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Personal Preferences for Protective Gear


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1 minute ago, Paul A said:

 

Music at an appropriate volume, is a good, discreet method of alerting pedestrians from behind too.

Good point.  Was it you who also said whistling or singing is also good?

I’m singing in the rain.  Just singing in the rain.  What a glorious feeling.  With my  V13 today

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Just now, Josiah said:

Was it you who also said whistling or singing is also good?

 

Would have been someone else.

Still need to be wary.

Have had two occasions of a walker do a u-turn just as about to pass, despite the music.

Need to pass slowly, give a wide berth, anticipate.

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42 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Yep. That's what you buy when you want another accessory for your riding but have run out of things you actually need :)

Lol.  So far past the amount that my wife expected I was going to spend on this new hobby.  Started out getting here to agree with the price point of the V11 then jumped to the V13 and now all the safety gear and accessories.   Flow pads and Clark bumpers.  

Got a nice first aid kid to bring in pack for emergencies and too many other things I want to add to the adventure. Guess sometimes less is more though so I’ll try to keep my pack light. 

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I can't talk TBH - my wheel is like a Xmas tree and an alien spacecraft had it off on the set of a Tron movie ! Boys and their toys hey ?

If you want pointless lights that just look cool and get you noticed get some under your pedals, pointed at the ground, some laser projection modules and the Lightmode Nightshift kit for your helmet. Or if you wanna go 'full Tron' you can get light wire you can sew into your gear. Or less ostentatiously backpack and armband lights.

It's nice having all that to play with and illuminate the lounge, but as I don't do many night rides that aren't at 4 am when there's nobody about to see them, and they are entirely superfluous during the day sometimes you get fed up with the extra faff and constant charging that has to go on to keep your mini-city lit up and flashing.

When I first started and had just a lowly Airwheel X5 and some wrist guards, my setup took about 15 seconds. Now, with all the armour, ramps, lights, accoutrements, attachments, bells and whistles I'm up to nearly 20 mins between underwear and 'ready to ride' !!

Edited by Cerbera
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Looks like it’s around that time now where your at.  Going for a ride this morning?  If we didn’t have oceans between all of us on here we could do a 4 am ride together.  

Edited by Josiah
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55 minutes ago, Josiah said:

Looks like it’s around that time now where your at.  Going for a ride this morning?  

I was thinking about it, but it is -6C outside. The wheel would cope, but I am really very warm under this blanket / heater arrangement I am sequestered within, and not feeling any pressing need to emerge from that any time soon :) 

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1 hour ago, Josiah said:

Looks like it’s around that time now where your at.  Going for a ride this morning?  If we didn’t have oceans between all of us on here we could do a 4 am ride together.  

That would be good - I like riding with just 1 or 2 other people, especially if it's quiet enough for conversation, but alas I don't know 1 or 2 other people who live where I do and have wheels ! We are born 10 years too early for virtual collaborative tours where we have in-helmet HUDs and comms allowing us to do communal rides on opposite sides of the planet...

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12 hours ago, Josiah said:

Do you guys like the hand mirrors?  ACB951C5-AD21-4555-BF5C-C024A9C21C19.thumb.jpeg.5ee2946e2d6f6e87d0b9bd0ec6020718.jpeg

I had that mirror - it's not great. First, the concave view makes everything too small to be useful. You'll have to stare at it longer to recognize what is coming, and the spatial distance is very distorted. For example, you might see a cyclist behind you who looks very distant but he may be riding your tail end. That happened to me. Also, it has a reflective film, not a proper glass mirror, that is substandard and scratches easily. Not a keeper.

As for the helmet mirrors, I think they are distracting and didn't like them. They are omnipresent in your forward field of view, dangling there and sometimes reflecting headlights or sunlight. They are harder to use and present a much smaller rearview picture. It *is* important to recognize what you are seeing so you can take it seriously. Is it a car approaching fast in my lane or just a parked car? Hard to tell when the surface is so tiny.

I switched over to a hand-mounted 3" flat round, glass bicycle mirror which is working great. Just velcro it to the backhand side of your Flexmeters and you'll be golden. The spatial perspective is accurate and the optics are very good. Plus, the mirrors will not scratch easily, and they afford a much larger field of view. 

 

Flexmetermirror2.thumb.jpeg.1ed40994f7ee5561a31fc4e930b6a94c.jpegFlexmetermirror1.thumb.jpeg.772a3a87e709197a26afa74d20af5093.jpeg

 

 

Edited by litewave
clarity, removed photos from embedded links
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On 1/16/2023 at 5:37 AM, Josiah said:

Any advice here?

