New V8 Rider Experience

[mezzanine]

I was expecting the delivery of my new EUC this thursday or friday; you can imagine excitement when I learned it was arriving yesterday morning.  I waited for the mail lady like a kid on Christmas (called her my personal Santa), and tried to sell her on the concept of EUCs in her job in my general elation.  Turns out she had two packages for me; the Bern Brentwood helmet I'd ordered had also arrived.  I'm expecting my Triple-8 Hired Hands wrist guards to arrive tomorrow and I'm already anxious to have them.  

It's extremely hot here in the north east right now (record-breaking heat wave).  I went down to the packing lot behind my building and tried guiding myself along a fence as I've seen done in some of the tutorial videos I've watched.  Not expecting the wheel for a few days yet, I hadn't really prepared as much as I'd have liked with beginner guides.  Only stayed outside for about a half hour and was drenched in sweat.  Went back out for another half hour after taking an hour break and this time I went to the side of my building and worked on locking my leg to the wheel and "skateboarding" with each leg up and down.  This was exhausting work.  

At this point I was on the fence whether I would make any more attempts for the night.  I was feeling physically tired.  My sleep schedule is oriented to night time and once 11pm hit, I knew I was going to have to get out there again for another training session now that the cool air would make my exertion less exhausting.  I went back to the fence and went back and forth along it, using my hands to push or grab every few feet and not feeling like I was making much progress.  After about an hour I came back in and thought I was probably done for the night.

My self-evaluation on the rate at which I was learning was that I was probably in the average range, perhaps on the low end.  My goal was that if I put in three hours the next day, hopefully I could ride 100 feet unassisted.  Balancing the wheel seemed hard to imagine. 

I was scouting for better places to learn and saw that there was a fence enclosed path that could enable me to pin-ball between the sides of it as I try to improve my balance.  This proved to be the key, as I headed for a late night session and within about 40 minutes I was able to ride unassisted and turn for the most part. 

I woke up today completely psyched to ride.  Grabbed the wheel, went downstairs, tried to mount, and felt like someone had taken a burning poker to my calves on the bruises where they touched the unicycle the previous day.  Figured I absolutely can't ride today.  Went back to bed for a couple hours, got up, cut some memory foam from an old mattress pad into long strips, wrapped my legs, duct taped them, and was able to ride this afternoon.  I've put about 15km on the wheel and am feeling fairly comfortable now.  I can start and stop with my dominant foot consistently now, which is critical.      

I've owned the V8 for 24 hours now and am already thinking upgrade, not because I'm unsatisfied, but because I want a backup wheel.  Off to ride!

  

[radial]

Fast work, congrats!  

[Marty Backe]

Congratulations. I can still remember the excitement when I began riding. It's all you want to do but sometimes the body doesn't want to go along 

I always recommend having two backup wheels 

[mezzanine]

Just got back from what I'm guessing was a 15km ride.  I'm physically exhausted and my knees especially are aching, but I haven't had as much fun in a long while.  Getting more comfortable maneuvering in tighter spaces at low speeds.  Can still get spooked if I hear someone coming up behind me.  A cat ran right out in front of me on the road and I missed it by only a few feet as I was coming home. 

I should've done more to protect the pedals from scrapes.  I've already put more scrapes and scratches on it in 24 hours than the previous owner did in six months.  Oh well. 

It's 10pm now, I've got the wheel plugged in charging, I'm lying down for a break and then am going to make some food and watch some TV and then head back out in an hour or so for another (shorter) ride. 

 

[Marty Backe]

40 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

Just got back from what I'm guessing was a 15km ride.  I'm physically exhausted and my knees especially are aching, but I haven't had as much fun in a long while.  Getting more comfortable maneuvering in tighter spaces at low speeds.  Can still get spooked if I hear someone coming up behind me.  A cat ran right out in front of me on the road and I missed it by only a few feet as I was coming home. 

