My First Day with my new KS 16S - DISASTER!!!!

[Vislike]

I will give my old advice, how I learned to ride, how my sister learned and how my mother learned. It might be a bit harder now because of the season depending on where you live but: Learn on grass, on grass you can jump off and let the euc bite the dust, it won't be damaged or scratched at all. Also grass is soft so you are more comfortable to pickup up speed, because you know you won't hurt yourself if you fall on grass. And going a little faster in the beginning makes it a lot easier to keep balance, i told my sister to put her feet more forward on the pedals so the toes are sticking out in the front, this would make it easier for her to lean forward and pick up speed, equals easier to balance. I am about the same wight class as you, fully loaded after some grocery shopping with backpack and two plastic bags in the hands i hit the scale just for fun when i got home and it showed ~128kg so had about 15kg of grocery on me, no problem for the 16S.

[Smoother]

Well done for wearing the safety gear.  Shame about the shins, most of us got that in the beginning.  I literally can't remember the last time my shins got bitten.  I chewed up my first wheel too.  A leash helps a lot.  I couldn't lift a 16s with a leash while falling about the place, but you sound like you could.  I used the leash to keep the wheel upright when I stumbled. Don't use a looped leash, use a single piece tied to the CENTER of the handle.  Why center? because that way, when you pull straight up (hint) it won't want to accelerate in a certain direction (hello shins). tie a loop in the other end as a handle. Make the leash long enough so you can flail your arms around wildly like a beginner because that's what you are, but not so long it's in danger of being snagged by the tire.. DO NOT LET THE WHEEL RUN OVER IT (more an issue if it's in a loop. ask me how I know ).

TIRE PRESSURE:

no one talks about tire pressure to learners.  Too much pressure and you wobble all over the place like you're riding on a knife edge; which, in a way you are.  Even now I wobble like a drunk if I've put too much air in.  I learned with max pressure (65PSI for a 14c).  Man, was I surprised how nice, lower pressure was, ONCE I took the advice of the good people here. Of course, too little and you're risking an innertube cut by the rims (snake bite, I've heard it called)

you weigh more than a brick shit house so I wouldn't go lower than 50 psi for your weight.  A little trial and error is in order. A slightly squishy ride works best.

I weigh 79kg,174lb and I ride my 16s around 40psi.  Can't really be sure because I have a screw on pump and you lose a significant amount of air when unscrewing it.  FYI (don't hate me) my 16s is scratch free because it's my second wheel.  My 14c looks like yours.  Ironically I didn't pad that one because I looked around the room and saw no padding. 16s came with padding and tape from a Polish supplier, so I padded that sucker up.  Haven't dropped it once.  Figures!

It takes some of us weeks to get good enough, you're expecting too much.  Time and distance, time and distance will see you right. When people ask me if it was difficult to learn this is my response:

"it took me three days to be bad, and three weeks to be good"

 

[Marty Backe]

6 hours ago, Hirsute said:

Whaou @houseofjob i didn't know that an auto translater is available on youtube! Great! Thank you!

how is the translation? Is it understandable? Does it seems correct?

I think the auto-translate works amazingly well. You are very understandable 

[Marty Backe]

3 hours ago, tommybayshore said:

Well bummer, after smashing my shins up yesterday i can barely walk today, my right leg is swollen bad and that is just from the wheel whipping back and hitting me, i didnt actually fall down at all.  Probably be 2-3 days before i can practice again, totally bummed

In the first week of learning I lost control of the wheel, it spun, and the pedal whacked my ankle. Had a huge bump and pain that took a couple of months to fully go away. So early days can be very hard on the body 

[Toshio Uemura]

7 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I think the auto-translate works amazingly well. You are very understandable 

I use the German one, it seems to work really fine! ?

[mezzanine]

7 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

In the first week of learning I lost control of the wheel, it spun, and the pedal whacked my ankle. Had a huge bump and pain that took a couple of months to fully go away. So early days can be very hard on the body 

I underestimated how long injuries take to heal, generally, before I got the wheel. 

[Toshio Uemura]

4 hours ago, Demargon said:

You are doing well, the EUC scratches and some shins hurts is something what every EUC rider can deal. See mine, have a lot of work in it and keep doing his job

OMG! This feels like someone eating curry rice with chop sticks! My mistake: I need to get used to this ... But it really really hurts ..... terribly, ... totemo terribly! ... baribari terribly! BUT... I need to get used to this ... I tell myself: IT IS PART OF THE PROCESS ....! ?

