Beginner questions

[versus]

V12 HT. Should I learn riding without the power pads? How long before I put the pads on?

Any benefit on changing the default pedals for Honeycomb ones straight from beginning?

Are the metal one with spikes more likely to hurt the legs at the beginning. Should i save them from damage and swap them later?

Is 28 PSi good pressure for 80 Kg beginner rider? 

[mrelwood]

It could be beneficial to learn without the pads first. Already because you don’t know the exact position to put them to. Secondly, you need a quick exit while learning.

 Honeycombs are so much better in every single way. I would definitely change them right away. It’s not the spikes that hit you if you tumble, it’s the edge of the pedal. And Honeycombs even have a flatter edge.

28 or 30 psi could be just perfect. The tire is stiff, so you compensate by lowering the pressure. A normal e-bike tire like on the HS version would call for maybe 35-38 psi.

[versus]

Went with this tutorial.

Interestingly when i got to point 5 it appears that vheel is snappier when riding backwards. Could it be foot placement? Wheel set to Offroad mode - Pedal sensitivity to 100% no split ride. Should i angle the paddle position to positive or negative to make a forward movement more agile? Or  should I leave on default and practice leaning the body more forward.

[mrelwood]

 

1 hour ago, versus said:

Interestingly when i got to point 5 it appears that vheel is snappier when riding backwards. Could it be foot placement?

It is. You are standing too far back. It’s great that he included reversing on that part of the video!

Align the center of your heels and the center of the balls off your feet centered on the pedals. Meaning, cut off your toes, then center your feet on the pedals. Reattach toes if necessary.

1 hour ago, versus said:

Wheel set to Offroad mode - Pedal sensitivity to 100% no split ride.

That is the hardest and most consuming mode to use. I have found Commuter mode at 70% to require much less effort, and to cause much less exhaustion and leg pains. It is also much more forgiving for beginners.

1 hour ago, versus said:

Should i angle the paddle position to positive or negative to make a forward movement more agile?

I would leave the pedal tilt to neutral, and fix your foot position first. Apply pedal tilt if you use shoes with a notably different heel height for example. Or if you think it would be beneficial in the future when you have some experience.

[Punxatawneyjoe]

In my opinion there are a few things that helped me learn to ride.

1) i noticed i put more weight on my rt leg when i stand since i am rt handed so i actually had to consciously put more weight on my left in order to balance.

2) Starting off i brace one leg up against the machine and keep it directly under me when mounting not out in front or behind me.

3) The steering is done by shifting your weight from one foot to the other and you will automatically correct your turns when rolling forward if you concentrate on

that part instead of how you are going to jump off when rolling.

4) Ounce you learn to ride it, the "wobble" will be minimal at the higher speeds.

5) Last but not least, DONT try to brake super hard until you master the wheel, after a few hundred miles i made this mistake and took a dive at about 15mph

Hope this helps, I'm still a noob at it but I have had a blast on my first wheel, have about 800miles on it and 600 have been off road.

[rcgldr]

5 hours ago, Punxatawneyjoe said:

The steering is done by shifting your weight from one foot to the other

Normal steering is done by tilting the EUC inwards (inner foot down, outer foot up). A rider leans inwards (shifts weight) to balance the turn, but other than tilt transitions, the weight on the pedals is equal. The amount a rider leans depends on the inwards acceleration, but the amount of tilt needed for a turn depends on turning radius (mostly independent of speed), and tire profile. For higher speed turns, a rider tilts an EUC less than the rider leans, with less tilt for wider tires, more tilt for knobby (versus street) tires. You can see this in Wrong Way's tires and turning video. I set the link to a 3 view comparison, where the Z10 with its 4 inch wide tire is tilted the least. You may want to back up to the start to see the entire video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsXW4OKnmWc&t=314s

For low speed tight turns the EUC is tilted a lot while the rider barely leans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqoNhGEhk2Y

For slow speeds an alternative method is to twist the EUC to steer it directly: yaw steering. Arm flailing can be used to help with this, flail left to steer right and vice versa. Example of a 3 year old arm flailing:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/z9YiHu5HJ6o

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by rcgldr

[MetricUSA]

While learning it would benefit you wearing shin guards, the pedals hurt if your are constantly jumping off the euc and still banging your legs... As mentioned above take powerpads off, you don't have knowledge yet where the pads should be let alone where exactly youl foot should be...spike pedals are sticking so getting the foot placement right the first time is essential, otherwise once you are moving, picking up your foot and readjusting, you are riding one footed at the time and that is a skill all by itself... 

