rdalcanto Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Winter sucks. Got EUCs for Christmas, and we have 16 inches of snow on the ground. I would love to ride inside a giant indoor shopping mall, but I worry that I would quickly get kicked out. Anyone with first hand experience on rules regarding EUC riding in a mall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Chuckle. Yes, I think you would quickly get kicked out. Also, the EUC takes practice. I spent hours of practicing before taking it anywhere where I might encounter other people. Practice, be safe. Running your 30 lb EUC into a clueless pedestrian who is wandering aimlessly while staring at their cellphone is not good. Also, avoid the embarrassment of (repeatedly) falling down in front of a crowd of people. Practice tight/slow figure 8's. Practice slow speed on a narrow path. I would recommend a covered parking structure. Many small offices have covered parking and are empty on weekends. I spent many hours over a few weekends at a local medical office, in their parking garage. (Avoiding Seattle rain.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 I have this experience. This depends on the kind of store you will be riding in and where the security guards are and how lenient they are. Some malls ive ridden in i had no issues riding for a while, and in some i was stopped out as ealy as 1-5 minutes in. You probably wont get kicked out but you will have to stop riding if they have an issue. If you ride again after a warning you will be kicked out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbera Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Yep - it's all good advice. Crucial to successful mall rides is the ability to move very very slowly without putting a foot down, or losing control, and being expert in analyzing the movements of many many people at once, and choosing the best, least risky paths between them. Oh. And explaining to security guards why they don't have to worry about you. Sometimes there's no winning that last one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdalcanto Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 20 minutes ago, JimB said: Also, avoid the embarrassment of (repeatedly) falling down in front of a crowd of people. Practice tight/slow figure 8's. Practice slow speed on a narrow path. I would recommend a covered parking structure. Many small offices have covered parking and are empty on weekends. I spent many hours over a few weekends at a local medical office, in their parking garage. (Avoiding Seattle rain.) Good advice. Since we've been trapped indoors, we have spent hours riding in our racket ball court. We play games, like follow the leader, ride very slow and fast, and do very tight, slow speed turns around orange cones, etc., trying to get the other rider to fall. I'm pretty good riding backwards now, and can now idle in one spot fairly well. I think I will have idling pretty well nailed by tomorrow (video tomorrow). The small court is just getting boring.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimB Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 5 minutes ago, rdalcanto said: ... I'm pretty good riding backwards now, and can now idle in one spot fairly well. I think I will have idling nailed by tomorrow (video tomorrow). ... OK then, you've got me beat. I can't ride backwards or idle yet. I've mastered the maneuver of riding up to the crosswalk button and hanging on until the light changes. (I love when I'm downtown and the crosswalk button is positioned about 2 feet back from the curb and a pedestrian decides that he's going to walk right up between me and the curb-ramp.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdalcanto Posted December 27, 2016 Author Share Posted December 27, 2016 4 minutes ago, JimB said: OK then, you've got me beat. I can't ride backwards or idle yet. I've mastered the maneuver of riding up to the crosswalk button and hanging on until the light changes. (I love when I'm downtown and the crosswalk button is positioned about 2 feet back from the curb and a pedestrian decides that he's going to walk right up between me and the curb-ramp.) If I could ride outside, I would only be going forward at this point. But, since I'm trapped in a 40ft x 20ft space, I figured I would focus on new skills to keep from getting too bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 Very good advice from everyone! I for one like a challenge. If you are brave enough try donning some orthopedic appliances before attempting to ride at your local mall. Maybe the guards will grant you some leeway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxLinux Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 59 minutes ago, rdalcanto said: We play games, like follow the leader, ride very slow and fast, and do very tight, slow speed turns around orange cones, etc., trying to get the other rider to fall. Is this your family? How many of you got EUCs? What kind of EUCs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbera Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 1 hour ago, rdalcanto said: I'm pretty good riding