RooEUC Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 After 5 hours of learning to ride my Ninebot One E+, this is the state my ankles are in: It's so painful to get on and off now that I have made some cheap ankle guards using materials I had at home. These are made from foam sheet that has thin plastic on one side, some Baltic birch plywood and some elastic velcro straps from the dollar store. These are worn on the inner ankles to protect against the constant pressure of the EUC when getting on and off and turning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanghamP Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 You're not the only one as everyone who has tried to learn on my V5 eventually and mistakenly steps off the front whereby the wheel smashed into them ankle high. I never got any sort of bruises or soreness while learning but I had (have) severe problems with the front of my feet going numb in as little as half a mile. Do you have chukkas or dress boots? I found the forum-recommended boots to work well with unicycles. Using athletic shoes is asking for trouble as the peddles are right there to nail you, as countless tales of people on the forum attests. Interestingly, all my boots show deep gouges where they sacrificially shielded me from the pedals. I will also say that learning on your own does have great merit. Following other people's recommendations often leaves one with less understanding and appreciation on why things are. I have a lot of respect for people who actually take an object and learn how the damned thing works on their own cognition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 I haven't had any incidents where the foot plates have hit me. My bruising is just from the hard ankle "pads" of the machine pressing into my ankles when I get on and off or turn. The better I get the less they press into me. But with this much bruising I am not able to continue practicing without the protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 11 minutes ago, LanghamP said: I will also say that learning on your own does have great merit. Following other people's recommendations often leaves one with less understanding and appreciation on why things are. I have a lot of respect for people who actually take an object and learn how the damned thing works on their own cognition. I agree. I initially tried the 'learning against a wall' suggestion but I didn't make any progress. So I stood in the middle of a grassy garden and just kept trying to get on and stay on. Then I realised bumpy grass was another progress inhibitor and so I went to a car park. By repeatedly getting on and jumping off once balance was lost, I got the hang of it. After 5 hours I can go pretty much anywhere now and stay on for a full battery charge. But getting on and off is painful while the bruising remains, so the protective splints had to be made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 I just went for a ride in ridiculous winds, but the ankle guards, woah what a difference. No pain at all now. I recommend shin guards on the insides of the ankles for all newbies. Or make your own like I did. Stay pain free while learning and enjoy the experience more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingfelder Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 You're making me wonder if the sort of pullover foam shinguards I used to use in soccer would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted May 2, 2017 Author Share Posted May 2, 2017 1 minute ago, Dingfelder said: You're making me wonder if the sort of pullover foam shinguards I used to use in soccer would work. If they have a hard layer in them like plastic, carbon fibre or wood and you can position them on the inside of the ankles then they would work. If they are just thick foam then they may not. I tried just thick, hard foam and it was not hard enough to distribute the force evenly enough and it still hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingfelder Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Good to know. I was just looking at Amazon, and a customer review says that a popular type by Nike has a hard backing under the foam. Only thing is I would have to scoot then around out of their regular place. I think it would be doable, perhaps with some fiddling and buying and wasting money about in order to find the perfect sleeve to hold the protector in the right place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted May 4, 2017 Author Share Posted May 4, 2017 I had another idea that I'm trying. I took two of those foam cylinders off my weights bench and cut them open. They are very comfortable but I have only ridden in the house due to weather. I'll try them outside when the rain stops tomorrow and report on which of the two options works best as a balance between comfort and control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dingfelder Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 That looks super comfy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasenutty Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 Roo, you're not gonna need those for long. I went through the same thing and ordered some shin protectors through Amazon prime. By the time they showed up, I didn't need them anymore! They're still in the package, and the padding on my wheel is all taken off. At some point your feet and ankles just 'get it' and it doesnt hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RooEUC Posted May 4, 2017 Author Share Posted May 4, 2017 6 minutes ago, kasenutty said: Roo, you're not gonna need those for long. I went through the same thing and ordered some shin protectors through Amazon prime. By the time they showed up, I didn't need them anymore! They're still in the package, and the padding on my wheel is all taken off. At some point your feet and ankles just 'get it' and it doesnt hurt. Yeah I hear that a lot, that your ankles toughen up and also you start to ride without the euc pressing into you so much. But with this bruising it's either pad up or take a break for a week to heal. And I ain't taking no break! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasenutty Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 I don't think they toughen up at all. I think you just learn how to control the wheel with finesse vs. brutality. Once you start working it smarter instead of harder, it doesn't hurt at all. I got to this point while was still bruised up pretty good, so it confused me, thinking it still hurt. I was confused for a while. I still am confused, but not about this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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