New Rider. Veteran Sherman Max

[Kakes11]

Hi everyone- I am happy to now be a part of the EUC community. I have never seen an EUC in my state of Michigan and have only seen one once while vacationing in Florida a few years ago. When I saw someone riding it I knew I had to eventually get one. I have been researching and watching hundreds of videos (along with creepin this forum) over the past 4 months and have received my Veteran Sherman Max from eWheels 1 week ago. I wanted to go with the Veteran Sherman Max as my first wheel because of the reliability, range and it having non suspension, to name a few. I'd like my second wheel in addition to the Max to be a suspension wheel. I wanted to say hi to everyone and list out my progress of my first 5 days of riding to see if anyone had comments or feedback.

Day 1

I took my wheel in the backyard and got used to the feeling of stepping on it using the wall. I went back and forth on the concrete patio using the wall to guide me. I mounted and dismounted using the wall. I did half circles with each leg to get used to the weight of the wheel. I stayed touching the wall almost 100% of the time.

Day 2 

I went to the backyard again using the wall to lean on to get used to the weight and mechanics of the wheel. I tried free mounting and dismounting with both feet within close proximity to the wall. I was able to move away from the wall and accelerate and break for a few feet but would return to the wall. I stayed on the wall or near the wall 90% of the time.

Day 3

On the grass in my backyard I was able to free mount and dismount using both legs and accelerate and break. I dropped the wheel a few times on the grass while practicing half circles with one leg planted to then free mount. I worked on turning the wheel while riding as I was feeling comfortable mounting and accelerating and breaking. Turning the wheel while riding to do a half circle or full circle was way more difficult than I thought it would be. Turning made me feel like for the first time I had to put trust in the wheel and it was a scary feeling. I attempted to do a full circle turn and pedal clipped the grass and went flying and did a somersault lol. The fall broke my Atticus front bumper/stand that I only had for 2 days. I took the wheel through the woods on a dirt trail behind my house to an open field and then rode it back without stopping. I knew I had to focus on turning on my next day practicing. I stayed on the grass and dirt 100% of the time. 

Day 4

The first 3 days I wore no gear with regular adidas tennis shoes. Today I wanted to put on work boots I bought for riding (As Dawn suggested as riding footwear). I like the way the boots felt on my feet and I liked the protection but I didn't like the way the back of the Clark Pads were resting directly on the top of the boot opening, this made me feel like I couldn't get my feet off and on the wheel easily. I proceeded doing laps in my backyard focusing on turning. I took my wheel through the dirt trails to the open field. Next the open field was an empty parking lot and I thought to myself don't do it, not yet, but then something said to me do it lol. Rolling on the pavement was effortless and I couldn't stop smiling. I worked on my turning and just before I left to go back home I dropped the wheel while dismounting. I was coming to a stop to dismount when I lost control after a turn. The metal bars and headlight got some scratches on it and I felt defeated/sad/angry. I thought to myself it was bound to happen but still upset it did happen. In a way to feel victory in some way I mounted up and got the wheel to 20 mph. Looking back I knew I shouldn't have done that with no gear except boots on. 

Day 5

Today I fully geared up with a full face helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, boots and wrist guards. I moved the Clark Pads up higher so there was a gap in between the back of my boot opening and bottom of the back of the pad. I may have to cut the Clark Pads and separate into two pieces because the width of the boot does not fit into the width of the Clark Pad with room.  I rode through the woods, through the open field to the open parking lot. I noticed moving the pads made it feel like a different machine I was riding and it felt brand new to me. This feeling made me feel like I lost progress and I felt a little tense and stiff compared to day 4. After riding for a little and felt more confident. I worked a lot on turning and in the back of my mind I kept remembering when I pedal clipped the grass and went flying. Sometimes while completing a turn it felt like the wheel wanted to keep going like a bull whip effect and I would have to focus on snapping it back. My full faced visor DOT adventure helmet felt light to me I remember thinking I didn't notice it on. I rode for about 2 hours without stopping to dismount and covered a lot of ground in the parking lot. I then rode the wheel from the parking lot through the field out to a street in my sub division. This was just a side street but a street nonetheless, something I literally dreamed about for months! I rode in the sub division for a few streets and made it to my street. While going down my side street I experienced my first wobbles at 17 mph and pulled back a little and the wobble stopped. I pulled up in my drive way smiling full of adrenaline and joy thinking to myself sh!t they should charge more for these things LOL.

