Advice on first wheel

[Esash]

31 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I respectfully disagree. I think the KS14S is just about perfect for offroad riding. It's built like a tank and is extremely nimble which is a great asset to working trails. Yes, a bigger wheel will be more comfortable, but in my opinion not quite as fun 

Glad to hear it Marty! That bodes well for my little MCM 3. 

 

[wehey]

21 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

I respectfully disagree. I think the KS14S is just about perfect for offroad riding. It's built like a tank and is extremely nimble which is a great asset to working trails. Yes, a bigger wheel will be more comfortable, but in my opinion not quite as fun 

Thanks Marty.

does it have enough poke, being only 800w in power tho? What about its hill climbing ability?

[Marty Backe]

1 minute ago, wehey said:

Thanks Marty.

does it have enough poke, being only 800w in power tho? What about its hill climbing ability?

Please watch some of my videos. At 170-pounds, the KS14S will take me up any hill.  The video that I published an hour ago shows it going up some extreme hills.

[wehey]

7 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

Please watch some of my videos. At 170-pounds, the KS14S will take me up any hill.  The video that I published an hour ago shows it going up some extreme hills.

I'm in the middle of watching it now ?

That hill at the start is mighty steep eh 

and that's the sort of stuff I will be riding on too

[Esash]

25 minutes ago, wehey said:

I'm in the middle of watching it now ?

That hill at the start is mighty steep eh 

and that's the sort of stuff I will be riding on too

That bigger battery will really help you get up hills too. Even on a full charge with my Gotway MCM 3, my 340 wh battery goes down to 25% battery when climbing big hills. The charge goes back up to full after the climb is over, but it temporarily goes down very low.

Because your KS14s will have a much bigger battery than the V8, you'll be able to climb bigger hills when your battery is only half full. Those same hills might give you low battery warning beeps on a V8, and the wheel might/will shut down.

 

Congrats man

[wehey]

Ok so far, if I was to buy now these would be my options.

 

Gotway ACM 16 820wh @ £865

Kingsong KS14S @ £900

Gotway KS16S 820wh @ £1400

 

hmmmmm...what to do?

 

[Scubadragonsan]

I would go for KS16S. Well-built, good features, like the trolley handle, reliable. 

[meepmeepmayer]

Of these three:

• [My opinion] Not the ACM. Too much money for an old/outdated wheel, also (old) Gotway cabling + steep hills = nah.
• 16S and 14S are both great. Of course the 16S is better if you want to spend the money, but the 14S is (unlike the old ACM) a very good value proposition, so if you feel more comfortable not spending too much now, go for the 14S. Expect to want a 16 or 18 inch wheel with more range in the near future, then, though

(I still want to mention the ACM2 1300Wh, which is same price the 16S and in my opinion preferable - battery, speed).

[ED209]

If you are new to EUC's, I would suggest something safe like Kingsong. Gotways have raw power and are less forgiving

[eddiemoy]

2 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

The KS14S is an absolutely fantastic offroad wheel - it may be my favorite wheel to trail riding, particularly technical trail riding.

Checkout my KS14S playlist on YouTube:

 

 

@Marty Backe, I surprised by your quote above.  I would think you would prefer the ACM2 or something bigger, especially considering the battery size.

[Marty Backe]

11 minutes ago, eddiemoy said:

@Marty Backe, I surprised by your quote above.  I would think you would prefer the ACM2 or something bigger, especially considering the battery size.

For trail riding like in my last video, I prefer the KS14S. Highly maneuverable, tough, and plenty of power. The KS14S is a 35 - 40 mile wheel, which is fantastic for me. I can spend 2+ hours riding trails like this and still have 50% battery remaining with the 14S. 

[eddiemoy]

4 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

For trail riding like in my last video, I prefer the KS14S. Highly maneuverable, tough, and plenty of power. The KS14S is a 35 - 40 mile wheel, which is fantastic for me. I can spend 2+ hours riding trails like this and still have 50% battery remaining with the 14S. 

This is why I'm leaning towards the V10F instead of the 18L now.  I don't think I want another 18" wheel.  I have the 18S and it is perfect for the longer rides... For the shorter rides and replacement for my KS16, I think I'm going to go for the V10F.  I like how my KS16 feels, just needs a little more power and speed. 

 

[wehey]

So the contenders seem to be the KS16S and KS14S. 

Is the 16 worth £500 more than the 14?? I can’t see it. 

The 14 could be the winner eh??

[ED209]

It's a good wheel, but if you intend going off road then the 16 inch wheel would be better and more forgiving. Marty Backe can ride a 14s off road because he is very very experienced. You are only just getting started.

[wehey]

13 minutes ago, Edddeus said:

It's a good wheel, but if you intend going off road then the 16 inch wheel would be better and more forgiving. Marty Backe can ride a 14s off road because he is very very experienced. You are only just getting started.

