Should I get an Extreme?

[PurpleRiderUSA]

Dear Begode Extreme Owners,

Do you recommend this wheel? I'm thinking about upgrading to the Begode Extreme.

Thanks

[RagingGrandpa]

It depends... 

Previous EUC: Nikola
Location: Seattle

What top speed do you expect to need? 
Will you ride long distances 40mi+? 
What is your riding weight? 
Where will you do most of your riding? 
What sort of grouprides do you want to participate in? 
Do you carry or trolly the EUC regularly? (Stairs, cars, public transit, etc.) 
Do you DIY tire changes and maintenance? 

[PurpleRiderUSA]

My thought process is that even though Begode Extreme is made as a trail wheel, it is basically an upgrade to the Nikola+. It has suspension, lights, speaker, water resistance, same size rim, etc. I only need to ride hard about 10 wet hilly city miles so range is unimportant. Size is important due to urban space limitations. 

I posted in the Begode Extreme thread to get answers specifically from owners, but it got moderated here. 

So I was hoping to hear specifically from Begode Extreme owners if they would recommend it to others. 

[Mantraguy]

I bought an Extreme as a trail-specific wheel, as all my other suspension wheels are heavy (and top-heavy), and difficult to manage on tight, technical trails. With that use in mind, I love it. Riding to the trailhead is, as you'd expect, a little slower and I have to watch my range if I'm planning on a longer ride, but the ride quality is great and it's incredibly nimble. Coming from an EX20 (109lbs, ~130km range), and now a Master Pro (128lbs, ~200km range), the 85lb Extreme actually feels light and very maneuverable. Before I bought a suspension wheel, I put over 12,000km on my Sherman, so I have lots of experience with a wheel of that weight. The Extreme is more nimble than the Sherman, owing to the smaller tire, but compared to my other (heavy) suspension wheels, I feel it handles a lot like the Sherman but with super plush suspension.

[Phonoman]

Back when I was following all the reviews, it felt like Commander Mini was more of a direct Nikola upgrade as it's also mainly for road use with a possibility to take it off-road in comparison to Extreme, which is the other way around generally. Wish CM also had the smart BMS to make it just as "proper" as the Extreme. 

[Mantraguy]

17 hours ago, Phonoman said:

Back when I was following all the reviews, it felt like Commander Mini was more of a direct Nikola upgrade as it's also mainly for road use with a possibility to take it off-road in comparison to Extreme, which is the other way around generally. Wish CM also had the smart BMS to make it just as "proper" as the Extreme. 

For what it's worth, the BMS in the Extreme isn't really a 'Smart' BMS. The only thing that makes it better than most of the others used in Begode wheels is the fact that it allows you to monitor the voltage of each individual cell group. A 'true' smart BMS allows you to set different parameters such as high and low cell voltage cutoffs, temperature warnings or cutoffs, and has active cell balancing (at any voltage, both during charge and discharge - as opposed to passive balancing (which is what we have), which only balances cell groups during the end of the charge cycle), and other features.

[noonewantstobepeterchris]

The think the term smart should really refer to the ability of the BMS to communicate with the main controller, rather than the collection of features enabled from it being smart.  Think of it like home automation.  I could always monitor the temperature of my HVAC wall display, turn the room lights on and off, open and close the garage door, and even use a mechanical timer to turn on and off Christmas lights.  Obviously that would not make it a smart home.  All the features are there, but none of them are interconnected and operate independently.  However, if I do any of the following; turn on and off lights, set the thermostat, or open the garage door with my phone, then I have a smart home.

[Funky]

Most important is the weight increase going from nikola to extreme.. Do you need to carry the wheel around? If not - happy riding.

[PurpleRiderUSA]

On 12/10/2023 at 3:26 AM, Phonoman said:

Back when I was following all the reviews, it felt like Commander Mini was more of a direct Nikola upgrade as it's also mainly for road use with a possibility to take it off-road in comparison to Extreme, which is the other way around generally. Wish CM also had the smart BMS to make it just as "proper" as the Extreme. 

