Short distances and shops - what EUC should I get?

[Razva]

Hey guys,

This is the first time I'm researching EUCs so excuse me for being a total newb.

Currently I'm riding a Ninebot MiniPro which is fine. My use case is simple:

• I use it to go from home to the metro station or to nearby shops;
• The usual trips are about 1-3km, about 10-15 mins. The max trip I've made this year was 8km, which was way too long/boring and took me about 30 mins of maneuvering between inattentive pedestrians and careless drivers;
• I'm living in Bucharest which is extremely crowded and car drivers are crazy, so I don't use it on the driveway only on sidewalks and and bicycle tracks. Unfortunately there are a lot of curb-stones. A lot of crosswalks/intersection require me to go down, pass the street, go back up and continue. I can avoid potholes (which surprisingly are not that often) but I obviously cannot avoid curb-stones as they are often way too high. I tried to go up a curb-stone but that resulted in an epic fall;
• I feel comfortable even if the wheels are 10", I don't mind some small potholes and bumps in the asphalt;
• I go with it inside shops and Malls very often. There are no places to securely park/leave it, so I always need to carry it with me for 1-3 hours, go inside restaurants, movie theatres etc;

The main problem is the fact that the device is too "chunky" and hard to maneuver inside. Yes, the MiniPro has a retractable handle, but steering it inside is a pain in the arse! I'm constantly hurting myself, kicking the hoverboard with my feet etc. I need to keep my hand very stretched, if not the hoverboard's wheels will get over my feet. Also picking it up is very inconvenient, I always get dirty from the wheels as it's impossible to carry it without your feet constantly touching the wheels.

So I'm thinking to replace the hoverboard with a EUC.  I believe a EUC is way more portable and easy to maneuver inside, get it up and put it down, compared with a hoverboard. But please correct me if I'm wrong, so I don't make an unnecessary purchase.

My budget is about 500-700 EUR, but I can do a bit more if necessary. Basically:

• I don't need a EUC with a 30-40km range. Basically we're talking about a 5-10km/day average, plus 2km/day inside, so I won't do more than 15km/day;
• I don't need a EUC that goes with 60km/hour. I'm currently going with max. 16km/h with the hoverboard which is decent, but sometimes I just need a bit of extra-oomph. So 25km/h will be more than enough. 30km/h would be nice to have but that'll require wearing protection. It's ok to stumble from 10-15km/h, I never fell on the ground from that speed, but I'm pretty sure that things are different at 30km/h.
• I'll use the EUC exclusively on asphalt/pavement, so there's no need for off-road wheels etc;
• I'll be riding it daily. Obviously I want it to be as comfortable as possible, but between carrying a 20kg device that can do 50km/h and a 10kg device that can do 30km/h, I choose the latter.

Per my research I found:

• A second-hand Inmotion V8 for 500 EUR (used for 700km). Pros: cheap; 16" should be comfy; can do 30km/h. Cons: it's big(ish) and weights 13.5kg; no warranty;
• A new KingSong KS-14D for 600 EUR. Pros: good price for a new device, can do 30km/h. Cons: 14" might be more uncomfortable than 16" (?); it's big(ish) and weights 13.6kg;
• A new Inmotion V5F at about 600 EUR. Pros: lighter (12kg) than V8 and KS-14D; good price. Cons: 14" might be more uncomfortable than 16" (?); max. speed is 25km/h;
• A new Gotway Mten3 for 900 EUR. Pros: very light, small and portable; I can put it in a backpack while I'm shopping so I don't need to carry it on the side; can do 35km/h. Cons: expensive; 10" can be uncomfortable (please advise me on this?).

Which one should I get? Is the Mten3 very unconfortable? Are the extra -3kg&portability worth VS the comfort of a 14"/16" wheel? Considering my use case, do I need the "comfort" of a 14"/16" wheel?

Thank you!

[OldFartRides]

You will probably be happy with any of those choices. If the used one is near you, see if the seller will at least let you stand on it while holding on to something. If you can get a free lesson, even better.

[Razva]

Thank you for your answer.

As I didn't ride any kind of EUC I don't really know/understand the difference in "comfort" between 10", 14" and 16".