If you are getting the V13 I would strongly suggest getting a proper motorcycle helmet. Especially with the prices the TSG Pass sell for which is only rated for downhill. 

I really like the small bike helmet mirror like @Cerbera recommends, as Dawn Champion stated in one of her vlogs you don't actually have to see exactly what is behind you just be aware that something is.  So the small mirror is fine and having a hand back up is great for the odd time the rain or sun might obscure the little one.

Using the helmet mirror is very easy and quick. I very rarely use the wrist mirror which takes way more time and effort.

9 hours ago, Cerbera said:

occasionally the angle I want is 'between clicks'.

You could always bend the stalk very slightly to help get your optimum angle. I actually needed to swap the velcro to the other side for my preferred set-up.

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Most of my "job" rides i only use wrist guards. (The only gear that i don't leave my house without.) Same time i limit my riding speed to around ~14mph. Because i know i will not fall, because of where/how i ride.. And i need to travel only ~3 miles. :D Only way i would fall, if euc stops working. And i'm okay with that..

 

At "fun" rides when i'm mostly going ~23mph i wear same wrist guard, but i also add knee guards and full face helmet. 

The more you gear up, the more you wanna challenge yourself.. Because back in your mind you know you have "safety-net". I know some who don't use any gear whatsoever.. And they have done over 4000 miles without any falls/injuries.

It's more about how you ride - are you one of those who like to ride the beeps and go over "normal" speeds? Or are you defensive rider, who slows down around curbs, people, blind corners.. But that's me < and my riding speed/type. Also yeah i get that having safety gear is good!

 

For most people who use the "new" wheels that go over 40mph.. You need all the gear you can get!!! :D 

 

Edited by Funky
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Who needs gear?  :D

_________________________________

 

Speeding 40+ Mph passing Cars and Blowing Minds on my #euc

vQ11tsoj7nzIt_83js5stkKBhPPeYORMsXtQhORQ
Oct 8, 2022
 
Riding home from Walmart flying down the road watching people lose their minds as I pass cars and leave the traffic what a great ride on a beautiful night in South Florida.
 
 
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1 hour ago, Paul A said:

Who needs gear?  :D

_________________________________

 

Speeding 40+ Mph passing Cars and Blowing Minds on my #euc

vQ11tsoj7nzIt_83js5stkKBhPPeYORMsXtQhORQ
Oct 8, 2022
 
Riding home from Walmart flying down the road watching people lose their minds as I pass cars and leave the traffic what a great ride on a beautiful night in South Florida.
 
 

Sir.. Are you blind? Don't you see the gear he is wearing? The American tank top and some pants? Ohh and the wrist/knee/elbow guards? It's plenty for ~20mph riding. :D Why would that not be fine at ~40mph?

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1 hour ago, Josiah said:

Would a set of air pods or similar be any different from this?  

Yes. You don't want sound piped directly into your ears when riding - it ruins your situational awareness, which is vital when riding IMO - there are people that go blasting about with the music on max in their headphones, but I can't consider that a safe way to ride given the amount of directional cues I rely on to know where traffic and pedestrians are all the time I am riding amongst them. The helmet systems tend to use open ear speakers that don't affect ambient sound so much, which is fine as long as they are not noise-cancelling - on an EUC you very much don't want crystal clear comms at the expense of not hearing the traffic !!

However, in isolated or off-road places, where there isn't any traffic to compete with or avoid, then blasting up a hillside to your favourite tunes unquestionably makes riding SOO much more enjoyable than I first realised... :)

Edited by Cerbera
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3 hours ago, The Brahan Seer said:

If you are getting the V13 I would strongly suggest getting a proper motorcycle helmet. Especially with the prices the TSG Pass sell for which is only rated for downhill.

Pass Pro has some nice features.  I see it’s not DOT registered.  But I do wonder if it’s got more safety than the dot helmet I had listed near the start of this thread.  
Quick excerpt from the TSG Pass Pro description.

We are working with a progressive manufacturing process that eliminates trapped air and compresses the multiple layers of the helmet shell to deliver a stronger but lighter build and a clean and refined surface. The spherical curved visor with scratch-proof, anti-fog coating optimal peripheral vision.”

