SerpentineGX Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Be safe and practice practice practice. Riding fast is easy, riding slow takes time to learn. You might want to lower your tire psi for a while till you find the pressure for you, you'll know when you find it. Get comfortable with your wheel. The more time you spend on it the more predictable it becomes - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Practicing figure 8's helped me when I first started. I still do them while waiting for my train. esaj is right about wearing protective gear, although I just wear some fingerless cycling gloves and comfy mid top shoes (Vans). If you ride at night consider outfitting your wheel with some lights. Car vs. Wheel = Car wins. I took a nasty spill this morning. My tire rode the groove on a slightly uneven sidewalk. My wheel was going one way and my momentum another. Threw me off into a patch of grass. I tumbled out of it but the impact on my shoulder took it hard. It felt somewhat okay. I rode off to catch my train. On the train I took a nap. When I woke my shoulder was killing me, not the normal muscle pain. I'll see how the day goes. It not better then it's off to see the doc. Time for a new tire as this one is feeling worn with about 1400km on it.Ride safe and have fun! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Not sure on this, the Schrader-connector on that pump looks like what I've got in the cheapo-compressor, and the Firewheel has very tight shell, so I THINK it should work with GotWay (but as usual, might be wrong... )Yeah, those help a lot, just a small hint: cut them where there are shell seams, and if possible, do not cover any screw holes. Ouch are u feeling better? Thanks for the words of advice! Can't wait to get it and start paying my dues in practicesThis waiting is killing me haha. I have to take my mind off of the eager anticipation btw this forum is quite neat - and the admins are doing a good job updating the interface. Joining this forum makes me feel like being a part of a new movement that's gaining momentum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoMarjamaa Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Yesterday first day at Helsinki centre with EU. No police arrests Helsinki has a nice bicycle/pedestrian-only road called Baana that allowed me to let my car a couple of kilometers away and ride EU then via Baana to central train station and bar near it for a half of pint of beer. I think I got more looks than a guy driving a Lamborghini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 Yesterday first day at Helsinki centre with EU. No police arrests Helsinki has a nice bicycle/pedestrian-only road called Baana that allowed me to let my car a couple of kilometers away and ride EU then via Baana to central train station and bar near it for a half of pint of beer. I think I got more looks than a guy driving a Lamborghini nice! Are there lots of people on EU's in Finland?Like others have mentioned, it's not really catching on in the US, at least not yet. I don't think I've seen even one person in NYC ride one of these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirGeraint Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Like others have mentioned, it's not really catching on in the US, at least not yet. I don't think I've seen even one person in NYC ride one of theseYeah, someone should give me a Ninebot One E+ so I can ride it around and advertise for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 nice! Are there lots of people on EU's in Finland?Not much, but some... I've never met another EUC owner in person, but I do know that in this city alone, there's at least two more Firewheels (F132 and some other, might be F132 too), and two GoZeros (a couple of people I know bought them, but haven't seen them since, at least the other rides it himself and the other bought it to his son). This is from around the corner of the marina, I've ridden past this spot many times, but never seen these guys: http://areena.yle.fi/1-2820369 The black one is a F132 (the logo is seen at one point), don't know about the white one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoMarjamaa Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 nice! Are there lots of people on EU's in Finland?Like others have mentioned, it's not really catching on in the US, at least not yet. I don't think I've seen even one person in NYC ride one of thesevee73, esaj and me There should be more, but I haven't seen anybody else in Helsinki either.I'm quite certain this will catch up in a couple of years. If it doesn't, I'll just keep on rolling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 26, 2015 Author Share Posted June 26, 2015 The black one is a F132 (the logo is seen at one point), don't know about the white one I must say, seeing your Firewheel and theirs in the video, it definitely wins in the design department. Easily at the top like you mentioned in an earlier post, along with the NineBot One.vee73, esaj and me There should be more, but I haven't seen anybody else in Helsinki either.I'm quite certain this will catch up in a couple of years. If it doesn't, I'll just keep on rolling it'll be interesting to see if it gains momentum in our countries. the segway in the US really didnt do too well - besides ppl renting them for 'tours' and now being used by NYPD in the subways. I see this having much more promise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I must say, seeing your Firewheel and theirs in the video, it definitely wins in the design department. Easily at the top like you mentioned in an earlier post, along with the NineBot One.it'll be interesting to see if it gains momentum in our countries. the segway in the US really didnt do too well - besides ppl renting them for 'tours' and now being used by NYPD in the subways. I see this having much more promiseYeah, Firewheel looks nice, but from what I've heard, the design was actually stolen from this: http://www.monoelectricwheel.com/ We'll see if there's going to be a law suit following... EUCs aren't "technically" legal in Finland... yet, there's an amendment/a change in the laws