learned how to ride without pads; now learning to ride with pads...

[bpong]

ive been shopping for a new euc this year and i got a chance to try out a few different eucs last week.  rs19 HS, S22, V12, V11, ... after riding for 5 years without pads,  it suddenly became apparent that for me to ride these larger eucs,  i should try to get acquainted with using pads on my old V2 tesla.

theres not much flat space for pads on my V2 but i managed to get a set of inmotion V12 pads to fit nicely on it.  i did not use the velcro from the kit;  i just horizontally mounted some 8"x2" industrial velcro loop strips (3) on each side.  these strips hold the pads firmly and i can always reuse my pads on another euc using the original hooks.

the pads do change my riding quite considerably, ... i can accelerate (whatever acceleration one can get from a V2...) and brake (ditto to prev remark) more effectively and assertively.  i wish i had added these pads literally years ago.  i cant believe i was riding without pads for all these years.

pads always intimidated me but after trying to ride those aforementioned eucs,  i realized that i needed to generate more torque in my posturing to get more out of the control board.

i may now hold off buying for this season cause i want to be more accustomed to riding with pads first before i drop a dime on any thing.  and by the looks of it,  by the end of this 2023 season, there will be more offerings from euc manufacturers again anyways.  its just too easy to get swayed by all the marketing hype (including the numerous review vids) on a particular euc (which i will not mention) this year.  i want to refine my riding further before spending my hard earned pennies... 4 to 5K is a tidy sum of money.

its back to school again for the time being...

[mrelwood]

12 hours ago, bpong said:

i cant believe i was riding without pads for all these years.

They can transform the riding experience, can’t they? But be careful, like you said, you can now easily accelerate more effectively than the Tesla has power for. That’s called a faceplant, and they say that it hurts.

16x2.125” wheels aren’t usually used with pads since the tire diameter and wheel weight are small enough not to really need them. 35+ kg suspension behemoths are a whole new ballgame. They definitely require pads.

[bpong]

3 hours ago, mrelwood said:

...That’s called a faceplant, and they say that it hurts.

yes, ive been bounced off my wheel twice at 40+kph and i got scrapes, but no bruises.  and it did hurt.  those heavier machines that i test rode definitely need more leverage to ride as i found out that afternoon.   oh yeah, im being careful not to over lean on my old euc, i definitely know it doesnt need pads.  im using this opportunity to get used to riding with pads to prepare for a new euc... hopefully it will be lighter than 35kg...

[bpong]

i am sold on the riding pads now....

while riding on the right side of a sidestreet, i had my first encounter with an unseen pothole yesterday afternoon.  was going along at a fair clip (40ish kph) when i hit a small pothole (i would have seen it if i were paying abit more attention...) and i was bounced off my pedals momentarily.  usually, i dont use pads;  this bounce would have put me up ahead of my euc, and off the pedals which means i would have faceplanted.  but this time,  even though my feet came off the pedals momentarily,  the tops of my feet were held close to my pedals by the bottom of the front pads...  damn, i was totally shocked and impressed that the pads prevented me from leaving my euc.  im almost sold on using these pads now;  i wish i had been using them sooner but its never too late.  i still cant get over my feet recovering and staying on my pedals.  i know it sounds neewbie-ish in my reaction,  but after a few faceplants,  its a great relief to find that the pads prevented me from having another encounter with the pavement.  dont misunderstand my enthusiasm,  i will still be prudent when riding and will try to keep an eye out for potholes and such.  but the use of the pads does help keep your feet on the pedals somewhat...i still have to grip the euc with my lower inner legs...

now if i can only position the pads for a more comfortable ride but still keep them close to my feet and legs...that search never ends...im sure if i ever went riding on off road trails (in the provincial parks),  the pads would be invaluable for that type of riding.

[Cerbera]

39 minutes ago, bpong said:

i know it sounds neewbie-ish in my reaction,  but after a few faceplants,  its a great relief to find that the pads prevented me from having another encounter with the pavement.

I know what you mean - the first time it happened to me I was unprepared for the 'pogo effect' where my suspension would bounce my feet off the pedals, but my recently arrived Grizzlas were there to catch them and plonk them right back down again where I could make the save. 

