Gday, some advice for a 1st time last mile / short range commuter

[Dehat]

The EUC store closest to me in Brisbane (just a train ride up the coast) recommends the Kingsong 16S to most first timers. But I'm asking you all for advice on what would suit me before I head up there. They have a 2 hour learn to ride EUC that they host fortnightly so I'm planning on heading up there next weekend. I need to be able to bring a backpack to go to work and uni which I've weighed me + filled backpack is normally around 105-110kg (240lbs), I'm assuming some safety gear / added accessories so 110-115kg (255lbs) total. As title says I'd be using it for the last mile / small commutes so taking on a bus / train or being able to do a 5-10km (6miles) journey (such as if I finish late at night and the buses don't run anymore). Some uphill / downhill and flats, its a mixed bag depending on the suburb I'm passing through.

In Queensland Personal Mobility Devices which EUCs fall under are legal but have a 25km/h speed limit and a 60kg weight limit (not that I want to have something that heavy anyway) you are allowed on local roads, bike paths, shared paths. I don't really intend to go off-road or do tricks on my device I just want to be able to get from A to B faster than walking and as there is the 25km/h cap for me its more about a comfortable ride, rather than high speed. Not sure if it's able to be accommodated but I saw some EUCs that you can attach seats to, if that's a possibility I'd probably like to try it but its not a deal breaker.

Thanks for any replies in advance .

 

[Dehat]

I forgot to add, water resistant would be preferred, as I cant be cancelled by rain but I can walk in the rain if necessary.

[mrelwood]

Just a quick reply:

 If water resistance is required, Gotway/Begode wheels are out.

 If comfort is what you’re after, look for 18” (=20”) wheels. 16” x 2.125” ones are a bit laborious to ride for longer distances.

V10F (16x2.5”) just might be the perfect one for you. It’s much more comfy to ride than the 16S.

 Of course, suspension wheels is where it’s currently at, but they are much larger, heavier and more expensive. You could still ask for a quote on the V11 though.

[Cerbera]

46 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

If water resistance is required, Gotway/Begode wheels are out.

That's a bit harsh !  Just get a little rucksack cover, elasticated and water proof, to cover top half of the wheel. I've been using Gotways in horrendous rain for years, and no problems so far. You just gotta know where water can get in, and have a simple easy plan to stop it !

[Funky]

@Dehat Welcome.

Lissen i'm 127kg (280lbs) and my daily "job trip" is literally half of yours. KS16S would be perfect wheel for that. But i highly recommend taking look at KS18XL. Yes it's 7kg heavier. Yes it's has to big range for out "daily" needs.. (I charge mine 2 times a week, if i don't go for a fun ride.) But 16" vs 18" is some difference. If you got completely smooth roads. No small potholes you can go KS16S. But being close to it's max carry limit - would be kinda bad/dangerous. I still would not recommend jumping off curbs and such! (And on KS16S never! Never!! NEVER!!! Jump any curbs - which you can't ride on.. You may CRACK the axle. And worst part it breaks off at higher speed resulting in bad crash.)

We "bigger" guys can overpower those smaller wheels quit easy. That's why i recommend going with something little bit bigger. (Also over time 25km/h will start to feel slow.)

I personally also thought that KS16S would be plenty for my needs. (Doh i knew i was to heavy..) I wanted to go same speeds as regular bike 20-30km/h max. But being a bigger guy and riding at euc speed limit, or anywhere close to it can be dangerous. Even for light riders.. One small dip in pavement or pothole and you speed up and wheel can cutoff - resulting you crashing. On KS16S i would not go faster than 30km/h NEVER!!! And have my first speed alarm at ~26km/h.

But i'm so happy that i went at the end with something bigger. KS18XL has max speed 50km/h (I normally now ride around ~35km/h. If i don't gear up - i go slower than 20km/h.) And thanks to it having 50km/h max speed - i never have to experience alarms and pedal tilt back. (The alarm where device starts lifting your pedals up.. I have set it right at 50k/h. Which i never ride anywhere close.) And best of all - it has a lot of "safety" margin left. (Safety margin - if it goes down to "0"% your wheel powers off resulting in crash. - The overpowering the wheel is one of which i was talking about. Also riding at lower battery - safety margin goes down also.)

