tjcooper Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I know I will take a lot of "flack" for this, but I got the training wheels for my new Ninebot E+ just to see what it would be like for my kids to learn to ride an EUC. When I get on the Ninebot, the wheels are so low that I have 3 wheels on the ground AT ALL TIMES. There is no delta lift-off from one wheel to the next. When I try to turn, I have to do a sizeable "hip swish" to get any rotary motion. It was nothing like this on my old MoHoo. When I went to turn there were at most two wheels on the ground and turning was an absolute easy maneuver. So does this mean my training wheels on Ninebot are not installed properly? there are no adjustments in the screws that put them on. They go on one way only. I rode the Ninebot for about 1/2 hour Sunday with the training wheels. I really see where this setup does not help you to learn how to balance. You are always 100% level with no tilt right or left at all. Has anyone else see this on the Ninebot with training wheels? When I do the normal "tilt" to turn, I go so far to the side that I literally bring the whole machine up onto one of the training wheels and then there is an immediate turn like I am about to fall over. Love how stable the Ninebot E+ is on the petals. Wish I had chosen it as my first machine. For those who do not know it, there are still some $449 units in blue and black flame at forwardca.com. You absolutely cannot beat that price. tjcooper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 I have the same limited edition Flame as you. Did you inflate the tire up? Mine was at 15 psi where it should be at about 40-50 psi. That may raise the pedals up a bit more so there's less weight on the training wheels. Maybe it's just psychological, but I find the 16" wheel easier to start riding on as compared to my 14" generic wheel. Maybe it's the larger pedals or heavier mass that slows the tipping action? Were you able to ride the MooHoo without training wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 Regardless of tyre pressure, when I tried the training wheels on my X8 all three were on the ground together (but then I am a fat unicyclist / tricyclist). I don't think that the training wheels are really any good for learning to ride, but they do help someone learn the forward / back control of the unit. And once they have that, the balance becomes a matter of practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjcooper Posted June 8, 2016 Author Share Posted June 8, 2016 Hunka, mine also came at 15 psi. I used the extension rod and took it up to 35 psi which is recommended "slow rider" pressure. I can ride the MoHoo slightly without training wheels but the fear of faceplant is so great that I really don't advance in skill. My son and I used MoHoo over memorial day and after 15 minutes we started to loose gyro operation and then all learning stops. I agree with you, the NB is so stable it is amazing for "hop up" and motion control. I cannot put a strap on NB so I only have done short rides next to a wall where I can use my hand to do the stabilization while getting used to the lean. I am hoping that by the end of this weekend I can do the slow ride without the training wheels. My big question is whether the "turning" will be as hard as it was with training wheels on. The MoHoo turns very quickly with minimal effort. The NB with training wheels is like trying to grab a bull by the horns and make it turn. But I am sure I will get the "magic" in the next couple of weeks. I have most of the foam on the unit so I am now not afraid to let the NB "dump" if I hop off. BTW. I weigh in at 100 kg so I compress the wheel a fair amount. QUESTION: would a "trolley handle" help you hop up and allow you to hop off and keep the NB from falling over? Has anyone used the trolley handle to do such actions? Much thanks. tjcooper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vik's Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 18 minutes ago, tjcooper said: ... QUESTION: would a "trolley handle" help you hop up and allow you to hop off and keep the NB from falling over? Has anyone used the trolley handle to do such actions? Much thanks. tjcooper You should not do that. It's too weak for that... I've done it a couple of times to begin with and luckily didn't break it but was very close. After that I've just got the habit to grab the top of the 9b1 with my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 That Faceplant Fear Threshold (FFT) is like breaking the sound barrier. I remember it well! You just have to put your faith and trust in Ninebot (and God) and concentrate on your side to side balance while leaning at the ankles a little bit forwards. It won't let you down like the MooHoo. Unfortunately you had the hardware issues before so I think that has tainted your learning curve a little. Once you start rolling and learning to focus more on side to side balance it's just like taking off on a bike. I often forget that I'm rolling on one wheel and just imagine I'm coasting on a bike that is steered by shifting my weight side to side and turning my upper body. If you have a patch of level grass you can practice on, it might help reduce your fears. The self-balancing tech is truly amazing in that it will keep you upright as long as you keep balanced in the side to side direction. Do you have four folding chairs? If you can take off the training wheels (which don't help that much) and set up the chairs back to back with a small space which you can roll through, place the other two chairs about 10 feet away. Now with your hands supported by the first two chairs you can find your balance while stationary. Once you've done that, lean forwards a little to scoot over to the other set of chairs. Get off and ride the wheel back to the other set. Gradually increase the distance between the two sets of chairs. Then try removing one chair on each side. After a while you learn the ability to steer as it is very subtle. One other possible learning aid in a parking lot or basketball court (which I haven't tried but I have thought a little about) might be to use some old ski poles to help support you standing up. Once you're balanced, lean forwards to move slowly. If you feel yourself tipping, you could then brace a little with the pole. Or if your son can run along your side you can hold onto his shoulder. I wouldn't use a strap at this stage as I find it throws your balance off. I used to flail my arms to help with balancing, and once I got used to it I didn't have to do that any more. Sometimes I still need to though. This video helped me a lot: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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