Are we a dying breed in Europe / UK ?

[Cerbera]

Interesting video by MADpack about reasons why the hobby is slowing down in Europe, and perhaps moreso the UK. Don't think it's been posted before here, please remove if I have missed it elsewhere.

Having said that, and I realise it's only one partial metric, but when I look at the recent tours on EUC World for example, the density of recent tours is only a bit less in Europe, and a bit less again in the UK than it is where wheels roam more freely, like US and Canada...

Still a worry though, and he raises some very valid points...

[The Brahan Seer]

I watched this vlog and thought the opposite! I felt like he was just making a story just for the sake of it. The only thing I would say is,  because we have had so many issues with so many wheels folk are probably very wary to buy just now but I don't think that has any bearing on anything else. But I could be wrong, what the figures say (if there are any) doesn't explain the reasons.

Edited November 30, 2022 by The Brahan Seer

[Cerbera]

He is right about the essentials, as I am living testament ! I did order my Master through a UK distributor, I DID wait 3 months for it, it WAS superseded by the time it got here, and it DID have problems that took a while to sort out, and I'd still be waiting if I hadn't dealt with it myself ! Whether that sort of thing is enough to put us off is another question altogether of course... it didn't me, but I can't say I massively enjoyed the wait and the problems ! Yes, it was worth it, now, and I'm off out for a ride on what is STILL (very temporarily) one of the most impressive machines in the country 

[Rawnei]

Recent tours in Europe is lower and winter is here, coincidence? 😁

Where did are you looking at metrics to determine that EUC World tours in Europe is lower?

[Cerbera]

58 minutes ago, Rawnei said:

Where did are you looking at metrics to determine that EUC World tours in Europe is lower?

Oh I did it in a supremely non-scientific  way - I looked at the world map on their home page, zoomed in a bit to various territories and compared the visual density of recent tour icons. UK had many more users / tours than I expected. 

[Cerbera]

Yeah, would make sense. I have decided I am going to try and ride for as long as weather permits throughout winter, and I'm gonna keep my CST tyre on until next Spring, which will give me better grip than the City Extra, as I try...

[mike_bike_kite]

I normally avoid that particular guys videos but he seems to have matured a little and he's making many very valid points. The major issues, here in the UK, are that EUC's are illegal, they're way too expensive for what they are and the wheels we're currently being offered don't really fit our needs at all - a 3600Wh/50mph wheel "might" make some sense in California but here in SW16 it just doesn't. The fact that some wheels can explode into flames in the middle of the night is also another major put off.

[techyiam]

10 minutes ago, mike_bike_kite said:

... here in the UK, are that EUC's are illegal,

Rationally, isn't this enough for manufacturers to not focus on that segment of the market.

Don't police also enforce the laws on electric wheels too in the UK?

It seems that in the US and Canada, electric wheels may or may not be legal, but for the most part, If one rides responsibly, most of the time, the police won't ticket them. And even for cases where the rider got ticketed, some have won their case in court, and successfully avoided having to pay the fines and penalties.

[Rawnei]

52 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Oh I did it in a supremely non-scientific  way - I looked at the world map on their home page, zoomed in a bit to various territories and compared the visual density of recent tour icons. UK had many more users / tours than I expected. 

Then winter is your answer, here in Stockholm like more than half of riders stop riding entirely or almost entirely when snow and cold season is here.

Very few of us ride all year long in all conditions.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Rawnei

[Rawnei]

42 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Yeah, would make sense. I have decided I am going to try and ride for as long as weather permits throughout winter, and I'm gonna keep my CST tyre on until next Spring, which will give me better grip than the City Extra, as I try...

Do it! You just need to dress accordingly keeping warm, it's fun and cozy, worst type of conditions is grey slush left after cars, rest is mostly manageable even without any studs.

[Cerbera]

Yeah just got a new winter coat in the Black Friday sales - double layered and separable, so you can put the nice fleecy bit on over your thermals but under your armour, and the ultra light waterproof, windproof bit over the top - perfecto warmth ! Oh and when it's really cold, a snood for your neck and face works quite well and can fit under a helmet if you get a slimline one. Does tend to lead to 'some fogging' though !

.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Cerbera

[Paul A]

1 minute ago, Rawnei said:

I have decided I am going to try and ride for as long as weather permits throughout winter

 

Battery heated vests really work well.

They do generate a lot of heat.

Purchase a large capacity power bank.

[Cerbera]

Just as a quick aside, for those that know, what happens when you want to wheel your Winter studded EUCs into shops ? I bet they love that, and what noise does it make on their hard floors ?!

[Freeforester]

5 hours ago, Cerbera said:

Interesting video by MADpack about reasons why the hobby is slowing down in Europe, and perhaps moreso the UK. Don't think it's been posted before here, please remove if I have missed it elsewhere.