I should've done more to protect the pedals from scrapes.  I've already put more scrapes and scratches on it in 24 hours than the previous owner did in six months.  Oh well. 

It's 10pm now, I've got the wheel plugged in charging, I'm lying down for a break and then am going to make some food and watch some TV and then head back out in an hour or so for another (shorter) ride. 

 

I remember taking rides at 1am because I was so addicted. It's actually pleasant riding around the neighborhood late at night. It's very quiet, no wind. Makes for a peaceful experience.

[radial]

Take this for what it's worth, but as Marty alluded, the neuromuscular adjustments required to get better at riding a wheel take place over a period of time.  You can try to climb the learning curve faster than your body can handle the adaptations, but there's not much point in pushing it.  It's kind of like trying to put on another coat of paint before the last one is dry. I would count myself lucky to have made so much progress in such a short period of time and take a well-deserved break.

[mezzanine]

1 minute ago, Marty Backe said:

I remember taking rides at 1am because I was so addicted. It's actually pleasant riding around the neighborhood late at night. It's very quiet, no wind. Makes for a peaceful experience.

 

I can already tell I have it bad.  I owned a motorcycle from the age of 17 to 24 and am now 37.  There's been an element of nostalgia that has come back from my motorcycle days that has been a welcome re-connection.  I'd go so far as to call it therapeutic.  Definitely addicting. 

I couldn't agree more about late night riding.  When things finally clicked last night it was probably 1:30am.   

Another half hour or so and I'll be out again for a shorter ride.  Don't want to go beyond the point of exhaustion and get sloppy.  Was feeling fatigued by the end of my last ride. 

[mezzanine]

6 minutes ago, radial said:

Take this for what it's worth, but as Marty alluded, the neuromuscular adjustments required to get better at riding a wheel take place over a period of time.  You can try to climb the learning curve faster than your body can handle the adaptations, but there's not much point in pushing it.  It's kind of like trying to put on another coat of paint before the last one is dry. I would count myself lucky to have made so much progress in such a short period of time and take a well-deserved break.

 

It's so funny you say this.  When I get back on the wheel, no matter how much progress I may feel I made during my previous session, it's like I'm learning how to use all over again.  I couldn't believe it when I first got on the wheel today.  I was riding so smoothly just the night before and I couldn't do anything for the first 15 minutes. 

[WARPed1701D]

This is great news. I'm glad you are having fun. As has already been said. Try to temper the enthusiasm and have smaller chunks of time on the wheel. Your mind wires things up as you sleep and the next time you ride you'll be amazed at the progress.

[mezzanine]

18 minutes ago, WARPed1701D said:

This is great news. I'm glad you are having fun. As has already been said. Try to temper the enthusiasm and have smaller chunks of time on the wheel. Your mind wires things up as you sleep and the next time you ride you'll be amazed at the progress.

 

Good advice, I think I've been nervous about the capacity of the battery and have wanted to see what kind of use I could get out of it as quickly as possible.  The stories like the one that sparked so much discussion today about a V8 user only getting 13km got me spooked.  I believe my battery is operating under normal parameters.  Still haven't gone back out in the interest of letting my body rest for a bit. 

Was noting how the experience of being on the wheel has reconnected me to my motorcycling past, but I also feel like it's similar to skiing and I think having experience as a skier may help someone just learning. 

[Stan Onymous]

25 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

Was noting how the experience of being on the wheel has reconnected me to my motorcycling past, but I also feel like it's similar to skiing and I think having experience as a skier may help someone

I am actually thinking about taking up skiing after riding my V8 and KS14c on mountain trails. The kingsong 14c is a great addition to the V8 for those long range rides. The ACM 1600 is also a ton of fun and a much different ride feel as well. More of a vehicle feel than the other two and faster to boot. Nothing is as light and versatile or fun as the V8 across all terrains. You can always get new pedals from eWheels if you want to keep them pristine. 

