King Llama Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Hello all! 25 year old first time rider here. Doesn't seem to be a lot of younger guys on this forum, but I'm very glad I found this community. My backstory: I originally bought a Segway Minipro last week. After riding it for about 2 days, I already felt limited by the speed (10 mph when you're trying to travel more than a mile feels pretty slow). I actually ran into someone on the street who was riding an electric unicycle. Someone at my work also rides one so I decided to try one out. I found this forum this past Friday, ordered a King Song 14D on Monday, and it arrived today (Wednesday). Amazing how quickly that progressed...LOL . Anyhow, I received it today, and I basically unboxed it and jumped on it as soon as I got home from work. To all the people who recommended picking up shin guards, thank you so much! I wouldn't have been able to practice for more than 10 minutes without them. Anyhow, I watched a video tutorial posted here on how to ride them and everybody was saying 5-8 hours to get comfortable riding one. As a result, I got on the EUC today expecting a really tough time and lots of falls, but actually it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. Riding the EUC felt very similar to riding a snowboard to me (not sure if anyone else feels the same way). I managed to make it around my block after just an hour of practice (super proud of that). I captured some of the footage on my phone posted below! I'm still fairly wobbly at low speeds, and I have trouble taking off from a standstill. However, once I get going, I can do a pretty decent job of staying on and keeping it going. I've gotten a total of 1.5 hours of practice in so still a long way to go, but this thing is so dang fun! A couple of questions: Did I buy the right EUC to start? I'm not going to lie, I was already wishing I had more speed and it's only my first day of riding! I should probably figure out how to turn the speed limit off first, but I couldn't help but think maybe I should have gotten the Tesla... Second, how do I turn off the speed limit and the "please decelerate" voice? That thing scared the sh*t out of me, and some people down the street definitely heard and started laughing...lol Lastly, how do you guys pump up the tires? Mine came a little low, and the valve is pretty difficult to reach. Do you guys use a valve extension tool or something? The wheel definitely didn't come with one. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to participating in this community! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esash Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Congrats! You might need an extension tool to inflate, but it might give you better performance. I bought a Gotway MCM3 (14" wheel) for my first wheel recently, and I too wish I had been more patient and bought a high powered 16" wheel. Maybe the place you bought your wheel from will give you $400-500 dollar credit if you return your wheel and buy a bigger one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 Eventually you'll need to top off the air in the tire so I'd get an extension soon. Are you sure there's not one hiding in the box? There are a bunch of options on Amazon if not. There's a video here with some tips: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Llama Posted February 22, 2018 Author Share Posted February 22, 2018 Thanks for the tips guy, very much appreciated. I ordered my wheel from ewheels. I'm still learning so I'm okay with my wheel for now, but I am thinking that I will had a smaller 14 inch wheel for last mile transport from my car and then eventually maybe I'll pick up a 16 inch Tesla for longer rides. I experienced a high speed wobble today that almost led to a crash but I managed to stay on...it lowered my confidence quite a bit so I'll probably keep practicing at lower speeds for now I checked my tire pressure today and I've been riding at 15psi...way too low. It might explain my lower than expected battery life. I will order an extension ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 10 hours ago, King Llama said: Thanks for the tips guy, very much appreciated. I ordered my wheel from ewheels. I'm still learning so I'm okay with my wheel for now, but I am thinking that I will had a smaller 14 inch wheel for last mile transport from my car and then eventually maybe I'll pick up a 16 inch Tesla for longer rides. I experienced a high speed wobble today that almost led to a crash but I managed to stay on...it lowered my confidence quite a bit so I'll probably keep practicing at lower speeds for now I checked my tire pressure today and I've been riding at 15psi...way too low. It might explain my lower than expected battery life. I will order an extension ASAP. 15-psi is extremely low and makes the wheel behave in an uncontrollable manner (wobble). I run my KS14 at 65-psi. I wouldn't go lower than 50-psi on this particular wheel. I think it's a fantastic first wheel, and a great wheel in general. Good luck with your learning, and have a fun time doing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddylaz Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 11 hours ago, King Llama said: I checked my tire pressure today and I've been riding at 15psi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Use a key or screwdriver to gently pry the valve away from the rim, so you can get an air hose on it, for now. Marty is a big proponent of high pressure, but take it from me, its like riding on a knife edge, and you get air over any object at all. Try his high-pressure route, by all means, but then experiment