Sherman-S 3600wh: 100V, 20", suspension, 97lb

[wstuart]

Just now, BKW said:

Thanks. Unfortunately, I was not able to test the wheel myself and only got to briefly look at it. More nimble than the SherMax? Hm. Interesting. Probably because the height of the pedals I suppose

Yes exactly.  Others may disagree but I would argue rhe Sherman S is almost too nimble because of the high pedals.  I felt supremely comfortable on the Shermax at high speed (until I hit a bump).  I struggled with the shermax offroad though - low peddles and not nimble.

I was very pleasently surprised with how easily I could maneuver the Sherman S through tight slow sections of a single track trail.  The downside however is that I'm still getting used to riding the Sherman S at high speed, especially in wind.  When other experienced riders tested my wheel on the group ride they said that the lack of stability was coming from the kenda tire and that a street tire would help tremendously.  I agree with them.

I plan to install a Shinko 244 tire so I can retain the offroad grip but have more stable onroad carving. 

[techyiam]

10 minutes ago, wstuart said:

The downside however is that I'm still getting used to riding the Sherman S at high speed, especially in wind.  When other experienced riders tested my wheel on the group ride they said that the lack of stability was coming from the kenda tire and that a street tire would help tremendously.

Interesting. You may be confirming Dawn's quick first impression comment that the Sherman-S felt twitchy compared to the Commander Pro.

If using a different tire can resolve this, that would be incredible. 

[Planemo]

53 minutes ago, dycus said:

FastAce may be "no-name" on the global scale, but they obviously have loads more experience specifically designing suspension components than has ever been brought to the EUC market before.

Oh I totally agree. But I will still be nervous of cheap Chinese suspension until it proves itself. Stanchion wear and availability of fork service parts are the only concerns I have at the moment. The rest of the SS is perfect IMO.

8 minutes ago, wstuart said:

When other experienced riders tested my wheel on the group ride they said that the lack of stability was coming from the kenda tire and that a street tire would help tremendously. 

Seems a bit strange, I found the Kenda knobby on the Sherman very stable, and that usually anything 'street' would make it more nimble/skittery, not less.

[Funky]

1 hour ago, techyiam said:

Perfectly cool. To each their own. But either wheel won't feel like a feather weight if you have to carry it up to the third floor. Having said that, if you ever get a chance to hop on a Sherman-S, take it. If you are serious enough of a rider to take a Sherman Max, then you would want to try out a Sherman-S. 

Yeah i personally don't want any of the new released wheels past ~3 years. Mostly because of the weight. And the range/speed they have. For my specific use case - it simply would be wasted.. But if i ever wanted one of those "big" wheels, my eye always have been on Sherman Max.  

1 hour ago, techyiam said:

But in the electric wheel world, most owners change their wheels as often as Begode releases new models. 🙂

That's right there is so wrong... (Nothing against - if people like doing that.) But in general most people buy 1/2 wheels and use them for years. They don't go changing them each year. Aside from the real "hobbyist's" which most are on this forum. 

I will be getting something new, when solid state batteries become a reality.  Or if they make something that performs better than 18xl and is lighter/same weight.

 

Before owning a EUC i used to ride bicycle. Every second year i would buy new one and use for ~2 years. Then sell for 100-200$ lost in value.  Add those 100-200$ and buy something new. It's like you have been riding doing zero maintenance on the wheel for 2 years and lose 100-200$, before getting new one. As for EUC i don't see that working.. Because no-one really wants to buy an 1800$ used EUC. (At least in my country used marked is zero. Because we don't have many EUC riders.)

And because there isn't really anything that could replace my 18xl right now. No point even trying to sell it.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[Funky]

42 minutes ago, wstuart said:

16 inch, ~2000wh, 100v, baby Sherman - S????

Please take my money now Jason......

My perfect combo would be 18" ~1500Wh.  Sherman"MiNi" (16" is fine, if it has good/robust suspension for big guys.) Still i would prefer not having one altogether.

100v is spot on. We don't really need more. With bigger voltage we lose range..

Less Wh - the better - the cheaper.  (My specific use case - i would be happy with ~1000Wh.) But that's me. I know most want MORE, MORE..

