Any advice on a light and fast 14inch wheel. What is your favorite?

[Gustesta]

Any advice on a light and fast 14inch wheel.  What is your favorite?  Is something new coming up?

[mrelwood]

Funny, my brother is looking for those as well to replace his IPS Zero. Although, more than speed he would need a bigger battery, in the 680Wh range.

We agreed that while not perfect, the KingSong KS-14D would have been the best option for him. 12.5kg, 28km/h, 420Wh. He decided to wait though, as he's still pretty happy with his Zero.

[Gustesta]

2 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

Funny, my brother is looking for those as well to replace his IPS Zero. Although, more than speed he would need a bigger battery, in the 680Wh range.

We agreed that while not perfect, the KingSong KS-14D would have been the best option for him. 12.5kg, 28km/h, 420Wh. He decided to wait though, as he's still pretty happy with his Zero.

Thank you for the advice.  Is the 14s much heavier?  Is it worth?

[US69]

13 minutes ago, Gustesta said:

Thank you for the advice.  Is the 14s much heavier?  Is it worth?

Its just heavier because of it’s extra battery pack (and perhaps the bigger rubber sidepads).

Battery 420wh is about 1,7 kg...so lets say 2kg heavier.

[meepmeepmayer]

12-12.5kg 14D vs 15.2 kg 14S for double the battery (numbers from kingsong-europe.com).

[Gustesta]

If range is not my objective, maybe the 14D would be the better choice.

I wonder what the speed differences are (if negligible).

[meepmeepmayer]

I believe the 14S is 2 km/h faster than the 14D while the battery is close to full. That's it afaik for the differences.

If you don't need the range, 14D is a good option to save some money. One could argue bigger battery = more safety (more parallel cells, for more stable high spikes during sudden braking or so), but I don't think it's so bad you could not buy the 14D (unless you ride in very cold temperatures or are heavy). I would not worry about weight, while riding you don't notice it anyways. And lifting 15 vs 12 kg is not that big of a difference.

Of course, if money does not matter, in doubt I would buy the bigger battery just because range is range But that's me. You might not care.

[Gustesta]

I'm 210 pounds and 6.2..  Maybe it would be important a bigger battery pack!

[meepmeepmayer]

Ehm... while I have zero experience/knowledge about this, my gut feeling tells me you should take the bigger battery then. 210 pounds is quite much for a EUC, you also might need the bigger battery to get the expected range, not just for safety.

(I may be wrong, people went on smaller battery [like 340Wh] wheels until now as well, so these concerns may be exaggerated.)

[LanghamP]

Fast 14 inch wheels are extraordinarily dangerous at their higher speeds because they behave unpredictably when confronted with roads that aren't perfectly smooth. However, if I don't need to go somewhere fast then I usually take my 14c @ 9.5 miles per hour.

If you can't replace fast with powerful then I strongly suggest going with a 16 inch wheel.

[Rehab1]

The Inmotion V5F+ is an excellent wheel and lightweight.  It does not appear that @Jason McNeil of Ewheels has any in stock but there is a seller in NY on Ebay that has 9 available for $999.00 https://goo.gl/K1M6UZ

 

[Jason McNeil]

1 hour ago, Gustesta said:

I'm 210 pounds and 6.2..  Maybe it would be important a bigger battery pack!

The 14D has a lot more power 800W vs 550W on the V5F/+ (Inmotion specs), 5kph higher speed & about the same weight with the foldable handle attached. It's seriously a better Wheel at a lower price.

31 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

seller in NY on Ebay that has 9 available for $999.00 https://goo.gl/K1M6UZ

Don't buy from this guy, he's a complete & utter b****rd, based out of Quebec actually, says he's NY, but it's not true. Look at his description on the eBay Ad, he couldn't even be bothered to change our company name (how hard could this possibly be?!), would you really trust him to buy your Wheel? 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162676196739
Product description

