Cerbera Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, Grandpa_Jay said: I have successfully free mounted a few times. My problem is I wear myself out QUICK if I try free mounting too much. Despite 7000 hours of XP on smaller and less demanding wheels, in which free mounting didn't require a second's thought, I am also struggling a bit with free-mounting my Master at the moment, and am rather ashamed to admit a preference for riding pole-to pole in my regular trips recently. During launch it's those foot-high pedals that does it and the enormous weight of the thing and its reluctance to start moving immediately, which are all problems you shouldn't have on yours with its nice low Centre of Gravity and sensible pedal height ! On dismounting I like a pole too, so I avert the risk of my leading get-down foot getting stuck between pads and the unbelievably grippy studded pedals my wheel has. More than once I have thought that an 'unhelpfully severe' grip level, and it has led to near-falls and one actual fall when that goes wrong.. But there is no true freedom of movement without being able to free-mount, and you shouldn't always be looking for the nearest pole or wall to get you started. But as others have said, once you can ride, free-mounts will follow naturally if you just keep doing 'em... my regular path into town has poles everywhere so in my case it's all about just being firm with myself and not using them ! Anyway - I digress - the point I wanted to make is that free-mounting is easiest on a gentle downhill, harder on a steep uphill, and should be practised on a level surface initially. Edited December 14, 2022 by Cerbera 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellkitten Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 100% agree! Learn to free mount after you’re more comfortable on the wheel. It worked for me. Part of mounting is just being able to “know” where the wheel wants to balance. That comes with riding. You can do a sloppy mount and figure out where you want to be on the fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bad Ron Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 You’re off to the race’s just put in the time. I still say don’t put on spikes until you are really ready, because you are going to get a hurting! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crab Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 5 hours ago, Big Bad Ron said: You’re off to the race’s just put in the time. I still say don’t put on spikes until you are really ready, because you are going to get a hurting! Or power pads, you shouldn’t need those until you start getting over 20mph or some bumpy trails. They really helped once I got to that level but not needed at lower speeds imo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h00ktern Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 I concur with those who advised to add just a bit more speed as your "cruising speed," and finding some area where you can avoid the "pole to pole" short hops, and make it a single longer ride. You'll learn more, and more quickly. It is apparent you are past the too slow, instability problems. You are riding now, and your posture is good. I think you need to commit to following a non-stop route. Wherever you ride, map out a circuit, longer areas of straight runs with sweeping turns rather than sidewalk nineties. Riding longer is nothing more than your column to column rides in the video, except Point B is further away, takes longer to get there, covers more ground, and doesn't arrive so quickly that you have to stop. Free-starting is important to learn, but if you use an aide to start and can continue on some route that keeps you riding for a few minutes before stopping at another aide, then go with that for awhile. When you burn up less energy and concentration on riding, translate that into your starts/stops. You are doing much better than you are describing 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldFartRides Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 The cool thing about the place you took the vid is that the concrete goes out past the poles. You can use them to practice slow tight radius turns like a comet orbiting the sun. Have fun, wherever you ride. You got it now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jkay Posted December 15, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 15, 2022 Rainy day, I have a 40X40 building with a smooth concrete floor, I am still early in the learning process, so I put my wrist, leg guards and helmet on and I had a ball riding around in this enclosed area. At first I really couldn’t “reliably “ make a full circle in the area. By lunch I could, and by 3 pm I am riding around in a 6 ft circle at a pretty good clip. I feel a lot more confident on mounting and now I dismount when I want too! What fun! As a high time motorcyclist, the feeling I get riding around like this reminds me of riding a bike on a smooth curvy road! I am really enjoying my new V12, just crossed the 10 mile mark! I can see times in the very near future of that many miles between stops! Fun for a geezer to learn a new “skill”!! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellkitten Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 I ride with many motorcycle enthusiasts! It seems an easy transition for them. 