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[MrMonoWheel]

1 hour ago, Funky said:

Doh all those wheels in the "wild" are still kinda new.. After ~5000-10000 km there may be some problems. It's to early to talk about any wheel - which isn't at least year old. Have put on some distance.

 

I still would take Sherman Max over Sherman-S..

But that's me. I like wheels that doesn't need much of a maintenance. Also that direct feeling connected to ground. Nowadays everyone wants a suspension - everybody is so spoiled.  

What wheel do you actually ride, and have you even tried any of the wheels you have been speaking against?

It seems like you want a small light wheel and only come in these threads to bash the bigger wheels. If you don't like these wheels don't buy one, simple as that. Its like in my case I'm not even looking at any smaller wheels (V12, T4, etc) but you don't see me in those threads bashing the wheels because they are too small and don't have enough range. 

It just doesn't make sense to me why you stick around a thread dedicated to a long range, large, heavier wheel if you already know it's the polar opposite of what you are looking for in a wheel. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by MrMonoWheel

[Funky]

1 hour ago, MrMonoWheel said:

What wheel do you actually ride, and have you even tried any of the wheels you have been speaking against?

It seems like you want a small light wheel and only come in these threads to bash the bigger wheels. If you don't like these wheels don't buy one, simple as that. Its like in my case I'm not even looking at any smaller wheels (V12, T4, etc) but you don't see me in those threads bashing the wheels because they are too small and don't have enough range. 

It just doesn't make sense to me why you stick around a thread dedicated to a long range, large, heavier wheel if you already know it's the polar opposite of what you are looking for in a wheel. 

18xl. No i haven't tried any other wheel aside 16s. Because i don't have any riders around me.. Ohh don't worry i don't even plan on buying any of these big wheels. Why? Because i don't need what they offer. That's the beautiful thing - everyone can choose/think what they want. Including you and me.

Is there anywhere in forum rules stated, that person can't say their option? It has been clear to everyone that not everybody wants/need big wheel. Including me.

I have never said anywhere, that these big/heavy wheels are bad... So you can duck off.  I have simply stated/called out bad engineering design so on.. Be big wheel or small - it doesn't matter to me. If i see bullshit i call it out. Same as others.. Idk why you get so buthurt over my comments..  

And i wasn't even talking about your loved S-S. This time, so again duck off. I simply said i would take S-Max over S-S, because i don't like suspension.  (Doh i know having one is 5x better riding, and all the benefits.) And i specially said again (That's me!) So get off your high horse. 

I like to follow all treads that "somewhat" interest me. And time to time i join in and say something. This is forum where any option can be said. So i don't know what's your problem also is.. Jesus.

 

Oh and how could i comment on small wheels? If there isn't any "SMALL" wheels been made in last ~3 years? Like come on - we can only talk about big wheels.. By your logic i have no place on this forum at all - because big wheels are only being made.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[Paul A]

How does the S22 suspension compare to the Sherman S suspension?  Is there a very big difference?

 

After installation of CNC roller sliders, is there still problems of binding, requiring frequent maintenance?

 

[Rawnei]

18 minutes ago, Paul A said:

Ater installation of CNC roller sliders, is there still problems of binding, requiring frequent maintenance?

 

No not at all

[techyiam]

10 minutes ago, Funky said:

18xl. No i haven't tried any other wheel aside 16s. Because i don't have any riders around me.. Ohh don't worry i don't even plan on buying any of these big wheels. Why? Because i don't need what they offer.

It is a free world, at least when it comes to buying an electric wheel, so everyone can make a personal choice. Thank goodness this is still true.

But another primary reason for you not to want to buy a heavy wheel is that you have no desire to lug 85+ lbs wheel up and down from the third floor 3 or 4 times a day. Perfectly understandable. I only have to go up and down 5 steps, and I roll it, not carry it with my big wheel. I now even dread having to carry my 50 lbs. T3 up and down those 5 steps, to the extent I can't justified riding it, unless I have to.

That's why I said to you to try out a Sherman-S, if you get the chance, and not to buy one, that is if you are curious as to how far electric wheels have come.

[Funky]

32 minutes ago, techyiam said:

It is a free world, at least when it comes to buying an electric wheel, so everyone can make a personal choice. Thank goodness this is still true.

