kmxtornado
10 kW
QUICK HISTORY:
I saw these hoverboard thingies long before they had a name, before most people knew about them.
My interest pretty much ended after seeing the $2,000+ price tag on Inventist way back when.
Fastforward 4 years later, the smart balance board thingy (mini Segway or whatever you want to call it) gets on tv as Phunkyduck and IO Hawk, $1,800.
Knockoffs start showing up on websites, $700 (little did people know the $1,800 are knockoffs too).
Hits Instagram, $500.
Hits ebay, $300.
Hits Amazon, $250.
Ebay competes $250.
More websites, <$200.
News on tv again. This time, they're exploding. Fire everywhere.
Researched a ton on a vendor I trusted and ended up with one from a seller on Alibaba for $277 shipped. PM me if you want to know the specific name. Don't want to make it seem like I'm putting in a plug for them here.
WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP FALLING OFF THIS THING?
Segways may be intimidating for some people. Shrink the wheels, tell people it could self-combust and burn their legs at any moment, show them videos of Mike Tyson falling on his back, take away the handle and you can guess what happens.
My take on this is that the fascination of the hoverboard attracts more people who normally wouldn't ride a wheeled device, get on. Curiosity takes over and they want to just "give it a try." A lot more people take the opportunity to ride a hoverboard than ride a skateboard. Skateboards are everywhere, they can be super cheap and are available everywhere, yet only a select few people ride them. You have to have some sort of interest to initiate riding a skateboard apart from convenience. The interest in the hoverboard however is instant. People are curious the moment they see it and want to go for it. So you end up with more people trying to ride this thing who probably shouldn't be on one to begin with, at least not with proper lessons/training.
SO HOW DO YOU TEACH SOMEONE TO RIDE ONE OF THESE?
I have yet to teach anyone how to ride this, but from what I've seen of people's tendencies, I'd suggest the following tips. I'll make this short b/c there are plenty of videos and articles on the net about it.
- It's all very mental. You have to trust that it will hold you upright.
- Look forward, not at your feet. Trust your body to react faster than it takes your eyes to send a signal to your limbs.
- Don't be afraid to jump off. Be prepared to jump off intentionally. This doesn't mean fall off and try to land on your feet.
- When placing your feet on it, push the outside of your foot onto the insides of the wheels. Make sure your touch it so that you have good grounding.
- When trying it for the first time, do it on a smooth surface. That means indoors on a gym floor, concrete, anything. Avoid uneven sidewalk surfaces. You may think it's harder b/c it can go faster. Although that's true, it also allows you to anticipate the movement of the board much better. The smaller the wheel, the more vulnerable the hoverboard is to changes in terrain.
Method 1:
My friend gave me this idea. Instructor puts both feet on either side of one of the wheels while the Student gets on the hoverboard. The board's not going anywhere b/c the Instructor is pretty much anchoring it in place. Student holds the shoulder of the Instructor, Instructor moves his feet out of the way and Student get's a feel for it.
Method 2:
Just get on, but don't make the mistake that most people make of trying to stand still on it before moving forward. When you get on, I recommend that you assume it will move forward or backward. Easier forwards than backwards, so place one foot on it trying to someone make it go forward and then plop the other foot on the board while it's in a forward or anticipated forward motion.
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE:
It's scary. The first 5 minutes is very scary. I snowboard. I skateboard. I've ridden a Segway before w/o issue. I used to ride bikes regularly. But for the life of me, I was scared that I would never be able to learn how to ride this thing! Problem? Uneven surface. I tried this outdoors on pavers. Very uneven. Bad idea. I took it out of the backyard and onto some new asphalt and it got much easier. (Didn't want to break anything at my friend's house riding it indoors and didn't think he'd want me to take it in there). 15 minutes later, I got it down. Went full speed. Smiled from cheek to cheek. Still not second nature for sure. But much better than the first 5 minutes.
MY FIRST OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC WITH MY OWN HOVERBOARD
Going to the neighborhood cafe gave me an excuse to ride this thing. My first concern riding this in public for the first time with people other than my friends watching me? Embarassment. Not embarassment of falling, although that definitely made it to the list. My initial fear was just people thinking I'm a complete douche bag with all the ideas floating around about people who ride these. Like cartoon bubbles, I could see random strangers with these phrases floating above their heads.
