Upside Down Newb

[Boof and Bloke]

Howdy folks, I couldn't find an intro section, so decided to dump this here.

My name is Alex, I'm from Adelaide, South Australia and at 55 just last week got my first EUC, a second-hand InMotion V8. The goal is to use it as a means to get from home to the local train station about 1.5 km's away on it, starting at the end of this month when I return to college.

I've initially spent about three hours practising crossing a suspension bridge, where I could guide my hands across the two handrails, getting me to a point of being able to cross the maybe 30 metre length of it without touching anything as a continuous thing. I racked up about 24 kilometres in the process! This location was suggested to me by a few members of the SAESK8 (Electric Skateboarders, EUC and Onewheel South Australia) crew at a social hangout and ride session I attended last Friday night at Tonsley.

Video follows of that first outing..

I'm now practising at a site which is mainly undercover, with both indoor and outdoor sections with lots of very smooth wide paths. I spent the first visit here just launching from a post to a post with about 15 metres between them and then progressed to taking a wander slowly around the site with large curves for cornering and nice long straight sections between them. I racked up about 3 km's during that first visit and then last night got in another 6 km's doing a repetitive loop where I alternated my direction, so I'm slowly getting to grips with turning left and right. It's nowhere near a graceful fluid thing yet, but the arms aren't madly flailing around like a windmill and I only had maybe three or four tumbles in the half hour session last night. I'll be back there again this evening for a half hour practice, then a half hour break, then another half hours practice.

What I'm wondering is how do I go about making the unwieldy process of getting on and off to become a smoother and more elegant thing? And what sort of things should I be concentrating on learning to control or make innate muscle memory processes?

Oh, and any tips for a newb V8 rider?

Huge thanks in advance for any and all insights offered.

Cheers,
Alex and the Boof
(the Boof is my partner in crime, a Mastiff x Ridgeback that goes almost everywhere with me)

[Hellkitten]

Congratulations on your progress so far and taking the plunge into the euc world! 🎉 It’s hard to go back from here, I started off thinking this might possibly be a fun hobby and now I have 5 wheels……. 

You’re doing great! As you’ve likely learned by now a lot of the skills are polished by repetition. The more you do it the better your muscle memory will get. As for free mounting try putting pressure on your pedal and keeping the side of the wheel pressed against your leg. Lean forward while lightly pushing off and place your other foot onto your pedal. IMO learning to ride is more important than figuring out free mounting at least at first. The more you ride the more mounting you’ll have to do and you’ll figure it out as you go. After I learned how to ride (while still at the arm flailing stage) I started trying to do turns then eventually figure eights. Reducing the size of them as I gained experience. You just need more time on the wheel. Keep doing what you’re doing, most people do small bursts of training with breaks in between. One of the things I was struggling with when I was learning was I was over compensating with all of my movements. They were too much overall. I’d lean the wheel too far and it would start tipping over, so I’d lean it in the opposite direction, but again too far. I did a lot of over leaning and steering. After I made my adjustments smaller and more precise things got easier. Keep in mind that each euc will ride and feel different from the last one, so there is a learning curve to each wheel. Keep that in mind when you buy your next one…………You will. 👍

[Boof and Bloke]

2 minutes ago, Hellkitten said:

Congratulations on your progress so far and taking the plunge into the euc world! 🎉 It’s hard to go back from here, I started off thinking this might possibly be a fun hobby and now I have 5 wheels……. 

You’re doing great! As you’ve likely learned by now a lot of the skills are polished by repetition. The more you do it the better your muscle memory will get. As for free mounting try putting pressure on your pedal and keeping the side of the wheel pressed against your leg. Lean forward while lightly pushing off and place your other foot onto your pedal. IMO learning to ride is more important than figuring out free mounting at least at first. The more you ride the more mounting you’ll have to do and you’ll figure it out as you go. After I learned how to ride (while still at the arm flailing stage) I started trying to do turns then eventually figure eights. Reducing the size of them as I gained experience. You just need more time on the wheel. Keep doing what you’re doing, most people do small bursts of training with breaks in between. One of the things I was struggling with when I was learning was I was over compensating with all of my movements. They were too much overall. I’d lean the wheel too far and it would start tipping over, so I’d lean it in the opposite direction, but again too far. I did a lot of over leaning and steering. After I made my adjustments smaller and more precise things got easier. Keep in mind that each euc will ride and feel different from the last one, so there is a learning curve to each wheel. Keep that in mind when you buy your next one…………You will. 👍

Thanks so much for the insights @Hellkitten that's a huge help. I was lost and overthinking things at the end of last night. I'll try the figure 8 patterns getting smaller, I can see that assisting with things in a logical fashion for my turning becoming smoother, and and eventually with me feeling as one with the EUC.