But another primary reason for you not to want to buy a heavy wheel is that you have no desire to lug 85+ lbs wheel up and down from the third floor 3 or 4 times a day. Perfectly understandable. I only have to go up and down 5 steps, and I roll it, not carry it with my big wheel. I now even dread having to carry my 50 lbs. T3 up and down those 5 steps, to the extent I can't justified riding it, unless I have to.

That's why I said to you to try out a Sherman-S, if you get the chance, and not to buy one, that is if you are curious as to how far electric wheels have come.

Yeah weight is one point. Another point is i'm riding on sidewalks only. And bringing it on bus/train. I don't need more speed than ~26mph in reality. And range of same 26miles are plenty for me daily needs. But having more is a plus.  

I can only imagine holding it one legged will be much harder than my "light" 18xl.  I bet cruising on these big wheels are awesome. Same for suspension - no need to worry about bumps in road. Easy mode while riding and such.. But i don't like to work on wheel, if i don't need.. And being a big guy most suspensions will not work for me right out of the box. So in my mind i don't want it really. But i know having one is awesome. I simply will take a wheel that doesn't need to be worked on.. So no suspension for me.

Anything bigger than T4, V12 would be wasted for me. 18xl is the sweet spot. Having decent water protection, speed, weight. Perfect ballpark for "my needs".

If i would ride street with cars or need the range.. I surely would have bought Sherman Max myself - no doubt there. But i simply don't need what it puts on the table. I hope Leaperkim will make smaller version. Because i really like what they make. Doh for the price it could be somewhat better.. More refined and so on.

 

I'm scared to try out "bigger" wheels.(If i could.. ) The EUC BUG may bite my and i will get the surge to go buy something bigger. Then i will have the real problems start.  I'm not even "tight" on money, if i really, really wanted - i could spend right now 5000$, i simply have no need.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[techyiam]

48 minutes ago, Funky said:

being a big guy most suspensions will not work for me right out of the box.

This is a fair point. There is preload to assist to some degree, but without more info, or testing, it is hard to know how well the wheel can suspend you.

48 minutes ago, Funky said:

I can only imagine holding it one legged will be much harder than my "light" 18xl.  I bet cruising on these big wheels are awesome. Same for suspension - not need to worry about bumps in road. Easy mode riding and such.. But i don't like to work on wheel, if i don't need.

Surprisingly, that isn't the case. I don't feel anymore strained or having to put in more effort to ride the big wheels, except for the Master Pro, because of its exceptionally high pedal height. But I don't think it will take long to get used to it, too.

When I first started to learn to ride, the T3 felt heavy. I had to use strength to steady the wheel when I free mount. When I switched over to the V12, it felt even heavier. I thought I would have to forever put in more effort to ride heavier wheels. Boy, was I wrong. After some months, everything changed. I reached a point where riding the V12 required no effort, and riding the T3 was like riding a toy.

I thought for sure the Abrams would surely take more effort to steady with one leg while free mounting. To my surprise, it wasn't, not at all. This wasn't the case about a year earlier. I tried riding the Abrams when I bought my V12. At the time, the Abrams felt very heavy in every way. In fact, it was more like crazy heavy. It was HEAVY.

Now, riding my Abrams is very close to riding my V12 for my use case. I may still feel some inertia sometimes, but it is fading more and more with time.

The point I want to make is that one can adapt to heavy wheels, such that it wouldn't be more work to ride after one has acclimated. 

34 minutes ago, Funky said:

I'm scared to try out "bigger" wheels.(If i could.. ) The EUC BUG may bite my and i will get the surge to go buy something bigger. Then i will have the real problems start.  I'm not even "tight" on money, if i really, really wanted -

Fair point.

That is why I am scare of going down to EEVEES. Afterwards, I always think I need another wheel. I need to take a deep breath. Be strong, be strong. 🙂

Edited January 15, 2023 by techyiam

[KiwiMark]

28 minutes ago, Funky said:

Anything bigger than T4, V12 would be wasted for me. 18xl is the sweet spot. Having decent water protection, speed, weight. Perfect ballpark for "my needs".

My V12HT is pretty nice, but I'm happy that I don't have to carry it up 5 flights of stairs - it isn't all that light.  I've finished work for the day and will be off for a nice long (~65km) ride on it soon.

