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Cheapest unicycle for beginners to learn


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Hello!,

I am from Brazil and I moved myself to Czech Republic (Brno City) to work and I would like to start on using unicycles. I am thinking to start with one cheapest model to get experience and do not be worried about scratches, and of course discover if I like unicycles or not; I am considering an used unicycle;

My weight is 78kg and I would like to expend up to U$ 300 at this time;

I was looking one generic model on ebay from Germany. It looks like that Airwheel X3 but it's not the original one, probably a generic cheapest option:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Elektrisches-Einrad-Airwheel-X3-Unicycle-Monowheel-Scooter-Solowheel-120Kg-/262114192602?hash=item3d07392cda:g:k7gAAOSwpLNX9gw7

What do you think ? The idea is learn and after 3 of 4 months buy a Gotway MSuper

Thanks

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You are unlikely to get any new euc that's worth having at that price point.

Cheap eucs tend to have small unreliable battery packs which are unable to supply enough power for even the low power motors that they are equipped with.

This makes them fairly useless for anything other than a lightweight kids toy.

If you want to enjoy riding a euc I suggest you spend at least twice as much on a decent known brand and then protect it from getting too many scratches during the learning process.

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4 hours ago, Fabricio Paschoal said:

Hello!,

I am from Brazil and I moved myself to Czech Republic (Brno City) to work and I would like to start on using unicycles. I am thinking to start with one cheapest model to get experience and do not be worried about scratches, and of course discover if I like unicycles or not; I am considering an used unicycle;

My weight is 78kg and I would like to expend up to U$ 300 at this time;

I was looking one generic model on ebay from Germany. It looks like that Airwheel X3 but it's not the original one, probably a generic cheapest option:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Elektrisches-Einrad-Airwheel-X3-Unicycle-Monowheel-Scooter-Solowheel-120Kg-/262114192602?hash=item3d07392cda:g:k7gAAOSwpLNX9gw7

What do you think ? The idea is learn and after 3 of 4 months buy a Gotway MSuper

Thanks

I personally dont like the idea of getting such a "crap" wheel for learning....

They are not able to transport the real feeling of an good unicycle over to you, and perhaps are more destroying your experience!

I started on a Ks14c , packed it into bumper tape, and never got it real scratched up while learning...

The scratches start coming whatever you might do at the end, when you are an expert trying tricks.

 

so i would go for a "good" machine directly from the beginning! its hard enough to learn, and a cheapo will not forgive mistakes as easy as an "real unicycle".....When you where sitting in Germany i would advice to take a look into my signature...but that would be egoistic ;-)

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Maybe if you can get a used or cheap Ninebot One to learn on that would be good.  I think someone is selling their C+ in the sales section.

I bought a cheapo generic 132 wh 14" wheel which worked out well to learn on.  I crashed it more than a few times before padding it up.  I don't think I would have wanted to crash up a nice KingSong 14C just to learn on.  My generic would go 5-6 km at about 12 kph which was fine to learn on.  I didn't have any problems with it  except it did give out going up a slight hill on a half charged battey and low inflation pressure.  People seemed to like the TG G3 wheel.  Mine was a no name generic.

I was trying to talk one of the popular dealers on the forum into considering carrying a cheap learning wheel, but they weren't too interested.   I guess there's not enough profit when you're dealing with the lower end models so buying direct from China or used makes more sense.  That was way back when the Geekwheel line of wheels were around.  The maker had spare parts readily available, but shipping costs were just way too high.

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I got a $230 USD ebay cheap one to learn on,, and did it after buying my new MSuper, which is still on the way.  I like it!

Mine does have a lot of sharp corners though, unlike some models with pretty smooth sides.  It digs into me a LOT until I get it balanced properly, so I am getting plenty of bruises.

But I like the idea of getting a 200 dollar wheel to practice on so I don't have to worry so much about banging up my almost 2000 dollar wheel.  Don't worry, ,some people will say, just pad it up. Well I will pad my more expensive one up ... but it is just my nature to worry.  I don't think I am a natural athlete with this kind of sport, and I am very happy to have a disposable wheel to learn on.  If I sell it later for half price, then my learning on it will be very cheap to me and well worth it.  If not, I will still have gotten enough value out of it to make me happy.  And I will be able to step onto my expensive wheel with much more confidence.

Even after the expensive wheel comes in the mail, I am not going to ride it right away.  I am going to keep on training on the inexpensive wheel until I feel comfortable on it.

And there are still things that may be well into the future for me, like learning how to ride backwards ... and I can practice on my cheap wheel with no worries.

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2 hours ago, Dingfelder said:

But I like the idea of getting a 200 dollar wheel to practice on so I don't have to worry so much about banging up my almost 2000 dollar wheel.

A $200 prudent move on your part but I would keep the speed to a minimum. No need for you to get busted up on a cheap wheel! 

Take some before and after photos of your trainer wheel.:)

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26 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

A $200 prudent move on your part but I would keep the speed to a minimum. No need for you to get busted up on a cheap wheel! 

