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Struggling with the Ninebot One E+. Help me


Tinfish

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Hey all, 

 

I recently bought what I presume to be a Ninebot One E+ (more on that later) 

Now I'm totally new to EU's having never ridden one in my life. It was an impulse buy, something that I'm hoping to master and maybe implement it as part of my lifestyle at some point in the future.

Soon as I got the (used) Ninebot, I immeadietly upgraded the firmware and charged it up. My dad owns a factory with a nice big concrete hard floor so I thought this would be the perfect place to practice! 

My problem is that I'm really struggling to even balance myself on the ninebot properly let alone ride it forward ! 

I can go forward with my dad standing next to me and holding onto him but anything by myself I'll struggle to go forward for more than 2 seconds ! 

As ive stated,  I'm seriously, seriously struggling with balancing on the wheel. I keep rocking side to side and my weight is shifting everywhere. Even when I relax myself it's just not happening! 

Ive been practicing for Two hours and it's coming the point where frustration is kicking. Do you guys have any tips ... or maybe the wheel is faulty ? Using the app I calibrated it and I've also set the softness to 1. Nothing is really improving for me here. I've even watched plenty of YouTube videos but I'm by far the worst ... I hope the wheel isn't faulty ...

Oh and my last concern,  is my ninebot a E or E+ model? I emailed speedyfeet with the serial number and they said it' has a 260kwh battery so it's a One-E-PLS (plus?)  but I thought the new E+ has a bigger battery unless it's the Gen 1 model? This is my serial number ...  

n1oea1517a8890
 
kind regards , 
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If you search the forum you will find pages and pages of advice to help you get going. 

Your wheel is the E not E+, the E+ has a 320wh battery. 

Good luck, keep at it, don't give up, you'll get it. It took me several days before I could ride without holding onto a railing. 

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37 minutes ago, Tinfish said:

My problem is that I'm really struggling to even balance myself on the ninebot properly let alone ride it forward ! 

As ive stated,  I'm seriously, seriously struggling with balancing on the wheel. I keep rocking side to side and my weight is shifting everywhere. Even when I relax myself it's just not happening! 

 ... I hope the wheel isn't faulty ...

As @Shoe73 has said there is oodles of advice here and on YouTube to look through. However let us get some issues out of the way as, if you get a nagging doubt that the wheel is faulty, you will not progress at all. 

Firstly, please remember that the wheel is only responsible for balancing in a forwards:backwards direction, it has no control whatsoever that aids left/ right balancing. If the peddles feel fairly solid and leaning forward makes the wheel go forward, leaning back makes it stop/ go backwards then there is absolutely nothing wrong with the wheel.

You can no more balance on a stationary, or very slow moving, Electric Unicycle (EUC) than you can a stationary or very slow moving bicycle. Balance, in a left/ right direction comes from forward speed. Just like riding a bike very slowly you do not lean to balance but twist the handlebars left and right so, a very slow moving EUC needs to be twisted with the hips to maintain balance. If you have a bike try riding it as slowly as you can, the way you control the front wheel is the same action you will need on the EUC. As you speed up a bicycle, balancing becomes easier and you lean to turn more than using the handlebars, Exactly the same is true of an EUC, you need to be going faster in order for balancing to become easy and then you can lean the EUC into the turns. 

At first you will be too frightened to go faster, that is fine, I'm not suggesting you go charging off at high speed so that you can balance, you may hurt yourself if you go too fast for your abilities, but understand what you need to do at slower speeds to balance and it will soon become instinctive, your speed will increase with confidence and it will all get a whole lot easier.

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4 hours ago, Tinfish said:

Ive been practicing for Two hours and it's coming the point where frustration is kicking.

@Keith has very good advice on balancing side to side.  If you can find a hallway narrow enough to reach the walls with both hands that will help practice.  Just keep trying in short sessions, maybe 15 minutes at a time, eventually it will get easier.  Give it more time, days and weeks even.  Finally it will become second nature to twist your hips to turn in to the side you are falling toward, 

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5 hours ago, Tinfish said:

...

Ive been practicing for Two hours and it's coming the point where frustration is kicking. Do you guys have any tips ..

Hi, and welcome!

Don't give up! You can do it! Trust us, maybe it takes a few days or a couple of weeks, but eventually it will "click".

Check the tire pressure, lower pressure is easier to ride on because of bigger contact area. And after you learn how to ride it, pump it up to recommended pressure again.

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10 hours ago, Tinfish said:

My problem is that I'm really struggling to even balance myself on the ninebot properly let alone ride it forward ! 

