Newbie (Real World!) Beginners Manual.

[veryous]

@Brutha-Man pretty sure that would destroy things like Doc said, your ACL/MCL, probably your back and ass as well. Good luck in surgery.

[utsu]

Day 01: I'm finding myself "wobbling" a lot particularly at low speeds. This is resulting is micro weaving and instability.

My balance isn't great to begin with, but I'm noticing almost all of my spills are due to leaning too far right or left (to my body's "back" and "front". My training run is on a very slight incline and I don't have perfect level ground nearby. Also the ground is a bit uneven which is making learning tougher.

When I come to a stop I also tend to wobble and fidget while trying to dismount, still trying to learn to trust sliding my foot off the front pad.

[parrothd]

@utsu

Make the dismount easier on yourself, come to a complete stop, then lift your heel up and stand on your toes on the sensor pad. The board will shutdown in 1 sec(ish?). Put slightly more weight on your non sensor pad foot when doing this, like 51%. When he board shuts down you'll tail down and step off the board like a boss...

You'll look cooler too.. :)

[parrothd]

Also, try taking a few PSIs of air out the tire, this will help with the wobbling...

[veryous]

@utsu Yup, this goes back to point #8 above. Lateral stability is more you than the board. The thing I tell people is it's like a bicycle, the slower you go the harder it is to main stability. Moving even a little built helps greatly. Go find a flat surface, give yourself a good half an hour and you'll get there.

[utsu]

End of Day 01 review:

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to balance. It took about an hour of calmly practicing speed up and slowing down backwards and forwards to really quit the "wiggling" of over-under compensation and being comfortable knowing how to stand still on the board.

wish this was stressed in the posts/guide- that the wobbling goes away naturally and gradually once you learn the ins and outs of the boards gyro. The best thing to practice was learning to bend knees a bit and how to dismount- really hammer it into your brain how to dismount correctly. Getting used to that "1 second off" for the foot sensor before the motor disengages drove me crazy at first, but I started understanding it. It always feels like forever..

The other 2 guys riding with me experienced the same thing, so I made them practice getting on and off a ton of times before they took off around the field. They were both wiggling like crazy until about 30 minutes in.

I could NOT go over uneven grass terrain without regularly bailing. It was so slow and my tire was totally factory inflated, so that was just not happening. We mostly rode on dirt trail and on a baseball diamond and soccer field in a park. A little concrete basketball court. No more parking lot asphalt for now.

I didn't wear my wrist guards on my first test ride on asphalt and I got slapped with a minor straight on my fall wrist, and my first scrape. wrist is on ice now. It shook me up a little, and I kept thinking "well shit, maybe this isn't for me at all... maybe I should just sell the board.. " Really discouraged.. feeling like everyone here who claimed it's pure fun right out of the box was lying to me.

It probably would have ended there had I not stuck it out and spent a few hours in the 100 degree heat in the sun today trying a lot of different surfaces and inviting friends out to try and learn with me. I felt like I was getting close to top speed in beginner mode and I noticed when I tried out extreme how much more torque and control I felt like I had. Can't imagine bailing at top speed, like I've seen in videos here and I'd be furious too if it was a factory or software defect that caused it.

[Brutha Man]

@utsu how would the board react if you were to flip it over and attempt to land on it. Like in a kickflip?

[utsu]

@Brutha-Man If you have a skateboard nearby, add a 25lb weight plate to it and tape it on there real good. now try to do a kickflip :+1:

[Brutha Man]

@utsu I accept the challenge. Video to come post my OneWheel arriving

[DVO]

@Brutha-Man i would like to see that. Board doesn't work like that brotha, I don't even think you can get a flat ground ollie. The board isn't made to "pop" you lean back on the board it brakes. But please, if you can...you da man! Even a flat ground ollie I would like to see. Don't forget to record your attempts. ;)

[Brutha Man]

@DVO

If/when I'm able to pull it off, two things must happen.

