Accident log

21 April 2016, 22:14 UTC

Can anyone tell me why the board accelerates out of control when your in extreme mode. This has happened on all 3 occaions i have been in this mode. I will be accelerating and when i went slightly faster it just cranked up fast and i couldnt reeact just wobble with the speed aand planted me in the pavement hard! Really hard!
L

22 April 2016, 00:16 UTC

@wheeler Don't put your weight on the front of the board to accelerate. Keep your center of balance over the wheel and accelerate by tilting the deck with your legs. That way when the board tries to push you back to slow you down (which is exactly what was happening) it can actually do it instead of launching you into the pavement.

22 April 2016, 00:23 UTC

@thegreck He Said it perfectly

22 April 2016, 01:35 UTC

Learn the acceleration of the board. When you push past pushback, it will rebalance itself. Just let it. Don't over correct.

22 April 2016, 02:34 UTC

@TonyGDTLA
I think i will just stick with classic since extreme doesnt have pushback. Or a different kind according to the manual. I just wish it would push back and have a limiter on extreme but instead its like a runaway horse carriage. Luckily no one has been in the path of the destruction. Violently hitting the pavement at 15+ mph is not fun and has a high pricetag for both body and bank account!

22 April 2016, 02:41 UTC

@wheeler it's called pushback and the only way to make it stop is tilting the board back and slowing down. Earlier firmware versions had less invasive extreme mode pushback letting you go faster before accelerating to push you back. But because at higher speeds the motor is less capable of keeping you upright, they kicked pushback in around 10-12 mph for extreme.

The irony is that pushback is a safety feature but the people that have the hardest time and more spills with it are newbies. I guess the question is: what is the alternative and would even newbies be more likely to wipe out without pushback than with it? I'm guessing fm has learned that although some people wipe out from fighting pushback, many less people are wiping out from nose dive which is even more dangerous.

22 April 2016, 14:09 UTC

@Franky Yeah unfortunately, with a single-wheeled vehicle the safety options are extremely limited. All it can do is spin the wheel faster or slower. The alternative to pushback, as you said, would be to allow people to simply outrun the motor, which means self-balancing would disappear at top speed and then you have insta-nosedive.

People just need to learn to ride properly and regulate their own speed without depending on pushback so much. @TonyGDTLA and I were talking about the fact that we've both actually scraped the nose of the board on the pavement while riding several times by inadvertently putting too much pressure on the front, but when you're riding properly, all you have to do is just level the board again and keep going.

It's so much easier to avoid a wipeout when you're not off balance and leaning forward on the board. That's what gets people every time.

22 April 2016, 14:47 UTC

@thegreck I've done the same thing as far as scraping the nose and riding through it. Happens more often on hard turns but I have done it just riding straight as well. If you are balanced over the board you are less likely to fall as you said. That is the single hardest thing to master about the Onewheel. As much as you try to tell people not to lean to go forward its almost as if everyone needs to crash and burn before they really learn. Happened to me in the beginning and I KNEW what to expect and how I should be riding.

22 April 2016, 20:29 UTC

@thegreck
The first time it happened was definately my fault. I leaned forward too far and couldnt get back. In other words i touched the nose quickly. But the last one and 2 others happened when I went slightly over a certain speed and it redlined and I hit the road.

22 April 2016, 20:46 UTC

I got 3 levels better after watching the way this guy rides and falls on and off of his board. He's not speaking English but just watch it
http://youtu.be/tFunOWB_m64

22 April 2016, 21:11 UTC

@wheeler If you find yourself flying FORWARD when the board accelerates, you're riding it incorrectly and you would benefit by correcting it.

Think about if you're standing on the hood of a car. If the car suddenly moves forward, you'll fall BACKWARDS. This is what the Onewheel is expecting to happen when it speeds up.

However, you're standing on the front bumper and leaning forward, when the car takes off it'll just launch you like a catapult.

22 April 2016, 21:14 UTC

@kbman Nice video! But his "Ollie" looks like a great way to crush your fingers!

22 April 2016, 21:31 UTC

I am still learning too but I don't think going back to classic will prevent this completely. Especially going down a hill. Like many others I learned by doing even after reading the advice. All I can say it is very hard to get back on the board if you get too far forward and go down any hill. I second @thegreck advice although I have a long way to go for skills.

22 April 2016, 23:32 UTC

To elaborate on @thegreck's initial reply, you don't really lean forward to get speed, you press forward. When we recently rode around Golden Gate Park, I brought with a friend who had never ridden before. The way I described it to him was to imagine a vertical line from the center of the tire all the way up to his head. He wanted to stay centered on or very slightly behind that line. Riding with knees slightly bent to help absorb the shock of bumps and things, pick a foot to use for steering, and the other foot for speed control. I ride normal (left foot forward), so I use my front/left foot for speed control (press for speed, lift to slow), and my rear/right foot for steering (push down with my toes for a right turn, lift my toes up for a left turn).