[WARPed1701D]

38 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

 

Good advice, I think I've been nervous about the capacity of the battery and have wanted to see what kind of use I could get out of it as quickly as possible.  The stories like the one that sparked so much discussion today about a V8 user only getting 13km got me spooked.  I believe my battery is operating under normal parameters.  Still haven't gone back out in the interest of letting my body rest for a bit. 

Was noting how the experience of being on the wheel has reconnected me to my motorcycling past, but I also feel like it's similar to skiing and I think having experience as a skier may help someone just learning. 

I used to ride motorbikes too. It does have that same sense of being connected to the world around you that being in a car cannot provide.

I'm routinely getting 20 to 24 miles from my V8. The faster I ride the lower in that window I get but not any lower. It is what I expected from my research before buying. I got the fast charger to provide a boost on longer trips, the first of which will be tomorrow. About 30 miles total. Until you are proficient you won't get a good idea on your battery. To many abnormal stops and starts while learning and a low average speed in general.

[ir_fuel]

I did a 30 km trip on my V8 a month ago, while it was still limited to 25 km/h. Uphill and downhill. My weight is 68kg.

[Clifmeister]

Good to hear that you picked up so quickly! It’s also fun to read that you almost followed the same learning curve as I did. You also had a click in your brain, that told you in an instant that you could ride? At first my system tried to balance the wheel, now it feels more that the wheel is balancing my body. That switch is sparked inside the brain.

I also learned while reading ALOT of reviews that range varies, and that my constant max speed is not helping with the ideal range.  It looks like you get the most out of your range with a stable run, without much fast breaks, and around a constant speed of <25 km/h I read some curve graph which shows the watt/h increase per speed, and after around 22 and up the watt/h increase went exponential. Blah blah.

Now I’m looking for a second wheel, and the thread you mentioned helped me a little to make the decision which... is not yet made. I like the reviews of the KS16S but still don’t really trust the advertised range for my riding style, and I like the wh you get with the gotways, and hear a lot of good and not so good stuff about them... I will probably end up with two new wheels at the end whaha! 

Welcome in the world of EUC! Btw... this community rocks!

[mezzanine]

Clif, I didn't feel the "click" all at once like I've read some people describe; for me there was an insight when I made my first 30 foot unassisted run that it was something I hadn't done before, but it wasn't accompanied by any increase in confidence that was bigger than the incremental ones before it.

I feel more comfortable riding at low speeds in tight quarters compared to 24 hours ago.  I wasn't expecting to feel comfortable as quickly at low speeds; I attribute it to my own ignorance of the properties of the wheel and how controllable they are.  I'm probably struggling more with accelerating.  I find it difficult to create the lean that seems needed for maximum acceleration.  If I bend my knees and set myself into a downhill ski position I can, but not with a more casual posture. 

I'm in the same boat you are, in terms of being in the market for a potential second wheel to complement the V8, but I'm learning quickly about the trade-offs with larger battery size.  I have to take my wheel up and down two flights of stairs and although the 30lbs. V8 isn't in any way too heavy, I am more reluctant to go for a bigger 18 wheel than I was initially. 

My response to the V8 battery has been different than my expectation in that I find I'm using it like a cell phone.  I just did a morning coffee run to Mcdonald's and I think I was around 90% to start and now I'm down to 80%, but I've plugged it back in for a half an hour or so to take it back up closer to a full charge.  2km there and 2km back.  It would be easier to not have to worry about the battery at all, but then I'd have to deal with the additional weight.  The King Song 16S seems like a really good compromise of weight/battery. 

 

[Clifmeister]

Yeah! Well I started learning on a real bumpy grass road. And when I could drive longger on it without falling I drove on a bicycle lane which suddenly felt waaaaay easier which raised my confidence I guess.

I keep being pulled towards the kingsong too. And back and forth to the ACM. For now I ride my V8 with pleasure so when I saved enough money I will make the correct decision, guess thats a luxury problem for now.