I can definitely see myself getting another EUC, you're absloutely right there! I'll probably go with a larger tyre size and bigger battery for smoother and longer distance cruising with the local e-riders group and solo for runs with the Boof. But that's months away yet.

[Cerbera]

Nice choice of places to learn  Yeah, HK is right - bet you'll still be wheeling long after you leave the college !

I spent 6 weeks in Adelaide a few years ago,visiting a friend, and looking back, I can see how it is full of perfect riding surfaces, and mostly ideal weather to be doing it in !

Happy wheelings, and never do it without wrist guards or proper shoes / boots !

 

Edited January 4 by Cerbera

[Hellkitten]

Also.

 

Edited January 4 by Hellkitten

[Boof and Bloke]

1 hour ago, Cerbera said:

Nice choice of places to learn  Yeah, HK is right - bet you'll still be wheeling long after you leave the college !

I spent 6 weeks in Adelaide a few years ago,visiting a friend, and looking back, I can see how it is full of perfect riding surfaces, and mostly ideal weather to be doing it in !

Happy wheelings, and never do it without wrist guards or proper shoes / boots !

 

I've ridden my e-scooter from town to home a few times now, and can see I'll eventually do the same with the EUC. It's pretty flat until I hit the hills from the beach back into the higher sections of Brighton.

As an old-fart (in the making) I always pad up, elbows, knees and head, with wrist guards and boots too. These days I suspect I'd tend to snap rather than bounce without the PPE.

Adelaide is a great place really, lots of good bike paths to get around on and explore the city by.

[Boof and Bloke]

1 hour ago, Hellkitten said:

Also.

 

Thanks @Hellkitten I'll have to go take a look at these when I get a moment.

[Boof and Bloke]

One week, five practice sessions, 8 hours and 35 kilometres under my belt. I'm enjoying the open and flat area of an electronic and health precinct at Tonsley for my practice now, and will get out into the real world soon thanks to some great local bike-paths, so I'm not having to deal with much by way of vehicular traffic apart from the odd road crossing.

This following video is last night's second practice session after a dinner break, it's about forty minutes, sped up (and slowed down.) Music is provided by Mr Bowie, The Beatles and My Chemical Romance, as it was what I was playing at the time through my Bluetooth speaker to alert people around me of my presence.

I'm still limiting myself to 15 kph. Getting on and off is still a butt-ugly process, but I'm hoping it is an instinctive thing that eventually gets easier and more elegant. At this point I'm building confidence in turning, braking, travelling slowly and such simple aspects of riding an EUC.

 

Edited January 4 by Boof and Bloke

[Boof and Bloke]

Day 8, Practice Session 6, Figure 8's.

 

[Boof and Bloke]

Day 9 of EUC ownership, mo training, mo figure 8's, mo repetitions, mo stacks, mo better riding!

Tonsley was pumping with it raining, full of families and kids on every type of wheels you could imagine. Great stuff! And, I managed to keep at least 5 metres from them all apart from passing in narrow passages where I slowed to an absolute crawl.

 

[Punxatawneyjoe]

11 minutes ago, Boof and Bloke said:

Day 9 of EUC ownership, mo training, mo figure 8's, mo repetitions, mo stacks, mo better riding!

Great job, looks like you are ready for the open road now.. Nice video, the music is painful but the rest is good... Thanks for sharing.

[Boof and Bloke]

2 minutes ago, Punxatawneyjoe said:

Great job, looks like you are ready for the open road now.. Nice video, the music is painful but the rest is good... Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, I'm getting more comfortable, hoping that tomorrow I can get around the neighbourhood here to learn to cross roads and go up and down hills.

I only make the video's for myself, so the music is what it is and will be in future videos!

[Punxatawneyjoe]

5 minutes ago, Boof and Bloke said:

I only make the video's for myself, so the music is what it is and will be in future videos!

Haha, i know. I'm just teasing you about it. I appreciate all content. Looking good though, i think you would be surprised as to how easy it is to free mount the wheel once you start practicing that. You pretty much have it down pat with your 1 foot hoping method all you have to do is place that other foot on one of the hops.