Others have touched on this already, but I don't think it can be emphasized enough: forward motion is necessary to balance from side to side, Going slowly and balancing is an advanced skill, standing still and balancing is nigh on to impossible. 

My advice is the same as I've given to others -- you must trust the machine completely in its ability to balance you forward and back. Get on, lean forward and "commit to it." It will "come up underneath" you and keep you from falling forward on your face. But to get to that point means facing your fear of falling. Get on, lean forward, and ride on!

You can do it!

 

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as was said above

also, make sure you BEND your KNEES a little bit (a bit of "bounce" in your legs to absorb bumps)

i cannot stress enough how important it is to RELAX

tightening up all over makes it nearly impossible to LET the wheel WORK for you

i know this sounds hard because RELAXING is exactly what your body doesn't want to let you do when you are UNsure of your current activity

it'll "CLICK" just like everyone has told you

don't give up

I promise that in a very short period of time you will be the one posting here helping to encourage others to follow in your footsteps :D

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I trained for about a week, about 15-20 minutes daily before I could ride and turn. I've seen people write that shorter but more frequent training periods are more benefical than one or two long sessions.

One very simple excercise you can do is to stand in a doorway. Hold onto the doorframs as you step up and just stand there, rolling a foot forward and backward, just to familiarize yourself with how the wheel rolls back and forth depending on howw you put pressure with your toes and heel.

I'd recommend against softness 1. This gives you the least suspension and you will feel every single grain you roll over. I prefer 5 myself, my friend 4. I'd recommend changing softness to 4, and once you manage to start, ride and stop without any help change it around to fing the sweet spot for you.

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11 hours ago, Tinfish said:

Hey all, 

 

I recently bought what I presume to be a Ninebot One E+ (more on that later) 

Now I'm totally new to EU's having never ridden one in my life. It was an impulse buy, something that I'm hoping to master and maybe implement it as part of my lifestyle at some point in the future.

Soon as I got the (used) Ninebot, I immeadietly upgraded the firmware and charged it up. My dad owns a factory with a nice big concrete hard floor so I thought this would be the perfect place to practice! 

My problem is that I'm really struggling to even balance myself on the ninebot properly let alone ride it forward ! 

I can go forward with my dad standing next to me and holding onto him but anything by myself I'll struggle to go forward for more than 2 seconds ! 

As ive stated,  I'm seriously, seriously struggling with balancing on the wheel. I keep rocking side to side and my weight is shifting everywhere. Even when I relax myself it's just not happening! 

Ive been practicing for Two hours and it's coming the point where frustration is kicking. Do you guys have any tips ... or maybe the wheel is faulty ? Using the app I calibrated it and I've also set the softness to 1. Nothing is really improving for me here. I've even watched plenty of YouTube videos but I'm by far the worst ... I hope the wheel isn't faulty ...

Oh and my last concern,  is my ninebot a E or E+ model? I emailed speedyfeet with the serial number and they said it' has a 260kwh battery so it's a One-E-PLS (plus?)  but I thought the new E+ has a bigger battery unless it's the Gen 1 model? This is my serial number ...  

n1oea1517a8890
 
kind regards , 

See https://www.youtube.com/Dufisthenics   He has a great video series showing his trials and tribulations in learning to ride the Ninebot. Watch them all and you'll learn something and gain confidence in your future of this very fun sport.

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16 hours ago, Tinfish said:

Hey all, 

 

I recently bought what I presume to be a Ninebot One E+ (more on that later) 

Now I'm totally new to EU's having never ridden one in my life. It was an impulse buy, something that I'm hoping to master and maybe implement it as part of my lifestyle at some point in the future.

Soon as I got the (used) Ninebot, I immeadietly upgraded the firmware and charged it up. My dad owns a factory with a nice big concrete hard floor so I thought this would be the perfect place to practice! 

My problem is that I'm really struggling to even balance myself on the ninebot properly let alone ride it forward ! 

I can go forward with my dad standing next to me and holding onto him but anything by myself I'll struggle to go forward for more than 2 seconds ! 

As ive stated,  I'm seriously, seriously struggling with balancing on the wheel. I keep rocking side to side and my weight is shifting everywhere. Even when I relax myself it's just not happening! 

Ive been practicing for Two hours and it's coming the point where frustration is kicking. Do you guys have any tips ... or maybe the wheel is faulty ? Using the app I calibrated it and I've also set the softness to 1. Nothing is really improving for me here. I've even watched plenty of YouTube videos but I'm by far the worst ... I hope the wheel isn't faulty ...