underway, that should come into effect during this year, making self-balancing electric vehicles basically bicycles with few special rules, like being able to ride in a pedestrian-only sidewalk at walk speed and restricting the "structural maximum speed" to 25km/h and rated power to 1kW. Don't know what it actually means for the FireWheel, as the manufacturer states the max speed to be 25km/h, but in reality it does go a bit faster (even without shunting the batteries, so straight out of the factory)... I've seen cops many times, and up close, they haven't (at least yet) bothered to ever stop me, even to question about the wheel. I'd expect the adoption to be more widespread after the amendments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaleOsaurusRex Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Most places it seems people don't' even give these a second look. That's one of the great things about the technology: it's relatively unobtrusive.The only real concern is making sure the people around you are safe, from a riding skill standpoint but also from a reliability standpoint. If you've got a cheap brand, make sure you've had the shunt mod done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Yeah, Firewheel looks nice, but from what I've heard, the design was actually stolen from this: http://www.monoelectricwheel.com/ We'll see if there's going to be a law suit following... EUCs aren't "technically" legal in Finland... yet, there's an amendment/a change in the laws underway, that should come into effect during this year, making self-balancing electric vehicles basically bicycles with few special rules, like being able to ride in a pedestrian-only sidewalk at walk speed and restricting the "structural maximum speed" to 25km/h and rated power to 1kW. Don't know what it actually means for the FireWheel, as the manufacturer states the max speed to be 25km/h, but in reality it does go a bit faster (even without shunting the batteries, so straight out of the factory)... I've seen cops many times, and up close, they haven't (at least yet) bothered to ever stop me, even to question about the wheel. I'd expect the adoption to be more widespread after the amendments.That monoelectricwheel looks real nice... I sure hope it stays legal and allowable in our countries - I would be so sad if laws changed banning their use Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citi Wheel Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I ride my generic 14" in the NYC all the time now but I've had a couple months under my belt. I think the 14" is best suit for crowded areas because it's more agile. It's all about your comfort/skill level with going slower, as it's the most import factor when it's very crowded. Sometimes you need to go very slow until you see a safe opening to pass people. If it gets too crowded I step off because at some point no matter your skill level it will not be manageable. On top of that, I don't wanna piss of any pedestrians, because they have the right to the sidewalk, and I don't want electric unicycles to go get banned in new york city like the segway did. Finally, I looked up the NYC laws and it said any motorized vehicle (outside of wheelchairs and scooters for the disabled) are ILLEGAL on NYC sidewalks. Just one person out of the thousands of people that have seen me on it have actually said something, but it's just something to be aware of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 I ride my generic 14" in the NYC all the time now but I've had a couple months under my belt. I think the 14" is best suit for crowded areas because it's more agile. It's all about your comfort/skill level with going slower, as it's the most import factor when it's very crowded. Sometimes you need to go very slow until you see a safe opening to pass people. If it gets too crowded I step off because at some point no matter your skill level it will not be manageable. On top of that, I don't wanna piss of any pedestrians, because they have the right to the sidewalk, and I don't want electric unicycles to go get banned in new york city like the segway did. Finally, I looked up the NYC laws and it said any motorized vehicle (outside of wheelchairs and scooters for the disabled) are ILLEGAL on NYC sidewalks. Just one person out of the thousands of people that have seen me on it have actually said something, but it's just something to be aware of.I was not aware that these are "illegal" - which makes me sad that there's the potential for some cop to give me a ticket Is this the law you were referring to? According to the site, the EU isn't specifically defined as a motorized vehicle that can't be registered in NY. Where about do you ride the EU in NYC? I have a path mapped out in my head getting from Port Authority to my office in the mornings and evenings, avoiding the busier streets and avenues. The last thing I want to do is run into a congested sidewalk when I don't have to. Anywho, thanks for the input! Great to hear from someone already using the EU in NYC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Vu Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Here is me riding in the heart of Downtown San Antonio where there is a lot of tourist. If it does get too crowded then I simply stay behind and travel at walking speed until something opens up. But obviously good control at slow speeds is essential to riding in a crowded. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSv7fre_st0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 The most recent discussion I can find about NYC is this one from 2012. If they haven't changed the laws then it sounds like you'd technically need to have an EU registered. I assume all those NYC Segway tours must register and insure their Segways then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 The most recent discussion I can find about NYC is this one from 2012. If they haven't changed the laws then it sounds like you'd technically need to have an EU registered. I assume all those NYC Segway tours must register and insure their Segways then?In the comments section, one person makes a reference to an updated NYS amendment (although it says New Jersey) that defines "Segways" - it seems it would also be applied towards EU's as well.Honestly, I don't know what the real deal is. This ambiguity only means NYPD has a right to harass you if they feel like it. After getting better on my EU and once I start using it to commute into my office, I'll ask my legal department (hopefully I won't have had any issues before then!