"Too lazy to walk, eh?"
"Rich kid."
"Nothing better to do with his money?"
"I don't want you riding that thing in my store, possibly causing a fire. Get out of here."
"That guy's gunna fall."
"OMG, that guy just fell! Hahahah."
I didn't make it 2 feet before a neighbor saw me. He was a younger guy and thought it was cool, so no biggy. "One it's one of those things!"
Sidewalks and roads where I live are notorious for being one of the worst for a major city. I had to look down to avoid the unevenness of the sidewalk in 5 foot stretches. Lots of renters, so cars are parked in the driveways making not much room to ride. Just before making it to the corner where I'd turn to go into the cafe, I felt a little jolt of fear. This place is always packed on weekends and I'm heading there with a target on my feet.
I proceed up the little hill and towards the entrance. I had considered getting off and carrying the hoverboard before entering the main door, but what fun would that be? At the last second, I decided to continue riding. Just when I noticed the threshold being higher than the hoverboard could comfortably climb over, I noticed another customer in the reflection of the glass walking behind me. Great.
Not only am I showing off, but I'm slowing down traffic with this gizmo that's suppose to be more efficient and faster. Ugh. I bent my knees, prayed a little and went for it. Made it over! Phew! approached the counter hoping not to run into it and halfway expecting a comment from the cafe guy. Nothing.
I could sense people looking and part of me thinks I should look back at them and smile but I avoid the eye contact which probably makes me look like even more of a douche. Ugh.
I take my coffee, pay for it and walk over to get my soy milk (yeah, I'm one of those guys. Not b/c I think I'm fancy but b/c milk gives me a stomach ache). Not much space in this small cafe so I need to wait for the lady at the counter getting her condiments before it's my turn. Meanwhile, I'm standing there with my legs shaking. Part of it is b/c I'm not used to standing still and the rest of it is b/c I'm completely embarrassed even though nothing has really happened yet. I finally get off and hold the board in my hands and wait my turn. I figure it looks less stupid than me shaking like a little boy who can't hold it in.
Made my way to the outdoor bench seating, placed the board on the floor, took a few sips, then this photo. 15 minutes passed before I receive a text from the wife telling me it's lunch time.
You may not have seen this particular one before. I'm considering this the 4th generation model. It's got 3 modes: Beginner, intermediate and advanced. It basically changes the sensitivity and top speed. To toggle through the modes, you turn the hoverboard on it's side with one hub facing the sky, press and hold the off button until you see the LED's on the center of the hoverboard switch colors.
Green is beginner. "Go for it, newb."
Blue is intermediate. "Pay attention, buddy."
Red is advanced. "You sure you want to do this?"
Weighs exactly 20 lbs. I put it on a scale. Feels much heavier. Yes, it fits in a standard hoverboard duffle and backpack bag. One advantage of this model is that the center bridge is smaller in diameter, so it's much easier to grip with one hand.
ARE YOU SCARED IT'LL BLOW UP?
Yes, sort of. The charger melted pretty bad the first and therefore, only time I used it: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74939&p=1135576#p1135576. That's the reason it's been sitting in the garage for two weeks while I did some research, contacted the vendor and all that fun stuff.
DO YOU STILL RECOMMEND THIS?
Don't spend less than $300 and don't spend more than $600. I'd say, $300-450 is the sweet spot for a deal. Anything under $250 is asking for trouble even if you get it from a factory. The reason the prices have come down from $2,000 to $200 is b/c vendors are competing on price alone. At some point, they need to cut and I think that price point is $300. 5 months ago, there was a lot fewer vendors. I suspect the earlier models that were priced at $500 at the time are legit. It's when competition came in that prices dropped like crazy. This means it's NOT the time to justify paying $500+ b/c you think a better product costs more. Back then, yes. Now? No. There are plenty of companies that sell sub par products at higher prices b/c they can. People are scared now from the fires. So they want something more legit and to them, high price equals more legit. Remember that Swagway, a US company selling this China made product was one of the ones that was reported to have been purchased through Amazon and had set a house on fire.