Take some before and after photos of your trainer wheel.:)

Yeah I should do that.  I got one small scuff on it already, then duct taped a lot of the shell.  Looks like hell but who cares? :D I'm sure I have a lot more damage to inflict on it, because I can't even mount it properly yet. 

I intend to go slow and only use it on pretty level ground  I will never use it for transport.  I'm too big for it and there are too many long inclines and steep hills around here.

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I think buying a cheap wheel is a very good idea to start riding a wheel. They usually have 130Wh so you will go 6-8 km at about 10-12 kph. Then you will need a better one so you can choose a better one when you be sure what kind of rider your are and what is your very best wheel for you. (14", 16", 18",....) 

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On 6/13/2017 at 7:12 AM, KingSong69 said:

I personally dont like the idea of getting such a "crap" wheel for learning....

They are not able to transport the real feeling of an good unicycle over to you, and perhaps are more destroying your experience!

I started on a Ks14c , packed it into bumper tape, and never got it real scratched up while learning...

The scratches start coming whatever you might do at the end, when you are an expert trying tricks.

 

so i would go for a "good" machine directly from the beginning! its hard enough to learn, and a cheapo will not forgive mistakes as easy as an "real unicycle".....When you where sitting in Germany i would advice to take a look into my signature...but that would be egoistic ;-)

Hello Guys!

I was considering to buy the Gotway MCMv3 but I did not find any used and I found an used Airwheel Q3 in good condition for USD 250 on England, so I bought it and I will receive in a few days. I know that this model is with two wheels and of course it probably easier to learn, what I think to be good for a first experience. 

I would like to try some tests using the unicycle to create some videos and I believe that the two wheels are more stable to record in slow speed than with only one wheel.

The good is that it has 800w motor / 340wh battery, so I believe that will be a good first option.

I will take some pictures and test when I receive and I will post some comments here.

Thanks for all replies !

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18 minutes ago, Fabricio Paschoal said:

I know that this model is with two wheels and of course it probably easier to learn, what I think to be good for a first experience. 

I would like to try some tests using the unicycle to create some videos and I believe that the two wheels are more stable to record in slow speed than with only one wheel.

Definitely - with the 2 wheels it's also easy to just stand on the wheel without driving.

Just, as for sure already mentioned, turns and driving straight on cambered roads is not as easy.

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28 minutes ago, Fabricio Paschoal said:

Hello Guys!

I was considering to buy the Gotway MCMv3 but I did not find any used and I found an used Airwheel Q3 in good condition for USD 250 on England, so I bought it and I will receive in a few days. I know that this model is with two wheels and of course it probably easier to learn, what I think to be good for a first experience. 

I would like to try some tests using the unicycle to create some videos and I believe that the two wheels are more stable to record in slow speed than with only one wheel.

The good is that it has 800w motor / 340wh battery, so I believe that will be a good first option.

I will take some pictures and test when I receive and I will post some comments here.

Thanks for all replies !

Sorry, thats to funny....

Just yesterday a work colleague of mine has bought a used Q3 .....and that after i berated him for about a month.....

So then i am seeing more Reviews of the good old Q3 now :-)

 

Have fun learning!!!

 

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36 minutes ago, Leonte Mihai said:

Best wheel to learn: Airwheel Q3 with a good 340 wh battery, 5 minutes to learn

Trouble is, what have you actually learned?, horrible on anything other than flat surfaces and it will probably shave a whole 30 minutes off of how long it will take you to learn a single wheel, all it really teaches is how to lean forwards and backwards. It seems to take less than 1 month for most people to want something better that doesn't try to send them into the road every time they try to traverse a dropped kerb.

On 21/06/2017 at 2:38 PM, Fabricio Paschoal said:

I would like to try some tests using the unicycle to create some videos and I believe that the two wheels are more stable to record in slow speed than with only one wheel.

Now that is a VERY GOOD reason to use a twin wheel, providing what you REALLY need is to be able to go very slowly on flat ground. Of course if you want to film at speed or over less than flat ground you are going to need really good image stabilisation to cope with all the wobbling around a twin wheel will do over uneven ground.

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14 minutes ago, Keith said:

Trouble is, what have you actually learned?, horrible on anything other than flat surfaces and it will probably shave a whole 30 minutes off of how long it will take you to learn a single wheel, all it really teaches is how to lean forwards and backwards. It seems to take less than 1 month for most people to want something better that doesn't try to send them into the road every time they try to traverse a dropped kerb.

Now that is a VERY GOOD reason to use a twin wheel, providing what you REALLY need is to be able to go very slowly on flat ground. Of course if you want to film at speed or over less than flat ground you are going to need really good image stabilisation to cope with all the wobbling around a twin wheel will do over uneven ground.

Thanx, mate! :roflmao:

this was clearly exacly what i thought, but just was able to write this bit ironic statement above at this time...

I nearly flipped out as my colleague at work came with the "i bought a used q3, i saved some money".after about 3 weeks of telling him all i know :-)

To my work colleague, if he's reading here: Sorry, but what Keith said here, thats the truth!