If the Mten3 can cover my requirements I would prefer to pay a little extra and have something that is very portable and fast. But if it's very uncomfortable and my legs will hurt after 10 mins, then I'll prefer to carry a bit more weight.

[Funky]

Believe me i have tried 16" (my dad's wheel) vs my 18" wheel. There is noticeable difference. Bigger wheel goes more smoothly over bumps..

I would chose biggest possible wheel, same time lightest. My dad has ks16s and it's 17.5kg wheel. BUT because it has amazing handle, it's so easy to carry and push in stores.

If you are pushing a lot in stores, carrying.. etc.. You have to look at the handle and how good is it. Kingsong has one of best handles in that apartment. Even my ks18xl (25kg wheel) is pretty light to carry. And in stores it's so easy to push. You can push/control it with one finger, because it has amazing handle and it's so well balanced.

Don't FORGET most important is to get more powerful euc than you need. If you wanna go 20kph speed you need ~30kph wheel. (~10kph safety margin) If you ride at euc's limits (at max speeds..) You can get a cutout resulting in kissing ground, because wheel stops working. Heck i ride normally at 35kph, but my wheel limit is 50kph.. (15kph safety margin.)

Also if you ride at lower battery - lets say 50% and under, you also can get a cutout, because wheel has less "power" available to it. That's why getting bigger wheel than you really need is IMPORTANT!!!

What i am trying to say is - the wheel will perform bit worse at lower battery, than at full charge. You probably wont get a cutout at lower battery, but there still is the risk. Better to be safe, than sorry.

If euc stops working - you will fall. Euc motor "locks up" and you will hit the ground like hammer to nail.

All your options are SMALL wheels to euc world.. They are not big at all. Even my 25kg wheel count's on small(ish) size.  Or medium.. Big wheels count 30-35KG++

As for range i don't need it also. My daily range is max 8km, but my 18xl can do much, much more.. I can charge it once/twice a week.. I also would like to have it bit lighter - wont lie. But because of my weight and i ride at ~30kph. Wheel that goes 35kph max, would be to small for me. Next option was getting wheel that went ~50kph.

My dad's wheel ks16s, he also uses it daily - snow/rain/storm. He rides. He normally hit's wheel limit. Because that euc can do max 35kph speed, he should be riding max 28kph.. Or risk a failure at some point.

I recommend a 16" that goes 30-35kph, if you wanna ride at 25kph speeds. Sure you could go 14". But compared 14vs16 size difference are very, very little. And ~5kg weight, i would say it's worth it. Having bigger battery, more speed, and the bigger tire are 100% worth it. < Please think about it!

I personally would get "new" wheel. Just because warranty - you don't know what has happened to used wheel..(Water damage, inner shell cracked, something else damaged, half dead battery.) But from your options Inmotion V8  would be best. Just because of 16" tire.

If you have a option of trying to carry some of the euc's even ~20kg don't seem to heavy. Just because of a good positioned handle. vs Ninebot MiniPro - no handle... (Doh i bet you can simply push euc, no need to carry at all in most cases.)  

Edited May 15, 2022 by Funky

[360rumors]

I have an Inmotion V8 and use it in similar ways as you intend, and I'm happy with it.  It is not too heavy in my opinion.  I think Inmotion V5F might be a bit slow for me, or I'll be riding close to the maximum speed almost all the time, which is not safe.  

[.....]

Mten is a great little wheel, but I dont know if I'd want to ride it 10miles a day everyday. I would suggest to get the largest wheel you can, that still fits in your ideas of portability. I love my mten, but I rarely like to stay atop it for more than about 30 minutes. 10mph for 30mins, is only 7km or so. The mten is the only one you can realistically put in a backpack. If you HAVE to carry it and not trolley it, the mten is about the only choice. Compared to my ninebot S, the mten covers about twice as much ground in half the time. It is kind of laughable at how much better even the mten is, over the segway. Kinda like an euc vs a onewheel, its just plain funny.

I havent ridden a v8, but if its not too large for you, it may be the ticket.

[UtahRider]

Take your weight and terrain (hills?) into consideration. If you’re on the hefty side (90kgs+) and or ride hilly terrain then I’d stay away from smaller wheels like the V5 and even V8 may be too under power. Good luck.