Yeah, I was seriously considering the commander mini priced at $2300, but there were a few features that it lacked like easy tire change, bluetooth speaker, and RGB lights. Plus, I was unsure of the water resistance which is super important to me. Although I did just happen to talk to a guy who was at a stop light on the commander mini and he said after he opened it up there was no moisture.

That said, Ronin of NYC says that despite the marketing for trail rider, the Begode Extreme is the best city wheel he's used. He says there are multiple NYC riders using the Begode Extreme who never take it out of the city. 

48 minutes ago, Funky said:

Most important is the weight increase going from nikola to extreme.. Do you need to carry the wheel around? If not - happy riding.

Thanks. Yeah, honestly even the 65 lb Begode Nikola+ is annoying to carry which I only had to do when the elevator broke down. I think the Begode Extreme is still 80 lbs or less, significantly less than EX30 which I was also considering before the Begode Extreme was announced. I know a couple guys in my city who rode the EX30 -- one guy it seems like overkill as he's delivering and riding slower than me on my Nikola+. The other guy got into a horrible car accident. 

I'm 98% sure I'm going to buy the Begode Extreme within a month and then do a tire change to a street tire. Not sure which one yet, open to suggestions. 

[Scubadragonsan]

What!!! Why is Begode Extreme so heavy with only 1920wh battery, 86lbs. compared to Veteran Sherman S 3600wh , only 96 lbs.? Anyway, if you have to lug it up some 15-20 step stairs daily, it would be quite challenging after awhile. I definitely prefer Sherman S. for long distance riding. 

[PurpleRiderUSA]

Just now, Scubadragonsan said:

What!!! Why is Begode Extreme so heavy with only 1920wh battery, 86lbs. compared to Veteran Sherman S 3600wh , only 96 lbs.? Anyway, if you have to lug it up some 15-20 step stairs daily, it would be quite challenging after awhile. I definitely prefer Sherman S. for long distance riding. 

Well that is the 40T eWheels version. The new 50S Begode Extreme's seem to provide a better value at 2400wh. I agree going upstairs is problematic. Sherman S is a lot more expensive, takes up more space, and I agree would be good for longer distance riding. I only need 5-10 miles roundtrip maximum for 95% of my trips. 

[onewheelkoregro]

I am looking to upgrade my wheel as well. It is between the Commander Mini, the Extreme, or The S19. s19 doesn't go quite as fast as my current one so its a downgrade kind of. Commander mini looks good but I couldn't find anything about water resistance at all, which is kind of weird. And then there's the extreme. I should've bought it before Begode introduced the standard pricing... went up about $400

[PurpleRiderUSA]

12 minutes ago, onewheelkoregro said:

I am looking to upgrade my wheel as well. It is between the Commander Mini, the Extreme, or The S19. s19 doesn't go quite as fast as my current one so its a downgrade kind of. Commander mini looks good but I couldn't find anything about water resistance at all, which is kind of weird. And then there's the extreme. I should've bought it before Begode introduced the standard pricing... went up about $400

That is the minimum advertised price. There are still deals to be had if you know where to look, who to ask. Sorry for not giving you a better lead, I'm not sure what the rules are.

[onewheelkoregro]

2 hours ago, PurpleRiderUSA said:

That is the minimum advertised price. There are still deals to be had if you know where to look, who to ask. Sorry for not giving you a better lead, I'm not sure what the rules are.

I am a member of EUC underground and NextGenMobility. Begode is enforcing the minimum price everywhere. Only way to get a discount is to go in on a group buy and buy at least 10 of the same EUC and the savings is anywhere between $200-$500 

[PurpleRiderUSA]

34 minutes ago, onewheelkoregro said:

I am a member of EUC underground and NextGenMobility. Begode is enforcing the minimum price everywhere. Only way to get a discount is to go in on a group buy and buy at least 10 of the same EUC and the savings is anywhere between $200-$500 

Alright, well that makes two of us. Eight more people interested? 