[woke rider]

Welcome @Boof and Bloke! I love your avatar because I used to play that video game, BC, on my Apple IIe when I was a kid. It's great to watch you learn. And another rider is released into the wild...

[Boof and Bloke]

Just now, Punxatawneyjoe said:

Haha, i know. I'm just teasing you about it. I appreciate all content. Looking good though, i think you would be surprised as to how easy it is to free mount the wheel once you start practicing that. You pretty much have it down pat with your 1 foot hoping method all you have to do is place that other foot on one of the hops.

I actually manage to free launch today for the first time, it just took doing that foot hopping faster and with much bigger gaps between touching the ground! I really surprised myself and can see that eventually it'll be a much shorter and concise process.

I did get the humorous jibe.

[Boof and Bloke]

1 minute ago, iwantmymtv said:

Welcome @Boof and Bloke! I love your avatar because I used to play that video game, BC, on my Apple IIe when I was a kid. It's great to watch you learn. And another rider is released into the wild...

Remembering BC, now we're showing our ages!

I was warned it would become addictive, and can already see myself with a 20" or 22" wheel system in a few months for off-road and longer rides. I bought this over a onewheel as I'm returning to college in a month and needed something I could fit in the locker there for the 1.5 km trip from home to the railway station and the trip in the city from the train station to the college. I've got a good dual motor e-scooter for longer rides as well, but there's nowhere in the campus to lock it up. So serendipity and necessity brought me to acquire a second-hand InMotion V8 to learn on and start my journey with.

I'm definitely hooked!

[woke rider]

Riding electric vehicles is contagious and addictive. I have been riding my wheel around my neighborhood for about 8 months now I was the only one. Then everybody got an electric vehicle for Christmas. Now I have seen 2 One wheelers and a segway cruising around on my trail. So now I can make some friends to ride around with.

[Funky]

Can't say much, as i learned to free-mount first, before riding once. (Took me 4 days and riding gave me ZERO problems. Very first ride i was already going left/right and doing figures "8" in less than 30 min time of ridding.)

Doh i like to imagine my euc as skateboard.. When you launch off. Push off the ground, before lifting your feet from ground onto pedal. Wheel will be going slightly already, making starting to ride much easier. 

You push off the ground same as skateboard. Before lifting your other foot onto pedal.

Another way is to simply "hop" onto pedals very fast and lean like crazy forwards, so wheel start to go forwards immediately. (You need to do the "trust fall", but forwards. Yes you need to literally start falling onto your face! When your both feet are on pedals.) That's how i first started to ride. The first 4 days i could not ride even once. Because i wasn't leaning forwards enough. 4rth day i said DUCK it and did crazy superman lean forwards - that got me going. No more stalling on place hopping on/off wheel in place.

Do the "trust fall"!!!

 

I didn't hold onto anything.. And my learning experience was way different, because i learned free-mount/dismount first.

Edited January 6 by Funky

[woke rider]

I just got back from a snow ride, my Z10 does great in fresh snow. It woke me up because it's only like 20 degrees fahrenheit this morning. The sun is still trying to rise. It's beautiful outside because of the baby blue sky and the fresh snow. Riding an EUC will make you stronger. I know it sounds awkward, but my back and my core and neck muscles are a lot stronger.

Try to really savor your learning experience because it's a special time. I think a lot of people seem to shy away from electric unicycles because it's too terrifying to imagine. And it takes a year or so to build strength so riding is fun and effortless.

[Boof and Bloke]

43 minutes ago, Funky said:

Can't say much, as i learned to free-mount first, before riding once. (Took me 4 days and riding gave me ZERO problems. Very first ride i was already going left/right and doing figures "8" in less than 30 min time of ridding.)

Doh i like to imagine my euc as skateboard.. When you launch off. Push off the ground, before lifting your feet from ground onto pedal. Wheel will be going slightly already, making starting to ride much easier. 

You push off the ground same as skateboard. Before lifting your other foot onto pedal.

Another way is to simply "hop" onto pedals very fast and lean like crazy forwards, so wheel start to go forwards immediately. (You need to do the "trust fall", but forwards. Yes you need to literally start falling onto your face! When your both feet are on pedals.) That's how i first started to ride. The first 4 days i could not ride even once. Because i wasn't leaning forwards enough. 4rth day i said DUCK it and did crazy superman lean forwards - that got me going. No more stalling on place hopping on/off wheel in place.

Do the "trust fall"!!!

 

I didn't hold onto anything.. And my learning experience was way different, because i learned free-mount/dismount first.