[Toshio Uemura]

22 minutes ago, mezzanine said:

I underestimated how long injuries take to heal, generally, before I got the wheel. 

On the other hand, we can learn to appreciate how wonderfully and almost like a miracle we heal our bodies (or our our bodies heal) without us! Doesn't that feel great?!

[houseofjob]

8 hours ago, Hirsute said:

Whaou @houseofjob i didn't know that an auto translater is available on youtube! Great! Thank you!

how is the translation? Is it understandable? Does it seems correct?

No, not an audio translator, I was talking about subtitle text translation.

[Marty Backe]

14 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

No, not an audio translator, I was talking about subtitle text translation.

@Hirsute said "auto translater",  not "audio translater". So I think he understood what you meant 

[Hirsute]

12 minutes ago, houseofjob said:

No, not an audio translator, I was talking about subtitle text translation.

Of course, but it's better than nothing! (And certainly better than my english if i did it myself)

thanks everyone for this information. I'm really happy if my tutorials can help more people in others countries.

[houseofjob]

1 minute ago, Marty Backe said:

@Hirsute said "auto translater",  not "audio translater". So I think he understood what you meant 

Ah reading too fast on a small phone!

 

@Hirsute please come to the States (NYC!) to teach your masterclass!

[Hirsute]

1 minute ago, houseofjob said:

Ah reading too fast on a small phone!

 

@Hirsute please come to the States (NYC!) to teach your masterclass!

I would be so happy to do that!!!

[stevedig]

So... after body slamming my first wheel a couple of times on the drive I decided learning on pavement was a bad plan. I went to grass. I spent an hour a day rolling up and down the side of the house with a hand on the wall. Then I started looping out away from the wall in an arc from one corner of the house to the other. Once I got where I could ride a good arc from one corner of the house to the other across the lawn I started trying to make it all the way around the house. Once I could circumnavigate the house a couple of times without jumping off the wheel I ventured out the driveway and onto the street. Never looked back. 

In truth, I think learning to ride around the yard helped me when I went to pavement. I found I was much better than I thought I was when riding on the nice smooth pavement after learning on the bumpy, uneven yard. 

[DaveThomasPilot]

I think you just had unreasonable expectations.

My first day was about like yours (and the next several!).  But, I knew it wasn't going to be easy.

And, I just didn't (and don't) care about the scratches, etc, on the wheel.  I did use a leash, but that was more about keeping the wheel from dinging me so much more than trying to protect the wheel.

The shin guards you got look like what I finally bought.  I should have used them right away.  Typical--since I've worn them, I've never needed them.

Keep at it!

 

[novazeus]

this is what i’m using to start. i figure once i can mount, go forwards and backwards without touching the 2x4’s, i’ll tackle the turning.

[esaj]

This thread was hidden for a while as we needed to ahem... clean up things a bit, but didn't want to delete it entirely. Keep it civil and on topic please.

[Marty Backe]

31 minutes ago, esaj said:

This thread was hidden for a while as we needed to ahem... clean up things a bit, but didn't want to delete it entirely. Keep it civil and on topic please.

Really? What did I miss 

[tommybayshore]

Thanks everyone, just today i can walk normal, leg is still black and blue.  Going to practice on the grass for sure next time i head out, hopefully this week.  Everyones comments are much appreciated.

[yasbean]

It takes over a month to get back to walking and riding if you break a foot bone.  You’re doing just fine!

[Kael]

I was about to say I wasn’t sure why you had managed to cut up your shins, but now I remember my shins, particularly my right leg, was very bruised and blue for the first couple of weeks. They do seem to take the brunt of most falls to begin with. 

[Smoother]

3 hours ago, Kael said:

I was about to say I wasn’t sure why you had managed to cut up your shins, but now I remember my shins, particularly my right leg, was very bruised and blue for the first couple of weeks. They do seem to take the brunt of most falls to begin with. 

Attacks by foot pedals.  Something about the way we learn, and the way we dismount when learning, puts our shins and ankles in direct conflict with wildly gyrating pedals.  Happened to me. I remember it, but, not well, fortunately.

[Circuitmage]

Even with knee armor, my knee still hurts after 6 weeks. BUT, the armor saved me from serious damage, and I just had to stay off my EUC for a couple days. It's 90% healed, but no problem continuing riding.

No pain, no gain.

or

It's better to regret something you have done than something you haven't done. Need to add that to my .sig.