More details on my blog if you're interested in hoverboards. http://www.96mpg.blogspot.com
I saw these hoverboard thingies long before they had a name, before most people knew about them.
My interest pretty much ended after seeing the $2,000+ price tag on Inventist way back when.
Fastforward 4 years later, the smart balance board thingy (mini Segway or whatever you want to call it) gets on tv as Phunkyduck and IO Hawk, $1,800.
Knockoffs start showing up on websites, $700 (little did people know the $1,800 are knockoffs too).
Hits Instagram, $500.
Hits ebay, $300.
Hits Amazon, $250.
Ebay competes $250.
More websites, <$200.
News on tv again. This time, they're exploding. Fire everywhere.
Researched a ton on a vendor I trusted and ended up with one from a seller on Alibaba for $277 shipped. PM me if you want to know the specific name. Don't want to make it seem like I'm putting in a plug for them here.
WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP FALLING OFF THIS THING?
Segways may be intimidating for some people. Shrink the wheels, tell people it could self-combust and burn their legs at any moment, show them videos of Mike Tyson falling on his back, take away the handle and you can guess what happens.
My take on this is that the fascination of the hoverboard attracts more people who normally wouldn't ride a wheeled device, get on. Curiosity takes over and they want to just "give it a try." A lot more people take the opportunity to ride a hoverboard than ride a skateboard. Skateboards are everywhere, they can be super cheap and are available everywhere, yet only a select few people ride them. You have to have some sort of interest to initiate riding a skateboard apart from convenience. The interest in the hoverboard however is instant. People are curious the moment they see it and want to go for it. So you end up with more people trying to ride this thing who probably shouldn't be on one to begin with, at least not with proper lessons/training.
SO HOW DO YOU TEACH SOMEONE TO RIDE ONE OF THESE?
I have yet to teach anyone how to ride this, but from what I've seen of people's tendencies, I'd suggest the following tips. I'll make this short b/c there are plenty of videos and articles on the net about it.
- It's all very mental. You have to trust that it will hold you upright.
- Look forward, not at your feet. Trust your body to react faster than it takes your eyes to send a signal to your limbs.
- Don't be afraid to jump off. Be prepared to jump off intentionally. This doesn't mean fall off and try to land on your feet.
- When placing your feet on it, push the outside of your foot onto the insides of the wheels. Make sure your touch it so that you have good grounding.
- When trying it for the first time, do it on a smooth surface. That means indoors on a gym floor, concrete, anything. Avoid uneven sidewalk surfaces. You may think it's harder b/c it can go faster. Although that's true, it also allows you to anticipate the movement of the board much better. The smaller the wheel, the more vulnerable the hoverboard is to changes in terrain.
Method 1:
My friend gave me this idea. Instructor puts both feet on either side of one of the wheels while the Student gets on the hoverboard. The board's not going anywhere b/c the Instructor is pretty much anchoring it in place. Student holds the shoulder of the Instructor, Instructor moves his feet out of the way and Student get's a feel for it.
Method 2:
Just get on, but don't make the mistake that most people make of trying to stand still on it before moving forward. When you get on, I recommend that you assume it will move forward or backward. Easier forwards than backwards, so place one foot on it trying to someone make it go forward and then plop the other foot on the board while it's in a forward or anticipated forward motion.
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE:
It's scary. The first 5 minutes is very scary. I snowboard. I skateboard. I've ridden a Segway before w/o issue. I used to ride bikes regularly. But for the life of me, I was scared that I would never be able to learn how to ride this thing! Problem? Uneven surface. I tried this outdoors on pavers. Very uneven. Bad idea. I took it out of the backyard and onto some new asphalt and it got much easier. (Didn't want to break anything at my friend's house riding it indoors and didn't think he'd want me to take it in there). 15 minutes later, I got it down. Went full speed. Smiled from cheek to cheek. Still not second nature for sure. But much better than the first 5 minutes.
MY FIRST OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC WITH MY OWN HOVERBOARD
Going to the neighborhood cafe gave me an excuse to ride this thing. My first concern riding this in public for the first time with people other than my friends watching me? Embarassment. Not embarassment of falling, although that definitely made it to the list. My initial fear was just people thinking I'm a complete douche bag with all the ideas floating around about people who ride these. Like cartoon bubbles, I could see random strangers with these phrases floating above their heads.