[Kakes11]

Day 6

In the parking lot I practiced a lot of turns and going over bumps and cracks. Turning left seems more effortless than turning right on concrete but the opposite when on grass. I noticed the gyro effect today maybe because I was averaging higher speeds. I encounter my first police officer on the side street, we both came to a 4 was stop at the same time. He was to the right of me going straight and I was turning right. I signaled I was turning and gave him a wave when I was a few feet from his car and he gave me a head nod . I rode side side streets and side walks and a feeling came over me that I could go anywhere. I'm not happy with my pad set up after I moved them due to my boots, I will have to move them or cut them soon. 

[Kakes11]

Day 7

Highlights: First night ride. Confused deer. Kids waved. Wobbles. Car flashed lights.

 I rode by 4 deer about 20 yards or so away from me and they were looking at me like what in the world is going on. Turning felt way more natural today. I rode by a couple kids that were on the sidewalk and they were amazed, they gave me a wave as I drove by. It was my first night ride and I rode around the sub division streets for about an hour and man was it fun, I thought it would like night riding a little more than day riding but it was so much more fun. I averaged about 15 mph/24 kmph through the streets and was getting wobbles every time around 17 mph/27 kmph. I tried carving, shifting my weight around and riding with one foot slightly more forward but the wobble stayed until I reduced speed. To end the night an oncoming car flashed their headlights at me and I thought this little EUC light was enough to blind them? I parked my Sherman with the lights on when I got home and walked away from it to check out how bright it was. It was bright but not bright enough to get worked up about.

 

[Clem604]

Sounds like you are making good progress. Having wobbles is normal and it will eventually go away as your leg muscles mature which is what I've realized after over 5000 miles of riding. As for the Sherman light it can be quite blinding because there isn't a vertical cutoff for the beam. This is a similar light I have on my Sherman S so I added a 3D printed piece that covers the top 1/3rd of the light so you can adjust it lower without blinding people.

As you progress in your EUC journey, you'll get to the point where you don't even think about balancing whatsoever and riding the wheel becomes second nature like it's an extension of your body. That's where the real fun begins.

Edited April 13, 2023 by Clem604

[Kakes11]

Thanks Clem. I had high expectations of owning and riding an EUC and I worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations but it surpassed my expectations! My family members don't understand and think I'm crazy lol. I think the only way to grow is to encounter and overcome the situations that are difficult and right now for me I know I have to work on the wobbles and turning. That's good to know, thanks for the support! I can't wait to keep advancing. I'm sure the more miles and time I spend on it the more in-tune I will become. 

[Kakes11]

29 minutes ago, Clem604 said:

 As for the Sherman light it can be quite blinding because there isn't a vertical cutoff for the beam. This is the same for the light on my Sherman S so I added a 3D printed piece that covers the top 1/3rd of the light so you can adjust it lower without blinding people.

 

I saw the headlight bumper/cover Marty had and maybe it would help with that but I couldn't find it for sale by Duf or anyone else..

[Scubadragonsan]

Kakes11, sounds like you are right on track. Wobbling will/can be overcome as you gain more confidence and more control of the wheel. Bringing both feet as close to the sides or to the center of the wheel as possible sometimes helps to reduce wobbling. Sometimes you may think the wheel is wobbling, but the cause could be you. Most of us are not ambi-dexterous meaning in this case, one leg is stronger than the other. That's was my experience in the beginning putting both legs on the wheel. How do I distribute my weight evenly using my legs? Is the right or leg foot going to put more weight on one side or the other? An uneven distribution of weight can also cause wobbling, a very subtle matter. Controlling the wheel implies strong legs, firmly planted but not locking knees. Just my 2 cents... Hope it helps.