[nfoboy]

So, I am also a new EUC and new KS 16S owner (thanks to Jason).  I now have 17km under my feet, and 71% battery remaining on my first charge.  Not that I think that learning to ride should be as easy-as-all-that, but it definitely seems as though there is not a comprehensive beginning-stages manual available, and that there is lots of advice out there.  I notice in the comments here (and from videos available out there) several different (and conflicting) ways to learn to ride. 

Personally, I watched a lot of videos prior to pulling the trigger on the order, and then re-watched some more before I had the nerve to scratch up my (non-shiny, but still shiny) beautiful new black wheel.  (all in all, 4-5 hours of just watching different training videos, and imagining myself riding)

In the end, I had to make the choice about which method I wanted to go with (strap/no-strap, wall/no-wall, protection/no-protection... wait, not that last one) and decided to emulate Ian's (Speedy Feet) wonderfully absurd method of just going for it.  His video, if true, which I don't doubt now, of his very first ride on an EUC (a Ninebot) makes it look absolutely, ridiculously easy to pick up this wonderful skill/sensation of riding an electric mono-wheel. 

Jason's advice (from ewheels) was also not to use the strap, and his videos do add the caveat of supporting yourself with a moving victim...I mean helper, before just going for it, so I credit him with at least 20 percent of deciding on the no-strap-just-go-for-it-technique.  

The day I decided to crack my skull/cherry/EUC, I did succumb to not wanting to scratch up the wheel too much, and did initially try to get moving on a hard-grass surface.  After about 10 minutes of not getting further than about six inches (and my back being sore from bending/flexing from the step-offs), I went to the stabilize-myself-next-to-a-fence method on the hard-grass.  This was good for about 5 minutes of frustration in the grass, and I realized I was just getting myself addicted to wanting to hold on to something for balance.  I then went to the helper-stabilized walk on a concrete sidewalk about 3 times, which I managed to go about 5 to 7 feet after letting go before stepping off.  My wife then directed me to an open tennis court, and while I was concerned about the scratches, I decided to continue with Ian's advice of just going for it.  Within 5 minutes, I was able to go around the court with (wide) turns left and right!

During the initial starts I was very much picturing in my mind Ian's jump and go technique, which clicked fairly quickly for me, and I was also thinking of his turning (weight/leg shift) techniques.  

I did notice object lock when I worried (and still do) about not hitting things, instead of thinking about where I want to go, which caused a bit of un-gainliness that first day.  

Luckily, I did not have any issues other than step-offs which caused minor scratches on the pedals.

The second day of riding (three day break) I did have to figure out why my wheel was so wobbly (as I was thinking I needed to relax my posture more) and due to not understanding proper foot placement, did end up with a couple of apple sized bruises on my inside-upper calves.  (keep feet more forward than you expect, and don't go too wide on the stance)

After my third day of riding (cold weather go away), I feel confident enough to ride around in the grass, on the sidewalks and can do slow speed turns (but think about where I need to go, not what I want to miss).

So, my own personal learning technique recommendation would be:

Watch learning videos/imagine yourself on the machine.

Don't use a strap or wall.

Do cover your EUC in foam/rubber.

Watch the videos again. Dream about yourself riding your wheel.

Get appropriately dressed, and then try to step up and lean forward a bit.  If you find yourself moving forward, lean back!  If not, pick up your wheel and repeat until that first movement occurs.  If it's not clicking, get that helper person that can walk forward with you, then go for it again by yourself.

I have tried grabbing onto rails a couple of times just to see how it feels, and it is amazing how much my balance is completely shifted by touching something.  I think that's why the recommendations of just going for it exist out there.  

While I am comfortable riding at moderate (25 kph) speeds with nothing around me, I am now focusing on practicing my starts/stops, slow speed turns, and riding on one leg at the push-off.  This is so I can hopefully feel like riding around more crowded areas, so that taking my EUC to the mall/restaurant/work/school will feel de-stressed.  I love roller skating, but I still stop most of the time by just crashing into that padded wall before the exit (you know what I'm talking about) and I don't want to be riding this thing around people/traffic when it isn't just all-natural feeling. (and there's no wall that I can just slam into to stop)

I hope you get better soon, and wish you luck on your next outing.

 

[Marty Backe]

3 hours ago, nfoboy said:

So, I am also a new EUC and new KS 16S owner (thanks to Jason).  I now have 17km under my feet, and 71% battery remaining on my first charge.  Not that I think that learning to ride should be as easy-as-all-that, but it definitely seems as though there is not a comprehensive beginning-stages manual available, and that there is lots of advice out there.  I notice in the comments here (and from videos available out there) several different (and conflicting) ways to learn to ride. 

