Greetings!

[Catlord17]

20 hours ago, Michael Vu said:

Welcome to the forum! My only recommendation for learning on such a powerful wheel is to set the speed limit to around 10 mph and to use a strap. The purpose for this is to still hold onto the wheel when you do lose balance and have to jump off. I've had many instances of people trying to learn on my MSuper and ACM without anything, and the wheel ends up spinning uncontrollably when they lose balance. And I don't only mean the wheel takes off, but body is upside-down and/or sideways but the wheel still is trying to "self-balance" by spinning at 40 mph. It's a very dangerous situation to be in for both you and the wheel.

But the minute you get somewhat decent on balancing, remove the strap immediately and you should get a lot better. Good Luck!

Thanks, that sounds like useful advice.  I was already planning a 10 mph speed limit until I got frustrated by "such a slow speed" which I figure would be a decent indicator that I'm ready to move up.  The strap I hadn't really decided on.  But that sounds like sound reasoning concerning a strap.

[Catlord17]

16 hours ago, DaveThomasPilot said:

I own a Cirrus SR22. 

Before that, I owned two different Tigers (Grumman and American General).

Pulled the chute on my first SR22 after an engine failure in Feb, 2016.  I'm now an inch shorter (T12 compression fracture).

 

Ouch...

[WARPed1701D]

4 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

Jason sent me one package through USPS and one through FedEx.  The USPS one should arive in a day or so and the FedEx is slated for the 17th now.  I'm guessing maybe the USPS one is the fast charger?

I'm in Port Saint Lucie.  We tend to be a little slow on the uptake here.  I only ever saw one other hoverboard.

Interesting. I had several accessories with my order (fast charger, protective cover, rolls of padding) but just the one FedEx shipment. Like you now due on Monday 17th.

I don't think my V8 has the range to get to Port Saint Lucie. Your mSuper might make it this way though. JK.

[Catlord17]

5 minutes ago, WARPed1701D said:

Interesting. I had several accessories with my order (fast charger, protective cover, rolls of padding) but just the one FedEx shipment. Like you now due on Monday 17th.

I don't think my V8 has the range to get to Port Saint Lucie. Your mSuper might make it this way though. JK.

I think my new car (without the need for which I would already have my wheel, grumble grumble) would make it there faster.  In the not too distant future we'll have to have a Florida Riders gathering or something.  Get leather jackets and big embroidered patches on the back and German style helmets and tattoos and be all bad-ass... ride around Florida and scare the... birds... lol Definitely we would be slaying with the chicks.

On second thought... maybe not.  

[meepmeepmayer]

Forget the speed limit. It's pointless. Simply don't ride that fast, you'll naturally get uncomfortable with too high speeds as a beginner anyways.

More importantly, learn how to slow down/stop, which is still a mystery when you learnt how to stay on the thing for more than a few feet. Either lean back, or simply squat a bit and it will slow you down. The latter is a great emergency slow down method if you feel like you might be losing control.

[Catlord17]

Just now, meepmeepmayer said:

Forget the speed limit. It's pointless. Simply don't ride that fast, you'll naturally get uncomfortable with too high speeds a beginner anyways.

More importantly, learn how to stop, which is still a mystery when you learnt how to stay on the thing for more than a few feet. Either lean back, or simply squat a bit and it will slow you down. The latter is a great emergency slow down method.

How long does it take most people to become at least capable with the basic step on, step off, turn, ride forward and stop functions?

[meepmeepmayer]

Depends highly on the rider. Few minutes, few days, few weeks I'd say a few days.

Also, turning comes quite decidely after the rest.

--

Step on.

Stay on.

Slow down.

Slooowly get used to turning.

--

If you have the pedal dipping forwards when turning (which is basically a loss of balance), you can get rid of it by recalibrating the wheel and making sure it is not tilted sideways (left/right) while you do that (pedal tilt still can be as you wish).

[Scatcat]

1 minute ago, Catlord17 said:

How long does it take most people to become at least capable with the basic step on, step off, turn, ride forward and stop functions?

Very individual time frame. But expect it to take at least three or four sessions of a few hours each.

For me, it happened like:

First session: Managed to get on and off, barely.

Second session: Managed to drive a few meters and get off without falling.

Third session: Found an abandoned parking lot with a lot of space, and managed to go round and round for minutes at a time. Learned how to start dependably, how to get off dependably, how to turn and basic breaking. Was still shaky as h*ll because of how the wheel squirreled around at low speeds - was not used to having a very narrow single point as the only contact on the ground, and frequently changed direction without really wanting too.