I don't know what else you may have ridden before euc, but always ride with bent knees, that is your body's suspension, stiff locked straight leg will always get you thrown... 

Edited November 7, 2022 by MetricUSA

[VikB]

I would skip the power pads at first. There is nothing you are doing learning to ride an EUC that you need them for. They are a performance add on you can make use of later once you are up and riding confidently. I'd run the stock foot plates while you learn. Being able to more easily reposition your feet is a benefit and again until you are riding confidently you don't need the performance benefit of spikey foot plates that secure your feet better.

[Tawpie]

1 hour ago, VikB said:

you don't need the performance benefit of spikey foot plates that secure your feet better

and you don't need to scrape them up, which will happen while you're learning!

Have fun learning—looking back on the experience it was hugely rewarding. And frustrating.

[versus]

What do you think of these pads?

https://oneride.eu/en/power-pads/530-universal-powerpads-for-electric-unicycle-with-velcro.html

They were suggested by the store I bought the wheel with and having seen Grizzlas and Clarks it seems to me that I've made a  mistake althought they were not cheap. Looks like they wanted to reduce their stock on me. I couldn't find these anywhere else.

Firstly they dont have toe support for jumping and space between front and back cannot be adjusted, Maybe they are just too soft to have a good support. Should I return them and ask for something better? 

[Cerbera]

3 hours ago, versus said:

What do you think of these pads?

I think they look a bit unique, (and rather incongruous with the look of the wheel), and that's a not necessarily a good thing, because we have to wonder why they have gone for this soft leather look when everyone else makes firm, contoured pads with some form of spacing adjustment. They look very comfortable, but do they actually fit the functions pads are meant to fulfil other than that ?

[Funky]

3 hours ago, versus said:

What do you think of these pads?

https://oneride.eu/en/power-pads/530-universal-powerpads-for-electric-unicycle-with-velcro.html

They were suggested by the store I bought the wheel with and having seen Grizzlas and Clarks it seems to me that I've made a  mistake althought they were not cheap. Looks like they wanted to reduce their stock on me. I couldn't find these anywhere else.

Firstly they dont have toe support for jumping and space between front and back cannot be adjusted, Maybe they are just too soft to have a good support. Should I return them and ask for something better? 

Those pads are "soft" more or less like big pillows.. Not great at breaking/speeding. (I checked the other pads from that store. Any other "plastic/hard" pads will be better..)

30 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

I think they look a bit unique, (and rather incongruous with the look of the wheel), and that's a not necessarily a good thing, because we have to wonder why they have gone for this soft leather look when everyone else makes firm, contoured pads with some form of spacing adjustment. They look very comfortable, but do they actually fit the functions pads are meant to fulfil other than that ?

They don't do anything in the meaning what "real" pads do.

And i would know - because i looked at them in person in store. (The front/back "pillow" is just there for keeping leg in between them. Useless at breaking and speeding up. Okay-okay they aren't completely useless. BUT nothing compared to those 3D-printed pads..) 

I had option of getting those, when i bought my 18xl. I didn't buy them.. 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Funky

[mrelwood]

7 hours ago, versus said:

What do you think of these pads?

https://oneride.eu/en/power-pads/530-universal-powerpads-for-electric-unicycle-with-velcro.html

They look like the Russian Alexa (or something) leather pads. The Russians at least are very comfy, but add a lot of width. And like others have said, they don’t really support accelerating and braking much. I guess they can work for some people, but they’re not my style.

[versus]

Ok. Thank you all for your tips. Now that I have progressed a bit I have more questions.