Damn. Just when I thought I had made my mind up lol

[eddiemoy]

3 minutes ago, wehey said:

Damn. Just when I thought I had made my mind up lol

I learned to go forward on my X3 (14") wheel, it was hard.  Just when I was able to go forward, I went with the NB1 (16") wheel.  Was much easier for me.  So I have to agree if you can swing it, go with the 16S.

[Esash]

6 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

For trail riding like in my last video, I prefer the KS14S. Highly maneuverable, tough, and plenty of power. The KS14S is a 35 - 40 mile wheel, which is fantastic for me. I can spend 2+ hours riding trails like this and still have 50% battery remaining with the 14S. 

I almost started a thread asking if anybody preferred the 14" wheel size over other sizes. Then I realized I was probably just looking for reasons to feel better about my MCM3.

I'd love to see you get a chance to give the new MCM 5 a stress test on those hills.

Maybe InMotion or somebody will make a 14" wheel with a 2.5" tire and re-energize the 14" market

 

[Marty Backe]

10 hours ago, eddiemoy said:

This is why I'm leaning towards the V10F instead of the 18L now.  I don't think I want another 18" wheel.  I have the 18S and it is perfect for the longer rides... For the shorter rides and replacement for my KS16, I think I'm going to go for the V10F.  I like how my KS16 feels, just needs a little more power and speed. 

 

So, you actually think the V10 will have more power than the KS16? Oh wait, you don't have the 16S, right?

There's certainly something to be said for nimble wheels for trail riding.

[Marty Backe]

10 hours ago, eddiemoy said:

I learned to go forward on my X3 (14") wheel, it was hard.  Just when I was able to go forward, I went with the NB1 (16") wheel.  Was much easier for me.  So I have to agree if you can swing it, go with the 16S.

 

10 hours ago, wehey said:

Damn. Just when I thought I had made my mind up lol

I agree with the consensus view - a bigger wheel is easier to learn on. The KS14 can be a squirrelly wheel if you don't have the experience. There's a reason that 16-inch wheels are so popular - they are the best all-around wheel. I think everything should start with a 16-incher and then progress to other sizes as your interest grows. 

5 hours ago, Scouts Honor said:

I almost started a thread asking if anybody preferred the 14" wheel size over other sizes. Then I realized I was probably just looking for reasons to feel better about my MCM3.

I'd love to see you get a chance to give the new MCM 5 a stress test on those hills.

Maybe InMotion or somebody will make a 14" wheel with a 2.5" tire and re-energize the 14" market

 

In working on getting an MCM5 right now...

[Esash]

17 minutes ago, Marty Backe said:

In working on getting an MCM5 right now...

I wanted to click "like" 10 times, but stopped at once, figuring more would be futile.

 

[eddiemoy]

5 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

So, you actually think the V10 will have more power than the KS16? Oh wait, you don't have the 16S, right?

There's certainly something to be said for nimble wheels for trail riding.

I have the non-S version.  Will be a good wheel for my kids.  Starting then on it already.  Lol

[wehey]

So just a quick update.....

I have just placed an order for a KS16S which should arrive Wednesday ???

[Paddylaz]

1 hour ago, wehey said:

So just a quick update.....

I have just placed an order for a KS16S which should arrive Wednesday ???

Congrats! Other than whatever safety gear you choose to use, the most important thing for you to get now (if you don't already have one) is a decent track pump with a psi gauge. Can get one for less than £20 on amazon for example.

 As I'm sure you'll read countless times on here, tire pressure can radically affect your ride, ESP when you're starting out.

Make sure it's one with the correct 'schrader' nozzle option. Enjoy! Come down to London sometime.

[wehey]

14 hours ago, Paddylaz said:

Congrats! Other than whatever safety gear you choose to use, the most important thing for you to get now (if you don't already have one) is a decent track pump with a psi gauge. Can get one for less than £20 on amazon for example.

 As I'm sure you'll read countless times on here, tire pressure can radically affect your ride, ESP when you're starting out.

Make sure it's one with the correct 'schrader' nozzle option. Enjoy! Come down to London sometime.

Thanks. 

I have a helmet already. 

Would you recommend some additional safety gear too??

[Paddylaz]

2 hours ago, wehey said:

Thanks. 

I have a helmet already. 

Would you recommend some additional safety gear too??

I don't wear a helmet myself, I consider by far the most important safety purchase to be a really good pair of combo wrist guards/gloves. Unlike a bike where you're holding onto something, chances are if the worst should happen ground-zero on impact is going to be your hands/wrists. The important thing is they have genuine 'shock' protection, not just wrist supports.

I use 'Triple 8 Hired Hands' - you can get them on Amazon. They're gloves too. If you go for those just make sure you get a size smaller than normal as their sizes are weirdly big. K2 are another good brand. But as I said, just make sure they have that u-shaped shock splint on the palms as shown below. Otherwise they won't be much good in a fall.