New Ninebot one E

[dpong]

The Ninebot One E+ is so darned heavy, that when moving it from my house to the trunk of the car, and vice versa, I usually turn it on, bend down and use the handle to wheel it where I want it.  This would not work well for longer distances, however.   The old Ninebot One E (not the plus) was said to have an issue with its handle in that they sometimes snapped off.  Supposedly this is redesigned for the E+, but still when picking it up to put in the trunk, I grab it at the top and bottom of the frame.  I don't use the handle to carry it very far.  And when I do carry by the handle, I choke up on it and grasp the handle very close to the frame.  I don't know if I need to do this with the E+, if handle is redesigned, but I do it anyway.  

[Noam]

I have a question for Ninebot owners, how do you carry it?

It is quite heavy, as right now I'm only trainning with it on a car park I take it on a trolley

I've ordered trolley handle as well as backpack, I can't carry 14 kgs 

I cannot really comment on the backpack, because I dont have any expierence with it. On the other hand I do have the trolley handle and believe it a solution as good as it gets. Now, I only have to lift my Ninebot One E+ up a high curb or a flight of stairs. Once I arrive at my destination or a place where I cannot ride (Shopping Centre, a Condo or a crowded area) I step off it, pull the handle and do not switch the Ninebot off. This way I can move it handsomly around and can continue my ride once I am back to the street. It really is convenient!

[esaj]

Scrolling back this thread, it looks like I've told the same thing about my knee-problems with locking pedals on a bike twice... and almost in consecutive postings   My memory isn't what it used to be...

[dpong]

I cannot really comment on the backpack, because I dont have any expierence with it. On the other hand I do have the trolley handle and believe it a solution as good as it gets. Now, I only have to lift my Ninebot One E+ up a high curb or a flight of stairs. Once I arrive at my destination or a place where I cannot ride (Shopping Centre, a Condo or a crowded area) I step off it, pull the handle and do not switch the Ninebot off. This way I can move it handsomly around and can continue my ride once I am back to the street. It really is convenient!

Hi Noam,

Since I am ignorant as to whether there are more than one trolley handle available, would you mind sharing how/where you acquired yours?  I think it might be a good option.  [I don't really mean where you purchased it, but rather which 'model' or whatever, you purchased.]

Thanks in advance. 

Don't compare your progress to mine... everyone learns at their own speed. I've ridden mopeds and motorcycles before, thousands of kilometers with a bike with locking pedals. Although I'm far from the "pro" riders here, It all still adds up, and  (maybe) makes me a bit faster learner.

Compare your progress to mine.  It will make you feel like a champion!  

 

[esaj]

Compare your progress to mine.  It will make you feel like a champion!  

I've seen videos of people riding one-legged after 45 minutes of practice, so I'm far from the "pros"... Plus I'm drunk at the moment, so excuse my postings for this evening/night, after discussing some investment options with my cousin... But no problem, I've just found a bottle of vodka from the cupoard, no problem

[dpong]

I've seen videos of people riding one-legged after 45 minutes of practice, so I'm far from the "pros"... Plus I'm drunk at the moment, so excuse my postings for this evening/night, after discussing some investment options with my cousin... But no problem, I've just found a bottle of vodka from the cupoard, no problem

We're all good.  Celebrating with a shot of Bushmills Black label.  Now renamed as Black Bush.  We deserve it. 

[esaj]

We're all good.  Celebrating with a shot of Bushmills Black label.  Now renamed as Black Bush.  We deserve it. 

I think it's just great that "older" (well, say 50+ and 60+ years old) people seem to be so keen on riding EUCs, usually such people just "look down the nose"  (I don't know if that expression translates so well) at younger people with "new gadgets"... my father-in-law, who just turned 60, actually has my 14" generic on loan just now and seems to love it. I really think that EUCs could be the "next big thing", which has actually made me think if I should become a reseller, but so far the risk seems too big... Partially the (at least seemingly) higher average age of EUC -riders (from what I've read, it seems the average age is over 40, I'm 32 myself) probably is related to cost of the units, and difficult buying process (if ordering abroad)... 