[Kakes11]

1 hour ago, Scubadragonsan said:

Kakes11, sounds like you are right on track. Wobbling will/can be overcome as you gain more confidence and more control of the wheel. Bringing both feet as close to the sides or to the center of the wheel as possible sometimes helps to reduce wobbling. Sometimes you may think the wheel is wobbling, but the cause could be you. Most of us are not ambi-dexterous meaning in this case, one leg is stronger than the other. That's was my experience in the beginning putting both legs on the wheel. How do I distribute my weight evenly using my legs? Is the right or leg foot going to put more weight on one side or the other? An uneven distribution of weight can also cause wobbling, a very subtle matter. Controlling the wheel implies strong legs, firmly planted but not locking knees. Just my 2 cents... Hope it helps.

I didn't expect wobbles to be such a defined line, as soon as I hit 17ish mph they occurred again. I will try your suggestion, thanks Scubadragonsan. 

[Clem604]

On 4/13/2023 at 7:55 AM, Kakes11 said:

Thanks Clem. I had high expectations of owning and riding an EUC and I worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations but it surpassed my expectations! My family members don't understand and think I'm crazy lol. I think the only way to grow is to encounter and overcome the situations that are difficult and right now for me I know I have to work on the wobbles and turning. That's good to know, thanks for the support! I can't wait to keep advancing. I'm sure the more miles and time I spend on it the more in-tune I will become. 

My family and friends think I'm nuts as well for wanting to ride a self balancing wheel at the the speeds I do, well any speed actually. The great thing about riding EUC's is that the riding experience gets better as your skills do. The best thing to do is keep riding and you'll get there. Full send!

Edited April 20, 2023 by Clem604

[Kakes11]

Day 8

Highlights: Numb feet/legs. Hit 25 mph/40 kmph. Got laughed at & got a "cool". Cut my pads.

I explored further than I have before riding side streets and side walks. I also was also averaging higher speeds, around 20 mph/32 kmph on straights. Biggest takeaway on this ride was my feet and at times my legs from my knee down were numb tingly. This made it very hard to dismount, do small maneuvers, feel the wheel and road, and ride in general. I have to figure out how to overcome this... On this ride I did hit my personal top speed of 25 mph/40 kmph. I passed a younger couple that walking towards me and they both laughed at me lol maybe they didn't know what other response to have? I did pass another couple of ladies walking and when I passed them they said " Ohh cool". I finally cut my Clark Pads, I left the front toe part where It was and raised the back part so it would clear the top of the back of my boot. 

 

[Scubadragonsan]

2 hours ago, Kakes11 said:

Biggest takeaway on this ride was my feet and at times my legs from my knee down were numb tingly. This made it very hard to dismount, do small maneuvers, feel the wheel and road, and ride in general. I have to figure out how to overcome this...

It's time to sit down when your legs are tired or numb. I've been riding for 5 years. Usually after 30 mins standing up, my legs will get numb. To overcome I either step off and walk a little and back on riding. Or an alternative I prefer is to sit down and keep riding.

[Kakes11]

5 minutes ago, Scubadragonsan said:

It's time to sit down when your legs are tired or numb. I've been riding for 5 years. Usually after 30 mins standing up, my legs will get numb. To overcome I either step off and walk a little and back on riding. Or an alternative I prefer is to sit down and keep riding.

It never occurred to me to sit down. That will be on my list to work on, thanks. I don't know if it was the constant pressure of my shins pushing on the pads that made my legs and feet numb? I was consciously working on wiggling my toes while ridding but numbness only got worse.   

[Punxatawneyjoe]

27 minutes ago, Kakes11 said:

It never occurred to me to sit down. That will be on my list to work on, thanks. I don't know if it was the constant pressure of my shins pushing on the pads that made my legs and feet numb? I was consciously working on wiggling my toes while ridding but numbness only got worse.

you can also take the weight off of one  leg and move that foot  around then switch, try practicing by shifting all of you weight onto one side while bracing the side of the wheel with that leg.