Having said that, and I realise it's only one partial metric, but when I look at the recent tours on EUC World for example, the density of recent tours is only a bit less in Europe, and a bit less again in the UK than it is where wheels roam more freely, like US and Canada...

Still a worry though, and he raises some very valid points...

Pass the salt…. The piece takes no notice of the sudden decrease in discretionary spending power of those who might be interested, the oncoming winter season, the pan-European steeply increasing cost of electricity, as well as rising cost of living and general economic malaise throughout Europe at this point in time.     It’s true that most wheels recently released have been larger, and have a distinct hint of lemon (thinking of the dramas with the wheels he does not mention so much, eg the travails of InMotion V12’s, the S22, as well as the many Begode hitches and problems that shouldn’t really occur eg stator separation, suspension issues, motherboard issues, etc) in a finished product costing several thousand pounds/dollars, and it would seem to be a sensible strategy not to enter such a market if one isn’t desperate.     Over-hyping of new release wheels in the past is almost certainly impacting the present market, taking into consideration the aforementioned aspects. There is even hesitancy (quite apart from market “lag” here), for the Sherman - S, as the cost of acquisition rises, so the consideration of the whole idea may be reviewed - remember it’s not a few hundred we are considering to plough into our new ‘toys’, but sufficient to buy a reasonable second hand motor car, so generally speaking, it is not spent lightly or in a carefree manner. 

Competition in the marketplace for the next big thing has hotted up sufficiently to make prospective buyers (self included) wait out the low season and see how those contenders such as the EX30, V13, Sherm-S etc are going to be received, the curse of the first batch is now recognised as something to be avoided, and after all, there’s plenty of time over the winter to continue to save, pore over the reviews made by competent and trusted commentators and determine where to spend the money (if at all) come the spring, when the better riding conditions return. 
 

Meantime, those ‘influencers’ who have perhaps not got much to review may feel they have to content themselves creating content with, er, little by way of content, and end up being more or less discontent…

Edited November 30, 2022 by Freeforester

[mike_bike_kite]

 

13 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Rationally, isn't this enough for manufacturers to not focus on that segment of the market.

EUC's aren't legal in Canada either. We tend to be ignored if we're riding responsibly but that's not guaranteed. In central London they also have the occasional purge where all PEV's are confiscated. I think the market for effective city commuters is fairly common across the world but the current trend is for all wheels to be expensive, complicated, fast and heavy - certainly not something I could wheel into an office without security asking me to take it out. 

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, techyiam said:

Don't police also enforce the laws on electric wheels too in the UK?

Not really so far except in a few isolated cases where there have been confiscations, and points on driving licences handed down / fines. Generally speaking, where I am at least (South East) if you ride sensibly and keep off main roads  / to cycle paths, and pavements, we are mainly left to get on with it. Yesterday I had to pass VERY close to a PCSO who had his back to me and didn't see me until I was way past him, and I had to do a slow roll right past an occupied police car the other day, who didn't say or do anything. In both those cases I was on private (but public) land and had permission from the property manager to ride there, so in some ways, while I was delighted not to have been stopped I was mildly disappointed I didn't get to show them my letter of approval, which I carry around on my phone.

Funnily enough, we also had one of the recent 'PEV purges' @mike_bike_kite mentioned in town a few weeks back. I rode through their trap as they were setting up, and they looked at each other as if undecided what to do. I was allowed to pass unapproached, and I suspect the pure spectacle of the EUC, my 'stormtrooper' armour, and its evident difference from the scooters they were there to abscond, gave them enough pause / indecision to allow me to be long gone by the time they had thought it through. I chose a totally different route to avoid them on the way back, knowing the surprise card probably wasn't going to work twice..

The worry is that this could change at any time, and of course it'll be sods law that when they do stop me I won't be in the 1 small area  of town I actually have permission for ! Fortunately my town is particularly well-served with cycle paths, on which there are NEVER police, so the opportunities to catch me on pavement or roads are actually pretty few and far between, which gives me some hope.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Cerbera

[Robse]

I have done about 6000 km on EUC this year.  Both in the city and in the countryside, smaller cities and a few cities that we in Denmark call "big"    i have met a total of 2 other EUC riders; a Ninebot One S2, and a Kingsong 16S ,  as well as 4 on onewheels.  So to me it seems that nothing big happens here in dark ages Jutland   A lot of people have asked me what it is that i'm riding, how it works (a lot of people cannot understand how it is possible to stand upright on a single wheel),   and what it costs.  As soon as you get to the price, and the small "dangers" which requires that you buy some (not to cheap) safety equipment, you can see and feel that the interest decreases.

[Paul A]

Riding Electric Unicycles with EUC Denmark

TECH DRONE

Jan 18, 2017

 

Riding Electric Unicycles with my friends from EUC Denmark at Amager Beach Park.

We meet very often to hang out and play around practicing Electric Unicycle tricks.