Inmotion V5F+ Highlights: 
- WheelGo/eWheels is pleased to be the sole supplier of Inmotion's new V5F+ product 
- The '+' edition is the V5F but with a 480Wh battery pack, a significant upgrade over the standard 288Wh pack 
- This additional capacity gives the rider nearly double the range over the standard version 
- Maximum cruising speed is currently set to 25kph, however, there may be firmware update in the near future giving an extra couple kph 
- Super thin & compact; with a body only 12cm in width, no other Wheel comes close! 
- Most efficient single Wheel made today, achieves 25-30 miles (40-50km) on a single charge 
- Extremely cool head/tail lights which can be enabled/disabled from either the App or directly on the Wheel 
- Attachable Foldable handle that neatly folds around the contours of the shell 
- Really looks the part, easily takes the beauty crown as being one of the most aesthetic pleasing designs 

The WheelGo Competitive Advantage: 

[Marty Backe]

24 minutes ago, Jason McNeil said:

The 14D has a lot more power 800W vs 550W on the V5F/+ (Inmotion specs), 5kph higher speed & about the same weight with the foldable handle attached. It's seriously a better Wheel at a lower price.

Don't buy from this guy, he's a complete & utter b****rd, based out of Quebec actually, says he's NY, but it's not true. Look at his description on the eBay Ad, he couldn't even be bothered to change our company name (how hard could this possibly be?!), would you really trust him to buy your Wheel? 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/162676196739
Product description

Inmotion V5F+ Highlights: 
- WheelGo/eWheels is pleased to be the sole supplier of Inmotion's new V5F+ product 
- The '+' edition is the V5F but with a 480Wh battery pack, a significant upgrade over the standard 288Wh pack 
- This additional capacity gives the rider nearly double the range over the standard version 
- Maximum cruising speed is currently set to 25kph, however, there may be firmware update in the near future giving an extra couple kph 
- Super thin & compact; with a body only 12cm in width, no other Wheel comes close! 
- Most efficient single Wheel made today, achieves 25-30 miles (40-50km) on a single charge 
- Extremely cool head/tail lights which can be enabled/disabled from either the App or directly on the Wheel 
- Attachable Foldable handle that neatly folds around the contours of the shell 
- Really looks the part, easily takes the beauty crown as being one of the most aesthetic pleasing designs 

The WheelGo Competitive Advantage: 

You should learn from this Jason. On your current website, wherever you have EWheels, replace it with http://www.ewheels.com

Then when people lift your content at least you may still get some traffic back to your business 

[mezzanine]

I'll throw in a recommendation for the Inmotion V8 even though it's a 16". 

It's been a fascinating experience, as someone who has only had a wheel for a month, to compare what I thought would be important to me before owning a wheel and what I've found to be important in reality.  I've found that convenience features like the integrated trolley and power shut-off button, especially combined with the low weight, to have more influence on my day-to-day experience of using the wheel as a city commuter than a larger engine or longer range.  The most surprising thing has been that I tend to charge it like a cell phone; I usually make short 5km round trips and am always back at my second floor apartment to be able to plug it in. 

Inmotion is the only company I'm aware of to have used high grade materials in the construction of their wheels to reduce weight and increase performance.  I hate to use the analogy, but Inmotion was sort of like the Apple of the ewheel market with the release of the V8.  It's tragic that they seem to have abandoned EUC development. 

Otherwise, I would go for a 14S for the battery. 

[Marty Backe]

5 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

I'll throw in a recommendation for the Inmotion V8 even though it's a 16". 

It's been a fascinating experience, as someone who has only had a wheel for a month, to compare what I thought would be important to me before owning a wheel and what I've found to be important in reality.  I've found that convenience features like the integrated trolley and power shut-off button, especially combined with the low weight, to have more influence on my day-to-day experience of using the wheel.  Inmotion is the only company I'm aware of to have used high grade materials in the construction of their wheels to reduce weight and increase performance.  I hate to use the analogy, but Inmotion was sort of like the Apple of the ewheel market with the release of the V8.  It's tragic that they seem to have abandoned EUC development. 

Otherwise, I would go for a 14S for the battery. 

This is why it's extremely difficult to recommend specific wheels to people. Everyone has different life situations which will dictate the best wheel for them. @LanghamP is selling his MSuper even though he thinks it's a great wheel. But for his circumstances it's just not ideal. A trolley handle with a cutoff switch is nice, but offers no practical benefit for me.

