pictsidhe Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 My shiny EUC showed up today. Mmmm, learning curve. I cannot mount this thing without something to sit on, and doubt I ever will. The top of the calf pads are 4" above my ankle bones. I'm a big guy on a small wheel. I would like one small wheel that fits in my small car along with way too much other stuff. A tote of stuff and my race wheels... So no, I'm not swapping it for an s22. Not ruling out having one as well, though. I am temporarily dealing with the issue, I sit on something solid, get my feet on, roll it back. Stand up. Get my balance, then lean forwards. Off I go, for a little bit, anyway... That is working, but I have to do something about mounting once I can actually ride the thing. I've seen numerous videos, many of the guys say small wheels are much harder to ride. I'm guessing calf pad height is a very big factor in that. I'm progressing quickly enough to think I'll be able to ride ok, once mounted. I've worked out how to add higher pads, but I'm now wondering the best place to put them. Top of the pad just below my knee? Flat, or shaped somehow? Width relative to the footpads? I'm looking for advice on the optimum where and shape, not how. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriull Posted June 7, 2023 Share Posted June 7, 2023 13 minutes ago, pictsidhe said: I'm progressing quickly enough to think I'll be able to ride ok, once mounted. Riding is fun - learning to mount not really. So that's how i started, too - "don't care" about mounting and learn to ride. I needed for longer times some wall, fence, traffice sign, etc to start again... Mounting happens some times by itself Sorry that i missed a bit your topic - imho "small" eucs (normally) need no pads. One just stands on the pedals - no need for any real contact with the wheel. As long as one does not want to jump, do artistic stuff, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrelwood Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 1 hour ago, pictsidhe said: I cannot mount this thing without something to sit on If you’re talking about the Inmotion V5, I think it’s the easiest 14” to get on to since the “calf pads” are at the top of the wheel’s body. KS 16S for example has them much lower, so they create much stronger force to bruise your leg. But, while the pads are at the top, the V5 is still a very small wheel. Once one gets better with mounting, one can do it faster and with optimal weight transfer, so it does hurt less. Meanwhile, DIY padding can help tremendously. (Nothing to do with power pads.) A few tips though: - Put the heel of your first leg right next to the wheel body. That way you get a shallower angle at the pad. - Lean the wheel towards your second leg by pushing your knee inwards. Find a position where the wheel and your first leg are balanced when you put more weight on it. A good way to practice this is to hop onwards with only one foot on the wheel, as if you were pushing for more speed on a skateboard. Find a way to make it controlled and stable, and then increase the hop distance. Overall, there are numerous YT videos teaching how to practice mounting (and riding in general). They are designed exactly for overcoming the hurdles of learning by oneself. You can look up for example the EUC learning video by EUCO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pictsidhe Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 Yes, V5. I'm 250lb, 6'6. I'm not planning to tax this wheel, just something to cover 2-3 miles a day on flattish surfaces. I will need to be able to mount it without any support. Do you have a link to a big guy getting on a small wheel without wobbling like crazy? All the videos I've seen have far more favourable leg to wheel sizes than I do. The guys making it look it easy look like they are putting a good bit of pressure on the wheel with the top of their calf. I'm using the bottom of my calf... I tried the wheel lean first. I could balance on the wheel, but my leg was then at such a crazy angle I couldn't get my other leg on. Also, owww! I have already made some improvised pads from a jigsaw foam floor tile. Probably should have made those before starting. My dominant leg is wanting a few days off... I've never had a skateboard. I used to have good enough balance on bicycles and motorcycles to ride no hands or avoid putting my feet down when I stopped, so I think I'll be able to master an EUC. Getting on mine, though, sheesh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrelwood Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 6 hours ago, pictsidhe said: V5. I'm 250lb, 6'6. That’s quite a combo for sure! You are definitely shooting yourself in the calf a bit with a wheel that small. 6 hours ago, pictsidhe said: Do you have a link to a big guy getting on a small wheel without wobbling like crazy? Any Mten videos would have a bit of a similar ratio going on, but i don’t think you’d use the same jumping on technique with the V5. 6 hours ago, pictsidhe said: I tried the wheel lean first. I could balance on the wheel, but my leg was then at such a crazy angle I couldn't get my other leg on. Also, owww! Do you have trouble getting your knees to touch each other when you stand with both feet on solid ground? Because if you’re bow legged like that, I can see how it would make mounting the V5 even more difficult. 6 hours ago, pictsidhe said: I have already made some improvised pads Anything that helps is good! 6 hours ago, pictsidhe said: I've never had a skateboard. It was just an example to describe the hopping technique. I’m sure you’ve seen how hop for more speed on skateboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pictsidhe Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 I can touch my knees together on solid ground and while on my V5. Grip it? Only really with my feet and ankles (owww). I think I'll be doing my pad mod anyway. Since I can put them pretty much where I want, I am hoping those with more EUC experience could suggest the best place for them. The guys doing backflips etc on their EUCs seem to have them up near the top of their calves. I suspect that is optimum? The worst I might want to do on this wheel is jump a kerb. But that is far from essential. Otherwise, cruising around at lowish speeds. Worst mounting video I've seen was a 6' guy on a V8. He wobbled plenty and said he found bigger wheels way easier... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrelwood Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 1 hour ago, pictsidhe said: the best place for them. The pads that you need are different from what are generally used on larger wheels nowadays. You need to get the shin contact point higher, and make it soft. A 14” wheel doesn’t benefit from acceleration or braking pads since the small tire geometry doesn’t need extra leverage. And your wheel wouldn’t even have the power for it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pictsidhe Posted June 8, 2023 Author Share Posted June 8, 2023 I'm thinking arc shaped like the standard V5, but bigger, thicker and mostly importantly, much higher up my leg. About 40degree of arc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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