cegli Posted December 7, 2023 Author Share Posted December 7, 2023 Yeah, that's a reasonable suggestion! Especially if I can sell it again for a similar price to what I bought it at. I'm not really worried about climbing much. Any steep mountain bike style climbs are basically not do-able on a 20" wheel due to the roots/rocks, so being able to plod up a fire-road at 25km/hr is good enough. I think most people who are worried about steep climbs are basically riding dirt-bike tracks or flow style tracks on their EUCs. I haven't seen many videos of people riding MTB tech, probably because all the current wheels are pretty bad at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RagingGrandpa Posted December 7, 2023 Share Posted December 7, 2023 13 minutes ago, cegli said: Any steep mountain bike style climbs are basically not do-able on a 20" wheel due to the roots/rocks I missed that memo 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcatraz Posted December 8, 2023 Share Posted December 8, 2023 20in wheels are quite torquey. Wouldn't they be able to get around some of these mtb trails? As some have said, maneuvering the euc will be tougher than a mtb so you'll unlikely be able to ride as fast on a trail if there are steep descents and/or zigzag turns. Eucs might one day become a sort of hybrid between a cross motorcycle and a mtb. It'll be a heavy machine definitely. Going over terrain it means wider tires and lower tire pressures. Instead of focusing on what is lost in the transition of mtb to euc, imagine what's gained? An euc can climb extremely fast. I wouldn't be surprised if there are hillclimb races on the horizon. That would take some skill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteWheelie Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 (edited) @cegli I didn’t read through the whole thread, but i don’t think a wheel that large is possible. I explain why in this post. Edited December 10, 2023 by InfiniteWheelie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cegli Posted December 10, 2023 Author Share Posted December 10, 2023 Hmm... Considering 36" wheeled unicycles are still the gold standard for long distance riding, I'd have to disagree that wheels can't get larger than 22.5" without sacrificing ergonomics. It's just a trade-off, like everything in life. With huge wheels, when you're carving, you let your entire body fall to the side. It's quite a cool feeling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteWheelie Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 (edited) @cegli You’re comparing apples to oranges. Unicycles are very narrow, it’s no big deal to have the tire come up near your crotch. E-wheels are now around 8 inches wide, and they can’t get much narrower (at least with the better suspension systems). I too was very interested in even bigger wheels (hence why I started that thread). What changed my mind was owning an Abrams and suddenly I understood. That wheel digs into your upper leg, forcing your feet half way off the pedals. You can’t actually grip the wheel with your legs, since your calves don’t even touch it. The only way to combat this is to turn your toes outward at an extreme angle, which allows your calves to come in closer. However that’s just trading one ergonomic nightmare for another. The whole thing is very awkward and uncomfortable, and dictates how you have to stand. Edited December 11, 2023 by InfiniteWheelie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cegli Posted December 11, 2023 Author Share Posted December 11, 2023 There's no reason a large wheeled electric unicycle needs to be designed that way. As a thought experiment, imagine a 36" wheeled electric unicycle with plates at around the 16" point and all the batteries and control board below the pedals. On top, you have a thin plastic shell, like a mud guard with more coverage, just to keep the tire/wheel from abrading you when you lean the wheel. This has an additional stability advantage, since the weight is slung very low. Just because the Abrams didn't have a great design, doesn't mean a good design isn't possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techyiam Posted December 11, 2023 Share Posted December 11, 2023 35 minutes ago, cegli said: There's no reason a large wheeled electric unicycle needs to be designed that way. As a thought experiment, imagine a 36" wheeled electric unicycle with plates at around the 16" point and all the batteries and control board below the pedals. On top, you have a thin plastic shell, like a mud guard with more coverage, just to keep the tire/wheel from abrading you when you lean the wheel. This has an additional stability advantage, since the weight is slung very low. Just because the Abrams didn't have a great design, doesn't mean a good design isn't possible. Have you ridden a 22" or bigger euc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cegli Posted December 11, 2023 Author Share Posted December 11, 2023 (edited) Not extensively, but I've been on most of the existing EUCs and have given them a short ride. Edited December 11, 2023 by cegli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techyiam Posted December 11, 2023 Share Posted December 11, 2023 Basically, you are breaking new ground here. I think for a wheel like what you have proposed in your first post, you would have to build one and see whether you would like the way it rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfiniteWheelie Posted December 11, 2023 Share Posted December 11, 2023 (edited) @cegli Can you draw a picture in MS paint or something so I can visualize it? I’m a little curious about what you mean. Edited December 11, 2023 by InfiniteWheelie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawnei Posted December 11, 2023 Share Posted December 11, 2023 11 hours ago, cegli said: Hmm... Considering 36" wheeled unicycles are still the gold standard for long distance riding, I'd have to disagree that wheels can't get larger than 22.5" without sacrificing ergonomics. It's just a trade-off, like everything in life. With huge wheels, when you're carving, you let your entire body fall to the side. It's quite a cool feeling! What is the problem you are trying to solve with a monster truck EUC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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