At some point people have to just dive in, get a wheel, and then flush out the criteria for their ideal wheel.

[mezzanine]

Just now, Marty Backe said:

This is why it's extremely difficult to recommend specific wheels to people. Everyone has different life situations which will dictate the best wheel for them. @LanghamP is selling his MSuper even though he thinks it's a great wheel. But for his circumstances it's just not ideal. A trolley handle with a cutoff switch is nice, but offers no practical benefit for me.

At some point people have to just dive in, get a wheel, and then flush out the criteria for their ideal wheel.

Before I had purchased a wheel, I was scared that I might be someone that develops sore feet really quickly.  There are some posts on the forum about people being unable to ride for more than 15 minutes for months at a time.  It's those kind of uncertainties that I found hardest to put in context because every problem that gets reported becomes magnified in significance as a newb.  It's that real world experience of being on the wheel that you can't really prepare for.  I'm always amazed when I see your videos Marty because you look like you're usually wearing running shoes and I know you are out for long rides and I wouldn't last 20 minutes unless those soles are harder than I'm imagining.   

Another example of an uncertainty that you don't know how you'll respond to as a new rider is riding in colder weather.  I'm really hoping to use the wheel during the winter months as much as possible, but until I've been able to get out there in the cold these last few days and get a taste for what it's actually going to be like, I couldn't say with any confidence whether I would even be able to tolerate it.   

If you had told me a month ago that one of the more important features I'd be considering in a new wheel would be whether it has a good seated option (Monster/KS18S), I would have shook my head in disbelief. 

 

Completely agree about having to dive in.  I'm glad I did.  I think it was less than a week between when I joined here and when I bought my first wheel.  One critical thing that I learned was that once you break into a particular price sphere, you're choosing from good options.  You may decide you wish you'd chosen a different wheel, but it's unlikely you'll be unsatisfied, generally.    

[Marty Backe]

34 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

Before I had purchased a wheel, I was scared that I might be someone that develops sore feet really quickly.  There are some posts on the forum about people being unable to ride for more than 15 minutes for months at a time.  It's those kind of uncertainties that I found hardest to put in context because every problem that gets reported becomes magnified in significance as a newb.  It's that real world experience of being on the wheel that you can't really prepare for.  I'm always amazed when I see your videos Marty because you look like you're usually wearing running shoes and I know you are out for long rides and I wouldn't last 20 minutes unless those soles are harder than I'm imagining.   

Another example of an uncertainty that you don't know how you'll respond to as a new rider is riding in colder weather.  I'm really hoping to use the wheel during the winter months as much as possible, but until I've been able to get out there in the cold these last few days and get a taste for what it's actually going to be like, I couldn't say with any confidence whether I would even be able to tolerate it.   

If you had told me a month ago that one of the more important features I'd be considering in a new wheel would be whether it has a good seated option (Monster/KS18S), I would have shook my head in disbelief. 

 

Completely agree about having to dive in.  I'm glad I did.  I think it was less than a week between when I joined here and when I bought my first wheel.  One critical thing that I learned was that once you break into a particular price sphere, you're choosing from good options.  You may decide you wish you'd chosen a different wheel, but it's unlikely you'll be unsatisfied, generally.    

Well said.

I am wearing general purpose (cross-training I think) running shoes. Apparently I have tough feet because I can literally ride for 4 hours with barely a stop. Some wheels are certainly more comfortable. The two KingSong wheels that I've owned are much less comfortable than my Gotway wheels, but my feet adjust. I can say that the MSuper V3 pedals (also used on my Monster) are the most comfortable pedals I've ever used.

It does help if you can learn to shift your weight between your feet as you ride.

[Rehab1]

2 hours ago, Jason McNeil said:

Don't buy from this guy, he's a complete & utter b****rd, based out of Quebec actually, says he's NY, but it's not true. Look at his description on the eBay Ad, he couldn't even be bothered to change our company name (how hard could this possibly be?!), would you really trust him to buy your Wheel? 

Ugh!!! The guy’s a jerk! Think I’ll place an offer for $1 just to piss him off! 

[Marty Backe]

10 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

Ugh!!! The guy’s a jerk! Think I’ll place an offer for $1 just to piss him off! 

