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My first EUC with no experience


homero

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Hello and welcome to the forum. Go back to square one then. Do circles hanging on to a pole of some sort. Go clockwise, then counter clockwise.  Go along a smooth wall. Go slow. Never put your fingers in chain link fences. Wear the gear, etc, etc. 

Now give it another go, and report back.

If an old trucker like me can learn how to ride an euc, most anybody can.

Best,

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Key is not to worry about damaging the wheel. Most newbies are so worried about dropping the wheel the only thing they learn is how not to drop the wheel. This is also why you should get a used pos for your first wheel.

 

jump on, lean forward, balance, jump off when you lose balance, don’t worry about the wheel. Repeat until you get it. That’s all it takes. 

Edited by MrEUCMan
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You didn't say anything about the learning method you are using. If you're simply trying to reinvent the wheel on your own, it sure takes a lot of time. But others have done it for you already. This is one of the few truly good instructional videos:

 

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I learned to ride by having someone hold my hand and walk me across a large parking lot. It's like riding a bike with training wheels. You don't lose motivation so quickly, you can learn the movements and quickly realize that you have to hold on less and less until at some point you can keep your balance without help. It took me about 15 minutes this way and I've taught a few people this way. Most of them were even faster than me.

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@homero what wheel are you learning on? A smaller lighter one will be easier then a larger one. If you’re determined (sounds like you are) you will figure it out. It’s a lot like learning to ride a bike as far as putting in the time and effort. When I was first learning I was over compensating for the balance, my wheel would fall in one direction and I’d over lean to try and get it centred. A lot of this is training yourself to feel where the gravity is and knowing where to be while over the wheel. Don’t focus on the amount of time you feel like it’s taking to learn. By happy with any small lessons and improvements you make. Do shortish sessions and go back at it when you’re feeling fresh. 

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@homero be stubborn.

The hardest thing for me to learn was to trust that the wheel would do everything it could to stay underneath me... I was bailing out at the first sign of imbalance. Then one time I decided to try not to jump off and WOW, the wheel kept me upright. After that sank into my brain, things got quite a bit easier, but I still had to mentally convince myself not to jump right off. I'm guessing you've figured out that you need a bit of speed to balance... a brisk walking speed is amazing for straight lines, a teeny bit slower for turns but for learning make nice wide ones (parking lot) at that brisk walking pace.

Yep, I'm a bit older than you are so totally understand "prudence". I bought lots and lots of padding.

Edited by Tawpie
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9 hours ago, homero said:

Wow, nice and fast feedback here, thanks to all, yes, I watch training videos, a lot, I am 63 years old, very good fisical condition cus I work out for years, so I was expecting this to be easy, but my problem is balance, I am determined to learn, and I can see improvement, but very slow, I WILL DO THIS, I know that, I sufer from Scoliosis, one vertevra in my column is out out line, That is my problem with balance, but at the same time I notice that learning the EUC has giving me more health benefits, my balance in general is improving, I am exited and will not pay attention on how long is taking to learn, just taking it one day of practice at a time. bless you all,

Where are you located I’m in northeast ohio .I’m sure if you looked in the local group meet ups on the forum you could find someone to help you learn to ride ..I bought the rs19 highspeed as my first wheel and was riding around a nice flat parking lot within 15 minutes of trying to learn .I parked in the middle of a big open parking lot and started circling my car while holding on to it and learning to balance I kept circling the car letting go for short periods still circling the car .then I would let go and start doing circles around the car …then I would start circling the entire parking lot.the first day I ended up putting on 20 miles now 4+ months later I have over 3100 miles on my wheel.once ya get it down it’s a blast .keep trying and don’t give up .the key is getting the speed up a bit cuz the gyroscopic effect balances the wheel side to side .if you aren’t moving forward you will be all wobbly and shaking and the wheel will just keep falling over .

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Are you crashing at all yet? If you aren't rollin' after three weeks and can't keep your balance, you just don't have enough forward momentum and are maybe scared to go fast enough to achieve inertial balance side to side.

Step 1 is to ride very sort distances where you have lateral support, along a wall or fence, for example (see @OldFartRides above). This will help you to learn to balance front to back.

Step 2 is to finally screw up the courage to gun it (at least 8-10 mph) for a short distance without any support, say 20-50' (see @Tawpie @Dosingpsychedelics above). I recommend you wear full safety gear and head for a nice, flat manicured lawn (maybe you have one at your home) or a baseball field. Stare at the point you want to ride to and focus on trying to get from one side to the other (or one fence to another). If you crash, great, because you will have had your first faceplant in a controlled, 'safe' environment. You should be able to shrug it off and get back on the wheel if not immediately then in a couple days, and you'll know that the worst outcome is not so bad.

Once you are good at step 2, you have crossed the critical threshold and have some basic skills of lateral and forward balance, and are on your way to becoming a competent rider.

edit: For step 2, try shouting "cowabunga"

Edited by litewave
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I must admit, I know is fear my enemy, fear of what? I think it is hard for me to trust that I can go forword with the weel, ja ja ja, is funny but this EUC adventure is taking out 

of me many things inside that I never thouth I had, I live in the border of Texas and Mexico, there are no EUC groups near me, all of you are right, I will take all your advise,

thanks for your help

 my EUC Inmotion V8F

 

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Ah ok, a smaller wheel will be easier then something heavy. 👍 if you can have someone walk/run next to you to help keep you balanced that can help. Some people use a grocery cart in an empty parking lot too. It gives you something to stabilize yourself while you get used to the wheel. I found a school yard that had two posts about 15 feet apart. I used them for mounting then launched myself between each one and got used to that before getting into steering. 