We spend a fair amount of time demoing this wonderful technology to any interested.

 

If you are in the area (Denmark, Sealand) apply for our facebook group through the link below.

It's ok to write in English and members are more than willing to get a chance to get meet people that share a mutual interest and ride their beloved Electric Unicycles.

 

EUC Denmark - Danish EUC Community: http://bit.ly/2iuCDM4

 

 

[techyiam]

11 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

The worry is that this could change at any time, and of course it'll be sods law that when they do stop me I won't be in the 1 small area  of town I actually have permission for !

Yeah, it doesn't sound like UK is electric wheel friendly at all.

Firstly, for most folks, they think electric wheels are dangerous. And secondly, they would be doing something illegally, and has to be on a constant look out for police. It does sound like electric wheels are more for the enthusiasts / diehards in the UK.

[Robse]

14 minutes ago, Paul A said:

Riding Electric Unicycles with EUC Denmark

TECH DRONE

Jan 18, 2017

 

Riding Electric Unicycles with my friends from EUC Denmark at Amager Beach Park.

We meet very often to hang out and play around practicing Electric Unicycle tricks.

We spend a fair amount of time demoing this wonderful technology to any interested.

 

If you are in the area (Denmark, Sealand) apply for our facebook group through the link below.

It's ok to write in English and members are more than willing to get a chance to get meet people that share a mutual interest and ride their beloved Electric Unicycles.

 

EUC Denmark - Danish EUC Community: http://bit.ly/2iuCDM4

 

 

Yes!   Denmark = Copenhagen, the rest of the country is unploughed loam, impenetrable forests, streams, and populated by village goons.  Video 5 years old.

Edited November 30, 2022 by Robse

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, techyiam said:

Yeah, it doesn't sound like UK is electric wheel friendly at all.

Yes, we are the very worst at being suspicious and worried and ban-happy about anything new or fun. Our government is mainly from the 18th century and those luddite / non-forward-looking attitudes persist annoyingly. I rather worry that the only reason we don't get harangued now is that our ridership is too insignificant next to scooters et al, which are a much bigger problem for them simply because of the numbers and the crazy teenagers that typically ride them.

We are a different class to them. We are typically older, wiser and more safety-conscious, I would say, than the typical scooterist, and that should certainly factor into any law-making decisions that are made about EUCs. Reckless youth are pretty much priced out of these wheels. And although those of us old enough to know better don't all ride like angels, on the whole MOST of us are pretty careful from what I see, and that should be taken into account when laws are being formulated. 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Cerbera

[Robse]

3 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Yes, we are the very worst at being suspicious and worried and ban-happy about anything new or fun. Our government is mainly from the 18th century and those luddite / non-forward-looking attitudes persist annoyingly. I rather worry that the only reason we don't get harangued now is that our ridership is too insignificant next to scooters et al, which are a much bigger problem for them simply because of the numbers.

We have the same lunatics ruling the country here.  Most of them have no business experience at all - they are politically educated, secondly they have not learned how to solve problems by solving the problem itself.  Instead, they have learned to eliminate the problem instead of solving it.  The easiest way to remove/eliminate a problem is to issue a ban...

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, Robse said:

The easiest way to remove/eliminate a problem is to issue a ban...

Yes it is unbelievably lazy regulation. Long gone are the days when these people remember that they are there to SERVE the public and safely ENABLE the things that their populations want to do, rather than stamp their authoritarian, nanny-state feet all over it at the first possible opportunity. I honestly think we are being temporarily saved only by the individual discretion and ultimate human-level sensibleness of the average police person in this country. Sure, make me accountable for the way I ride in public; I happily acquiesce to taking responsibility for my actions, and dedication to doing it well, and considerately, but don't give us some half-baked, thrown together, unfit-for-purpose legal framework to not do it at all.

I note that the word 'Bastards' might have been the perfect lyrical ending to that little mini-rant, so may the fact that I resisted count for something should this post ever be read back to me in court ! :/

Edited November 30, 2022 by Cerbera

[Rawnei]

1 hour ago, Cerbera said:

Just as a quick aside, for those that know, what happens when you want to wheel your Winter studded EUCs into shops ? I bet they love that, and what noise does it make on their hard floors ?!

As long as you don't ride it in the store it doesn't matter, doesn't really many any sound and doesn't cause any damage.

[Paul A]

https://www.gov.uk/petition-government

Petition Parliament and the government

Create or sign a petition that asks for a change to the law or to government policy.

After 10,000 signatures, petitions get a response from the government.

After 100,000 signatures, petitions are considered for debate in Parliament.

 

You must be a British citizen or a UK resident to create or sign a petition.

You can’t use this service to create a petition that’s:

• about something that Parliament or the government isn’t responsible for
• about something that’s the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Assembly
• about a legal case that’s active in the UK courts
• names people working in public bodies (except for senior management)

 

https://petition.parliament.uk/