[wstuart]

2 hours ago, Planemo said:

 

Seems a bit strange, I found the Kenda knobby on the Sherman very stable, and that usually anything 'street' would make it more nimble/skittery, not less.

 

2 hours ago, techyiam said:

Interesting. You may be confirming Dawn's quick first impression comment that the Sherman-S felt twitchy compared to the Commander Pro

If using a different tire can resolve this, that would be incredible. 

Sherman S or Sherman max?   I agree that the Kenda knobby is very stable on the Sherman max.  However on the Sherman S I can feel it transitioning onto the outside row of knobs.  At a certain angle it just sort of falls out from under you in a very non linear fashion.  This makes it crazy nimble though - as Dawn noticed - which I'm kind of liking now.

  I am hoping the interlocking knobs of the Shinko 244 would alleviate this.  I have a 244 on my EX and it carves beautifully, is super stable and has tons of offroad grip.   I kind of wonder if the stiffness of the rubber on the Shinko also does this.

The riders who tried my Sherman S said that an onroad tire would make it more stable, but I agree with @Planemo that this doesn't make sense - seems like it would be even more nimble with street tread.  I really wanna try someones Sherman S with a kenda street tire to compare. 

As I ride the Sherman S more though I am getting more and more used to the Kenda and I feel less motivated to change to the shinko.  This think its so nimble and easy to toss around, it just takes getting used to because I can still feel that I'm tossing around 100lbs.  The wheel has also gotten more stable as I've learned what the suspension settings do.  See my post below. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by wstuart

[Funky]

42 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Surprisingly, that isn't the case. I don't feel anymore strained or having to put in more effort to ride the big wheels, except for the Master Pro, because of its exceptionally high pedal height. But I don't think it will take long to get used to it, too.

When I first started to learn to ride, the T3 felt heavy. I had to use strength to steady the wheel when I free mount. When I switched over to the V12, it felt even heavier. I thought I would have to forever put in more effort to ride heavier wheels. Boy, was I wrong. After some months, everything changed. I reached a point where riding the V12 required no effort, and riding the T3 was like riding a toy.

I thought for sure the Abrams would surely take more effort to steady with one leg while free mounting. To my surprise, it wasn't, not at all. This wasn't the case about a year earlier. I tried riding the Abrams when I bought my V12. At the time, the Abrams felt very heavy in every way. In fact, it was more like crazy heavy. It was HEAVY.

Now, riding my Abrams is very close to riding my V12 for my use case. I may still feel some inertia sometimes, but it is fading more and more with time.

The point I want to make is that one can adapt to heavy wheels, such that it wouldn't be more work to ride after one has acclimated. 

The problem isn't riding or getting on the big wheel. It's the weight of the wheel. (For my specific needs.) Also being a "big guy" 2x of a normal person weight. I think i would manage any wheel.. (Riding gave me zero issues the first day.)

One doesn't really feel the weight of the wheel while riding. Sure at slower rides where you need to manage micro movements left/right, might give more problems. But while you are riding at somewhat speed, you don't feel the weight of the wheel. Also most big wheels can be pushed up the stairs - like you mentioned. So generally you don't need to carry it almost never.  

Doh if you lose the balance little bit while holding it one legged - i can imagine it will fall on it's side, because of weight. While lighter wheel you could push it back into balance position. 

In general use case big vs small i could say there's small difference. But while you are not riding, carrying it around.. Storing it in public.. Riding on pavement.. No need for big range or speed. In these type of conditions smaller wheels win right out. I personally also would love to own big wheel - but i would not use anything it offers. It would be wasted on me.   It would be like buying F1 sport car to drive in city.

Most daily rides i do at ~14mph using only wrist guards.. I don't need the speed. Which again is the strong point of all the new wheels. And completely wasted on my. I wish for something new/small/light to be made. But same time could carry my big ass.  

39 minutes ago, KiwiMark said:

My V12HT is pretty nice, but I'm happy that I don't have to carry it up 5 flights of stairs - it isn't all that light.  I've finished work for the day and will be off for a nice long (~65km) ride on it soon.

I'm happy carrying around anything till ~65lbs. If i really need to, i could carry even sherman one handed. (I'm a big guy - weight isn't really a problem.) But like i have been saying before. I don't really want that.  The lighter - the better.

