John Frankling Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Hi everyone,Well, I took the plunge and managed to get hold of a Rockwell gr16. I have had 2 small outing other than up and down my small kitchen and the drive of my house. First outing was a small deserted car park and (30 minutes) secondly for (30 minutes) and down my cult de sac that I live in. I feel that I am making sorts of progress but feel I will eventually get there. The question I have is that I tend to get a sort of wheel flutter or wobble which makes me feel a little unnerved when I try to go a bit faster than walking speed. It is sort of intermittent. I wonder if this is common when learning or is it something to do with a Rockwell maybe being to hard or advanced for a real beginner like me??Any advice would be much appreciated.Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 Uneven footing can cause wobbling (your feet aren't lined up the same on both pedals, at least this is what to happened me on my first days) and also the muscles you need in the balancing and riding probably aren't that developed yet. Excessive tension on your legs (stiff legs) can also be a factor. Try to get better footing and see if clenching the wheel a bit between your legs helps with the wobbling. You'll get more relaxed riding once you get more experience with it.Other than that, I think Rockwheel GR16 is a geared wheel, so it could behave differently from direct-drive wheels, but not sure on this... probably someone with a GR16 can tell you more about its pros and cons, from what I've heard, the gears can wear out and cause all sorts of trouble, but on the bright side, it has both high speed & torque, unlike other wheels where it's more of a trade-off between high speed and high torque. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frankling Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 Hi there,Thanks for the prompt reply. I bought the wheel second hand but hardly used condition so I,m just presuming that the wheel is not worn or gears feeling slack which might in itself create it,s own issues.The physical problem I have is that... My right leg is say about an inch shorter than my left leg an that I have moderately bowed legs (creating gaps)..... so I have to bring my knees together to create a firmer grip. I,m not exactly the perfect physical specimen for the particular machine. lol..can you tell me if as you get more experienced with constant practise that I may not have to rely on gripping the wheel with my knees so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esaj Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 ..can you tell me if as you get more experienced with constant practise that I may not have to rely on gripping the wheel with my knees so much.I haven't had the need to grip the wheel with my legs during normal riding after the first days, but it is needed when going over bumps, jumping down a curb and such (so if you jump a little yourself, your feet will stay on the pedals). Just an example, I've once hit a larger bump on the road the with the Firewheel doing way over 25km/h and wasn't clenching the wheel as I didn't notice the bump before hitting it, my feet jumped a bit upwards and came down so that only half of my foot was on the pedal, a little higher jump or faster speed and the wheel would probably have shot from underneath me and I'd have to have been running pretty fast to stay up... But in "normal" riding, once I got relaxed, no other part of my legs than my feet on the pedals need to touch the wheel.Just go with it and keep practicing, it just takes time to learn to ride and different things work for different people... We have different wheels, different physiques, different terrains etc., so my advice may not always be good for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimlet Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 You may also find that you wobble less if you position your feet a little more forward on the pedals actually with your toes overhanging the front.We've found that with your feet set back more you are supporting your weight on your toes in order to make the wheel go forward and you are more wobbly when on your toes than when your weight is being supported solidly on your feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frankling Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 I mainly position my feet with the start of my toes over hanging the foot plates. The balls of my feet and where my toes start on the front edge if you see what I mean. I'm guessing that maybe I'm too tense in the legs and or too loose in the ankles?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleu9mm Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Shall I understand that the perfect position is when your body is perfectly aligned with the very center of the wheel ?? That would explain why I can't find balance while placing my feet exactly in the middle of the pedal rather than placing my body weight in the middl of the wheel ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpong Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Shall I understand that the perfect position is when your body is perfectly aligned with the very center of the wheel ?? That would explain why I can't find balance while placing my feet exactly in the middle of the pedal rather than placing my body weight in the middl of the wheel ??Generally, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleu9mm Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I'm back from garage. Two things: I clearly realized that my feet position was, previously, totally incorrect. As it was, my body was a couple of centimetres behind the center of gravity of the wheel. Therefore, I would have never been able to start with the wheel since my body, with the previous feet position, stayed back. The other great thing is that my legs are now in full contact with the side pads of the wheel. Less pain, more control.I spent 25 minutes standing on the wheel while putting only one finger on the wall and going forward and backward. This improve the confidence !!!The other thing is an advice to the new NB1 owners : I realized, this morning, that my tire pressure was of 17 PSI... So, don't do like me and make sure to inflate the tire before your firs ride !!!Bleu9mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpong Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I'm back from garage. Two things: I clearly realized that my feet position was, previously, totally incorrect. As it was, my body was a couple of centimetres behind the center of gravity of the wheel. Therefore, I would have never been able to start with the wheel since my body, with the previous feet position, stayed back. The other great thing is that my legs are now in full contact with the side pads of the wheel. Less pain, more control.I spent 25 minutes standing on the wheel while putting only one finger on the wall and going forward and backward. This improve the confidence !!!The other thing is an advice to the new NB1 owners : I realized, this morning, that my tire pressure was of 17 PSI... So, don't do like me and make sure to inflate the tire before your firs ride !!!Bleu9mmIt is awesome to hear of your progress! Now you are on your way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleu9mm Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 I still have faith !!!!!Bleu9mm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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