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13 minutes ago, KingSong69 said:

Thanx, mate! :roflmao:

this was clearly exacly what i thought, but just was able to write this bit ironic statement above at this time...

I nearly flipped out as my colleague at work came with the "i bought a used q3, i saved some money".after about 3 weeks of telling him all i know :-)

To my work colleague, if he's reading here: Sorry, but what Keith said here, thats the truth!

I was a very minor league computer whiz way back in the day, but I read and studied constantly so was at least a little bit ahead of the game. People used to ask me all the time what computer to buy.  I would get them centered on what they needed and their budget etc. .. sometimes taking hours hunting out the best prices and options for them ... and then they would go out and buy whatever was on sale in the most colorful flyer from the newspaper that weekend.  

Soooo frustrating in a way .. wasting all that effort.  Funny in another way.  I tried to train myself not to care. People gonna do what people do!  They impulsive.

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On 20 June 2017 at 6:00 AM, Carlos E Rodriguez said:

lol. What planet rents EUC's?

I laughed when I read this, because I was thinking the same thing.  Then I remembered in Calpe , Spain recently,  I parked right across the street from this place, in preparation for a beach front ride.

www.ecowheel.es

they rent EUCs, and hover boards, really? In fact the owner wheeled up on a ninebot, as I was reading the advertising on the building.  He asked me if I was interested.  I said I have a Kingsong.  He didn't seem to understand.  KINGSONG I shouted over my shoulder as I walked off towards my car to Suit up for my ride

i can't imagine what it says on the liability waiver, " risk of death" springs to mind.

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Hello guys, to be honest I like to do some research before buy and etc, I'ts why I found this forum

Thinking better, let me share with you some personal ideas about the unicycle:

1. Learn how to ride - to have a first experience with an unicycle,
(Without killing myself), because I live alone and I am almost 40yo, and start with 2 weels I believe that will be safer :-)

2. To try to record some movies
(I have this personal project, maybe one day I could work focused on that)
The places that I want to record have flat ground, (like inside stores), so it's why I chose 2 wheels;

3. To discover if it is possible to go work with the unicycle (It's about climb / usability)
I live 4km from work, It takes about 30min / tram, I understand that on some floors this model is not ok, so at this point I am sure that the Gotway could be the best.

4. To have fun?!
Ok, so in the worst case I will have a toy to walk around and share the experience with some close friends;

5. To learn something new, improve my body balance
I do not know the difference, but I consider to buy a simple and used hoverboard later and then the old unicycle with pedals, just to learn the balance, it's about self improvement, taking care of body balance.

So when thinking on 2 wheels, I reduced the options, and I've considered the following brands/models that I found on Internet and that deliver here:

  • Airwheel Q1 - Discontinued (Lighter, discrete and cheap, could pe perfect), but ok.
  • Airwheel Q3 - Yes, old design, reasonable motor, reasonable battery, [ discrete ]
  • Airwheel Q5 - Less battery power than Q3 (design is nothing discrete)
  • Airwheel Q6 - Less battery power than Q3 (design is nothing discrete)
  • Fosjoas V2 - Less battery power / less motor power than Q3 (design is nothing discrete)
  • Inmotion V3 Pro - Less battery power / less motor power than Q3, beautiful and smart, but hard to find an used as the price that I want to pay.

I should receive it this week so I will share the first impressions and let's see.

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On 6/24/2017 at 4:27 PM, Smoother said:

I laughed when I read this, because I was thinking the same thing.  Then I remembered in Calpe , Spain recently,  I parked right across the street from this place, in preparation for a beach front ride.

www.ecowheel.es

they rent EUCs, and hover boards, really? In fact the owner wheeled up on a ninebot, as I was reading the advertising on the building.  He asked me if I was interested.  I said I have a Kingsong.  He didn't seem to understand.  KINGSONG I shouted over my shoulder as I walked off towards my car to Suit up for my ride

i can't imagine what it says on the liability waiver, " risk of death" springs to mind.

They should take a count of a customer's teeth before renting out an EUC, just so there's proof if a customer comes back missing some.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/12/2017 at 7:59 PM, Fabricio Paschoal said:

Hello!,

I am from Brazil and I moved myself to Czech Republic (Brno City) to work and I would like to start on using unicycles. I am thinking to start with one cheapest model to get experience and do not be worried about scratches, and of course discover if I like unicycles or not; I am considering an used unicycle;

My weight is 78kg and I would like to expend up to U$ 300 at this time;

I was looking one generic model on ebay from Germany. It looks like that Airwheel X3 but it's not the original one, probably a generic cheapest option:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Elektrisches-Einrad-Airwheel-X3-Unicycle-Monowheel-Scooter-Solowheel-120Kg-/262114192602?hash=item3d07392cda:g:k7gAAOSwpLNX9gw7

What do you think ? The idea is learn and after 3 of 4 months buy a Gotway MSuper

Thanks

That looks like the one I started with, I paid $270 for it.  The battery and motor were very weak, which made it less safe to learn on.  Good for you that you are getting the Airwheel with the 340wh battery  and the 800w motor instead.  It should be a better starter wheel than the one with only 132wh and 350w motor.

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