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citi Wheel Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I was not aware that these are "illegal" - which makes me sad that there's the potential for some cop to give me a ticket Is this the law you were referring to? According to the site, the EU isn't specifically defined as a motorized vehicle that can't be registered in NY. Where about do you ride the EU in NYC? I have a path mapped out in my head getting from Port Authority to my office in the mornings and evenings, avoiding the busier streets and avenues. The last thing I want to do is run into a congested sidewalk when I don't have to. Anywho, thanks for the input! Great to hear from someone already using the EU in NYC! Here's the link.http://ypdcrime.com/vt/article34c.htm#t1271 If you go to S1271 article 2b, it mentions that operating electric personal assistive mobility devices, which I think applies to EU, is prohibited is a city with a population more than 1,000,000 people. I have had a lot of cops talk to me about my EU but just out of curiosity, and not about using it on the sidewalk. I think at most they may ask you to get off it and walk. I feel like a cop would have to be having a real bad day to give you a ticket over it. Interestingly enough, during memorial day (this is before I knew about the law), I was riding down the west side highway bike path and it was very congested with people along the bike path. The cops were making bicyclist get off and walk but when they saw me on my EU they let me just ride along. I think as long as we are very respectful of pedestrians, we should be okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobby16 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I ride my generic 14" in the NYC all the time now but I've had a couple months under my belt. I think the 14" is best suit for crowded areas because it's more agile. It's all about your comfort/skill level with going slower, as it's the most import factor when it's very crowded. Sometimes you need to go very slow until you see a safe opening to pass people. If it gets too crowded I step off because at some point no matter your skill level it will not be manageable. On top of that, I don't wanna piss of any pedestrians, because they have the right to the sidewalk, and I don't want electric unicycles to go get banned in new york city like the segway did. Finally, I looked up the NYC laws and it said any motorized vehicle (outside of wheelchairs and scooters for the disabled) are ILLEGAL on NYC sidewalks. Just one person out of the thousands of people that have seen me on it have actually said something, but it's just something to be aware of.I like your attitude very much. Discretion rules, that's exactly what I abide by. I even dissuade wheelers from using ringing bells, simply because we are so agile to avoid and to make detours there is no need to bother pedestrians with our presence. I strive to have monowheels liked or even admired or at worse ignored and not despised or feared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Be safe and practice practice practice. Riding fast is easy, riding slow takes time to learn. You might want to lower your tire psi for a while till you find the pressure for you, you'll know when you find it. Get comfortable with your wheel. The more time you spend on it the more predictable it becomes - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Practicing figure 8's helped me when I first started. I still do them while waiting for my train. esaj is right about wearing protective gear, although I just wear some fingerless cycling gloves and comfy mid top shoes (Vans). If you ride at night consider outfitting your wheel with some lights. Car vs. Wheel = Car wins. I took a nasty spill this morning. My tire rode the groove on a slightly uneven sidewalk. My wheel was going one way and my momentum another. Threw me off into a patch of grass. I tumbled out of it but the impact on my shoulder took it hard. It felt somewhat okay. I rode off to catch my train. On the train I took a nap. When I woke my shoulder was killing me, not the normal muscle pain. I'll see how the day goes. It not better then it's off to see the doc. Time for a new tire as this one is feeling worn with about 1400km on it.Ride safe and have fun! Cheers! Serpentine, I've only had a few days of practice but it is a whole lot of fun! I've been taking ur advice about practicing the figure 8's - it gets boring sometimes but i can def see why its imperative to learn; currently learning to better complete my left turns with more control and more speed. Hope you're feeling better btw; my earlier post on 6/22 was in reference to your entry but I quoted esaj by accidentThe first day I wore wrist guards with splints in them but since then, like you, I've been using my fingerless bike gloves and mid top sneakers! I found the wrist guards cumbersome and made it difficult to take out my phone, access the Gotway app, and drink water. Also, I started out wearing running sneakers but my feet quickly started to hurt - the Gotway pedals are hollow in in the middle plus running sneakers dont provide much arch support as the bottom is very flexible. The mid top sneakers were of a more solid bottom that gave much better foot support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobby16 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi John,I was sure you'll be an enthusiastic convert and you'll love your Gotway !Just one thing again, about the now accumulating bad jokes made by Gotway, I've discovered with the Charge Doctor that they delivered me a wheel with a 280Wh battery instead of 340Wh. You should verify that asap, make big noise and demand a rebate, to avoid that to happen to new buyers. Please, spread