You can forget about seat - these "smaller" wheels like KS16S simply are to low to ground.. Not tall enough to get a seat. (You still could get, but it would look like Top-Hat on euc.)  

My dad owns KS16S. And i have ridden both. KS16S feels small, can be overpowered. And the worst it's not so stable at speed. (But going 20-25k/h will be perfect.) KS18XL feels so much better, so planted at speed. It's simply perfect cruiser wheel.

If you wanna know anything specific - just ask.

 

As for rain i highly recommend getting "rain backpack cover" to put over the euc when it's raining. We here ride 1/5 times in heavy rain and wheel is completely dry. Also wheel that have motherboard at top of the wheel is simply better. Even if any water gets in - it will flow down.

Keep us updated what you get.  KS16S is the little brother of KS18XL. Everything the lil one can do, the big one can do much better. Heck you can go even KS18L (It's the KS18XL, but smaller battery. If you don't plan going faster than 35-40km/h EVER - it would be perfect. In my eyes 2kg lighter wheel isn't worth.. But price difference may be.)

Edited November 6, 2022 by Funky

[Funky]

1 hour ago, Cerbera said:

That's a bit harsh !  Just get a little rucksack cover, elasticated and water proof, to cover top half of the wheel. I've been using Gotways in horrendous rain for years, and no problems so far. You just gotta know where water can get in, and have a simple easy plan to stop it !

Doesn't help for side wheel well heatsink.  Also side placed motherboard is simply bad. Every time you ride in rain you are simply asking for trouble.. That's why i took 18xl over RS which in my eyes was perfect ~27kg wheel. Real 18x3" tire. Amazing top speed. But sadly inside of that wheel is so "messy" and that side mounted board.. No thanks.

Even if i would silicone said heatsink - it isn't 100% proof that it would not let any water in over time.. I won't risk it.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Funky

[Cerbera]

On 11/6/2022 at 10:47 PM, Funky said:

Doesn't help for side wheel well heatsink.

No help is required for that. No water has ever got in that way for me, and it is merely screwed down tightly - no extra silicon required.

It's OK - I don't need to win this argument, and I accept that Begode is not winning awards for its legendary waterproofing, just I have 6 years of exemplary performance from mine which says we can't tar them all with the same brush... on the other hand I live in constant fear that my Master is going to break at any moment - I simply haven't had enough time with it to fully trust it yet...

[Paul A]

Have both KS 16s and KS 18XL.

Funky's post is very accurate and good advice.

Better to go with the KS18 XL.

 

Range for 16s is around 65km, for 18XL around 130km.

Varies with weight, speed, terrain, etc.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Paul A

[Paul A]

Funky, what size back cover for the 18XL?

45 litre, 55, 70, 80?

[Funky]

1 hour ago, Paul A said:

Funky, what size back cover for the 18XL?

45 litre, 55, 70, 80?

20L (The smallest that i could find/order at the time.) It' has that elastic band. So it's great. (I think 15L would fit "better".) I still got somewhat "baggy" top. But at least i still can carry and such with the cover.

Edited November 9, 2022 by Funky

[Dehat]

I had a lot of fun learning, it was definitely worth the train ride up there to try out some of the wheels and safety gear in person. At the moment I'm still not dead set on a specific wheel but practicing on them I was able to cross out a few of the models and sort of see what kinds of things I appreciated, like the comfort was quite noticeably improved as the tyres increased in size (both diameter or width increases) and being on a wheel with suspension was again a lot more comfy. At the moment I'm probably leaning towards a refurbished ks 16x, if not that then probably a new inmotion v10f or ks 18l. The v11 was really nice, but its hard to justify the like 45% cost increase on a wheel for a beginner that I know I'm gonna scrape and crash etc as I learn. Steve (the host of the learn to ride) said to look out for some of the upcoming black friday sales (25th just under two weeks away) so I've got some time to mull it over and decide.

Thanks again everyone for all the advice.

PS. Even though I've done bikes / skateboards / scooters / snowboarding before I did find this quite hard and have a few sore muscles and sore spots but once you get up to speed the euc really stabilises and rides quite smooth, it was a lot of fun so I'm looking forward to getting better.