[dpong]

I think it's just great that "older" (well, say 50+ and 60+ years old) people seem to be so keen on riding EUCs, usually such people just "look down the nose"  (I don't know if that expression translates so well) at younger people with "new gadgets"... my father-in-law, who just turned 60, actually has my 14" generic on loan just now and seems to love it. I really think that EUCs could be the "next big thing", which has actually made me think if I should become a reseller, but so far the risk seems too big... Partially the (at least seemingly) higher average age of EUC -riders (from what I've read, it seems the average age is over 40, I'm 32 myself) probably is related to cost of the units, and difficult buying process (if ordering abroad)... 

[First, looking down the nose translates perfectly into English.]

Economics is one of my favorite subjects.  I agree with you completely, and I have noticed, that the elders are a large portion of the early adopters on these things.  I agree. I think it *is* a function of disposable income. Plus, a lady where I work said, wow, too bad you could't wait until the price comes down.  (And they will come down.)  I told her "I am 55 years old - I don't have time to wait for the prices to fall!"

I don't think that becoming a reseller is the play.  To be a reseller you must differentiate yourself somehow.  How to do it?  You have to compete with Amazon, for Pete's sake!  Some resellers do a pretty good job, at this early stage.  But once the whole thing goes mainstream I don't see to continue to compete with all the big centralized internet resellers. 

Investing in the manufacturers would be better, except that China's economy is a little squirrley right now.  They are having a bust, and for good reason.  But they will continue to be the manufacturers, I think, for the immediate future. 

I think the play could be for some kind of tangential manufacturer.  One that manufactures something that will rise with the popularity of these devices, but is not a retailer, nor manufacturer of the actual devices themselves.  Is that protective gear?  Electronic components that are required?  Spaces where these things can be ridden, eventually, like skate parks?  I don't know the answer.  Retailers, I think, have a tough row to hoe in the mid to long term.  

[bleu9mm]

@esaj : I think that the EUC is the big thing. What surprises me is the silence of the "traditional media" about the EUC. Here in Canada, especially in the province of Quebec, where I live, EUC is a non-existent thing. Only strange pesons like me are interested.

In my area, there's approx. 70% of the population live at less than 10 Km from work. So, the wheel could be a solution from mid-April to mid-November...

I hope to create a buzz and encourage people to use alternative transport mode when possible.

 

$0,02

[esaj]

[First, looking down the nose translates perfectly into English.]

Economics is one of my favorite subjects.  I agree with you completely, and I have noticed, that the elders are a large portion of the early adopters on these things.  I agree. I think it *is* a function of disposable income. Plus, a lady where I work said, wow, too bad you could't wait until the price comes down.  (And they will come down.)  I told her "I am 55 years old - I don't have time to wait for the prices to fall!"

I don't think that becoming a reseller is the play.  To be a reseller you must differentiate yourself somehow.  How to do it?  You have to compete with Amazon, for Pete's sake!  Some resellers do a pretty good job, at this early stage.  But once the whole thing goes mainstream I don't see to continue to compete with all the big centralized internet resellers. 

Investing in the manufacturers would be better, except that China's economy is a little squirrley right now.  They are having a bust, and for good reason.  But they will continue to be the manufacturers, I think, for the immediate future. 

I think the play could be for some kind of tangential manufacturer.  One that manufactures something that will rise with the popularity of these devices, but is not a retailer, nor manufacturer of the actual devices themselves.  Is that protective gear?  Electronic components that are required?  Spaces where these things can be ridden, eventually, like skate parks?  I don't know the answer.  Retailers, I think, have a tough row to hoe in the mid to long term.  

