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


tommybayshore

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I felt the same way when I first started riding.  I thought there's no way I can ride this one wheel safely around cars and people, but after you learn mounts and dismounts, super slow crawl riding, one foot control of the wheel while stopped, and slaloming it's actually not bad at all.  

I can roll by little toddlers at a crawl pace with my hands folded together in front to show parents I have complete control.  I do give them much clearance as they can pivot on a dime.  Dogs I keep my eye on as I roll by.  It's good practice to be able to dodge road obstacles at the last minute.  I was crossing the intersection looking at a driver to see if they were going to stop, and as I began proceeding I noticed at the last moment a large mound of black ice in my path.  I had to swerve the Tesla quite quickly to avoid it.

As Marty says just give it time.

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I taped bubble wrap around mine and put a leash on it until I got better. It took me about 10 half hour sessions before I got just fair. I posted my learning curve on YouTube. My name there is ‘gliderrider’.  I weigh 265 and am very overweight. I never crash anymore. Got about 500 miles on my underpowered V8 in the mountains.

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5 hours ago, nfoboy said:

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. 

I think I remember something about Ian being able to ride an actual unicycle.  That makes a BIG difference in ones ability to "just go for it"

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9 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

Very nice report and congratulations on your progress :thumbup:

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 :laughbounce2:

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

Absolutely!  I definitely don't want to have to explain/apologize/grovel to anyone about my clumsiness as I come into a group.  There is a sidewalk that has some light poles sticking up in the middle of several sections, and one time I just was so worried about how I 'might' hit it, that it made me very unsteady, and I had a step off right next to it.  (object lock sux)  I then took some deep breaths, and changed my approach to 'seeing' the path I was going to take around them, and it worked out well. 

People are so much more forgiving (from a physics point of view) if you run into them, but not necessarily from a pocket book/feeling point of view, so I avoid them still.  It's why I'm focusing on 'slooow' speed maneuvers when I get a chance to hop on, and put myself through obstacle courses to gather that confidence.  Then, I eventually want to feel some speed, and go riding through the park grassy areas (and right now, there just aren't any people there).  

Already have had a couple of instances of smaller kids running up wanting to know what it was I was riding.  So, I dismount, explain what I can, and then of course tell them no when they ask to ride it.   Then I wait for them to go back to whatever activity they want to return to, and then ride off majestically in the other direction. (or miss the pedal as I lift my foot off... either one)

 

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On 12/6/2017 at 9:27 AM, tommybayshore said:

Thanks, as i was writing this my right shin is swollen like a softball, im just looking at it and laughing, im trying to research some shin guards but like i said before, i hope these things are made really solid, because this thing is in for a beating until i get good lol.

You really should pad it to protect it until you learn to ride. Yes, the learning curve is fairly steep to begin with. Do you have a hallway you can train in? You should be able to ride within 10 hours of practicing, but it varies for everyone. I am also 260. I do think that mounting without holding onto anything requires more leg torque for us big guys, but it’s totally doable. Hopefully you are fully padded, and wearing a helmet. Hang tough, you’ll get it! As for the blood and bruises, they’ll heal! Congrats on the wheel choice by the way! One of the very best on the market!

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@nfoboy Welcome! You in Texas too? It hasn't been cold! I think we have only had 1 or 2 days of cold so far, though the news keeps saying it's cold.

This morning temp here said 37degF, and it was just cool enough to make my eyes water. All I had on was a pull over sweater and my hoodie (and safety gear).

Mostly good weather here, so have fun!

 

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10 hours ago, Circuitmage said:

@nfoboy Welcome! You in Texas too? It hasn't been cold! I think we have only had 1 or 2 days of cold so far, though the news keeps saying it's cold.

This morning temp here said 37degF, and it was just cool enough to make my eyes water. All I had on was a pull over sweater and my hoodie (and safety gear).

Mostly good weather here, so have fun!

 

Up in Lubbock.  A little cooler out here in Tech land, but today was gorgeous.  Worked on some turning and mild hop up/down situations today.  Tomorrow a little cooler, and I'm playing Santa in the early evening, so probably no wheel time until this weekend.

Was stopped at a stop sign, waiting for the car across from me to go, but he rolled down his window and said his son wanted to see me riding.  Nothing like an audience to add a little pressure to the mix!  Luckily, I kept my composure and started off with no issues.  

The tilt-back did catch me off guard heading to the park, felt very unstable as it kicked in!  (25 kph is the current setting).  Can imagine that occurring at a faster speed and it being a nasty surprise.

 

 

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@tommybayshore-Keep it up and never give up. The more you keep at it something in your brain will click and all this will be a piece of cake. It took me about a solid 4 days at one hour a day with full helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guard protection. The reward for all that hard work and detemination will be pure joy everytime you ride your wheel. You will feel so free  and alive as you zip along with ease. 

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@nfoboy there are 3 modes you might want to play with, to mitigate tilt. Not sure if it will help. I've always kept mine on the hardest mode, but the tilt back has been smooth for me. At max speed when it gives me the warning is the most tilt I usually feel, and if I am going fast I sort of know to expect it now. It never really throws me off guard...probably 'cause my warm up EUC was so smooth too.

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I am 58, have been wheeling for close to 2 years now. I'm so glad to be wheeling. While on the wheel, it's like you have an escalator under your feet wherever you go. After a couple of months into riding it, my wife, an older woman, 65, has also learnt it. It didn't take that much longer than I for her to learn it. As much as she tried to avoid falling, she fell anyway. It was inevitable. I told her that she would be a better rider having the experience of falling. I don't know anyone who learns anything without failing. An old Chinese saying: Failure is the key component toward success. We live in San Francisco. The wheels--KingSong and Gotway--have really open up another world to us, that is, the world of trails. We have some of the best trails in the world. The San Francisco Bay trail that stretches for miles along the ocean, through the woods, with various forms of terrains. Wheeling is a unique experience, unlike biking, driving... Everywhere you go, you become an instant star, with people starring at you, envying you, amusing at you... some kids thought I was superman! All this is a great reward from wheeling. So don't give up! Face plants are just another way of kissing the earth, kissing what you love!

 

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17 minutes ago, Alvian Putra said:

belt, the best tool for learning. ditch everythin else. hop, try go forward, fall + straighten euc with belt. 100x. all the sudden, u will just, CLICK.

 

Some of us have been preaching the belt/leash for some time.  Some people are just too cool for training aids.  These people can be identified by severely damaged ankles and wheels.  But they look cool.

Welcome @Alvian Putra

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