Fourth session: Dared my first regular ride after rehearsing turns and breaking. A bit shaky but much more stable.

Fifth session: The wheel became my close friend.

All these sessions was within the same week.

[Catlord17]

I keep seeing such variable answers on YouTube and on various advertisers.  Minutes!  No, hours!  No, days!  No, weeks!  Confusing.  I was expecting it would take me a few hours to get to the point that I needed to be that I could spend a couple weeks getting to proficiency.  With the hover board, that's how it went.  I spent 20 minutes being able to stand on it and make it go reliably in the grass, and then a couple hours getting it to the point that I could semi-comfortably and consistently ride it on pavement.  Then I spent 2 weeks for half an hour to an hour a day conditioning my muscles and training my balance to be able to use it the way I really wanted to use it.

Is it going to be a reasonable thing for me to try to learn to ride it initially in the grass in my back yard?  I have a fence I can hold on to, was hoping to avoid scratching up the wheel as much as possible this way.  I'm sure it's harder than learning on pavement, right?

 

I didn't think I had all these questions, lol

[Maximus]

12 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

The strap I hadn't really decided on.  But that sounds like sound reasoning concerning a strap.

Straps have limited usefulness, just like learning to ride on the grass does.  I let friends try my wheel on the grass, just so they don't beat up the wheel too much when it falls and so it's softer on their bodies if/when they fall.  Straps are tough because, I think that new riders have such limited balance that they tend to pull up on the strap so much, which isn't really the intended use of a strap.  It's supposed to be used to keep the wheel from banging on the ground when you run off of it, because reaching down for the handle can be tricky at times.  The strap is supposed to be loosely held in your hand and when you fall/run off you pull the strap up and the wheel stays rolling long enough to grab the handle.  The other thing that I don't like about a strap is that it can have an impact on your balance, because one hand is no longer out to the side (normally helping you balance), which is why so many new riders tend to pull up on the strap (for balance).  I use a strap now only when I'm going on really rough terrain or steep incline/declines and I basically shove it down the front of my pants so my hands are free and if I fall I have enough time to quickly grab the strap and keep the wheel from free falling/rolling down the hill.

Anyway, enough about straps...Congrats on the new wheel and on taking up the best sport/hobby ever!  

Riding has changed my life and I love it.  I enjoy showing people how to ride almost daily and although my wheels take a beating, there's nothing like watching someone "get it".  Three of my buddies all "got it" last Monday night after we were tooling around a parking lot post-softball game.

Best of luck learning, be patient, and when things hurt or you are tired, take a break.  You don't have to learn in one day, week, or even month.  Stick with it, cause once you get it, it's worth it!

[Scatcat]

1 minute ago, Catlord17 said:

I keep seeing such variable answers on YouTube and on various advertisers.  Minutes!  No, hours!  No, days!  No, weeks!  Confusing.  I was expecting it would take me a few hours to get to the point that I needed to be that I could spend a couple weeks getting to proficiency.  With the hover board, that's how it went.  I spent 20 minutes being able to stand on it and make it go reliably in the grass, and then a couple hours getting it to the point that I could semi-comfortably and consistently ride it on pavement.  Then I spent 2 weeks for half an hour to an hour a day conditioning my muscles and training my balance to be able to use it the way I really wanted to use it.

Is it going to be a reasonable thing for me to try to learn to ride it initially in the grass in my back yard?  I have a fence I can hold on to, was hoping to avoid scratching up the wheel as much as possible this way.  I'm sure it's harder than learning on pavement, right?

 

I didn't think I had all these questions, lol

Connect a strap to the handle. Long enough that you won't try to balance the wheel with it, but short enough that you can hold the wheel from falling when you have to jump off.

Also, get some chrome strips from your local car-dealer, the ones with 3M-tape on them. use the strips to protect the likely areas where the wheel will fall. The knee padding ain't that vulnerable, so that is protection too. I used the strips on the shell around the wheel, on the sides, on the bottom of the pedals, and on the front and back where the shell would touch if it rolled.

I helped a lot, but of course I f*cked it up anyway later, by miscalculating the height to a curb so that I got a nice fat scratch just below the pedals  

That sh*t kind of comes with the territory, but some protection will help you not banging the wheel up totally while you're learning.