I give two ducks carrying my 18xl which is 57lbs to third floor. (At work i have used to carry 120+lbs of steel beams. Those don't have a "neat" handle.)

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[techyiam]

32 minutes ago, wstuart said:

Sherman S or Sherman max? 

Dawn was comparing the Sherman-S to the Commander Pro. 

32 minutes ago, wstuart said:

However on the Sherman S I can feel it transitioning onto the outside row of knobs.  At a certain angle it just sort of falls out from under you in a very non linear fashion.  I am hoping the interlocking knobs of the Shinko 244 would alleviate this. 

I see. Dawn was talking more about being twichy. So perhaps we are not talking about the same thing.

32 minutes ago, wstuart said:

As I ride the Sherman S more though I am getting more and more used to the Kenda and I feel less motivated to change to the shinko.  This think is so nimble and easy to toss around, it just takes getting used to because I can still feel that I'm tossing around 100lbs.  The wheel has also gotten more stable as I've learned what the suspension settings do.

+1.

I also go through this initial adjustment and customizing stage with new wheels too.

Prior to any experience with big wheels before, I would never have thought 100 lbs wheels can be nimble and easy to toss around.

I really am glad that heavy wheels are not much more difficult to ride.

Now I don't have to worry about buying a wheel with suspension, or more performance and range. The extra weight doesn't impose that much of a penalty while riding, at least for my use case.

Edited January 15, 2023 by techyiam

[techyiam]

5 minutes ago, Funky said:

It would be like buying F1 sport car to drive in city.

Surprisingly not.

To me, 

(1) riding the T3 is like driving a Chevrolet Caviar.

(2) riding my V12 is like driving a Civic/Accord.

(3) riding the Abrams is like driving an Audi S4. Very much, still practical, but more premium/upscale, refined and comfortable. You don't need to ride fast to enjoy the Abrams. 

Both the Sherman-S and V13 would be an upgrade to the Abrams, even if they don't have suspension. 

[Funky]

17 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Surprisingly not.

To me, 

(1) riding the T3 is like driving a Chevrolet Caviar.

(2) riding my V12 is like driving a Civic/Accord.

(3) riding the Abrams is like driving an Audi S4. Very much, still practical, but more premium/upscale, refined and comfortable. You don't need to ride fast to enjoy the Abrams. 

Both the Sherman-S and V13 would be an upgrade to the Abrams, even if they don't have suspension. 

By that i meant. Any car will do the job.. But if you compared the prices of F1 or those mentioned cars. Which one would make sense of buying?  If you would follow speed laws and such. 

Would you wanna buy something amazing like V13 or S-S for sidewalks? Going max ~26mph ever? And mostly never going further distance than 40miles? I know my answer. Sure S-S, V13, S-Max, T4, even EX20S.. They all are amazing, cool. But practual for those "limits"? I will take a slow/older model that cost 2-3x cheaper and does everything i need.  Again i would love to own the big wheels.. But they aren't for everybody. 

I just hope they will make something amazing/light pretty soon. So after 1 years of people testing the wheel out - i also could get it.  

Anyways let's stop "Off-topicking".  I get big wheels are awesome.. But they aren't for everybody.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[techyiam]

3 minutes ago, Funky said:

By that i meant. Any car will do the job.. But if you compared the prices of F1 or those mentioned cars. Which one would make sense of buying?  If you would follow speed laws and such

I see. And that is fair. However, regarding electric wheels, the price difference is not big.

6 minutes ago, Funky said:

Would you wanna buy something amazing like V13 or S-S for sidewalks? Going max ~26mph ever ? And mostly never going further distance than 40miles? I know my answer. Sure S-S, V13, S-Max, T4, even EX20S.. They all are amazing, cool. But practual for those "limits"? I will take a slow old model that cost 2-3x cheaper and does everything i want.

Surprisingly, I have to say yes to either the Sherman-S or the V13. But then, I like finer things that are mechanical. The price difference is about double around here, for new.

11 minutes ago, Funky said:

Again i would love to own the big wheels.. But they aren't for everybody. 

Very true. 

[Funky]

14 minutes ago, techyiam said:

I see. And that is fair. However, regarding electric wheels, the price difference is not big.