[mhpr262]

the best cure for painful, numb feet is getting off the wheel and walking a couple dozen steps. Very often it is some cramping issue and after you have done it once, twice or thrice the cramps will be gone for good, or at least for a very long time. The important thing is to do it as soon as the uncomfortable feeling starts, the longer you wait and the worse it gets the less walking will help.

[Kakes11]

Day 9

Highlights: Hit 29 mph/46 kmph. I fell. Passed Onewheel. DarknessBot connected. 25 mile/40 km trip. 111 total miles/178 total kms

I made it to a major bike path that I have been envisioning to ride for a long time. The bike path runs alongside a freeway (70mph/112kph freeway) and then wraps around and runs next to a scenic road through parks. I passed bicyclists (the serious kind) and waved to them all, some waved back and some seemed too hard core to wave as if they didn't approve of what I was ridding. I passed by a guy ridding a Onewheel (first time I've seen one in real life) and we were anxious to wave to each other lol. On the path I passed many people walking and just slowed way down and made myself heard and then passed. While passing one couple I fell... I slowed way down to walking speed and I said "On your left" and they moved right and as I went to pass them my tire hit some mud that was in-between the edge of the paved pathway and grass. Hitting this mud sent me jutting to the right towards grass on the other side, I almost regained controls but was difficult because the grass on the right side was at a steep angle. So I fell literally right next them on the grass in slow motion lol how embarrassing. Overall very happy with my trip and went 25 mile/40 km. I hit my personal top speed of 29 mph/46 kmph. I did not get wobbles. My feet/legs did go numb a few times and when that happened I stopped for a minute and kicked my legs around and then continued ridding.

P.S. I got home last night around 8pm and plugged my wheel right in to charge. It is now almost 9am and its still making noises like its charging and the taillight is still lit up. Battery was at 54% but this seems like too long of a time. I have plugged this wheel in once maybe twice before but I thought I remember the noise stopping when it was done and the taillight shutting off. 

[BKW]

Usually the wheel turns off after completely charged for a while. You might want to contact ewheels and let them know and ask if something might be wrong with your charger. Try another outlet next time?

Edited April 27, 2023 by BKW

[Kakes11]

2 hours ago, BKW said:

Usually the wheel turns off after completely charged for a while. You might want to contact ewheels and let them know and ask if something might be wrong with your charger. Try another outlet next time?

I appreciate the comment BKW. Thats what I remember it doing when it was done but then doubted myself. I ended up unplugging it at noon. So it was charging from 8pm until noon still making the same noise and still lit up. The volts when I unplugged it said 100.8.  

[BKW]

2 hours ago, Kakes11 said:

I appreciate the comment BKW. Thats what I remember it doing when it was done but then doubted myself. I ended up unplugging it at noon. So it was charging from 8pm until noon still making the same noise and still lit up. The volts when I unplugged it said 100.8.  

Sometimes I think the EUC doesn't always turn off after completely charged, but not sure. Some people might charge when the wheel is on and expect it to turn off after charged; I always charge when the wheel is off. If your charger indicator is green then it means fully charged. 100.8V is the Sherman Max charged completely. Never heard of any issues with charging the Sherman Max, so probably nothing to be concerned about

Edited April 28, 2023 by BKW

[Kakes11]

11 hours ago, BKW said:

Sometimes I think the EUC doesn't always turn off after completely charged, but not sure. Some people might charge when the wheel is on and expect it to turn off after charged; I always charge when the wheel is off. If your charger indicator is green then it means fully charged. 100.8V is the Sherman Max charged completely. Never heard of any issues with charging the Sherman Max, so probably nothing to be concerned about

Awesome, best case scenario is there is nothing to worry about! I did reach out to eWheels last night, I hope I hear back today because I think they are closed on the weekends. You're the man BKW! You got the fastest ETA on the EUC and especially when you get the Commander Pro!