1. You @Franky @utsu @simenlier @Boogieman and the rest of the OneWheel heavy hitters in the forums need to lobby to XGames to include a section for OW.

2. Yall have to come to the Midwest and shred it up with me!

[SC720]

Another tip for learning dismount...On day 1 I spent the very first 15-20 mins just practicing dismount after dismount while holding onto something to get the footwork down without having to worry about the balancing. It honestly made it simple...I had my wife do the same thing and she mastered it in no time also.

[MichaelW]

Good one @SC720! When my wife learns this will be the way.

[veryous]

@Brutha-Man Dude seriously, this isn't a skateboard man, trust me. I can still kick flip even if I haven't touched a board in years and I'm 36 years old. There is no way in hell you can kick flip this, jump it into a jump 3-4 feet in the air etc. If you live close to someone, beg them to meet you, buy them a starbucks, but I'm afraid you really have the wrong idea about this board so far.

On the onewheel road trip, some kid did a sort of an ollie up a small curb when they were at the skate park. That's the closest I've seen. Hippie jump, body varial/180, a normal shove it, that's about it so far. I'm all for innovation, but I'm really worried you'll be disappointed thinking you can skateboard normally on this thing.

[veryous]

@utsu keep riding, keep practicing. I'm built like you and even though I skated/surfed/snowboarded as a kid, this was all new to me. Granted I wasn't great at the other three either. haha It took me about a week to switch to extreme mode. I've taken some nasty spills, have a scar on my forearm for life, but all worth it so far. It's definitely a trust factor you have to build with the board and yourself. Always wear wrist guards, saved my arse. I'd say it takes half an hour to get going on it, then a few more hours of practice to wear you can start to learn the gyro as you said.

[utsu]

Day 02: everything aches. Sunburnt, wrist is on ice, and I think I'm taking a day off.

Was pleasantly surprised that dumping a bucket of water on each side of the onewheel basically completely removed the dirt/dust from the field yesterday and made it look nearly as fresh as it did out of the box.

Really under-estimated the workout I was getting from a few hours outside yesterday.
If the minor sprain pain is gone by tomorrow I'll be back on it for sure. Really want to master this thing.

[Franky]

@utsu hang in there and take it SLOW. Don't push it and just ride and practice to your comfort level. I'll just tell you that the first time I rode a snowboard my knees were killing be from all the falls besides the bangs on the rest of me. It's totally worth it and luckily you get to learn onewheel in temps higher than freezing! Also don't push anyone else into learning until you have the basics down. People need to see how awesome it is for you in order to understand why it's worth learning.

I truly believe that most people can get it but it will take longer for some and there is nothing wrong with that. I literally was riding off road trails within my first hour but that is just because I find it so similar to snowboarding which is now very natural for me. I would expect anyone that hasn't put in the time falling off other boards will put in the time falling off this board if it's their first.

[utsu]

Day 04: Wrist healed, I decided to take the OW out for a quick ride in my parking lot. I did some drills in my living room first, just making sure I felt good about foot placement and braking quickly.

One thing I've come to notice is just how important consistent foot placement is in the beginning. Even dismounting and getting back on with slightly different foot placement can throw your initial balance off a bit in the beginning.

Full protective gear gave me a bit more confidence to roll at slightly higher speeds. No bails, felt great aside from this 100 degree LA heat. I did notice how much easier it is to regain your balance even with a little movement. The Bike metaphor is great- It's nearly impossible to trackstand with a OW at first, you really need to dismount pretty quickly when you come to a stop OR put a little juice in to help balance again.

Much easier to U-turn with a little bit of speed, than trying to do it at like 1-2 mph..

[veryous]

@utsu Glad to hear it man!! Remember after .5 mph you only need to cover one sensor, so move your foot around to where you want/need it or come to a stop again. I'll do that myself, if something feels off, I'll just stop and just start over. When you get more comfortable, start playing with your rear foot more. Mine moves around and depending what I'm doing will depend on it's position at the time.