 Wobbles. These started appearing when I increased speed limit from 25 Km/h to 35 km/h since I had too many pedal pushbacks at I5.

First I try to look out for wheel adjustment solutions that could alleviate the problem. Would increasing tire pressure from 28 to 3 PSI be of any help?

Would rising the pedals help. Now they are at lowest position? 

What affects them most is probably feet position? What is the best anti wobble feet position?

i can pretty much control them but they ruin the ride since, once they start happening, you cannot properly concentrate on your techinque but you pretty much start thinking: "now its going to happen any second! I must take countermeasures"

I frequently get stiff and cold feet and and probably then legs start to lose shin grip unconsciously and that contributes to wobble. I imagine you need a proper warm up ride with lots of carving to be able to counteract stiff feet.

 

[Tawpie]

"Speed wobbles" strike every rider, so take heart. It is mostly a matter of experience and leg strength, both of which only come with time. Foot position, lower tire pressure (not higher), how tense you are, not clenching the wheel between your legs, tires in general... they all play a part. The thing I did was when I felt a wobble start, I just backed off a little bit so I wasn't tense anymore. Then gently accelerate a bit. After a few weeks my no-wobble speed was quite a bit higher and I was able to handle wobbles with confidence when they started. The only sure cure is mileage!

[Punxatawneyjoe]

3 minutes ago, versus said:

Wobbles. These started appearing when I increased speed limit from 25 Km/h to 35 km/h since I had too many pedal pushbacks at I5.

In my experience the "wobbles" should go away as soon as you get more comfortable. I had the same thing happen to me but as i got more relaxed riding at higher speed they went away. The only time they returned is when i was going top speed and tried to brake to fast. As far as the tire pressure is concerned , less pressure is more stable at least for me anyway.

[Funky]

Ride at least 300-500 km and wobbles will go away.. New rider pains....

 

Some tips to stops wobbles at beginning. Lower PSI i weigh 280lbs and could not ride anything more than 28 PSI. Anything over 30 it felt like i'm riding on "knife edge". And had many wobbles.

If you are light you can go down to 24-25PSI. BUT don't jump curbs!!!

 

Try riding more like this "~~~~~" Zig~~~Zagging. Less you stay riding in completely straight line - less chance for wobble to start. Very big tip for new riders. (Imagine you are riding on empty road like walkway or something like that. Ride to one side and then to other side.) Even little movements your arms length going ~~~~ will help.

Video example: (But you don't need to go so "crazy" simply slowly putting your weight left/right pedal and going left/right will do the trick.)

Check out this video 2# second tip he explains it..

 

Also you could check if your tire are "really" centered.

How to:

By holding euc pedals and letting it speed up (Free spin) You can make sure that tire is centered. If it doesn't shake at higher speed - everything fine. If it starts to shake - recenter the tire again..

 Free spin test: His wheel isn't shaking left/right = centered tire.

 

 

How to check if tire is "centered"

Edited November 25, 2022 by Funky

[At6Media]

On 11/7/2022 at 9:13 AM, Tawpie said:

and you don't need to scrape them up, which will happen while you're learning!

Have fun learning—looking back on the experience it was hugely rewarding. And frustrating.

This!! One of the first things that was given to me as advice was by Tawpie and the statement of “you’ll never have as much fun doing anything on a wheel as you will learning to ride” has very much held true. Yes, it hurts less now, but when you get to where you’re wanting to be, make sure you have more goals lined up for yourself to keep it fun and keep you riding!  

[Paul A]

On 11/26/2022 at 7:30 AM, versus said:

Wobbles

 

Possibly:

 

https://www.torque.com.sg/advice/wobbling-wheels-whats-causing-them/

01 October 2020

Wobbling wheels: What’s causing them?

UNBALANCED WHEELS

Unbalanced wheels are also one of the main causes of wobbling wheels.

Whenever you change your tyres, the tyre shop will also perform wheel balancing, which ensures that the tyre rolls smoothly and doesn’t wobble at high speeds.

