wanted to buy New Rider in Washington DC seeing first wheel (will travel in DMV )

[BFournier]

I'm in my late thirties: 6'1" 170lbs, a pilot with good balance and coordination.

 I'd like to find a used wheel in good shape: my goals and desired characteristics are as follows: 

1. I mostly work from home: I want to get out, explore the city and eventually join our local EUC group. 

2. I'll mainly be riding in the city: good roads and bike lanes however there are MANY times I'll need to slow to a crawl with pedestrians etc: I'm sure this is a matter of skill but the mood easily this could be done the better

3: Fun -- I'd like to avoid being tilted back due to quick acceleration (top speed isn't critical as long as 15-18 can get sustained) 

4. reliability, electrical issues etc, constant firmware mayhem would be abused

 5. range 18+
 

I've considered KS 16s, 16xs, 16x (getting pricy for me) . Also looked into IM v8f. Open to suggestions. 
 

If anyone is willing to sell an EUC within driving distance with no history of technical or firmware problems, I'd be very interested. 
 

Please let me know. 
 

Brad

[Denny Paul]

If you're open to suggestion, i'd stick with either the 16x or the 18xl. For your weight and height, you'd benefit by having a full sized wheel. Unlike other vehicles where more power means increased risk or responsibility, with EUCs more power translates directly to more safety. Even the most powerful wheel will not feel like it's taking off underneath you. The 16s will feel like it has a mushier drive due to less power. The 16xs would be likely adequate for your needs, though at 18 miles range, it may be close and range anxiety isn't fun. Resale value is likely to be better retained with a bigger wheel too. 

My thoughts:

Easy to recommend wheels for a beginner given your needs: 16x, 18xl. Doesn't matter what version you get really because the bugs seem to have been all firmware related, and you can update the firmware easily.

Still recommended: nikola+, MSP, RS. Gotway wheels are best bang for the buck performance. You'll have a difficult time finding good batteries for it though. You want the LiTech batteries from ewheels that have been out for less than a year. The stock batteries work, but are linked to increased fire risk, though it's very rare. For an RS specifically, a wheel from the last 9-10 months is best as it will have better waterproofed bearings. The others were solid from the get go. 

Passable: 16xs, 16s, inmotion v10f. They'll "do the job" but come with caveats of reduced performance and resale value. These models are seen as lesser than the above, and aren't likely to hold their value long term. Gotway mcm5 version 2 has a powerful enough configuration to fit in this category, and is an excellent option if you prioritize portability as it's the lightest and smallest.

Wouldn't recommend: v8, v8f, v8s. Just not powerful enough. Feels more like a toy, less like a mode of transport.

Sorry for the lengthy post. Hoping it helps. I enjoy typing stuff out with my morning coffee from time to time. 

 

[Tawpie]

As good as the GW lineup is, for a 'casual' rider not into customization I'd only recommend the Nik+. maybe the MCM5 if small and light are more important than range. The MSP/RS (and most GW wheels with the exception of the Nik and MTen3) want an owner that will lovingly add the requisite 3D printed shell protection and deal with the various hacks to keep water from getting into the wheel. If you like getting into the nuts and bolts, there's nothing to fear from the MSP/RS and beyond, they're very simple machines and you'll enjoy the experience.

I started with a 16XS because I wasn't certain I would like riding, but I did so with the knowledge that adding a second battery was simple and if done early in the battery life would give me basically a 16X for nearly the same price as starting with the more expensive model. Adding a battery was the route I went, I simply loved riding. So it is an option, but if I were to do it over I'd just drop the extra $500 and go straight to the 1554 wH version. Although, as a bonus I did learn how to tear the thing completely apart (not just to change the battery, but once I got in there I wanted to make sure everything was ship shape—it was). So now I'm comfortable doing any repairs it'll need.

Edited June 27, 2022 by Tawpie

[yoos]

I'd also add the 18L to the list if you happen to find one on offer (they seem more rare than the 18XL). It has virtually the same performance (same control board, same max current etc) as the 18XL but 2/3 of the range [subsequently it throttles a bit earlier]. I (200lbs, 5'11") get 25-28 miles of total range going 19-25mph in a reasonably flat city environment (60% bike lanes, 15% sidewalks and 25% streets). This is different from the 16XS vs 16X where the 16XS is substantially weaker (and has a lower-performance board if I am not mistaken).