🏍️ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 (edited) Not sure how easy the transition is, at least I have a closet full of anti-hurt gear! Edited December 15, 2022 by Jkay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 Think my V12 just ate a stupid electron. While riding in my driveway at about 6-7 mph it said “Get Off”. Then went full bow down till it touched the ground, then the tire starts spinning (I guess) full speed and the lady inside said “Be Careful “. Turned off while holding it off the ground. Just emailed eWheels, hope it is a minor whack in the head for it to behave! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellkitten Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 19 minutes ago, Jkay said: Think my V12 just ate a stupid electron. While riding in my driveway at about 6-7 mph it said “Get Off”. Then went full bow down till it touched the ground, then the tire starts spinning (I guess) full speed and the lady inside said “Be Careful “. Turned off while holding it off the ground. Just emailed eWheels, hope it is a minor whack in the head for it to behave! Was your wheel fully charged and were you going downhill? If so it’s likely that you were over charging the batteries and your wheel kicked you off for safety. My v11 has done that a few times and I had to find out what the deal was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawpie Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 28 minutes ago, Jkay said: Just emailed eWheels, hope it is a minor whack in the head for it to behave! Sounds borked... eWheels will take care of you. Get your hex wrenches all polished up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crab Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 25 minutes ago, Tawpie said: Sounds borked... eWheels will take care of you. Get your hex wrenches all polished up. Second that, fantastic service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punxatawneyjoe Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 1 hour ago, Hellkitten said: Was your wheel fully charged and were you going downhill? same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crab Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 On 12/14/2022 at 6:46 PM, Jkay said: Rainy day, I have a 40X40 building with a smooth concrete floor, I am still early in the learning process, so I put my wrist, leg guards and helmet on and I had a ball riding around in this enclosed area. At first I really couldn’t “reliably “ make a full circle in the area. By lunch I could, and by 3 pm I am riding around in a 6 ft circle at a pretty good clip. I feel a lot more confident on mounting and now I dismount when I want too! What fun! As a high time motorcyclist, the feeling I get riding around like this reminds me of riding a bike on a smooth curvy road! I am really enjoying my new V12, just crossed the 10 mile mark! I can see times in the very near future of that many miles between stops! Fun for a geezer to learn a new “skill”!! I had similar experience with my 16x, after the circle riding came the hill to our area. Up hill wasn’t bad but downhill was sketchy as shi#, few hrs later I was up and down slow due to a blind corner. Ride more=progress faster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 No, I was still putzing around in my building, slowly practicing turns and circles. It is/was about 75% charge. I know it is capable of some degree of “self diagnosis “ but now when I turn it on it “tips” full forward and when the nose hits the ground the wheel starts spinning, so I have just put it aside till I hear from eWheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KiwiMark Posted December 16, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 16, 2022 4 hours ago, Crab said: Ride more=progress faster. I hadn't been doing as much riding as I would have liked, then I moved to the city and find that I have a lot more reason to go riding (often to the supermarket and back). With more riding I've gotten better at riding, gained confidence and my riding speed has gone up. There are also more paths and tracks to ride, this has helped for going out on longer rides (1-2 hours). I'm enjoying riding more and more as I become more confident and more competent. I'm also finding that I'm more relaxed when riding as I'm getting better and that makes riding more fun. The good thing is that there is a positive feedback loop: The more you ride the better you get, the better you get the more you enjoy riding, the more you enjoy riding the more you ride, the more you ride the better you get . . . There is the initial learning curve you need to get over, beyond that it is just ride as much as you can to gain confidence and to improve your riding skills. 