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49 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

Some people use a grocery cart in an empty parking lot too. It gives you something to stabilize yourself while you get used to the wheel.

NO! I absolutely 100% disagree. Training on a grocery cart is a terrible idea. It's like saying that learning to ride a bike one handed will be easier than with two.
Carts aren't well built (many strange, random forces in random directions). They are a second object you need to take into account that moves in a substantially different way than you. And holding onto something while riding makes you keep holding it while you fall. I tore my favorite pants that way. :D

Riding with a cart is an advanced skill, and yet I hear it being recommended as a learning method quite often. NO! Bad idea!

On 10/4/2022 at 6:31 AM, homero said:

this is my third week and is not easy to learn

This tells us nothing.

How many hours did you try in total? And what is your progress / what are your skills / what are you lacking? What surface are you trying to ride on?

Edited by atdlzpae
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I tried the grocery cart idea when I first learned over 6 years ago, but found it difficult and only marginally helpful. It will help you to gain/improve your forward (front-to-back) balance skills, but the carts are hard to steer and you can't go very fast. I expended a lot of energy trying to manhandle the cart with my upper body which does nothing to develop EUC skills. Also, don't waste your time with tying a leash/belt/strap to the wheel.

I would consider this step 1.5. At some point you have to take a leap of faith and go free-wheeling. See step 2 above.

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9 hours ago, atdlzpae said:

Riding with a cart is an advanced skill, and yet I hear it being recommended as a learning method quite often. NO! Bad idea!

Yes, correct. Terrible idea for exactly the reasons mentioned above. No good comes of leaning (or learning!) on something that is independently moving, unless it is an EUC trainer holding your arm or something...

Likewise, don't try and push wheelie bins in the UK, or offer to help out the trolley guy at the supermarket - you'll end up blowing a mosfet while you are smugly showing off how you can push 50 trolleys ! Likewise, I see some people riding with powerful dogs on leashes and can't imagine that's a good plan either, tho I have to admit I do see some people managing that one rather well... presumably they don't show the bits where one dog suddenly sees a rabbit off to the left, and takes you with them as they go...

Adding to that, unless you specifically need the additional skill of 'cart pushing', the muscles you use in trying to do that are not the same ones you use in regular riding, so the former can't be considered any sort of training for the latter ! If anything it would be counter-productive.

 

 

Edited by Cerbera
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Keep your knees bent at all times and force your hands glued to your side, you don't need them to balance... Just keep at it on a basketball/tennis court and do figure 8's and the biggest issue is learning start and stops, that is most crucial, the turning will come naturally... 

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17 hours ago, Mossi said:

I learned to ride by having someone hold my hand and walk me across a large parking lot. It's like riding a bike with training wheels. You don't lose motivation so quickly, you can learn the movements and quickly realize that you have to hold on less and less until at some point you can keep your balance without help. It took me about 15 minutes this way and I've taught a few people this way. Most of them were even faster than me.

This is the method I've seen used religiously by a guy that has taught dozens of people to ride within 15 minutes or less. :thumbup:

 

12 hours ago, Dosingpsychedelics said:

the key is getting the speed up a bit cuz the gyroscopic effect balances the wheel side to side

Speed is the key yes, but gyroscopic forces do not balance the wheel. They just slow down tilting and turning the wheel. What you're thinking of is a cone effect from the tire.

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YESSSSSSS, today is one day after 3 weeks, Y recieved my inmotion V8F sept. 15 thursday, and today I finally

figiure it out, I can step and balance the weel ang go, I still hold a reail out side my apt. but I can ride it with out fear.

The confidence is there know. little by little I let the rail go more and I stay on the AUC more with out holding nothing.

thanks to all who gave me support and advise, Ready to Ride, bless you,

Edited by homero
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22 hours ago, homero said:

@Hellkitten, good idea, Tomorrow will try this, the grocery cart is nice.:clap3:

Has to be the full size metal cart. Might even want to add four gallon of water in jugs for stability.

Edit: Never mind. Sounds like you are past the cart assist stage.

Edited by OldFartRides
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One question, after practicing today, the EUC had 3 green bars, but suddenly the bars turn one yellow and one red, took it inside my place to check the battery range, it was 56%, I am charging it at this moment, is this normal? I run a self diagnosis and every thing came out in good condition.

Edited by homero
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2 hours ago, homero said:

One question, after practicing today, the EUC had 3 green bars, but suddenly the bars turn one yellow and one red, took it inside my place to check the battery range, it was 56%, I am charging it at this moment, is this normal? I run a self diagnosis and every thing came out in good condition.

This is what I found on an old post I’ll copy n paste ..on the v8 not the v8f but they may be the same .. the bars change according to percentage of battery left 

<=10% <=> 1 bar blinking (red bar)
10%-20% <=> 1 bar (red bar)
20%-40% <=> 2 bars (red+orange)
...

The percentages are not likely to be the actual remaining battery capacity, in particular for values close to 0%. Given the reputation of InMotion and my experience I assume it is safe to ride the wheel to the very end, while you won't be able to ride at higher speed anymore when the battery is very low. While on 1 bar the wheel becomes notably softer, the riding experience is still pretty good.

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