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

On 10/26/2017 at 3:19 PM, mezzanine said:

Another example of an uncertainty that you don't know how you'll respond to as a new rider is riding in colder weather.  I'm really hoping to use the wheel during the winter months as much as possible, but until I've been able to get out there in the cold these last few days and get a taste for what it's actually going to be like, I couldn't say with any confidence whether I would even be able to tolerate it.

Thinking about it some more, as long as you suit up with skiing gear or good winter wear to keep yourself warm, it should be possible to ride in the winter as long as the roads / sidewalks are relatively clear.  I've skied down some blue runs at what must have been like 40-50 kph, and I only froze those parts of my face which were exposed to the wind.  We get some packed snow that is slippery even with snow boots as it gets compacted down and turns into a smooth ice like surface so I would worry about losing traction there.  Even still, I'll see some hardy mountain bikers riding around in the winter.  It depends on the type of winter weather you get.  Ski goggles and a facemask / toque / balaklava definitely would help.  Just in case someone doesn't know what a balaklava looks like here's a photo.    

 

[WARPed1701D]

10 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Thinking about it some more, as long as you suit up with skiing gear or good winter wear to keep yourself warm, it should be possible to ride in the winter as long as the roads / sidewalks are relatively clear.  I've skied down some blue runs at what must have been like 40-50 kph, and I only froze those parts of my face which were exposed to the wind.  We get some packed snow that is slippery even with snow boots as it gets compacted down and turns into a smooth ice like surface so I would worry about losing traction there.  Even still, I'll see some hardy mountain bikers riding around in the winter.  It depends on the type of winter weather you get.  Ski goggles and a facemask / toque / balaklava definitely would help.  Just in case someone doesn't know what a balaklava looks like here's a photo.    

 

Don't buy that balaclava. No good. She looks cold!

[LanghamP]

@Hunka Hunka Burning Love I've been wearing this ski mask recently. Very effective.

 

Beardski Pirate Ski Mask https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049XLDSC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_lKN8zb7SFZ0FJ

 

[mezzanine]

6 minutes ago, Hunka Hunka Burning Love said:

Thinking about it some more, as long as you suit up with skiing gear or good winter wear to keep yourself warm, it should be possible to ride in the winter as long as the roads / sidewalks are relatively clear.  I've skied down some blue runs at what must have been like 40-50 kph, and I only froze those parts of my face which were exposed to the wind.  We get some packed snow that is slippery even with snow boots as it gets compacted down and turns into a smooth ice like surface so I would worry about losing traction there.  Even still, I'll see some hardy mountain bikers riding around in the winter.  It depends on the type of winter weather you get.  Ski goggles and a facemask / toque / balaklava definitely would help.  Just in case someone doesn't know what a balaklava looks like here's a photo.    

 

 

Yeah, I suspect my riding will be mostly determined by the condition of the sidewalks/roads.  I'm definitely going to get a full-faced balaklava.  I'm rocking a Bern helmet with snap-in winter insert that provides earmuffs that are fairly effective.  I was able to grab a really nice gore-tex mountain jacket a couple weeks ago that is a good outer layer for wind.  I have a canada goose down jacket that I've been a little hesitant to want to wear in case I crash and damage it.  I'm going to layer down jackets when it gets really cold.  

I hadn't thought of ski goggles.  I almost picked up a pair of biking glasses during the same sale I got the new jacket and regretted not doing it.  You're right that it's all about having the right gear.  

It's possible I'm underestimating how badly the wheel will perform on snowy/icy road conditions.   

[WARPed1701D]

Haven't I seen on here that someone once had a studded tire for winter riding in NYC?

Assuming I'm not imagining it I am not sure the V8 would accept one though given the small clearance in the shell.

[Hunka Hunka Burning Love]

1 hour ago, WARPed1701D said:

Don't buy that balaclava. No good. She looks cold!

How can you tell?    She looks pretty hot to me.  

I think this ZZ Top beard mask would be cool:

Windsor, Ontario.  Doing a Google search for Windsor, Ontario weather reveals some mixed photos.  This guy seems okay with the little bit of snow.

While this guy looks like he'd rather be inside than plowing a trench through the downpack...   Let us know how you make out.