[meepmeepmayer]

In my opinion, grass is bad due to the much higher rolling resistance. Use smooth pavement along a wall.

This video can't be beat imho, tells you exactly the right things:

 

[Maximus]

5 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

Is it going to be a reasonable thing for me to try to learn to ride it initially in the grass in my back yard?  I have a fence I can hold on to, was hoping to avoid scratching up the wheel as much as possible this way.  I'm sure it's harder than learning on pavement, right?

Learning on grass is a tough question.  You'll get mixed opinions on this, but I would say, yes, try grass, particularly if it's firm ground.  I wouldn't stay on grass too long.  Once you start to get the hang of it, then grass is harder because it's got so many bumps, but I definitely think it's a good place to start so that when the wheel falls it's only getting dirty not scratched up.  Once you can go for a few yards on grass then you'll be solid on pavement and the wheel will be falling less.  Again, some people will tell you not to go on grass, but that's how I always let my friends try and I think it gives them confidence to try without fear of hurting the wheel or themselves, which is key (confidence).

[Scatcat]

Just now, Maximus said:

Learning on grass is a tough question.  You'll get mixed opinions on this, but I would say, yes, try grass, particularly if it's firm ground.  I wouldn't stay on grass too long.  Once you start to get the hang of it, then grass is harder because it's got so many bumps, but I definitely think it's a good place to start so that when the wheel falls it's only getting dirty not scratched up.  Once you can go for a few yards on grass then you'll be solid on pavement and the wheel will be falling less.  Again, some people will tell you not to go on grass, but that's how I always let my friends try and I think it gives them confidence to try without fear of hurting the wheel or themselves, which is key (confidence).

If you're going to use grass, make sure it is firm ground and smooth. You really don't need extra bumpiness while you're still fresh. And whatever you do, don't start on really hard packed dirt/sand with loose fine gravel on top , at least not with high pressure in the tire. Nowadays I find that kind of surface a fun challenge, but mostly because I love the feeling of skidding around almost uncontrollably... 

[WARPed1701D]

I have a school playing field opposite my apartment and I'm going over there to start to learn. Loads of room. Well maintained/short grass and as it is sports field it is fairly smooth. See if you can find something like that. Don't get arrested for trespass though!

I'm also going to use a strap but as @Maximus said I'm going to tuck it in my belt and just grab it when I fall off so it doesn't affect my balance or become a crutch for my riding.

[Scatcat]

9 minutes ago, Scatcat said:

If you're going to use grass, make sure it is firm ground and smooth. You really don't need extra bumpiness while you're still fresh. And whatever you do, don't start on really hard packed dirt/sand with loose fine gravel on top , at least not with high pressure in the tire. Nowadays I find that kind of surface a fun challenge, but mostly because I love the feeling of skidding around almost uncontrollably... 

Every day as I commute I play Turf on the way - kind of like pokemon go for adults, without the monsters but still zones to find and take. One of the zones are just outside an athletics stadium, and the ground is super hard packed sand with a thin layer of loose small to medium size gravel. It's been packed with steam-rollers to not quire cement-like hardness to allow for heavy lorries to park outside when there are bigger events. The sand has exactly the right amount of give and the gravel is so loose on top of the surface that you feel like you're floating around... I have 3 bars in the tire, so it's fairly hard which heightens the feeling of floating. It's scary as hell, but exhilarating. Not a surface for super-speeds. About the only surface short of slick slippery mud that I find really challenging.

[Catlord17]

I have access to a soccer field... that seems like it would be the best, safest place to try to learn on grass.  It has wide open spaces, low cut grass, firm soil and fences.  And a parking lot.  I could just go there on a work day when most people are working.  (I own a business, so I can work when I choose to.  Which, before you start feeling jealous, is usually 12+ hours a day...)

[Scatcat]

10 minutes ago, Catlord17 said:

I have access to a soccer field... that seems like it would be the best, safest place to try to learn on grass.  It has wide open spaces, low cut grass, firm soil and fences.  And a parking lot.  I could just go there on a work day when most people are working.  (I own a business, so I can work when I choose to.  Which, before you start feeling jealous, is usually 12+ hours a day...)