backwards now, and can now idle in one spot fairly well. I think I will have idling pretty well nailed by tomorrow (video tomorrow). When you think you have idling sorted, the next stage is to make your idling as minimal as possible - that is to say, no jerky movements, no rolling 2ft forward and back, but to manage to do it almost stationary, with effortless grace, just tiny wheel movement forwards and back, and slow, gentle weight adjustments, and no arms waving about all over the place. When it's that good, it's ready to use in a mall when you need it. Spoiler: You almost never will need it in a mall. There is too much going on there for you to be able to safely idle and have to watch people all around you. Same for going backwards in crowded spaces - just don't do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 20 minutes ago, Cerbera said: When you think you have idling sorted, the next stage is to make your idling as minimal as possible - that is to say, no jerky movements, no rolling 2ft forward and back, but to manage to do it almost stationary, with effortless grace, just tiny wheel movement forwards and back, and slow, gentle weight adjustments, and no arms waving about all over the place. When it's that good, it's ready to use in a mall when you need it. Spoiler: You almost never will need it in a mall. There is too much going on there for you to be able to safely idle and have to watch people all around you. Same for going backwards in crowded spaces - just don't do it Can you please share a video of your idling technique? Little arm movement is tough to master! You definitely have the skill down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdalcanto Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 I will do a video on idling either tonight or tomorrow. Learning requires 4 steps. 1) Riding forward 2) Riding backwards (fast and slow with good balance corrections) 3) Learning the transition from one direction to the other. That was the hardest part for me. I kept wanting to fall to one side when I went from forward to backwards. Finally I decided if I was going to fall slightly when I stopped, I would fall directly backwards since that is the direction I want to go. So I started squatting my butt down and pushing both heels to the floor as I stopped forward movement. 4) Once you can ride forward and backward, and you can transition from one direction to the other without falling to one side, then you just start shortening the amount of time you go in any one direction. 20 feet, 10 feet, 5 feet, 2 feet. Right now, I can keep my head in one spot, and I move the EUC 2 feet forward and back. Like Cerbera said, I hope to shorten that distance with more practice. Steps 2-4 took me 3 days. You can't learn to idle if you can't ride backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdalcanto Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 1 hour ago, MaxLinux said: Is this your family? How many of you got EUCs? What kind of EUCs? Yes, I have 2 teenage boys. We share 2 EUCs. I have a Ninebot C+ and an Inmotion V8. I've been riding the V8 exclusively since I received it last Thursday. I just hopped on the Ninebot to see what it was like idling on that, and I nearly crashed the first few times. I hate the Ninebot now. On the V8, you don't feel the pedals tilting much when you change direction. The platform is firm. On the Ninebot, the pedals tilt like crazy when I go forward, and then when I go back, they tilt a lot in the backwards direction. Very unnerving. The Ninebot was inexpensive at $399. The V8 was 2.5X more. At first I thought I was a little crazy to spend that much more on the V8. Now I wish I could buy more of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbera Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 53 minutes ago, Rehab1 said: Can you please share a video of your idling technique? Little arm movement is tough to master! You definitely have the skill down! Actually, if I'm honest I probably can't do it anymore. I was really good at it on my old Airwheel, which had a lighting fast, firm pedal response, but I gave that away, and the way my current wheel, the MS3 works, you just can't idle on it in the same way - movement is too 'sloshy' to avoid rolling quite a way back or forward... though you can still do it slowly and gracefully with practice. As time goes on, the reason I have lost my maximum idling skills is because I just don't need them during my normal daily rides. Same with backwards - the only reason to do it is to show off - there's literally no practical use for it in everyday riding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Maybe check your "Somatosensory" setting in the Ninebot app. I usually have it on setting 1, but I did ride a lot on setting 0. The higher the number the softer the pedal feel apparently. I've never tried it on any other setting, but my pedals feel pretty solidly flat when I'm riding except when approaching the safety speed limits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 27 minutes ago, Cerbera said: As time goes on, the reason I have lost my maximum idling skills is because I just