Waa 2000$ vs 4000$? You can get one wheel, or two for one price. I think that alone is pretty big difference.

14 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Surprisingly, I have to say yes to either the Sherman-S or the V13. But then, I like finer things that are mechanical. The price difference is about double around here, for new.

Same.. But same time i limit myself for only what i need. Like in this year i'm gonna build amazing new computer. I could get rtx 4090 ti. intel 13900k.

But because i use 1440p screen and limit myself to 144 hertz. I don't need the best of best.  Something like rx7800xt. Ryzen 7700 will be plenty for my needs. And in most games that system alone will push near 200fps. But i need only 144.

But price difference is noticeable, about 4-5000$ for best of the best. Or ~2.500$ for what i need. Same as EUC's 1x or 2x price. You're choice. (At least PC i don't need to carry around, so i don't need to worry about it's weight.) 

Edited January 15, 2023 by Funky

[techyiam]

6 hours ago, Funky said:

Waa 2000$ vs 4000$? You can get one wheel, or two for one price. I think that alone is pretty big difference.

True. And I am in agreement. However, for certain things, I will splurge a little when I can. And an electric wheels is one of them. 

6 hours ago, Funky said:

Same.. But same time i limit myself for only what i need. Like in this year i'm gonna build amazing new computer. I could get rtx 4090 ti. intel 13900k.

But because i use 1440p screen and limit myself to 144 hertz. I don't need the best of best.  Something like rx7800xt. Ryzen 7700 will be plenty for my needs. And in most games that system alone will push near 200fps. But i need only 144.

But price difference is noticeable, about 4-5000$ for best of the best. Or ~2.500$ for what i need. Same as EUC's 1x or 2x price. You're choice. (At least PC i don't need to carry around, so i don't need to worry about it's weight.) :D 

This makes sense. The thing is you need to spread your budget strategically over all your toys. Knowing the point of diminishing returns is crucial to maximizing value. 

Well, I stop building PC's. So now this money can be repurpose for electric wheels.

There are times when one needs to repriortize addiction. 🙂

Edited January 16, 2023 by techyiam

[Kitty]

With respect to why buy a Sherman S - mine arrived on Friday and I have to say it is much larger than I anticipated. I knew the weight would be too much for me to carry but I remain totally intimidated with it at the moment. I know as I begin to work with it and learn how it works all that will eventually go away. It's my first wheel and very possibly my last one for a while.

I agree you shouldn't ride the wheel in a group ride if you can't keep up. But at the same time if the group ride is going to be a race to the top of Mount Baldy then that should be stated at the outset so people will know to join or stay home.

From my perspective there are four types of wheels: Training wheels, jumping wheels, racing wheels and cruising wheels. I bought my Sherman S because I want to go places like the mountains and the beach and the cliffs of Palos Verdes, I live in Los Angeles, and not worry about getting back home. I also bought it because it will be my primary form of transportation in addition to the bus and train. And lastly I bought the wheel because I wanted to meet people with a similar interest. While the last reason may not ever happen the first two certainly will. I'm not a speedster nor a prude towards those who are. We need people to push the envelope to improve the wheels. Perhaps my cruising will help out in some way but I think there are enough people cruising that the input of a new rider won't be needed.

The Sherman S is definitely a nice looking machine. It does have the improved charging port, an improved bearing, and a really long fender - mud guard system. I don't know about improvements in the pedals since I haven't taken it out yet. I won't be jumping the wheel nor riding it in rain unless it sneaks up on me. In LA that is unlikely to happen but up in the mountains it definitely could happen. Sooner or later I'll be forced to test the water proofing of it.

I'm tall but not terribly strong and most likely older than most people on this forum but I'm not about to let any of that stop me. It may limit what I'm ultimately able to do but life does that to all of us. I'm really looking forward to riding the Sherman S to far-away places.

[techyiam]

43 minutes ago, Kitty said:

With respect to why buy a Sherman S - mine arrived on Friday and I have to say it is much larger than I anticipated. I knew the weight would be too much for me to carry but I remain totally intimidated with it at the moment. I know as I begin to work with it and learn how it works all that will eventually go away. It's my first wheel and very possibly my last one for a while.

Unless you have some related background, the Sherman-S will not be an easy wheel to learn on.