It seems to me that the most important part of stability is where to keep your center of gravity in relation to the board. Staying over the tire, or slightly behind it allows the board to spend less energy trying to slow you down when it senses you're getting out of control. If it only has to lift your foot to slow you down, it will happen easier and quicker than if it has to lift the majority of your bodyweight.

As you can see from this drawing I made, I can't draw for shit. However, the guy leaning forward to go fast, is clearly unhappy. https://goo.gl/photos/dtaPfLXFReS67dLn9

23 April 2016, 22:12 UTC

@akraut

For Extreme use only

24 April 2016, 01:58 UTC

Great advice all over and the drawing is classic. :)
I read this and went for a ride.
The slight bending of knees is utterly important as newbs tend to stand straight which I was doing.
Wow! I made an effort to bend my knees slightly and what a difference. Helps with carving and everything else. Going down a step won't feel like onewheel is falling down before you. :)
As mentioned before, I think the key is to keep the body perpendicular in all situations, going downhill, uphill or level.
I try lean backward slightly before a bump.
Also, I find the right sneakers do help. I wear similar flat Nike like the one on Onewheel header picture.
I also tried grass and dirt for the first time. Just awesome.
Anyway, keep them great pointers coming...

24 April 2016, 02:05 UTC

@sonny123 Yes! Bending the knees is very important. Riding with your legs bent when you hit a pothole or uneven pavement can be the difference between riding on like it was nothing, and suddenly finding yourself pitched forward, flying out of control.

This has happened to me several times when I've been lazy and forgotten to bend my knees, but luckily I've been able to pull out of it before crashing.

24 April 2016, 02:09 UTC

@thegreck

Yep, this is my favorite Onewheel video and you could see how it show how the pros ride.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5li3sSJFFcU

24 April 2016, 21:45 UTC

@akraut
The drawing helped. I was in the habit of leaning forward too much. If I lean back and concentrate on keeping centered on the board its alot safer. Im doing some rocking back and forth practice and trying to make this a habit. Thank you for the tips guys.

2 May 2016, 20:54 UTC

Alright, here's a story. I've fallen multiple times, usually from a nosedive. Lots of road rash and major bruises. Now getting proficient on it, I'm humming a long on a grass field at max speed when my tire gets eaten by a divot and I become a human projectile. I get up. A little soreness in the left knee. Next day, soreness becomes pain and swelling. Next day is severe pain, red rash and a fever. Flash forward to today and the surgeon I just saw withdrew 60ml of pus out of my knee. I'm on 2 antibiotics, pain meds and I've missed 4 days of work. The tragic part is that I'm getting pressure from all directions to sell the board.

2 May 2016, 20:57 UTC

And everything without early sign of infection? :-o

2 May 2016, 21:13 UTC

Regarding medhead's fall, I don't ride on grass anymore either except slowing and carefully, otherwise you're at the total and complete mercy of any hidden defects, and the falls to me anyway seem harsher than asphalt, no road rash of course, but you can hit and dig in knees and elbows for shorter and higher g stop than you get on pavement...

2 May 2016, 21:38 UTC

@medhead
I beginning to think they cant fix this problem with a firmware patch.
All the wheels must all have this issue. I have fallen every time on extreme with protection. Thing is it eventually catches up to you. You can only slam the same place so m any times before something happens. I would use classic for awhile if I were you.

2 May 2016, 21:44 UTC

@Tartopom I thought the swelling was just a hematoma. The infection came on quickly. I was trying to treat it with just antibiotics but it wasn't going to get better until it was drained.

2 May 2016, 21:57 UTC

@medhead the nose usually only hits the ground during aggressive riding, you gotta know when to hold back. I mean, you said it yourself, you were riding at max speed on grass, that's dangerous. If you are riding at max speed, you severely limit the OW's ability to self balance. It's a one wheeled vehicle, this demands a certain amount of caution or else bad things can and will happen.

2 May 2016, 22:59 UTC

@wheeler @medhead @no Right. Plus, top speed on the OW is around 15mph, which is basically jogging speed. So if you're riding properly and have your weight distributed evenly on either side of the wheel, then even if the nose DOES hit the ground, you should be able to either level the board or run it out.

The fact that people are immediately hitting the ground when this happens points to improper riding. I've been riding for nearly five months, I commute to work every day, usually riding close to top speed, I've hit all kinds of unexpected potholes and pavement ramps, and I've never had a crash due to a nosedive. In fact, I've only fallen once, and it wasn't due to a firmware issue, or the sensor pads being too small, it was because I stepped off the back end of the board when I ran over a tree branch, and it slipped out from under me, so total user error.

When someone falls while riding a skateboard, it's never the skateboard's fault. Just because the Onewheel has electronics onboard doesn't mean there's not a learning curve or that no skill is required.