Oh and my last concern,  is my ninebot a E or E+ model? I emailed speedyfeet with the serial number and they said it' has a 260kwh battery so it's a One-E-PLS (plus?)  but I thought the new E+ has a bigger battery unless it's the Gen 1 model? This is my serial number ...  

n1oea1517a8890
 
kind regards , 

 

Firstly, keep at it, because once you finally 'get it', it will all feel magical. 

Secondly, besides watching the recommended videos, plant your ankles and legs tightly agains the sides of the Ninebot. Hold the Ninebot snugly as if part of your body.

Next, consider wearing ankle braces to strengthen and stiffen your feet, reduce friction and bruising if you like. Some people don;t need them, but since you are having difficulty, they could help. Here are the ones I still use to protect my ankles in case of a bad dismount or crash - I think they are great. 

Next, always mount the Ninebot while holding onto a pole or something you can grasp - not just a wall - while learning.

Lastly, study the location of your feet relative to the pedals. Make sure they are identically placed to ensure balance. A tiny shift can make a big difference. You will have to find the best position for you, and it could take a while. As a general rule, keep your feet parallel or pointing slightly outward. Your feet are bound to ache for the first few weeks - try shifting your feet forward a centimetre at a time to see if you are still comfortable and in control. With your feet placed more forward, you will tend to lean forward naturally and glide smoothly, but it can be daunting at first.

 

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On 9/22/2016 at 1:35 AM, Tinfish said:

Hey all, 

 

I recently bought what I presume to be a Ninebot One E+ (more on that later) 

Now I'm totally new to EU's having never ridden one in my life. It was an impulse buy, something that I'm hoping to master and maybe implement it as part of my lifestyle at some point in the future.

Soon as I got the (used) Ninebot, I immeadietly upgraded the firmware and charged it up. My dad owns a factory with a nice big concrete hard floor so I thought this would be the perfect place to practice! 

My problem is that I'm really struggling to even balance myself on the ninebot properly let alone ride it forward ! 

I can go forward with my dad standing next to me and holding onto him but anything by myself I'll struggle to go forward for more than 2 seconds ! 

As ive stated,  I'm seriously, seriously struggling with balancing on the wheel. I keep rocking side to side and my weight is shifting everywhere. Even when I relax myself it's just not happening! 

Ive been practicing for Two hours and it's coming the point where frustration is kicking. Do you guys have any tips ... or maybe the wheel is faulty ? Using the app I calibrated it and I've also set the softness to 1. Nothing is really improving for me here. I've even watched plenty of YouTube videos but I'm by far the worst ... I hope the wheel isn't faulty ...

Oh and my last concern,  is my ninebot a E or E+ model? I emailed speedyfeet with the serial number and they said it' has a 260kwh battery so it's a One-E-PLS (plus?)  but I thought the new E+ has a bigger battery unless it's the Gen 1 model? This is my serial number ...  

n1oea1517a8890
 
kind regards , 

Dude it took me multiple weekends to get even what I would call remotely non-sucky. 

I was so infuriated w myself but I stuck with it and just poured time into it.  I was probably at 80-100 miles before I felt maybe I was 6/10 skill wise.

Time time time time time.  Commit to it.

 

Also, once you do get OK at riding it, you might hit a wall (metaphorically speaking lol) where you wonder if you've gained all the skill you're gonna get. The answer is absolutely not.    Keep calm and ride on....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just as others have said, persistence is key.  There was a point where I felt like I wasted my money.  I just kept at it and worked through it.  Until you get to that point try to wrap/pad your bot up as much as possible to minimize damage. Wrap/pad yourself up as much as possible to avoid injury too. :) I covered most of my learning experience in a series of 6 or 7 videos.  I definitely took longer to learn than a lot of people so if I can get there, you can too. 

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As a new rider as myself I was struggling just to stand on it for 5-6hours. You can watch loads of videos but they won't help you balance. You just keep on practicing until your body and mine just clicks. Average time for someone to learn is around 4-6 hours. For me it was even more embarrassing I had to learn on busy street full coffee shops. Getting my butt laughed at by people drinking coffee. Suck it in don't give up

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7 hours ago, Jae said:

For me it was even more embarrassing I had to learn on busy street full coffee shops. Getting my butt laughed at by people drinking coffee. Suck it in don't give up

Congratulations for not giving up, and that's awesome you did it in front of a crowd.  Non of us want to do that.  But, it might just let other potential riders realize that it does take time and they also should not give up.

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