[mezzanine]

I considered the ACM before deciding finally on the V8.  Would I still be contemplating an upgrade had I got the ACM?  A significant part of my interest in a new wheel is to have a backup...I think I would still want another one!  Scary thought. 

I'm very pleased with the V8 and am feeling like it was the right wheel for me, although it's premature to judge so soon. 

There are upcoming wheels that I'm excited about, specifically the 18L and the new Ninebot Z series.  My initial interest in the Ninebots was for the Z10 top end model, but when I started to think about weight, I became similarly interested in all three.  My secret hope is that the Z series is going to be the answer for those ambitious winter drivers with it's wider tire.  That would cinch it for me.  Worried about $ourcing one, though. 

[US69]

On 27.9.2017 at 5:38 AM, mezzanine said:

nervous about the capacity of the battery and have wanted to see what kind of use I could get out of it as quickly as possible.  The stories like the one that sparked so much discussion today about a V8 user only getting 13km got me spooked.  I believe my battery is operating under normal parameters.  Still haven't gone back out in the interest of letting my body rest for a bit.

congrats for receiving the wheel and finally starting to learn and ride! wish you a lot of fun...

 

Just for the battery usage...you can get 13km out of one charge...and it can also be 30 km or more! That depends A LOT on the ride style!

While learning, when constantly accelerating and braking, please exspect a real, real low range!

All those long reaching numbers are for a usage of constantly riding at a decent speed...

Accelerating and braking, start amd stop while learn period tell nothing about battery consumption at all.

Just as a hint, so that you are not disappointed at first :-)

[mezzanine]

15 hours ago, KingSong69 said:

congrats for receiving the wheel and finally starting to learn and ride! wish you a lot of fun...

 

Just for the battery usage...you can get 13km out of one charge...and it can also be 30 km or more! That depends A LOT on the ride style!

While learning, when constantly accelerating and braking, please exspect a real, real low range!

All those long reaching numbers are for a usage of constantly riding at a decent speed...

Accelerating and braking, start amd stop while learn period tell nothing about battery consumption at all.

Just as a hint, so that you are not disappointed at first :-)

 

My biggest fear before I received the wheel was that the battery may not give me the range I expected.  I'm comfortable now that there's nothing unusual about my V8's battery performance and that's all I cared about; I can handle variations due to rider experience and style.  I mentioned it before, but I'm actually surprised that my battery use pattern seems to be lighter than I had expected.  Granted, I know I'm just beginning and my riding habits will become more demanding, but it's been reassuring. 

I'm more comfortable with accelerating and moving at speed after today.  It was my main focus as a training objective.  Still haven't heard a single beep at speed, and I felt like I must have had her up past 20km/h.  I'm guessing it's still set for 30km/h.  Haven't looked at the app yet.  Going to be curious to see. 

Since I'm going to be using the EUC for a lot of my transportation needs, I purchased an Osprey Atmos AG 50 backpack tonight to make riding while weighed down with groceries or other items more manageable. 

[WARPed1701D]

6 hours ago, mezzanine said:

 

My biggest fear before I received the wheel was that the battery may not give me the range I expected.  I'm comfortable now that there's nothing unusual about my V8's battery performance and that's all I cared about; I can handle variations due to rider experience and style.  I mentioned it before, but I'm actually surprised that my battery use pattern seems to be lighter than I had expected.  Granted, I know I'm just beginning and my riding habits will become more demanding, but it's been reassuring. 

I'm more comfortable with accelerating and moving at speed after today.  It was my main focus as a training objective.  Still haven't heard a single beep at speed, and I felt like I must have had her up past 20km/h.  I'm guessing it's still set for 30km/h.  Haven't looked at the app yet.  Going to be curious to see. 