[Dehat]

Just giving an update as I picked up my euc on friday (I ended up getting a secondhand KingSong 16X). Taking it home on the train and around the city was pretty easy but getting on buses was hit and miss. I was on it practicing for a few hours today in my local park my only real question at the moment is, how do you guys keep your safety gear clean (I have gloves/wrists, knee/shin guards and a helmet). I sweated up a storm and none of them smelled but they were damp with sweat (especially the gloves). I wiped them down with an antibacterial solution but just wondering what you guys do because its not like they're normal clothes you'd chuck in the wash. If I need to make a new post in a different category let me know.

[Funky]

42 minutes ago, Dehat said:

Just giving an update as I picked up my euc on friday (I ended up getting a secondhand KingSong 16X). Taking it home on the train and around the city was pretty easy but getting on buses was hit and miss. I was on it practicing for a few hours today in my local park my only real question at the moment is, how do you guys keep your safety gear clean (I have gloves/wrists, knee/shin guards and a helmet). I sweated up a storm and none of them smelled but they were damp with sweat (especially the gloves). I wiped them down with an antibacterial solution but just wondering what you guys do because its not like they're normal clothes you'd chuck in the wash. If I need to make a new post in a different category let me know.

 I haven't done anything with mine? Doh i know you can take the padding out of the helmet (at least for mine.) And wash it. Haven't done it yet - because it doesn't smell yet. Toss them in washing machine and be done. Ofc if the gear fits.. Otherwise wash them with hands. I have ridden so far 850km and haven't seen the need to wash anything.

Or simply don't smell them?

[Cerbera]

Generally speaking, change the under-layers, keep your armour on the outside of clothes, and it will never need washing more than a damp cloth over the plastics occasionally. As mentioned before, Helmets are the exception to this, but usually have removable padding. I'm having the opposite problem right now - it is cold enough that if I have my visor open even a crack for airflow I have a constantly snotty /drippy nose in the freezing cold that I can't easily get to to wipe, and sometimes that snot drips down into the foam mouthguard in my TSG Pass, which quickly becomes what my mother would describe as 'properly disgusting'  Fortunately that too is removable and gets rinsed off under an off-boiling kettle after every trip in the cold. And because the TSG comes with a spare, one can go inside a sock (so you don't lose it) in a washing machine while you are using the other one ! 

It may seem obvious, but is sometimes easier said than done; try and wear stuff that is suitable for the weather conditions, such that you don't sweat too much in heat, or are too hot even when temps are low. If your hands are sweating like crazy those gloves are too much for the temperatures, and you may need thinner ones ! Certainly in our Summers (which are much less hot than yours!) I change out my leather gloves for thin, lightweight cycling ones that fit under wrist-braces. Although it is very important that your hands are covered by something, the fingers themselves don't tend to be what gets hammered in a fall. If I lived where you did, and my wrist guards covered enough of my palms, I might not wear gloves at all.

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by Cerbera

[Paul A]

Maybe wear an ice vest.

If your body is cool, it won't be sweating, and you will be more comfortable.

Maybe have thin sponges, cut to size, inserted/lining the vest pockets, to shield from direct contact.

If required, use zip lock bags, filled with water, then freeze......instead of the ice blocks that are provided with the ice vest.

This will allow for ice replenishment at maybe a McDonalds, etc., if needed.

Don't need total coverage of torso.

Cooled blood will circulate to all parts of the body.

 

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[Tawpie]

9 hours ago, Dehat said:

I sweated up a storm and none of them smelled but they were damp with sweat (especially the gloves).

Learning is a real workout! As you gain skills, you won't sweat nearly as much so it won't be much of a worry—it's not like hockey kit. There's still a bit of exercise involved, but nothing like it is while learning.

I'd just follow the laundering instructions that came with your gear... I've washed my jacket once (falling down off road gets dirty) but never needed to wash any of the other gear, but it's all on the outside of my clothing so it doesn't get sweaty to speak of. I just let the knee guards dry, chip off the mud and vacuum them!

[Paul A]

Gold Coast is very warm all year round.

Would be sweating even if just walking around.