2 May 2016, 23:09 UTC

I absolutely agree with @thegreck and @No. Knee bend is crucial at high speeds regardless of the terrain, but you gotta know when to ease off a bit. I feel horrible for all you nosedivers and your tales of road rash and infections and such. I've had mine now for 2 weeks, and I love pushing this thing to it's limits. Keeping your weight centered will keep you safe 9 times out of 10 (proper knee bend saves your ass the other time). It kills me to hear you guys talking about going back to Classic for a while, if anything you should roll Elevated for a while until you get the feel.

Bending your knees will not only absorb the terrain, it also lowers your center of gravity so it's easier keep your weight centered over the wheel. I have a couple curiosities for those of you who continue to nosedive:

How much experience do you have with other board sports?
Are any of you thinking about hanging it up and selling your board (don't do it)?
Is it possible that the pebble buildup in your lead foot is so much that it's considerably heavier causing these dives.

Seriously, don't give up. Take all this advice and practice. If you're in Portland, OR and need some help, let's go ride!

2 May 2016, 23:39 UTC

@jordo Great points! For some reason I always forget to include the knee bending, but it is one of the key most important factors in riding without incident. It'll save your ass when you hit bumps you weren't expecting, because it allows your legs to work as shock absorbers, rather than if you're stiff-legged, which will cause you to lurch forward, and seals your fate to end up face down on the pavement.

2 May 2016, 23:52 UTC

Thanks for all of the advice. @thegreck I solved the nosedive problem. My latest fall occurred when the wheel got swallowed by a hole in a grass field.@jordo I appreciate your words. Getting pressure from my wife to sell, but I'm not gonna. Anyone want to see the pic?!!

2 May 2016, 23:52 UTC

Man I love elevated. My preference. Call me loco. Plenty of speed. Love the nose up I get. Easy transition from multiple terraforma, cracks etc.

Pratice pratice.

2 May 2016, 23:52 UTC

@medhead yes

2 May 2016, 23:58 UTC

@medhead My wife knows better, haha. Glad to hear you've got it solved.

3 May 2016, 00:15 UTC

![alt text](https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bxh62JZPinKyalFrN21CYk55VjQ!

3 May 2016, 00:57 UTC

medhead, get well soon.

Talk about elevated.
I tried it couple days ago and thought not.
Tonight I gave it the benefit of a doubt and messed with it again.
I think I like it.
Seems to keep front knee slightly bent and the speed is constant and more controllable.
I'm guessing elevated will be the norm for me.

3 May 2016, 01:26 UTC

lol I went out and tried elevated tonight too, it's not as extreme as I thought it would be, every single accident I've had has been due to the nose dipping more than expected in extreme mode, maybe elevated will make this less likely.

3 May 2016, 02:08 UTC

Yep, went out again on elevated. lol..
Looks like I'll be stuck on it from now on.
Every time you press the nose down, it's like acceleration.
Never tried classic and never will.
I think Extreme should be standard and elevated should extreme.

3 May 2016, 02:44 UTC

@medhead damn dude

3 May 2016, 17:30 UTC

Still haven't mastered "running it out" as opposed to my usual face plant. Any tips? Does being 47 have anything to do with it?

3 May 2016, 17:38 UTC

@medhead said in Accident log:

Still haven't mastered "running it out" as opposed to my usual face plant. Any tips? Does being 47 have anything to do with it?

Nope. I'm hitting the big 50 soon and comfortable going 16-17 mph on my electric skateboard but not the Onewheel.

Running it out is a hit or miss. Seems like the more experienced, the better the chance to run it out.
The other day, I got little too cute with it and should've been a face plant but somehow I was able to run it out and was surprised myself.

3 May 2016, 17:50 UTC

@medhead I'm not really sure, because I've only had to run it out once (I was testing out Elevated mode and going up a steep, wet-grass hill, and the wheel lost traction). Otherwise, if you concentrate on keeping your knees bent, your head directly over the wheel, your weight equally distributed across both feet, and control your speed when riding in tricky conditions, nosedives should be extremely rare. Just don't put yourself in that situation if you don't have to.

If you watch this video I made when I was coming home from the store, I was riding pretty fast over sidewalks I'd never ridden before, and hit a lot of areas that likely would've made more than a few riders take a tumble, but when you're riding properly, that huge wheel will roll over pretty much any obstacle that's at least a little shorter than the radius:
https://youtu.be/62a9zO86yLI?list=PLEsA7It3xar9dcmoG4A9SvIMgAkqlKQWR

3 May 2016, 17:56 UTC

@medhead And I've actually scraped the nose on the asphalt several while riding when I accidentally put too much pressure on the front of the deck, but since I was riding balanced and not leaning forward, I was able to just lift it back up and level the board without it being a more disastrous situation. [EDIT: Obviously, this isn't quite as easy to do on grass, as the nose doesn't slide.]