I'm getting an electric unicycle
I decided to purchase an electric unicycle after learning they existed about two weeks ago. I've since learned a lot about them and I've come to the conclusion that they are probably a really great way to get around for someone like me.
I'm really excited about it and I want to explain why I think it's a smart choice of electric vehicle. I've never seen one in real life, so I think there might be more people out there like me who have no idea what an electric unicycle is, or why it might be a good thing to have.
The one I'm buying can go over 20mph (32 km/h) and has a range of a little over 20 miles. It weighs about 50 pounds, (23 kilograms) is the size of a suitcase, and can be rolled around with the use of an attached "trolley handle."
What this means to me is that I can easily keep this thing in my bedroom and I can hop on it and get anywhere in the town I live in within like 40 minutes. I could toss it in the trunk of a car, I could take it on a bus or a train.
Obviously, it being a one wheeled vehicle, and being called a unicycle probably makes it seem as if it's not really something for an average person to use. But I don't think that's true. It's a self balancing vehicle, like a segway, so you don't have to be a circus performer to ride one. Will it be easy to learn? No it won't. I expect to feel frustrated for a while trying to learn, but I am confident I will be able to ride it around eventually.
I rode roller blades and skateboards in the past, I ride an ebike now, and I'm going to be riding this thing in the near future. I can't wait to get this big ebike out of my apartment.
25 replies
Did you get the wheel? Riding?
Yes! and I made a second post about it. It's going well for me. My legs are starting to get used to the stresses of riding.
For sure. I already ordered a mountain bike style helmet. Also knee/shin guards, and wrist guards. That stuff is all going to arrive before the wheel itself gets here.
Please buy a real motorcycle helmet.
20+ mph is no joke.
The mountain bike helmet I bought has a chin guard.
Get a motorcycle helmet as others said. Also, good gloves (erides max p1 ideally. And an overlooked item is motorcycle boots that protect the ankles. I had an accident 6 months ago and broke my femur. I'm convinced that without those things, it could have been worse.
Don't cheap out on gear. Never forget: all the gear, all the time. And you don't dress for the ride, you dress for the slide.
Ouch! what were you riding when you broke your femur?
I was riding my EUC, a Leaperkim Lynx. I was in a bike lane, passing a car that was stopped on the road waiting to turn right. Right when I was going to pass him, he moved as if he was turning, but stopped. In a fraction of a second I had to make a decision and decided I should pass him on the left side which was too late for that. I thought he was going to cut me off. Hit him in the back. I hit him at around 40-45 km/h. Shit happens. I could have slowed down a lot beforehand, that would have helped a lot, but anyway it's hard to say when you're in the moment.
Yeah I need to get some riding boots. I wore some work boots for one of my rides and the heavy leather gave me confidence but the heeled sole is not great feeling.
Some of our best riders here use work boots. I personally think they don't protect the ankle enough. I currently use the Falco Advantour 2 boots. They are between motorcycle boots that offer no ankle twist protection and full on MTX rigid boots. I'd like to find wider boots with the same amount of protection though.
I wish you good luck with it, but it’s peak dunning-kruger energy to evangelize about it before you even tried it, just based on what you read or heard from others :) Sounds practical, like an electric scooter that folds somewhat smaller but is a bit less intuitive to ride.
Thank you! Yeah I agree with you. I can't wait til this thing gets here lol. I will have to try to remember to make another post when I actually start riding it.
I commute by ebike and there's a guy with an electric unicycle who passes me when I'm going about 25-30 km/h, so those things can really move. Seems pretty neat to me. The guy had a bell in his hand. Maybe that was also the mechanism for speed and brakes? I'm not quite sure how it was driven. Couldn't be just balance, right? And I'm interested in how hard they are to slow down when going fast.
I'm also curious about how hard they are on the knees/quads. Seems similar to paddleboarding where you're standing and balancing for long periods of time.
They ARE controlled by just balance, like a segway. There are no brakes, the motors functions as the brakes using regenerative braking.
I'm also curious how physically demanding it will be. I'm sure I will be toning muscles I don't normally use much. I think it will be less exercise than I get on my ebike though which is actually a downside in my opinion.
That's gonna be so fun I think once you get some base level of skill at it
Yeah I think it will be fun, and fun plays into it for me. I had a lot of fun rollerblading when I was a kid. Riding an ebike is kinda fun, but I'm hoping to feel that rollerblading type of vibe with the EUC.
which one did you order? I am surprised you could find one with only 20 miles of range that still weighs 50lbs.
The super cheap ones are dangerous as they will cut out when pushed.
It is a really fun means of travel and is prety easy to get the basics quickly.
I bought the Inmotion V9. It claims a range of 60km (37 miles) but from the range tests I've seen that's absurd, and even 25 miles (40km) is a stretch.
Make sure you're up to speed on the relevant regulations in your jurisdiction. These things are illegal on public roads in many places.
They basically don't exist as far as my local laws are concerned which makes them not illegal but also not legal. Luckily I believe that police around here aren't inclined to bother people who are being safe and respectful of other people.
But you also don't know how they will be legislated in the future. Right now they may be legal, but I've seen way too many videos in the last few weeks to be convinced it will stay in the gray area it's in currently.
There's a guy who has one near me who prints out a lot of custom 3D printed things for it -- most recently, TPU soft cushion things for his legs to press against for better steering.
It seems like fun, but for me I'm not sure what benefit it would have over the electric kick-scooter for my needs.
*I wish it had enough for two full days. Range is my biggest issue with the scooter.
What puts the electric unicycle higher up in the rankings for you?
Honestly you make good points. I think there are some nuances to it and I've never rode either an EUC or an electric kick scooter so I'm not the most informed.
But I'll give you some of the things that went through my head, because I have actually been considering a scooter for a while but never decided to buy one. The reason I was considering a scooter is to replace my ebike. The problem with the ebike is it doesn't fit in a car and it just barely fits in my apartment. Getting the bike in and out of my apartment is a big chore.
The EUC is extremely portable while also having big wheel and suspension which makes it seem like it probably has a nice comfortable ride.
The way it rides seems like it will be similar to rollerblading which I really enjoyed a lot until I outgrew my skates. Something about only using your lower body to move makes it feel special, it's like an extension of your body rather than a vehicle.
The way I see it the only downsides are that it's going to take time to learn, and if the battery dies it's a useless heavy piece of baggage. There are probably other things about it that are worse too but I'm not sure.
When I was looking at scooters it seemed like the smaller scooters tended to sacrifice in ride quality.
I guess what it comes down to for me is I never ended up buying a scooter because I didn't want one that bad. The EUC changed that.
Well explained! Thanks :) please post a follow up when you start riding it!
Don't skimp on the PPE, but some people really love these things!