[utsu]

Week 01: Wow! I can't believe I was thinking about quitting. This thing is really incredible once you get over the trust issues with the board. I've had 3 consecutive rides without bailing, and wearing full guards and a helmet does let you expand your boundaries quickly and safely.

It's taken a week but I feel comfortable turning in ~5 feet space, and can even turn around on slight inclined pavement. I've noticed that if you go slower (and crouch, a little) you can turn much tighter, but one thing I've not been able to do yet is a "hop turn" where you swivel the board underneath your feet to quickly adjust direction.

I'm noticing my feet (especially) and ankles are more sore than my calves and knees after a ride. Does this go away as you build up strength/tolerance? I've run and done intense cardio in the past without this much impact on my feet, so maybe I'm planting them too tightly and not relaxing in my stance.

[A. Sant]

Right on utsu..thanks much for your posts as they made me feels less like a spaz as a wobbly nube. I too didn't grow up skateboarding or surfing so it was a pretty new sensation. Plus, I live on rural property (no cement) and am jamming around on often bumpy terrain so it's been even harder to learn. I'm also sore in weird places and today (day 3) I actually rode that bad-boy around the place pretty good. A few more weeks and I'll have a solid track carved out and tonight I OneWheeled around my dog and horses and they didn't seem to mind at all!?

[DVO]

@utsu yeah, you get sore in the beginning, from being tense the whole time ( especially in the beginning) to not knowing which muscles to use to balance, so you tense them all at the same time. All that goes away after a while.Pretty soon it will feel like an extension of your body.

[A. Sant]

This post is deleted!

[utsu]

Week 02: Rode at the multi level Puente Hill Mall parking lots tonight. Fully lit but empty of cars, from 1am - 2:30am the overhead flood lights are on, it's incredibly bright and has very new pavement so all of the grades are smooth and soft, no major cracks and imperfections. and it's huge, very big space with few obstacles but nice lines. Felt great going up and down the slopes at top speed on the OW comfortably tonight. Really getting the hang of this thing and want to try harder surfaces like beach.

When I was getting close to top speed I had some "wobble," but it could have been slightly uneven pavement or something. I've never felt pushback before, is that what it feels like? The board just kinda saying "no" but struggling to take you faster?

[madsb]

@utsu: Really enjoying reading about your progress. Makes me even more impatient while I wait for my own board! At least I can live through you a bit :smile:

[utsu]

@madsb oh cool thanks dude. glad the diary is helpful, I wish more riders kept them because I bet it'd be even more encouraging.

to answer my own question, from the OW support faq;

"As you approach the top speed of Onewheel you will likely hear or feel some vibration. This is like the red-line on a car or motorcycle. It’s a warning that you are approaching the limits of the vehicle. Feel the vibration of the motor straining and BACK OFF a bit! Going over the front is possible in Extreme mode since high-speed pushback is not enabled"

[MichaelW]

@willy Read this!

[MichaelW]

I'm having everyone I know that gets a board read this info first. Helps avoid some potential accidents. Thanks to all who made contributions to this thread!

[shadowfx]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the great guide MichaelW. I just got my OneWheel today and was trying a few things out. I've always flip-flopped between being goofy and regular but I find with the OneWheel, I find I'm far more comfortable riding goofy whereas I'm more regular on my snowboard? Anyone notice anything like that?

Thanks in advance!

[MichaelW]

Hey @shadowfx! I can't say I have ever heard of anyone who switches like that... Very interesting...

[MichaelW]

@amyt2205 said:

@MichaelW Thanks, this was a really helpful guide for me. I have never done any "board sports" since trying and failing to learn how to skateboard and wakeboard in my teens, and I am now in my early 40's. I go to the gym a few times a week, but I'm no athlete. So I wasn't sure I was going to be able to ride this thing. But with the help of you and the others who commented on this thread and posted videos, I am now on Day 2 of riding my Onewheel and already having a blast. I even went down a little driveway and through a puddle a minute ago without wiping out. Just wanted to say thank you and
lend another word of encouragement to anyone who is on the fence about whether they can do this. If you have OK balance, this is doable, and hugely fun.