"Too lazy to walk, eh?"
"Rich kid."
"Nothing better to do with his money?"
"I don't want you riding that thing in my store, possibly causing a fire. Get out of here."
"That guy's gunna fall."
"OMG, that guy just fell! Hahahah."
I didn't make it 2 feet before a neighbor saw me. He was a younger guy and thought it was cool, so no biggy. "One it's one of those things!"
Sidewalks and roads where I live are notorious for being one of the worst for a major city. I had to look down to avoid the unevenness of the sidewalk in 5 foot stretches. Lots of renters, so cars are parked in the driveways making not much room to ride. Just before making it to the corner where I'd turn to go into the cafe, I felt a little jolt of fear. This place is always packed on weekends and I'm heading there with a target on my feet.
I proceed up the little hill and towards the entrance. I had considered getting off and carrying the hoverboard before entering the main door, but what fun would that be? At the last second, I decided to continue riding. Just when I noticed the threshold being higher than the hoverboard could comfortably climb over, I noticed another customer in the reflection of the glass walking behind me. Great.
Not only am I showing off, but I'm slowing down traffic with this gizmo that's suppose to be more efficient and faster. Ugh. I bent my knees, prayed a little and went for it. Made it over! Phew! approached the counter hoping not to run into it and halfway expecting a comment from the cafe guy. Nothing.
I could sense people looking and part of me thinks I should look back at them and smile but I avoid the eye contact which probably makes me look like even more of a douche. Ugh.
I take my coffee, pay for it and walk over to get my soy milk (yeah, I'm one of those guys. Not b/c I think I'm fancy but b/c milk gives me a stomach ache). Not much space in this small cafe so I need to wait for the lady at the counter getting her condiments before it's my turn. Meanwhile, I'm standing there with my legs shaking. Part of it is b/c I'm not used to standing still and the rest of it is b/c I'm completely embarrassed even though nothing has really happened yet. I finally get off and hold the board in my hands and wait my turn. I figure it looks less stupid than me shaking like a little boy who can't hold it in.
Made my way to the outdoor bench seating, placed the board on the floor, took a few sips, then this photo. 15 minutes passed before I receive a text from the wife telling me it's lunch time.
You may not have seen this particular one before. I'm considering this the 4th generation model. It's got 3 modes: Beginner, intermediate and advanced. It basically changes the sensitivity and top speed. To toggle through the modes, you turn the hoverboard on it's side with one hub facing the sky, press and hold the off button until you see the LED's on the center of the hoverboard switch colors.
Green is beginner. "Go for it, newb."
Blue is intermediate. "Pay attention, buddy."
Red is advanced. "You sure you want to do this?"
Weighs exactly 20 lbs. I put it on a scale. Feels much heavier. Yes, it fits in a standard hoverboard duffle and backpack bag. One advantage of this model is that the center bridge is smaller in diameter, so it's much easier to grip with one hand.
ARE YOU SCARED IT'LL BLOW UP?
Yes, sort of. The charger melted pretty bad the first and therefore, only time I used it: https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74939&p=1135576#p1135576. That's the reason it's been sitting in the garage for two weeks while I did some research, contacted the vendor and all that fun stuff.
DO YOU STILL RECOMMEND THIS?
Don't spend less than $300 and don't spend more than $600. I'd say, $300-450 is the sweet spot for a deal. Anything under $250 is asking for trouble even if you get it from a factory. The reason the prices have come down from $2,000 to $200 is b/c vendors are competing on price alone. At some point, they need to cut and I think that price point is $300. 5 months ago, there was a lot fewer vendors. I suspect the earlier models that were priced at $500 at the time are legit. It's when competition came in that prices dropped like crazy. This means it's NOT the time to justify paying $500+ b/c you think a better product costs more. Back then, yes. Now? No. There are plenty of companies that sell sub par products at higher prices b/c they can. People are scared now from the fires. So they want something more legit and to them, high price equals more legit. Remember that Swagway, a US company selling this China made product was one of the ones that was reported to have been purchased through Amazon and had set a house on fire.
More details on my blog if you're interested in hoverboards. http://www.96mpg.blogspot.com