We’re all individuals in how we learn and master things, I’m glad that worked for you and that you “got it” instantly. I’m 55 and hadn’t ridden a skateboard in over 30 years, a bike in over 10 years and just got an e-scooter a couple of months back, so am having a very different experience to yours. 
 

when I asked a few members of a local e-riders group here what to start with the swing bridge was the overwhelming suggestion and to then move on to the sort of exercises I am undertaking.

I’m not in a race or competition to be the fastest to ever learn this, I need to feel totally safe and in control before I’m hitting the streets, and will never be one of those riding as if they’re on a motorcycle with high speeds and ducking and weaving through traffic.  
 

Thanks for the tips, that’s exactly what I’m already doing, apart from the faceplant leap of faith! 🫣

In my video my stepping onto the footplate exercise is stationary with a hand holding the chain link fence. I only today got my first free mount attempts and success. 
 

I didn’t shoot my videos in any attempt to show me at my artificial best, they are all an honest representation of my progress over seven sessions of practice so far. 
 

I do hold on to stuff cause I’m not able to bounce, I’ll snap! 🤣

[Boof and Bloke]

26 minutes ago, iwantmymtv said:

I just got back from a snow ride, my Z10 does great in fresh snow. It woke me up because it's only like 20 degrees fahrenheit this morning. The sun is still trying to rise. It's beautiful outside because of the baby blue sky and the fresh snow. Riding an EUC will make you stronger. I know it sounds awkward, but my back and my core and neck muscles are a lot stronger.

Try to really savor your learning experience because it's a special time. I think a lot of people seem to shy away from electric unicycles because it's too terrifying to imagine. And it takes a year or so to build strength so riding is fun and effortless.

A pre-dawn ride sounds amazingly invigorating. Spending time in Nature with my dog is one of my wellness activities.
 

I’m lucky that the muscular pains aren’t really affecting me. I’ve got pretty good core, back, leg, hip and neck strength with riding the e-scooter. 

And I’m definitely savouring the process of learning to ride safely and responsibly. 
 

Id like eventually to become a proactive rider, rather than defensive, but that’s a ways away. 

[woke rider]

I was fortunate to get to visit New South Wales soon after I graduated from high school for a few months. I would have loved to have my EUC back then, it would have made my time way funner.

[Boof and Bloke]

54 minutes ago, iwantmymtv said:

I was fortunate to get to visit New South Wales soon after I graduated from high school for a few months. I would have loved to have my EUC back then, it would have made my time way funner.

Lots of great bike-centric routes in NSW. I spent a few months on the mid-coast of NSW in early 2004, if I could choose to live anywhere it would be there with the sub-tropical weather.

[woke rider]

I thought of another thing that might help you while you are learning: Make sure you have pedals that are large enough to accommodate your whole foot, heel to toes. If you have big feet like me it's likely that either your toes or heel will have to hang off. You would be happily surprised how much better riding is with a pedal big enough for your whole foot.

[Boof and Bloke]

On 1/10/2024 at 11:57 PM, iwantmymtv said:

I thought of another thing that might help you while you are learning: Make sure you have pedals that are large enough to accommodate your whole foot, heel to toes. If you have big feet like me it's likely that either your toes or heel will have to hang off. You would be happily surprised how much better riding is with a pedal big enough for your whole foot.

Thanks for the suggestion, the pedals are slightly too small by maybe 2.5cm (an inch) either end. Pedals are something I'm hoping I stop obsessing over my foot placement upon. I get more wobbles when my feet aren't perfectly centred and both planted firmly against the body. Wobbles freak me the heck out (that was exceedingly polite for the potty-mouth I have normally!) and I imagine being kicked off at speed (25kph that I'm currently limiting myself to.) I'd imagine it eventually becomes a thing you don't even think about; roll on that point in time if it's true.

Living with C-PTSD makes me an eternal worrier, but I'll eventually get there. Free starts and free stops are nice and light now, street crossings, corners on footpaths, slow weaving through foot traffic and the like are all good now, but I still stress in the moment. I've gotten in some night riding, and it's obvious I need stronger lighting than just the token light on the V8.

I've made sure to be wearing the same shoes consistently for the last week, the differences between different boots, hi-tops or sneakers was incredible in how much harder it made things.

Thanks again for the suggestion about pedals, I'll look into a slightly larger one. I played with pedal angle too, and have set it back to 0 as going 1 or 2 either way just seemed to be making it harder for me to feel confident and to make subtle speed control changes or braking.