with different pressures. Use my bounce test to evaluate rebound. remember, the rider's weight has to be taken into account. The less you weigh, the less pressure you need pushing back. I suspect you should have got a 14s, based on what you have written. And the 16s is not exactly a fat beast, especially with the now, standard trolly handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason McNeil Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 13 hours ago, King Llama said: I checked my tire pressure today and I've been riding at 15psi...way too low. It might explain my lower than expected battery life. I will order an extension ASAP. A valve extender shouldn't really be necessary on any of the King Song Wheels, a standard bike/car nozzle can be inserted & locked to inflate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmethvin Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 36 minutes ago, Jason McNeil said: A valve extender shouldn't really be necessary on any of the King Song Wheels, a standard bike/car nozzle can be inserted & locked to inflate it. Yeah, in the past on my KS14C I have pried up the valve like @Smoother mentioned but the amount of force required makes me nervous that I'll bend or break the brass valve stem. I have an extender and prefer to use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Onymous Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Congratulations on your new wheel! That feeling that you shouldve gotten another wheel means you are hooked. You made the right decision on the KS14. I believe it is upgradeable for the battery which may give you more speed or more time with your higher speed. This wheel will always be useful since it is so portable and easy and fun to ride. Besides, there are so many great EUCs coming out this year, that you are better off waiting til they all come out and make you next choice when the fields are fat with product later this year. I am 150lbs and I ride at 50lbs on the tire with no problems. Lower tire pressure can inspire the wobbles. Also you should check the tire pressure about every two weeks of riding. I find my tire will lose air after a good two weeks of riding. You dont need an extension for the KS14, just pry it away from the wheel like Jason said. I use a chopstick or a flat pencil so I dont scratch the wheel paint. Find @who_the , since he lives in your Ville, and you can ride with his group of like minded wheelers, maybe even get a feel for a few more brands. Welcome to the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoother Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 23 minutes ago, dmethvin said: Yeah, in the past on my KS14C I have pried up the valve like @Smoother mentioned but the amount of force required makes me nervous that I'll bend or break the brass valve stem. I have an extender and prefer to use that. Not much chance of breaking the brass tube, it's hard as nails. Ripping the brass tube out of the rubber tube, now that's a horse of a different color. The valve is already tweaked quite a bit from the factory, so tweaking it more could be the straw that broke the camel's back. It's tweaked, because the valve on the inner tube is installed directly on the center line but the hole in the rim is close to the bead edge. Also, you have to install the inner tube backwards, i.e. pointing the valve the wrong way. If you don't, the combination of a bent and angled valve, and an off-center hole to poke it through, causes the valve to stick out to the side unnaturally far. When I tried this on a 14c, the valve cap scraped the shell when it rotated. So off comes the tire again to install the inner tube backwards, so the valve is forced outwards by the rim, but faces inwards due to the angle of the valve in the tube. All this twisting is why I said 2 hours ago, Smoother said: Use a key or screwdriver to gently pry the valve away from the rim, so you can get an air hose on it, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rehab1 Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 On 2/22/2018 at 1:51 AM, King Llama said: Hello all! 25 year old first time rider here. Doesn't seem to be a lot of younger guys on this forum, but I'm very glad I found this community. Welcome and congratulations on your progress! Age has no relevance on this forum. We all love to discuss EUCs and offer advice, when requested or not. You just received some excellent advice from revered members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Backe Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 3 hours ago, Smoother said: Use a key or screwdriver to gently pry the valve away from the rim, so you can get an air hose on it, for now. Marty is a big proponent of high pressure, but take it from me, its like riding on a knife edge, and you get air over any object at all. Try his high-pressure route, by all means, but then experiment with different pressures. Use my bounce test to evaluate rebound. remember, the rider's weight has to be taken into account. The less you weigh, the less pressure you need pushing back. I suspect you should have got a 14s, based on what you have written. And the 16s is not exactly a fat beast, especially with the now, standard trolly handle. I am, but totally agree with you - he should try the complete pressure range. I figured since he already experienced the low-end extremes he may as well experience the high-end extremes. Then settle on what works for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