Used to be free-lancing consultant, know the drill  

[eddiemoy]

For me the getting on and be able to balance was the toughest in the beginning.  It took a few hours of persistence spread over a few days.  You don't realize but it you are activating muscles you never needed to used before so it is very tiring.  Once you get the balance going forward, then you learn to turn, step on, step off...  Also the first few days will be a challenge because of the soreness you will feel in your shin from pressing on the EUC.  It is hard to practice days in a row because of the pain.  It is called conditioning.  I'm into my third month and I have everything down except jumping and some tricks and turning backwards in a tight consistent circle.

[Catlord17]

33 minutes ago, eddiemoy said:

For me the getting on and be able to balance was the toughest in the beginning.  It took a few hours of persistence spread over a few days.  You don't realize but it you are activating muscles you never needed to used before so it is very tiring.  Once you get the balance going forward, then you learn to turn, step on, step off...  Also the first few days will be a challenge because of the soreness you will feel in your shin from pressing on the EUC.  It is hard to practice days in a row because of the pain.  It is called conditioning.  I'm into my third month and I have everything down except jumping and some tricks and turning backwards in a tight consistent circle.

Yeah, that's about what I experienced with the hover board, except it was mainly pain in my feet and calves.  I was trying to balance by tensing my foot muscles, and had to learn how to place my feet and develop fine motor control of my feet.  Eventually, pushing through the pain and forcing myself into situations that forced me to ride long distances even just to get home got me to where I was able to hop on, ride 5 miles, feel nothing, and then do it again after having dinner with my girlfriend.  

I figured that three to four 20-30 minute excursions a day would be do-able.

[LanghamP]

Before you set the speed to max, set it to really low as in 4-6 mph in order to experience tilt-back; otherwise the tilt-back will take you by surprise at higher speeds and you might crash.

[Catlord17]

Just now, LanghamP said:

Before you set the speed to max, set it to really low as in 4-6 mph in order to experience tilt-back; otherwise the tilt-back will take you by surprise at higher speeds and you might crash.

I had exactly that same thought earlier today.  I was thinking maybe 5 mph would be a good speed for that...

[Maximus]

30 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

Before you set the speed to max, set it to really low as in 4-6 mph in order to experience tilt-back; otherwise the tilt-back will take you by surprise at higher speeds and you might crash.

That's some really good advice!

My only thought we be to hold off on the experimenting with low max speeds until you start feeling comfortable with just staying upright  no sense in adding another variable too soon. 

[GoinPostal]

On 7/11/2017 at 7:25 AM, WARPed1701D said:

Welcome. I'm like you. Waiting for my first wheel from Jason that was help up by customs inspection. Mine is a Inmotion V8 though. A bit more tame (and cheaper than the mSuper). I also go the notification from FedEx saying it would arrive (by Ground) the day after it was shipped. Clever people these FedEx lot!

I've no advice to give as we are in the same boat. It seems you've headed the protective gear warning. THat's about as much s I can offer.

Where in FL are you? I'm in St Pete and I know I'm not alone here. I've seen one other wheel plus one of those wide single wheeled skateboards. Standard Segways are a common appearance too. 

Hey WARPed,  I am getting close to pulling the trigger on an upgrade.  I am looking at the V8 (have been a long time), but now the KS-16-S is also in contention.

Why did you choose the V8 over the KS?  I am seriously toggling between the two..  I like the KS speed and range, but the V8 has a handle, the "stop" switch in the handle, and

known quality.  Its a really tough game I have running in my head..   ;-)

 

[Vislike]

I am on the pro grass learning side, started myself on grass, took about 1h to be able to mount (with help of tree) and go forward without falling. Turning comes quite naturally, although in the beginning i made quite wide turns, now i can turn around pretty narrow. And just as with bicycling it is a lot easier in the beginning to keep balance with some speed, i lost my balance going to slow all the time in the beginning, but now i can go very slow on the wheel without a problem, this came naturally and no special training was needed.

Took me very long before i learned to mount without something to hold onto, i unlocked 35km/h before so over 100km on the trip meter, i guess this is because i never bothered to learn to mount without and i still prefer a traffic sign or similar to hold onto even though i now can mount without one.

I helped my sister to learn to ride quite quickly say ~20-30 min by starting on grass (she was very afraid to damage the wheel on asphalt) and by using the walking assist arms around shoulder support technique. And walking/running alongside her and letting go, and she managed a few meters before stepping off, and repeated that a few times and in under 30 min she could ride it in straight line and wide turns around the grass field.

Also make sure to try the different riding modes, i now prefer the slightly softer cycling mode on my KS instead of the default playing mode.