43 minutes ago, bpong said:

im sure if i ever went riding on off road trails (in the provincial parks),  the pads would be invaluable for that type of riding.

Also true for me, now I am just starting to do more regular off-roading. This has made me ultimately change my pad setup from having acceleration pads a way forward so that I have to be leaning a little to contact them, to being in full contact with both legs most of the time now, which very much helps the locked-in feeling, and slow-speed twistability of the wheel on those tight little woodland trails.

[Hellkitten]

4 hours ago, bpong said:

 

i am sold on the riding pads now....

 

Glad to hear it. It’s much safer and makes maneuvering easier and more precise. Now how’s that suspension looking……..? 🤔

[bpong]

hellkitten,

if you are referring to what suspension euc im looking at now,  im waiting for what inmotion will release this season or late this season.  im not in a hurry to get a new euc and im not playing in to all those 'glowing' review videos of the Patton.  at the beginning of this year i was so enamored with the veteran patton but as the riding season progressed and inmotion has made their case for what they want to do,  i have put the brakes on spending my money.  lets see what transpires over the next few months...

you have a great riding season !!!

[Hellkitten]

Gotcha. Did you see the Patton video posted by the ride one team? There’s a link in the patton thread and the video thread. 
can you tell me what intersection that pothole was at. I paint them to help riders avoid them. 🕳️🕳️

[techyiam]

49 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

can you tell me what intersection that pothole was at. I paint them to help riders avoid them. 🕳️🕳️

Do you have to be careful so that you don't get caught tagging as a graffiti delinquent? Afterall, what is considered good or bad is dependent on eye of the beholder. 

[bpong]

1 hour ago, Hellkitten said:

can you tell me what intersection that pothole was at. I paint them to help riders avoid them. 🕳️🕳️

Its on front st e, near the honda dealership...i will check this week and priv msg yu...

[Hellkitten]

27 minutes ago, techyiam said:

Do you have to be careful so that you don't get caught tagging as a graffiti delinquent? Afterall, what is considered good or bad is dependent on eye of the beholder. 

I do it late at night when traffic is quiet. I’ve been doing it about a year now. The average time that it takes the city to fill one is about two weeks. I don’t do anything that can be confused with actual road signage. Every single person that’s seen me doing it has thanked me and commend the effort. I’ve even had drivers that had stopped after hitting one thank me for the public service. Many of the local riders have been very grateful for having dangerous obstacles fixed in their neighborhoods. I’m very careful doing it. I see this as helping out a community and potentially keeping someone out of a hospital or morgue. 

[techyiam]

On 5/15/2023 at 2:41 PM, bpong said:

i wish i had added these pads literally years ago.

I have a feeling that you will have this sentiment again when you start riding and get comfortable with your next wheel, except that your next wheel will make a way bigger difference. 

 

17 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

The average time that it takes the city to fill one is about two weeks.

Are you saying it sped up the repair response time of the potholes? What colour paint did you use?

Edited June 4, 2023 by techyiam

[Hellkitten]

1 hour ago, techyiam said:

1 hour ago, Hellkitten said:

 

Are you saying it sped up the repair response time of the potholes? What colour paint did you use?

That is exactly what I’m saying. From what I can gather unmarked ones go months without being filled. People can call 311 to report them, but a ton of them don’t. We have crazy winters here and with the repeated freezing and thawing then nonstop snowploughing pothole season is rough. Much worse than the westcoast (I grew up on Vancouver Island). 
I’ve done extensive testing of colors and types of paint, we use inverted professional marking paint. Mostly white for greater visibility at night or day. Fluorescent pink is for anything that is on a city marked white area so it can be seen. The really awful ones get a white and pink double making and the ones that are likely to kill somebody get a Dick outline (for some reason those ones get filled quickly). If you’re interested we have a Toronto based telegram chat, that also has riders from Montreal and NYC, with a sub channel documenting all our painting and subsequent fillings……..🕳️🎨
 

@bpong sorry for the extensive derailment. 🤣 on a serious note. What kind of pedals do you use? Grip tape or spiked? If you still ride with grip tape I’d recommend trying the spiked ones. It’s another upgrade that you’ll likely wish you’d done earlier. I’m very glad that you’ve moved to using the pads. It’s so much safer on these roads with unseen obstacles. 