the word.Come one Gotway, hell, stop the cheating ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 I like your attitude very much. Discretion rules, that's exactly what I abide by. I even dissuade wheelers from using ringing bells, simply because we are so agile to avoid and to make detours there is no need to bother pedestrians with our presence. I strive to have monowheels liked or even admired or at worse ignored and not despised or feared.That is an important point. Cars, pedestrians, and bicycles all hate each other. Right now the novelty of an EU is so great that most people are more curious than scared or annoyed. If a lot of people start to use them and are not respectful of pedestrians, laws will change and EU riders are likely to be thrown onto the bike lanes or, even worse, the street. A good wheel rider should be able to ride behind pedestrians at walking speed and fit through spaces in the crowd that aren't much bigger than their own body. And honestly in very thick crowds it is probably better to leave the wheel at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Hi John,I was sure you'll be an enthusiastic convert and you'll love your Gotway !Just one thing again, about the now accumulating bad jokes made by Gotway, I've discovered with the Charge Doctor that they delivered me a wheel with a 280Wh battery instead of 340Wh. You should verify that asap, make big noise and demand a rebate, to avoid that to happen to new buyers. Please, spread the word.Come one Gotway, hell, stop the cheating !jeez i certainly hope they didnt screw that up who did you purchase your GW from? did they issue you a refund for the discrepancy? when i have a chance to go out and test my furthest range and deplete my battery, i'll report back (but that may not happen until tomorrow). do you happen to know what the range ought to be around? the last ride, i took it out for 21.6km and had a quarter of battery left (accroding to the battery light meter) which would mean that going until the battery was done, I should've gotten about 29 km. I did go up a big hill tho, so maybe that should extend the range a few km.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoMarjamaa Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 That is an important point. Cars, pedestrians, and bicycles all hate each other. Right now the novelty of an EU is so great that most people are more curious than scared or annoyed. If a lot of people start to use them and are not respectful of pedestrians, laws will change and EU riders are likely to be thrown onto the bike lanes or, even worse, the street. A good wheel rider should be able to ride behind pedestrians at walking speed and fit through spaces in the crowd that aren't much bigger than their own body. And honestly in very thick crowds it is probably better to leave the wheel at home.All I can say when these things get more popular:would you learn to ride a bike in busy streets? Would you let your child to learn there?Why don't people learn to ride bikes in busy streets? Because those that learn are kids and their parents wont allow them.But what if a parent wants to learn to ride an EU? Laws of common sense don't apply anymore. Here's my advice:all of you who can, go ride in public in that way that people see how it is ridden properly.Then those who are only learning (maybe) don't dare to look like amateurs and practice in secret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobby16 Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 jeez i certainly hope they didnt screw that up who did you purchase your GW from? did they issue you a refund for the discrepancy? when i have a chance to go out and test my furthest range and deplete my battery, i'll report back (but that may not happen until tomorrow). do you happen to know what the range ought to be around? the last ride, i took it out for 21.6km and had a quarter of battery left (accroding to the battery light meter) which would mean that going until the battery was done, I should've gotten about 29 km. I did go up a big hill tho, so maybe that should extend the range a few km....I just confirm the false capacity today, on my second full charge. I suspected that already at the first charge. We bought the GW in a bulk order from Jane, so I am asking 16 other buyers to check the battery and we will decide what to do.As to the range, with a full charge, I could ride 31.9 km (measured by the android app and confirmed by the bike computer). In the last km, the battery was really low, at 51V (again, measured by the android app) and the wheel was constantly beeping with 2 beeps, even at 5km/h, the most embarassing and ridiculous ride I had. Expect to have less range since I weight less than you, 65kg. So the GW has quite a good efficiency, about 10Wh for 1 km. But hell, I have the feeling of being constantly cheated by GW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc415 Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 I just confirm the false capacity today, on my second full charge. I suspected that already at the first charge. We bought the GW in a bulk order from Jane, so I am asking 16 other buyers to check the battery and we will decide what to do.As to the range, with a full charge, I could ride 31.9 km (measured by the android app and confirmed by the bike computer). In the last km, the battery was really low, at 51V (again, measured by the android app) and the wheel was constantly beeping with 2 beeps, even at 5km/h, the most embarassing and ridiculous ride I had. Expect to have less range since I weight less than you, 65kg. So the GW has quite a good efficiency, about 10Wh for 1 km. But hell, I have the feeling of being constantly cheated by GW.it seems like this was an issue plaguing a decent # of the wheels. did a search in the forum and found this post about claimed vs actual distance per wheel and battery size. if this is true, it seems a good number of the wheel manufacturers, even the better known ones, are exaggerating their specs. I will inform you once I get to try mine later this week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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