lil fixing like cleaning, you could get good with KS-18. But I think you gotta be prepared for more maintenance with it in comparison to 18XL. 

You could make most wheels more reliable with little work. Like improving on water resistance. The DIY aspect would be important when people come here saying their wheel is the best. But as stock wheel, I would put my chip on KS18XL.

[Tawpie]

"commuter" wheel.

Hmmm. My 16X is a candidate to be my commuter... it's really just get-on-and-go. But it's a 16" and the 18" wheels do truly require a bit less "full situational attention at all times" so in that respect, I'm not entirely sold on it as something I want to travel 55 miles a day on. I do have to pay quite a bit more attention to the road when on the 16" and it is a little higher anxiety factor. So I may want to do the commute on a bigger tyre diameter.

On the other hand, the 16" is a tiny bit nicer if you want to occasionally venture into the wild. Just because it's a smaller wheel. You're at 100% alert anyway, the sprightliness of the 16X puts a grin on my face.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Tawpie

[Scottie]

The 18XL is my 1st choice for a reliable commuter by way of its good reputation, performance, and form factor. My 2nd choice is harder to figure out.  

Edited May 5, 2022 by Scottie

[TantasStarke]

18XL and the Nikola lineup for me. I'd rank the Nikola+ higher due to the higher top speed, I can actually keep up with city traffic on my Nik AR+ while I can't on my 18XL, very important for places with shoddy bicycle infrastructure

[bracky72]

Nikola AR+ would be really tough to beat. I have both it and 16x. I never ride the 16x anymore. To slow. To little range. 

[mhpr262]

22 hours ago, UniVehje said:

I would wager one is 18(X)L and the other could be V10F. 

I had a first generation V10F with only a couple of miles on it. I dropped it on the third ride, it tipped over at walking speed and couldnt be switched on a again, no matter what I tried, even a disassembly and hard reset with a battery disconnect were to no avail. The recent batch of Inmotion wheels are allegedly having a lot of issues as well.