I would plus this post a couple of times if I could... It seems to me that most retailers are between the wood and the hard place right now. Not only do they have to compete against each other with price (locally/ per nation) right now, but also against them manufacturers themselves, who sell the units in Banggood/Amazon/Ebay/DC/Whatever directly (I'm not saying that's a bad thing), of course the customs/taxes even out the play field...  There's things like domestic warranty to complicate things (like the requirement to provide a new/refurbished unit for a customer in reasonable time, if it doesn't last a "reasonable amount of expectable lifetime" or something along those lines, don't know if it translates that well)... I've already been pondering this before, and importing things like Firewheel is a a pretty definite "no-go", unless they bring their quality up a notch... that's probably why going with Ninebot seems so typical (big company, good warranty & support etc.). One thing that could work (at least during winter) would be running a big "training hall" with rent units for people to ride, but the calculations of usage percentage, hall rent, taxes etc. so far seem to implicate that the rent price would have to be pretty high (unless the "useable hours" of wheels goes way over 50%, ie. the time they're being rented vs. the time they're under recharge or under maintenance...)... Too big risk for my meager savings, would need extra loans etc.

I would love to be able to quit my day job to become something like a EUC trainer or reseller, of course, I've only been riding them a couple of months, so the enthusiasm probably fades away over time, and I know next to nothing about running a business, plus have a day-job I can do from home  that pays wwell, and I have lots of experience with (for example server-side software/administration, binary protocols,,,,), so that would probably just ruin my personal economy completely

[dpong]

To offer training, that could be franchised, might be the best play.  These things aren't going away.  They will spread.  Including those other electric 2-wheeled thingies. 

If you see someone start to provide this service, perhaps invest in it as soon as possible.  ?

[They must bring their own wheel.  With a few extras that you can provide, but not many loaners.]

[esaj]

To offer training, that could be franchised, might be the best play.  These things aren't going away.  They will spread.  Including those other electric 2-wheeled thingies. 

If you see someone start to provide this service, perhaps invest in it as soon as possible.  ?

I most definitley see the potential in such enterprise, but like said, I know pretty little of running a business, and the current economic state worldwide (currencies competing, over-debtness etc.) doesn't really encourage to taking the risk. Part of me just wants to ignore such "noise", but here in Finland you can't make a "personal bankrupt" and start over, the debts will follow you 15-20 years before forgiven (unless paid in full), even if everything you have has been already seizedseized/foreclosed, but wasn't enough to cover them... Plus I know at least currently my current line of work is pretty much in demand (for now), so abandoning that would seem pretty foolish.

On top of that, while now it doesn't seem so bad, will I be as interested in teaching the basics and such over and over for different people for the next 5 years? 10 years? What about the legal repercussions, I would probably need some sort of form of consent that people won't sue me for possible damages... I'd need a hefty sum for all the lawyers etc. to draft the consent documents, setting up a limited company, finding funding, spaces, buying the wheels, getting some marketing for people to know such a place even exists ... it's just something really way out of my league, I know software but not business. Part of me says go for it, now, whereas part of me says it just unnecessary risk, considering that I probably can make a pretty good & fairly risk-free career (at least for now) in software... 

[dpong]

Yep.  I hear you.  But if someone starts a business like that, you can decide whether or not to invest in it.   Yes, No, up to you.   

[esaj]

The last line of doubt I have is my skill-level... Do I really have the skills / ability / nerves / courage to say that "you should do it like this, not that"? Even though I've ridden over 1000km (combined with my generic wheel and the Firewheel) so far, it doesn't make me a "qualified" instructor on wheels, especially if you take into account how differently people can ride, different wheels they ride, different learning curves etc. people have, so how who am I to say how they should ride? So I've got my problems with self-esteem and courage in this matter  Probably people like vee73 and many others could do much better in this regard.

[dpong]

I never started a business.  I wouldn't know how.  I just try to look at the field, and think about that.  

Also, in this early field - like it or not - you *are* an expert.  This is how experts appear. It is how they happen.  You have been there - they have not.  

[Noam]

Hi Noam,

Since I am ignorant as to whether there are more than one trolley handle available, would you mind sharing how/where you acquired yours?  I think it might be a good option.  [I don't really mean where you purchased it, but rather which 'model' or whatever, you purchased.]