don't need them during my normal daily rides. Same with backwards - the only reason to do it is to show off - there's literally no practical use for it in everyday riding. Thanks! Bummer! I can't idle so I was hoping to gain some insight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdalcanto Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 47 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said: Maybe check your "Somatosensory" setting in the Ninebot app. I usually have it on setting 1, but I did ride a lot on setting 0. The higher the number the softer the pedal feel apparently. I've never tried it on any other setting, but my pedals feel pretty solidly flat when I'm riding except when approaching the safety speed limits. Thanks! I was playing with that setting after noticing the pedal tilt. I will try 0. The lowest I went was 2, and it still felt really sloppy after spending so much time on the V8. I almost feel guilty making the kids ride the Ninebot while I ride the V8 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbera Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 24 minutes ago, Rehab1 said: Thanks! Bummer! I can't idle so I was hoping to gain some insight. If it's any help to you, you want to find an area of your house (in my case the kitchen) where you have a nice grippy hard floor, and 2 hand level work surfaces either side of you. Get on your wheel, holding on to the support surfaces with both hands, and get used to the feel of rocking backwards and forwards. Once you do that, you just start lifting one, then both hands until you get used to the feeling of stabilising it yourself, always safe in the knowledge that you can support your full weight on both hands if you go wrong, or if you overstress the wheel and it cuts out on you, which can happen on certain wheels if you move very jerkily and violently, as is typical when you first start. I practised every day for the time it took to boil a kettle for tea, every time I made a cup of tea, and I got great at it within about 2 weeks, at which point I could do it almost without moving at all and with smooth graceful ease and little motor stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 19 minutes ago, Cerbera said: 50 minutes ago, Rehab1 said: If it's any help to you, you want to find an area of your house (in my case the kitchen) where you have a nice grippy hard floor, and 2 hand level work surfaces either side of you. Thanks! I have used parallel bars for my hands in the past while practicing. I believe the operative word is practice which you certainly dedicated a great deal of time and finally mastered it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdalcanto Posted December 28, 2016 Author Share Posted December 28, 2016 8 minutes ago, Rehab1 said: Thanks! I have used parallel bars for my hands in the past while practicing. I believe the operative word is practice which you certainly dedicated a great deal of time and finally mastered it. Use the parallel bars, or narrow hallway to learn backwards. It won't take long that way. Trying to idle without being able to ride backwards will probably take much longer. Seems like a short cut, but it's not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 12 minutes ago, rdalcanto said: Use the parallel bars, or narrow hallway to learn backwards. It won't take long that way. Trying to idle without being able to ride backwards will probably take much longer. Seems like a short cut, but it's not. Riding forward and backwards is not a issue. Idling within a 1 -3 foot distance consistantly is my difficulty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Idling is (much) easier on non-sticky ground, as (much) less force is needed to swivel the wheel to remain balanced. Also: keeping the upper body vertical and only engaging the legs, in particular the knees before the forward movement, I found useful advice to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Unicyclist Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 4 hours ago, Rehab1 said: Thanks! Bummer! I can't idle so I was hoping to gain some insight. I'm idle... that's why I'm a FAT Unicyclist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 4 hours ago, The Fat Unicyclist said: I'm idle... that's why I'm a FAT Unicyclist! Nothing wrong with being idle living in a beautiful country. Atleast you can smell the roses year around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mono Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 20 hours ago, Rehab1 said: Riding forward and backwards is not a issue. Idling within a 1 -3 foot distance consistantly is my difficulty. Then the question is: can you reliably switch from backward to forward riding (and vice versa) once while (i) staying on a line and (ii) without using your arms and (iii) without tilting the wheel, but using small swivelling movements to stay on the line and balanced? If this is not the case, then controlled single switches from backward to forward riding (and vice versa) might be a good next step to practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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