who_the Posted February 23, 2018 Share Posted February 23, 2018 Welcome @King Llama, enjoy your 14D, it sounds like you are. There's a group of us that gets together weekly, usually Sundays, we're on Facebook as "Bay Area Electric Unicycle Group." Check us out sometime and join us, lots of different wheels to try out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Llama Posted February 24, 2018 Author Share Posted February 24, 2018 Wow, thanks to everyone for all the fantastic advice. This community is extremely welcoming and supportive (that's pretty hard to find on the internet these days). It might eventually be worth making a wiki or something that contains advice for beginners. It was something that was missing when I was searching (a lot of veteran riders but the good beginner advice is hidden deep in threads...having it organized could be helpful ). 16 hours ago, Marty Backe said: 15-psi is extremely low and makes the wheel behave in an uncontrollable manner (wobble). I run my KS14 at 65-psi. I wouldn't go lower than 50-psi on this particular wheel. I think it's a fantastic first wheel, and a great wheel in general. Good luck with your learning, and have a fun time doing it I definitely didn't do the 15 psi on purpose; it just came that way in the box. I was too excited when I got my wheel and I jumped on it immediately without checking the tire pressure I'll definitely experiment with the tire pressure. I'm going to try the high PSI first, and then somewhere in the middle next (I weigh 150 lb, so I can probably get away with some lower pressures). 4 hours ago, who_the said: Welcome @King Llama, enjoy your 14D, it sounds like you are. There's a group of us that gets together weekly, usually Sundays, we're on Facebook as "Bay Area Electric Unicycle Group." Check us out sometime and join us, lots of different wheels to try out! Awesome to hear there are a lot of riders in the Bay Area. Someone actually rides one to my work, so I'll have to track him down as well. I'll join as soon as I feel a little more comfortable riding...trying to learn how to ride backwards, that is harder than it looks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Henley Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 On 2/22/2018 at 1:51 AM, King Llama said: Hello all! 25 year old first time rider here. Doesn't seem to be a lot of younger guys on this forum, but I'm very glad I found this community. My backstory: I originally bought a Segway Minipro last week. After riding it for about 2 days, I already felt limited by the speed (10 mph when you're trying to travel more than a mile feels pretty slow). Congrats on the new wheel ! I too started with a mini pro and hit rid of it after about a week . And just like you I bought a 14D to replace it . If you haven’t used the decoder to unlock the speed limit yet id recommend doing it . Top speed is about 19mph. Which is nearly double the mini pro but I find myself wanting a bit more speed too but trying to zigzag and carve turns and stuff definitely adds a level of fun. I also have a 16” gotway ACM that goes a bit faster . I’m 29 , you’re the first person I’ve seen around my age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Llama Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 A couple of miscellaneous questions that have accumulated...didn't want to start a new thread for them. One disadvantage of being the first of your friends to buy an EUC is that everybody wants to learn on your wheel...and they will crash/drop it many times I managed to learn on my wheel without a single scratch (always managed to catch it). It turns out when it's not your own wheel, you're more inclined to drop it. My wheel has taken quite a beating, but the good news is that I've taught 4 of my friends to ride already My first question is: what is the purpose of the foam tape strip on the pedals? It's pretty much torn off and I wasn't sure if I should bother trying to replace it. Second question, do I ever need to bother with calibrating my wheel? Will my wheel come out of calibration over time and if so, is there a standardized process for calibrating it? Last question...should I order a Gotway Tesla...? My excuse is to pick up a 16inch wheel and then use my smaller 14D as my portable wheel, but honestly it's probably just an excuse to buy a new wheel. This hobby is dangerously addictive... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan Onymous Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 41 minutes ago, King Llama said: My first question is: what is the purpose of the foam tape strip on the pedals? It's pretty much torn off and I wasn't sure if I should bother trying to replace it. Second question, do I ever need to bother with calibrating my wheel? Will my wheel come out of calibration over time and if so, is there a standardized process for calibrating it? Last question...should I order a Gotway Tesla...? My excuse is to pick up a 16inch wheel and then use my smaller 14D as my portable wheel, but honestly it's probably just an excuse to buy a new wheel. This hobby is dangerously addictive... The tape is shipping protectant to keep the pedals' scratchy surface from scratching your new wheel before your friends get a chance. Calibrate your wheel. It will make it easier for you. Follow the instructions in the app. Not sure if it will go out of calibration if you dont. I think its just a fine tuning sort of calibration to the lean or lack of lean of the ride you want. You should wait for the bevvy of new releases, and that may mean a Tesla revision, or just grab the tesla and ask ewheels to carry the 10% discount when the new models come out if you want to have your cake and eat them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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