Edited June 5, 2023 by Hellkitten

[Cerbera]

8 hours ago, techyiam said:

Are you saying it sped up the repair response time of the potholes? What colour paint did you use?

It definitely works in the UK - and much moreso if it's rude apparently ! Manchester has a famous 'superhero type' who goes around doing it !

 

[bpong]

15 hours ago, Hellkitten said:

What kind of pedals do you use? Grip tape or spiked? If you still ride with grip tape I’d recommend trying the spiked ones. It’s another upgrade that you’ll likely wish you’d done earlier. I’m very glad that you’ve moved to using the pads. It’s so much safer on these roads with unseen obstacles. 

oh yeah, i do plan to use spiked pedals....the various eucs i tried recently some had spiked pedals and i like them.  but im not purchasing them for my old T2.  the next euc i get will have them im pretty sure.... on a sidenote,  the waiting on inmotion to release the adventure is simply killing me....

[TheNotoriousEUC]

I’m just learning to ride (Commander Pro). I have Grizzla’s but I have not put them on yet. I am still trying to get comfortable starting from a dead stop without holding something. I didn’t have time to ride yesterday but day 2, today, I crept a bit closer to comfortable. My fear with the pads right now, if I have to jump off, I can do so freely without but with pads on, I’m afraid my feet will get caught up. I may try them tonight. I think I will place the front pads a bit higher so I can lift up and out if need be, just to be on the safer side. I don’t need that locked-in feeling right now but I would like to use them on this wheel.

[Cerbera]

1 hour ago, TheNotoriousEUC said:

My fear with the pads right now, if I have to jump off, I can do so freely without but with pads on, I’m afraid my feet will get caught up. I may try them tonight.

Try not to consider 'jumping off' as a thing you ever intend to do. Even when shit is going south, you are not trying to bail, but rather trying to bring things to a controlled stop, and then step down, which gives you time to swing your landing leg out from the pad, and plant it firmly as you flare the speed to a standstill, and that works even if your pads lock you in pretty tight. Having said that, there is nothing to stop you setting them a bit looser / wider so that you can escape them more easily initially if that makes you more comfortable.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Cerbera

[TheNotoriousEUC]

12 minutes ago, Cerbera said:

Try not to consider 'jumping off' as a thing you ever intend to do. Even when shit is going south, you are not trying to bail, but rather trying to bring things to a controlled stop, and then step down, which gives you time to swing your landing leg out from the pad, and plant it firmly as you flare the speed to a standstill, and that works even if your pads lock you in pretty tight. Having said that, there is nothing to stop you setting them a bit looser / wider so that you can escape them more easily initially if that makes you more comfortable.

Thanks for that. Jumping off may have been a bit dramatic although there was definitely one time that things went sideways, real quick, and it was either hop or get twisted. What I have learned so far is dismounting for me is a sliding scale of controlled panic to “Thank god.” Slowly but surely getting better and I appreciate any and all advice. Thank you again, @Cerbera

[mrelwood]

2 hours ago, TheNotoriousEUC said:

dismounting for me is a sliding scale of controlled panic to “Thank god.”

The purpose for the toe section of the pads is really to jump up with the wheel. I’m assuming that you’re not doing any jumping right now, so I think you really should lift the pads higher to make absolutely sure that your feet can get out in any angle. That way your less than perfect dismounts don’t end up in a bag of hurt as easily. You wouldn’t be the first one to have their feet locked in the wheel when the $#!+ goes down.

[TheNotoriousEUC]

Pads went on tonight. I put in 3.1 miles through the neighborhood. I definitely need to adjust them a little bit. I was a little too cautious with the front pads and put them a bit too far forward. I spent most of the time accelerating with my toes, which worked fine, but by the end of the ride my feet were tired. Turning is still frightening. Some times it’s smooth, often it’s a bit bouncy. Experienced small wobbles, twice. Once braking and once accelerating up hill out of a turn. I pulled my leg off the wheel a bit too much in the turn. At least that’s what I think happened. Once I squeezed it back on the wobble stopped. I haven’t quite figured out my style for turns. I also need to adjust my warning beeps. I hit them several times.