Edited by Josiah
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Just now, Cerbera said:

Yes. You don't want sound piped directly into your ears when riding - it ruins your situational awareness, which is vital when riding IMO - there are people that go blasting about with the music on max in their headphones, but I can't consider that a safe way to ride given the amount of directional cues I rely on to know where traffic and pedestrians are all the time I am riding amongst them. The helmet systems tend to use open ear speakers that don't affect ambient sound so much, which is fine as long as they are not noise-cancelling - on an EUC you very much don't want crystal clear comms at the expense of not hearing the traffic !!

I have been riding with earbuds for seven years and over 20,000 miles without any issue. Yes, the earbuds reduce or eliminate much of the road noise, but that is a good thing in most cases. It can be very distracting, even dangerous, when a jerk pulls along side and yells something at you. Also, the sound landscape on road networks is littered with mostly useless if not harmful noise. It increases stress and dramatically reduces ride enjoyment.

I'd say that new riders should wait for 6 months or more before trying to wear earbuds. After that, you can start trying them out gradually to see if you can still monitor the environment with "hear-through" turned on when desired. Also, it requires practice to keep the earbuds properly seated when putting on your helmet. Some helmets can be tricky at first like the TSG Pass; others such as the Bell Supers, not so much.

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57 minutes ago, Josiah said:

Pass Pro has some nice features.  I see it’s not DOT registered.  But I do wonder if it’s got more safety than the dot helmet I had listed near the start of this thread.  
Quick excerpt from the TSG Pass Pro description.

We are working with a progressive manufacturing process that eliminates trapped air and compresses the multiple layers of the helmet shell to deliver a stronger but lighter build and a clean and refined surface. The spherical curved visor with scratch-proof, anti-fog coating optimal peripheral vision.”

I have both a full MC helmet and the TSG Pass for use with the Master. I love the TSG much much more because of how ridiculously light it is, and how good my field of vision is, and how resistant it is to fogging up most of the time. But I do worry slightly about various aspects of that helmet with bigger, higher wheels. For example - I am unable to fasten the strap tightly enough that it passes the 'punch from below' test - it would ride up slightly above my jawline no matter how tight the chin-strap is if it was hit directly from below. Fortunately, I don't think there is much chance of that when riding EUCS, so it doesn't worry me that much, but its relatively thin padding in comparison to MC helmets does worry me a little more. It does not sit on my head as tight as those do, and although I like that in terms of comfort in the daily ride, if ever i am going out with speed in mind or in slightly dodgy weather, mainly ice and snow, then I find myself choosing the MC Helm instead, despite knowing my neck will hate it, I'll be fogging up constantly, and my forward and peripheral views won't be as good or clear. But I will feel happier falling from 8 ft up onto it !!

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13 minutes ago, Josiah said:

Pass Pro has some nice features.  I see it’s not DOT registered.  But I do wonder if it’s got more safety than the dot helmet I had listed near the start of this thread.  
Quick excerpt from the TSG Pass Pro description.

We are working with a progressive manufacturing process that eliminates trapped air and compresses the multiple layers of the helmet shell to deliver a stronger but lighter build and a clean and refined surface. The spherical curved visor with scratch-proof, anti-fog coating optimal peripheral vision.”

The TSG Pass probably has the largest market share in the EUC community. To my knowledge, no one has ever complained or even posted about the TSG failing in any crash. I have faceplanted with mine twice and didn't feel a thing. I was concerned that the lack of MIPs could be an issue, but I think the opposite is true, at least for the Pass.

Some people diss the Pass because they want you to wear bulky, oversized motorcycle helmets, which look goofy and weigh too much. That means you are always aware of their mass and are less able to react quickly. Your situational awareness is significantly degraded. Motorcycle helmets also have less visibility. I tried a motorcycle helmet when I first started riding and hated it. You will notice that very few riders actually wear them, and those that do are just recycling an old helmet to save some cash. If you discover later on that you are frequently riding at 50+mph on roads with traffic, then maybe a carbon-fiber motorcycle helmet would be a good option. However, very, very few riders fall into this tiny niche category.

Edited by litewave
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5 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

I am unable to fasten the strap tightly enough that it passes the 'punch from below' test - it would ride up slightly above my jawline no matter how tight the chin-strap is if it was hit directly from below.

I did get this mod to try out.

E2C1C404-9855-497C-AED1-21A1684E2C55.thumb.jpeg.135a7a285383112ad3a438f4f5c33464.jpeg

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