Aside from being very heavy for a new comer, it has higher pedals than most non-suspension wheels. It will be very difficult to learn to balance at the beginning. 

But you never know, you may be above average and will be able to click with it. If not, you can always buy a wheel that is easier to learn on.

I believe that with constant practice, the skill to balance will come in reasonable time, but only if the gap is not too large.

55 minutes ago, Kitty said:

I also bought it because it will be my primary form of transportation in addition to the bus and train.

While learning, don't be too anxious to be able to get to the next milestone. 

As you progress, you will find yourself being able to do more without being forced. 

Constant practice is key. The body will automatically learn to balance with enough practice.

 

The Sherman-S is indeed a very nice wheel. 

Once you have learn to ride it, you will be able to be able to go places while enjoying the ride getting there. And it is ever challenging. No matter how long you have been riding, there is always a skill that you can improve on, or acquire, and will make your riding that much more enjoyable. 

[Paul A]

1 hour ago, Kitty said:

Training wheels

 

If required at the beginning, a supermarket shopping cart, might help act as training wheels.

Acts like a walking frame with wheels. 

Allows a rider to have a hold onto a mobile support.

[wstuart]

On 1/14/2023 at 8:51 PM, Tawpie said:

In the discord, there's a saying: "<potty mouth word redacted> around, find stuff out". With suspension, this is the way.

Allright I took your advice today.  I wanted to share my results messing with the suspension settings.  The compression side has 18 clicks from soft to hard.  The rebound side had 18 clicks from slow to fast.  For the combinations below I set each setting to its maximum.  For example with soft compression/ fast rebound I set the compression all the way to soft and the rebound all the way to fast.  So there ended up being 4 different combinations I tested.  Below is my summary.  For each I tested both the stability riding on flat ground, carving and the stability and feel going over bumps and off a curb.  It was super windy in San Diego today so I was able to test stability at speed in the wind also.  My riding weight is 240lbs and I was riding on the Kenda knobby at 32psi.  My suspension has the heavier 62lb spring. 

 

1. Softest compression/Fastest rebound:

This was the ultra plush luxury setting.  Small imperfections were absolutely soaked up and going off a curb felt completely comfortable.  If you've got knee/body pain and you aren't planning on going fast or off big jumps, this is the setting for you.  The bad: while comfortable this setting was very unstable.  After bumps the wheel would bounce up and down with an extreme pogo stick effect.  The wheel felt very unstable at speed too and the wind felt like it was gonna push me off the road.  While carving the wheel felt vague.  Use this setting if comfort is the highest priority.

 

2.  Hardest compression/slowest rebound

This is what I would use for offroad.  This setting offered the least comfort, but was incredibly stable after going over bumps. Absolutely no pogostick effect.  Because of the hard compression this was very stable at speed and carving, but not quite as stable as hard compression/ fast rebound (see below).

 

3. Hardest compression/ fastest rebound

This offered very stable bump handling like the #2 combination above but the fast rebound made it comfortable again.  The tradeoff was that there was slight pogo -sticking after large bumps.  This felt the most stable carving on flat ground and riding in wind.  For riding on the street this is what I will be using.  I think this was my favorite setting because it offered comfort performance and stability.  For offroad I would probably turn down the rebound 5 or 6 clicks to reduce the pogosticking. 

 

4.  Softest compression/slowest rebound.  

This was the worst setting for me (probably because I'm 240lbs).  It offered very little comfort or stability and the wheel felt vague.  I think this would be for much lighter riders. 

 

I think these 4 combinations represent extremes and arent really approprate for anyone.  They just demonstrate how the settings interact. Here is my overall conclusion of how to setup this suspension:

If you prioritize comfort, set the rebound faster than the compressions is hard.  For example, rebound 6 clicks from fastest and compression 9 clicks from hardest.

If you want performance and stability, set the compressiom harder than the rebound is fast.  For example compression 6 clicks from hardest and rebound 9 clicks from fastest. 

 

I think the total number of clicks depends largely on the person's weight  So a 240 lb rider like me should be running compression and rebound speed close to maxed out on hardness and fastness (as I am).  While a 140lb rider might run their numbers close to the bottom - closer to softest compression and slowest rebound. 

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by wstuart