[onewheelkoregro]

33 minutes ago, PurpleRiderUSA said:

Alright, well that makes two of us. Eight more people interested? 

I'm trying to get two of my friends into EUC but they are too scared even though both of them regularly cruise at 90+ mph on a motorcycle

[PurpleRiderUSA]

Looks like some retailers are getting their Begode Extreme 50S batches in, and perhaps options for a hybrid tire as well. The best price I could find was through a special order which could take up to 7 weeks to be delivered to me, not sure that is worth saving the $300 and paying up front. I'm going to wait a little bit and see if the major US distributors drop prices a little or if this next batch sells out.

[OldSolo]

Just thought I would add my comment, as I was quite interested in the Extreme early on.  Once it became clear that the suspension design is a joke, requiring new links/shocks & stanchions, AND the price controls, it fell off my radar.  I decided that the Mini fort 2299 from EUCDeals was simply too good of a deal to pass up.  The teardown by '2Cells 1 Pack' impressed me greatly with the quality & thoughtfulness of the design.  It seems that it is constructed to be about as water resistant as any.  The tire change is more work than I would prefer, but it isn't a deal stopper.  I would have preferred a knobby or hybrid tire, but the street will be fine as I learn to ride this wheel.  I have been researching tires & solutions to the tube-valve issue, and thus last night I abused my credit card.

Given the current economic factors (such as virtually endless currency creation) prices are going to continue to climb, making current $ able to buy less in the future.  Prices aren't going to retreat from here, until inventories sit in warehouses & somebody makes a decision to cut their losses.  Advancements such as the Lynx show there is still progress on the technical side of things, but it is accompanied by price.

[Rapha Assunção]

I would like to know if the author of the topic bought Extreme and what are his observations of this Wheel.

I want to buy a wheel to walk on the streets of the city, go up and down guides / sidewalks, walk between the cars, in short, urban mode. I'm not going to go hiking.

I'm in doubt between Lynx or Extreme. V14 I discarded it because it is not a suitable wheel for sitting.

Thank you.

[Esash]

38 minutes ago, Rapha Assunção said:

I would like to know if the author of the topic bought Extreme and what are his observations of this Wheel.

I want to buy a wheel to walk on the streets of the city, go up and down guides / sidewalks, walk between the cars, in short, urban mode. I'm not going to go hiking.

I'm in doubt between Lynx or Extreme. V14 I discarded it because it is not a suitable wheel for sitting.

Thank you.

Both of those wheels might be over-kill for your use case. I just mean that you can find a great wheel for your use case for $1000+ cheaper than those, and maybe use the extra $1000 to buy a small cheap wheel so you have 2 wheels.

The new V11Y from InMotion could be an excellent wheel for you, for $1000+ less money, and it will come with a street tire which is what should be a top priority for you on tropical city streets.

The new V11Y has great torque for accelerating fast from a stop, and it will be better for seated riding too because it is taller. It is also a thinner wheel for when you go shopping in stores and bring the wheel in with you. 

Might also be lighter, but I'm not sure.

When I upgraded to my big Begode Hero wheel I was really happy with it for a while, but for just riding around town going to the store or appointments, I eventually realized that it was much too big and attention-drawing than needed.

So I just bought a used KS-16S, which is much smaller, much lighter, draws less attention from people, and looks like nothing special when I'm walking around a store with it. It's also much lighter for carrying up stairs.

Even if you do end up getting a Lynx or an Extreme, just know that it's much more power than you will need, and you will probably end up wanting to buy another smaller more convenient wheel like the Inmotion V8S/F or the Kingsong KS-16S for shorter trips around town and into buildings/stores.

And make sure you buy your Lynx or Extreme from somebody who can install a street tire for you before you get it.