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa_Jay Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 I am anxiously awaiting warmer weather and more opportunities to continue my learning. I am doing my best to at least spend 15 minutes a day on the wheel, but my last trip to the park I caught something and was sick for a couple of days. Still not feeling my best, combined with this cold has not allowed me to continue to practice as I would like. BUT I am very relieved that I now feel hopeful that come spring I should be able to ride it! Today is my point of no return date. My 30 day return window on the wheel has closed. For the first time, yesterday, I was able to ride from the front (asphalt) to (almost) the end of my dirt/sand driveway without bailing!!!!! I have done further distance at the park but never on dirt/sand. I am now using only one cane (most of the time) and mostly just to assist with mounting. I MUST figure a way to protect my shins!! I ordered (&returned) Leatt Dual Axis knee/shin guards s because they did NOT protect me from these pedals! Suggestions please. TIA my new EUC friends 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandpa_Jay Posted December 19, 2022 Author Share Posted December 19, 2022 On 12/15/2022 at 5:36 PM, Jkay said: Think my V12 just ate a stupid electron. While riding in my driveway at about 6-7 mph it said “Get Off”. Then went full bow down till it touched the ground, then the tire starts spinning (I guess) full speed and the lady inside said “Be Careful “. Turned off while holding it off the ground. Just emailed eWheels, hope it is a minor whack in the head for it to behave! What a bummer! I'm so sorry. I know how bad I felt when I bent my trolley handle on day 4 or so of owning my wheel. And at least I have been able to continue with my bent pole. I hope you are able to get yours working again soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbera Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, Grandpa_Jay said: I MUST figure a way to protect my shins!! I ordered (&returned) Leatt Dual Axis knee/shin guards s because they did NOT protect me from these pedals! Suggestions please. I presume you hit your shins under where the Leatts come down to ? If so there's the argument for MC boots, which will overlap with those slightly for complete protection from thigh to foot. Probably a mistake to send the Leatts back IMO - you need those for knees mainly. Edited December 19, 2022 by Cerbera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post OldFartRides Posted December 19, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted December 19, 2022 1 hour ago, Grandpa_Jay said: And at least I have been able to continue with my bent pole. I hope you are able to get yours working again soon. My pole has been bent for years. You get used to it… 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tawpie Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, Grandpa_Jay said: I MUST figure a way to protect my shins!! I ordered (&returned) Leatt Dual Axis knee/shin guards s because they did NOT protect me from these pedals! Suggestions please. I bought a $10 set of soccer shin guards from Mr. Bezos... they protect the bone from the ankle smacking monsters. They're in a box now, no longer needed, so don't overspend. Another rider fashioned some protection from aluminum and foam... I was thinking you could even tape a thick magazine around your leg "world war z" style. BTW, the Leatts are the most popular accessory for protecting your knees... I can't stress enough how well they work and how absolutely necessary they are. You really need something that won't slip off, and that you can fall right on your knees from a standing position without injury. Stuff continues to happen, even after thousands of miles of experience. Edited December 19, 2022 by Tawpie 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funky Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tawpie said: I bought a $10 set of soccer shin guards from Mr. Bezos... they protect the bone from the ankle smacking monsters. They're in a box now, no longer needed, so don't overspend. Another rider fashioned some protection from aluminum and foam... I was thinking you could even tape a thick magazine around your leg "world war z" style. BTW, the Leatts are the most popular accessory for protecting your knees... I can't stress enough how well they work and how absolutely necessary they are. You really need something that won't slip off, and that you can fall right on your knees from a standing position without injury. Stuff continues to happen, even after thousands of miles of experience. I don't get how people can hit their ankle/shin with euc. Aren't you in control of said euc? Sure i get while learning, but afterwards? I personally have never hit an ankle. But that's maybe because i mount/dismount with bigger distance from pedal. Ofc if one is placing the foot on the ground right next to pedal - you will get hit.. But i would have learned already, that you need to place it further away from euc/pedal. How hard is that? Here's a tip - try placing your foot further away from euc.. Or try to learn controlling euc one legged. (While standing in place move it around, etc.. With one foot.) Edited December 19, 2022 by Funky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiMark Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 My Leatt knee/shin guards and my wrist guard each have some scrapes on them, those scrapes would have been on me if I hadn't been wearing those guards. I find that getting some scrapes on plastic is less painful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A Posted December 19, 2022 Share Posted December 19, 2022 Knee guards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.