[Kakes11]

Eric and Jason at eWheels are awesome. I sent an email last night at 9:30pm EST and they already replied twice by 9:30am EST today. They implied that the Sherman Max should turn off once its done charging. They said what I'm experiencing may be a one-off. They suggested that I ride and get the battery below 50% and try charging again and observe before taking the next step. Forecast here in Detroit shows rain for the next few days so it will be a full week until I'm able to ride again and then I'm going to have to ride my a$$ off. 

[BKW]

Good to see your progression! And yeah, ewheels has superb customer service

[Kakes11]

Day 10

Highlights: Hit 30mph/48kph. Motorcycle gave . Traveled on 40mph/64kph road. 

I made it to the same major bike path as last time but instead of going right, I went to the left. While on this bike bath I had a few people yell out to me saying things like "cool", "that's awesome man", and "what do you do for a living" lol. I saw a couple walking towards me and we would have passed on a small bridge so I stop and let them walk by. The couple were interested and asked me a bunch of questions. I thought it would get a little attention riding an EUC but not this much lol. I continued on the bike path that runs alongside the scenic road. The cracks that formed on the path made the area around it rise up, like a speed bump. Some cracks/bumps were anywhere from 1" to 4" raised. The bumps along with some of the bike path being flooded made me keep looking at the road next to it and thinking "should I do it?". I eventually did do it. I got on the road and stayed close to the right hand line and eventually got up to my personal high speed of 30mph/48kph . While on the road a motorcycle passed me going the same direction, looked back and gave me a thumbs up (If I wasn't already hooked on EUCs, that would have done it lol) 

If you're interested in the location to where I got onto the road: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3585747,-83.3914314,3a,75y,81.03h,76.88t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sDho_yKUxlf-G4P_xG6rdaA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DDho_yKUxlf-G4P_xG6rdaA%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D327.19296%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

I made it back to my neighborhood and rode some more down the side streets. There is definitely a correlations between how much fun I'm having and how fast I'm going. I was having difficulties going above 20mph/32kph on some portions of the side street because of the separation gaps between concrete slabs. At about every 10 feet there was a raised section maybe only 1" high between concrete slabs in the street. I was able to gain speed and then hit one of these bumps and that would slow me down and this repeated in a section about 1/4 mile long. I wonder what I have to do to overcome this? Lean more? Unweight or jump a little at cracks? Lower tire pressure? I have my tire pressure at 30psi. @BKW What pressure do you ride your Sherman at? 

I will have to do at least one more big ride to get battery below 50% and then monitor my charging situation and get back with eWheels. 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Kakes11

[Kakes11]

Last Riding Week

Highlights: Hit 32mph/51kph. eWheels said Sherman is good. Almost hit pack of deer. 300 total miles/482 total kms.

I have been on vacation over the past week and have gotten my Sherman's battery down below 50% and charged a couple times. I sent eWheels app screen shots of battery % and volts before and after charging along with a videos of me unplugging the Sherman after 100% charged. The wheel never turns off once charging is complete  and eWheels said this is normal my wheels is perfectly healthy and leaving the wheel plugged in (without it turning off) will not damage the batteries.

I did a couple longer rides and a few shorter rides over the past week. I find that I do not like riding on the sidewalks or the paved (bumpy cracked paved) trails so the trick is finding sub divisions and connecting roads that have a speed limit of 30mph/48 kph or under. My feet/legs still get numb after a few miles and the feeling is amplified when pushing against the pads which I have to do more when on bumpy cracked side walks and trails. I try to alter my weight from foot to foot and even wiggle my toes but the tingly numbness eventually comes. 

I rode with my cousin while he was on his gas scooter and am trying to convince him to get an EUC. It was fun riding together and a lot of people were giving us thumbs up and were excited to see us riding. It makes me think that group rides would be a lot of fun. It was dark and on our way back home a group of deer were on the side of the road about 10 feet away and they got startled, they took a couple steps as though to run out in front of me and then ran the other way. My stomach dropped to my balls.