Edited June 27, 2022 by yoos
critical typos

[BFournier]

MORE SPECIFICS: IN PRIORITY ORDER

 

NEEDS: 

• So my TOTAL budget is  2750. (This needs to include the wheel, any pads, helmet (used), everything. 
• I'd say my longest ride ever would be 10+10. so 20miles ( 1 per month) 
• Average excursion 10miles (3 per week) 
• Cruise with no problem at 20mph without this beeping, frying, etc
• LOTS of pedestrians so slow riding is in my future. The easier this is the happier I'll be

WANTS: 

• don't really care about top speed so much 
• I would like good acceleration without worrying about frying something
• Ideally 16" for maneuverability but I don't want to feel wobbly or bump freaked if I'm cruising at 20
• being new, cutouts scare me, proper electrical

Hopes: 

• these petal scrapes at low angle turns seem crazy. Say I’m on a large street going 15, turn to perpendicular but wide street with turn no slowdown. If I’m hitting a pedal I’ll be unhappy
• i don’t want to sink a ton into repairs due to malfunction or minor crashes…so reasonably tough and reliable 

 

I’m sure nothing fits all of this but I’d be grateful for some advice narrowing 

Thanks all!

 

TL;DR 

Newbie seeking best wheel for city riding, slow pedestrians, cruising comfortably  at 20 without, range >20, speed doesn’t matter much, accel without frying or beeping, stable feel at 20, min pedal scrape, reliable. 

[UniVehje]

51 minutes ago, BFournier said:

MORE SPECIFICS: IN PRIORITY ORDER

 

NEEDS: 

• So my TOTAL budget is  2750. (This needs to include the wheel, any pads, helmet (used), everything. 
• I'd say my longest ride ever would be 10+10. so 20miles ( 1 per month) 
• Average excursion 10miles (3 per week) 
• Cruise with no problem at 20mph without this beeping, frying, etc
• LOTS of pedestrians so slow riding is in my future. The easier this is the happier I'll be

WANTS: 

• don't really care about top speed so much 
• I would like good acceleration without worrying about frying something
• Ideally 16" for maneuverability but I don't want to feel wobbly or bump freaked if I'm cruising at 20
• being new, cutouts scare me, proper electrical

Hopes: 

• these petal scrapes at low angle turns seem crazy. Say I’m on a large street going 15, turn to perpendicular but wide street with turn no slowdown. If I’m hitting a pedal I’ll be unhappy
• i don’t want to sink a ton into repairs due to malfunction or minor crashes…so reasonably tough and reliable 

 

I’m sure nothing fits all of this but I’d be grateful for some advice narrowing 

Thanks all!

 

TL;DR 

Newbie seeking best wheel for city riding, slow pedestrians, cruising comfortably  at 20 without, range >20, speed doesn’t matter much, accel without frying or beeping, stable feel at 20, min pedal scrape, reliable. 

Based on these I would say definitely 16X. Actually 16XS would tick all the boxes also. But as you can fit the larger battery in your budget you should get that. Better resale value and longevity. And you will have the freedom to take even longer rides ones in a while. 
 

Pads are not needed for this 16X. I don’t miss them at all on mine. It’s the most reactive feeling wheel bar smaller wheels. And very easy to maneuver. Reliable and mature design. 

[BFournier]

3 hours ago, UniVehje said:

Based on these I would say definitely 16X. Actually 16XS would tick all the boxes also. But as you can fit the larger battery in your budget you should get that. Better resale value and longevity. And you will have the freedom to take even longer rides ones in a while. 
 

Pads are not needed for this 16X. I don’t miss them at all on mine. It’s the most reactive feeling wheel bar smaller wheels. And very easy to maneuver. Reliable and mature design. 

Excellent. Lets suppose minimizing cost a bit was at least a feature with XS, would you say other than distance it is fairly ride-similar?  Is there any truth to the trope that less battery = more cuttouts? I can't quite rationalize that one. 

[Tawpie]

From a body that went the 'save money' route, and never had an accident that could be blamed on the little battery (mostly because when learning you usually go slowly), I say... get the full sized battery.

The trope is accurate in general terms: less battery means less margin for error on the rider's part. It's just easier to overlean the wheel, simple as that. Doesn't mean you will, but it's easier to have a mistake result in a faceplant.

Get the X!

Edited July 1, 2022 by Tawpie

[UtahRider]

I second Tawpie’s advice. From a 16x owner, it easily meets your needs, it’s a blast to ride and is a good wheel to learn on.

[UniVehje]

8 hours ago, BFournier said:

Excellent. Lets suppose minimizing cost a bit was at least a feature with XS, would you say other than distance it is fairly ride-similar?  Is there any truth to the trope that less battery = more cuttouts? I can't quite rationalize that one. 

I haven’t tried the smaller battery but I would guess it feels similar. If you try to cutout that would be easier indeed. But you have to try. Normal riding won’t cause a cutout on a smaller battery. We used to ride similar batteries all the time earlier. Nowadays people have more demand and use powerpads so they need bigger batteries to support aggressive riding. Doesn’t mean normal commuters have problems. But I still recommend to get the bigger battery. You won’t regret it later. You need just around 300 dollars for good protective gear and that’s it. Just find a good deal for the wheel.