Your welcome Amy... My 70 year old mother rides around too. She got on the thing and rode it pretty well first time out!

[medhead]

Just took my new onewheel for a first spin. Still a ton of snow in NJ. I actually did fairly well with a dozen or so passes down my street and several turns; sure feels like snow boarding. I noticed my legs shaking and realized it was adrenaline! Then I fell...bad. No idea why, just lurched forward. Now I have a deep gash in my hand and a few other bumps and bruises. My confidence was shaken a bit and I may wait until I can get on dry grass in the spring. Other than that, it is awesome!!

[MichaelW]

Glad this has been such a help to all... :)

[thegreck]

@MichaelW That's pretty funny... I studied this post while I was waiting to receive my board, not having a clue I'd end up riding with you a few months later!

[w1ngy]

I always wear wristguards. Probability says I'll bust up my hands everytime otherwise.

[MichaelW]

To all LA riders! We meet on Saturdays around 11 almost every weekend. Feel free to come join us!

[MichaelW]

@hybred Hope this helps!

[donny h]

The 1st day I got my OW I had worked 12 hrs so I only had about 40 minutes to try it while passing it back and forth to my wife. I woke up at 5o'clock the next morning and rode over 2 miles around the city and it was one of the best and most exciting times I can remember.

[shadowfx]

I know having faith and trust in the OW is something that comes up time and time again, but I'd like to emphasize again for the new riders the importance.

Yesterday I felt as though I was losing control on bumps and gravel but just rode it out and I was fine; at one point, I even had the nose end up pointing down to the point where I thought I would nose dive and the motor was whirring wildly like when you push through the pushback and I was able to recover.

Then, I had a similar occurrence riding through a wet bumpy, grassy field, and simply by convincing myself that if I kept my cool and tried to level out, the OW wouldn't let me fall, I wouldn't fall. Turns out, I was right. Lesson of the day was through the wobbliest and most unstable parts of the ride, if you keep your cool, you can typically recover.

[thegreck]

@shadowfx This is very true... the one fall I've had (I ran over a branch that I didn't see), I could've recovered from had I had realized the OW was just going to roll right over it with no problem. Instead I prepared for the worst and fell backwards.

[gratefulwheel]

@utsu said in Newbie (Real World!) Beginners Manual.:

Getting used to that "1 second off" for the foot sensor before the motor disengages drove me crazy at first, but I started understanding it. It always feels like forever..

What does this mean?

[thegreck]

@sniff The sensors give you one second after you take pressure off one of the sensors before the motor disengages, just in case you did it on accident. This means when you dismount, there's a delayed reaction between the time you take your foot off the sensor and the motor disengages which can catch new riders off guard.

[gratefulwheel]

@thegreck thanks. Just got my board im about to head out on my first ride.

[marmot]

Got mine this past weekend after test riding it at the local kayak shop. Loving it. Haven't hit pushback yet, started off in extreme mode as people seem to suggest. 43 and been riding sideways since I was 10... So far the only trouble I get in is on sloppy dismounts or riding up and down banks, haven't wiped her out yet but do get a lil wobbly. It's definitely not like longboarding, I feel way more secure on the longboard when bombing down a hill because there's no software to screw up...it's all on me. With time I guess I'll trust this thing but for now I'm trying to stick under pushback speeds. Loads of fun though.

[MichaelW]

Yo! This is good old school thread for new riders who just bought a board. Feel free to add anything if you feel like something is missed.

[Rig]

@MichaelW glad you revived this. Good stuff in here.

[MichaelW]

Sometimes old posts need to see the light of day again.

[MichaelW]

@Buckaroo-Banzai Have you seen this?

[magicrobots]

As a total n00b I am grateful for this post. I've been lurking these forums for months and didn't know it existed; so thanks for the bump @MichaelW ! If this post could be pinned I would support that.

[MichaelW]

So many people are getting hurt. Read this people!!