Personally, I watched a lot of videos prior to pulling the trigger on the order, and then re-watched some more before I had the nerve to scratch up my (non-shiny, but still shiny) beautiful new black wheel.  (all in all, 4-5 hours of just watching different training videos, and imagining myself riding)

In the end, I had to make the choice about which method I wanted to go with (strap/no-strap, wall/no-wall, protection/no-protection... wait, not that last one) and decided to emulate Ian's (Speedy Feet) wonderfully absurd method of just going for it.  His video, if true, which I don't doubt now, of his very first ride on an EUC (a Ninebot) makes it look absolutely, ridiculously easy to pick up this wonderful skill/sensation of riding an electric mono-wheel. 

Jason's advice (from ewheels) was also not to use the strap, and his videos do add the caveat of supporting yourself with a moving victim...I mean helper, before just going for it, so I credit him with at least 20 percent of deciding on the no-strap-just-go-for-it-technique.  

The day I decided to crack my skull/cherry/EUC, I did succumb to not wanting to scratch up the wheel too much, and did initially try to get moving on a hard-grass surface.  After about 10 minutes of not getting further than about six inches (and my back being sore from bending/flexing from the step-offs), I went to the stabilize-myself-next-to-a-fence method on the hard-grass.  This was good for about 5 minutes of frustration in the grass, and I realized I was just getting myself addicted to wanting to hold on to something for balance.  I then went to the helper-stabilized walk on a concrete sidewalk about 3 times, which I managed to go about 5 to 7 feet after letting go before stepping off.  My wife then directed me to an open tennis court, and while I was concerned about the scratches, I decided to continue with Ian's advice of just going for it.  Within 5 minutes, I was able to go around the court with (wide) turns left and right!

During the initial starts I was very much picturing in my mind Ian's jump and go technique, which clicked fairly quickly for me, and I was also thinking of his turning (weight/leg shift) techniques.  

I did notice object lock when I worried (and still do) about not hitting things, instead of thinking about where I want to go, which caused a bit of un-gainliness that first day.  

Luckily, I did not have any issues other than step-offs which caused minor scratches on the pedals.

The second day of riding (three day break) I did have to figure out why my wheel was so wobbly (as I was thinking I needed to relax my posture more) and due to not understanding proper foot placement, did end up with a couple of apple sized bruises on my inside-upper calves.  (keep feet more forward than you expect, and don't go too wide on the stance)

After my third day of riding (cold weather go away), I feel confident enough to ride around in the grass, on the sidewalks and can do slow speed turns (but think about where I need to go, not what I want to miss).

So, my own personal learning technique recommendation would be:

Watch learning videos/imagine yourself on the machine.

Don't use a strap or wall.

Do cover your EUC in foam/rubber.

Watch the videos again. Dream about yourself riding your wheel.

Get appropriately dressed, and then try to step up and lean forward a bit.  If you find yourself moving forward, lean back!  If not, pick up your wheel and repeat until that first movement occurs.  If it's not clicking, get that helper person that can walk forward with you, then go for it again by yourself.

I have tried grabbing onto rails a couple of times just to see how it feels, and it is amazing how much my balance is completely shifted by touching something.  I think that's why the recommendations of just going for it exist out there.  

While I am comfortable riding at moderate (25 kph) speeds with nothing around me, I am now focusing on practicing my starts/stops, slow speed turns, and riding on one leg at the push-off.  This is so I can hopefully feel like riding around more crowded areas, so that taking my EUC to the mall/restaurant/work/school will feel de-stressed.  I love roller skating, but I still stop most of the time by just crashing into that padded wall before the exit (you know what I'm talking about) and I don't want to be riding this thing around people/traffic when it isn't just all-natural feeling. (and there's no wall that I can just slam into to stop)

I hope you get better soon, and wish you luck on your next outing.

 

Very nice report and congratulations on your progress 

When venturing out among people, etc., only do so when you feel absolutely zero nervousness when approaching people, cars, etc. If you find yourself thinking, "hmmm, can I make this?", please don't. Another good 'test'; you're riding on narrow sidewalk and you approach people walks towards you on one side. What do you do? Panic, stop, pull off to the side? If you answer yes to any of these questions then you are not ready to commingle with people. If you hold out your arm to take them out, then you've been reading too many of @LanghamP's posts 

Things will eventually click and you will know intrinsically when you can safely be among people. Don't rush this phase.