Hi ‌@dpong, I bought my Ninebot One E+ here in Singapore and it came with the trolley handle as a bundle. The handle was in a seperate cardboard box with the Ninebot Logo on top. I have been told, that it was only released this May. The set contains three items. The pull rod, an accessory holder which has to be fixed onto the Ninebot. It has a roundish shape at one side and fits handsomely to the euc. And finally a fastener for the pull rod. Once the fastener is attached to the accessory holder one can remove the pull rod with one single move. It is faster than two shakes of a lambs tail. If you have the parking stand for the Ninebot as well, you can also attach the fastener to this accessory holder. However, I do have to agree with ‌@Rotator, that the actual parking stand is not wide enough to provide proper stability. Hence I plan to stop by a DIY store to buy a longer 8mm steel bar to replace the current parking stand.

Here are two links to dealers in Singapore and Australia which should give you an idea:

http://www.passiongadgets.com/ninebot-trolley-handle.html

http://www.electricunicycleonline.com/ninebot-one-pull-rod.html

I really have no idea about dealers or distributors on your side of the pond, but would assume that the same handle should be available there too:

Finally a video by SpeedyFeet about the same thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhRa72l-E9Q

Hope I could help. Cheers!

[dpong]

Thank-you, Noam.  So it is Ninebot brand.  Good to know!

[Noam]

To offer training, that could be franchised, might be the best play.  These things aren't going away.  They will spread.  Including those other electric 2-wheeled thingies. 

This is already happening. Two of the three retailer I know on our little island offer training for every PEV sold. One has converted a part of the warehouse into a test drive range and offers lessons before and after the sale. The other bundles two hours of training with every euc. The  training will take place at a location close to the buyer. On top they are organising an outing once a week. Either Saturday around midnight or Sunday morning for two or three hours. (Last Saturday we have been about 15 people.)

[Rotator]

I created this thread to write about my learning stage, and ask some help.

Now I am very proud to announce that I have achieved the professional level.

Yes, today I have got my first fall. A faceplant over the concrete.

I hit a pole with the left pedal at high speed, and I have continued with the same speed and direction, but without the euc (thanks, physics laws!).

I could feel the flight, but it was very short (thanks, gravity law!).

No injuries, because the wrists protection took the impact over the ground.

And no BMS problem at all, only operator error. I have put the ninebot at the limit several times. And never have cut the power.

It's a great euc.

 

[dpong]

I'm glad to hear that you were not injured!  And congratulations, and welcome to 'the club'.

[esaj]

Now I am very proud to announce that I have achieved the professional level.

Yes, today I have got my first fall. A faceplant over the concrete.

No injuries, because the wrists protection took the impact over the ground.

Good to hear you didn't hurt yourself, protection pays off    I don't know where the "you have to fall to become a pro"-thing started, but if that's the case, I became a "pro" within my first couple of hours riding, ending face down in the asphalt   And that was plain inexperience...

[dpong]

"Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from poor judgment."

[SirGeraint]

I just had to tell someone and I didn't feel it was worth starting a new thread so I think I'll just post this here...

My Ninebot One E+ arrived first thing this morning!  So far I've only "ridden" it around in the kitchen.  I will take it out after work.  I do think I am making a little progress in the short amount of time in the kitchen.

I've got my knee & elbow pads and wrist guards but my bike/skate helmet hasn't arrived yet.  I guess I could take my ATV or motorcycle helmet with me just in case I have a big fall.

I've picked up many sports/hobbies fairly quickly (but didn't get great at them (i.e. "Greens" and "Blues" but no "Black Diamonds")) so I am optimistic that I can pick this up quickly too... although I am getting older these days.

 

[dpong]

Congratulations, @SirGeraint !!  You are going to have a lot of fun with this.

[SirGeraint]

Thanks @dpong.  That's assuming I don't break anything first.