Since I'm going to be using the EUC for a lot of my transportation needs, I purchased an Osprey Atmos AG 50 backpack tonight to make riding while weighed down with groceries or other items more manageable. 

Download and log your rides with Wheellog. You can then check your max speed after the ride. Also apart from calibration and firmware uodates wheellog can set almost all other settings (kill switch, speed limit) without having to touch the annoying Inmotion "social" app.

Out the factory the speed limit is 25kph. You can increase it to 30kph. Be aware that tiltback is the first warning you will get when nearing your set limit. There are no earlier beeps. It is gentle to start but becomes stronger if you push past it. It then sounds an alarm and tilts Way back. This is another good reason for wheellog. You phone will vibrate at different set speeds to privies additional feedback.

To understand this tiltback I strongly suggest that once you become comfortable with your general stability you then set the limit low and gently practice reaching tiltback so you know what to expect. 10 to 15 kph is a good limit for this initial experience. Just be aware that if you accidently power hard through it out could throw you off as it goes into extreme tiltback in a very short period of time.

[mezzanine]

1 hour ago, WARPed1701D said:

Download and log your rides with Wheellog. You can then check your max speed after the ride. Also apart from calibration and firmware uodates wheellog can set almost all other settings (kill switch, speed limit) without having to touch the annoying Inmotion "social" app.

Out the factory the speed limit is 25kph. You can increase it to 30kph. Be aware that tiltback is the first warning you will get when nearing your set limit. There are no earlier beeps. It is gentle to start but becomes stronger if you push past it. It then sounds an alarm and tilts Way back. This is another good reason for wheellog. You phone will vibrate at different set speeds to privies additional feedback.

To understand this tiltback I strongly suggest that once you become comfortable with your general stability you then set the limit low and gently practice reaching tiltback so you know what to expect. 10 to 15 kph is a good limit for this initial experience. Just be aware that if you accidently power hard through it out could throw you off as it goes into extreme tiltback in a very short period of time.

Good to know about Wheellog.  I've been procrastinating on setting up the Inmotion app, but will get around to putting both on my phone today.  I didn't know about the phone vibration feature at set speeds. 

I'm frustrated with having ordered so much gear online for which I'm relying on measurements.  The backpack I ordered last night was, of course, right on the border between sizes and it's a coin toss which size I should have settled for.  I should've bit the bullet and paid more for the option to return stuff, in retrospect.  My wrist guards are coming today and my fingers are crossed I won't run into fit problems.  At first I didn't think my helmet was going to fit, but it's okay. 

Yes, regarding tiltback, I couldn't agree more that it's wise to practice reaching tiltback instead of having it happen unexpectedly out in the wild.  I was surprised I didn't hit it when I was doing some speed testing yesterday, but am encouraged because the machine still has some headroom for me to grow into. 

[Clifmeister]

I found that inmotion handles tiltback very gentle. It helps me to keep at a stable speed without a problem. 

[Barrett Roberts]

Grats on getting started!  I’m amazed at how much fun it is to ride.   I love the night rides myself!  I live next to a golf course and there are miles and miles of paved cart trails that I’m not allowed to ride during the day but night time is all mine.  

[mezzanine]

Thanks Barrett.  Yeah, it's been really positive and almost like having a vacation, in terms of the psychological effect.  That golf course sounds like the perfect private playground to get a quick hit of that night air rushing by and some adrenaline to get your blood pumping.  I underestimated the pleasure I would get just from riding.

I absolutely love the control possible with wheels at low speeds around people on sidewalks.  It's really unique and I feel that particular property is what makes them so versatile and different from other alternatives.  Also the fact that the upright posture of being on the wheel is familiar and makes it easier to blend in and be identified as a pedestrian in that scenario. 

 

 

[Barrett Roberts]

I completely agree!  It’s way more fun than I expected.   My first wheel was an 18” so I’m not super comfortable around crowds get.   I ordered the Mten but I’m concerned I may have gone too far in the other direction ?