Small weights are attached to the wheel to even out the weight of the entire assembly.

If you haven’t hit a kerb or pothole and your wheels are warped, unbalanced wheels are probably causing the wobble.

_________________________________________

 

https://www.utires.com/articles/how-to-tell-if-your-motorcycle-tire-is-out-of-balance/

Do you have to balance a motorcycle tire?

When your tire is out of balanced, you need to take it for a tune-up of your wheels.

Tire balancing ensures that the weight is distributed evenly.

Here are things you should know on how to tell if motorcycle tire is out of balance:

It’s easy to tell a possible tire imbalance. You will feel an unusual vibration at a certain speed when tires are out of balance. The vibrations are noticeable. Imbalance begins with uneven weight on the rim of the wheel or tire. An imbalance tire feels like a wobbly steering.

__________________________

 

etc...

Edited December 1, 2022 by Paul A

[mrelwood]

EUC differs from motorcycles in one major part though: the rim doesn’t center the tire like it does on a car or a motorcycle. Therefore manually centering and aligning the tire is the first step to do if the tire doesn’t spin smoothly.

 Although I would think that the alignment has to be really bad to cause a wobble while riding.

On the other hand, most beginners will face wobbles at some point due to untrained muscles, tense legs, or bad riding posture and technique. In other words, too much speed for their skill.

[Cerbera]

On 11/1/2022 at 7:55 AM, versus said:

Are the metal one with spikes more likely to hurt the legs at the beginning. Should i save them from damage and swap them later?

You'd be very unlucky to damage big metal pedals in minor falls, and their extra weight and heft won't hurt you either if you are wearing decent boots, and perhaps shin / knee guards. They will get a few scrapes along the way of course, but it's only cosmetic damage on the whole.

[Paul A]

 

1 hour ago, mrelwood said:

EUC

 

Maybe intentionally attach a weight to unbalance a wheel as an experiment.

Find out if it has a significant and consistent effect at certain frequency(ies).

Lead weights for car wheels are as low as five grams.

 

Perhaps resonance frequency a factor?

[mrelwood]

2 hours ago, Paul A said:

Maybe intentionally attach a weight to unbalance a wheel as an experiment.

No need, I already have experience in unbalanced tires. Long time ago before I had learned that EUC rims don’t center the tire and that they require manual centering, I even published this video as a guide on how to weight balance an EUC tire:

 

2 hours ago, Paul A said:

Perhaps resonance frequency a factor?

Sure it’s a factor, but a weight imbalance of the tire makes it hop up and down. Wobble is side to side. Match the frequencies and it will probably do something, but I don’t think it can be a cause for a wobble, nor did I ever feel like it was.

[Funky]

5 hours ago, mrelwood said:

On the other hand, most beginners will face wobbles at some point due to untrained muscles, tense legs, or bad riding posture and technique. In other words, too much speed for their skill.

Can confirm after 300-400km ridden - i stopped having wobbles all together. Haven't had one since then. I can even increase my tire PSI to 35-40 without wobbles. But i still like riding at ~30.

[versus]

Got these boots and pretty much resolved the wobbles 

https://www.fc-moto.de/epages/fcm.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/10207048/Products/Forma-Terra-Evo-Low-Motorcycle-Boots/SubProducts/Forma-Terra-Evo-Low-Motorcycle-Boots-0018 

Now i figured it was time to start using pads. I bought Grizzla Flow. Have been playng with position and they seem to be ok from the brief initial test

New problem is that i always mounted the wheel with some difficulty even without the pads and now it seems I'l have to relearn mounting with such a restricted space to place the other foot while scooting. I would always mount almost immotional wheel with the other leg , struggling with the first few feet of the ride. Now with Grizzlas this looks almost impossible as without them I would hastily put the other leg up just aiming for the whole pedal and then later readjusting position once i gained speed. Obviously  I need to practice one foot  riding  now, as I cannot put the other leg up without precision. Maybe i should have worked more one one leg ride before installing Grizzlas. Any advice on first time use of the pads. Did you feel like needing to  relearn mounting with the pads.