Spend My Money -- Newbie Recommendations

1 July 2018, 18:30 UTC

@life-themovies I use the triple 8 exoskin series...knee, elbow and wrist/hand protection. I also bought the OW helmet when I ordered my XR, and turns out it is also a triple 8 product. Nice helmet, with rear adjustment, just like my bike helmet has. The elbow pads are kind of a pain, but knee pads actually give me extra knee support, and wrist/hand ("hired hands") are well built, but have open finger holes, which makes it easier to use your hands while wearing them. I wear them all every time, so it is getting to be routine.

Re float plates, you need to tell them you have an XR so they send you the proper length of bolts.

1 July 2018, 19:38 UTC

I’ve had my XR about 3 weeks. I’m a non-athletic 190 lbs.

Gear-wise, I started with my Giro snowboard helmet, hillbilly wrist guards, and the Triple-8 Covert Knee and Elbow Pads.

I ended up trying a few other helmets, and I’m about to try a Thousand helmet. I know it’s a bike helmet, but I’m not a daredevil, and I’m comfortable with the certifications it has. Recently, I have mostly scrapped the elbow and knee pads, and just go with helmet and wrist guards unless I’m planning to push my limits. I usually hover around 12-15 mph on pavement, and I’m definitely becoming (probably overly) confident.

I didn’t get a balance board or anything beforehand. I had snowboarded recently after 15 years of not doing it, and I found that my legs adjusted pretty quickly. After getting my Onewheel, it took me a few days of aching feet and calves to get over the hump, and now I rarely notice it.

2 July 2018, 13:15 UTC

@somederrick Good to hear! When I demo'd the OW at a Burton shop before ordering direct, my feet hurt after a 10 minute back-and-forth in the parking lot, so I know I'll need to strengthen my feet/ankles. I've been a skier for years, but lateral movement is very different from front-to-back flexing. I'm hoping I adjust as quickly as you did!

3 July 2018, 03:01 UTC

At 6’2” / 240 you are a big dude for a OW. The board will be working overtime to keep you balanced accel and deccel your mass. I was prob 205-210 when I first got mine. Broke my foot (work related), had surgery and ballooned to 236. Once healed, the OW def felt different pushing me around. I’m back down to 210-215 and it feels normal again. I’d work on the weight while your waiting.

Get a VewDo or balance board. If you can’t, then do air squats, pistol squats etc. if you can get on a SUP on the water that will help too. In reality, you are going to be sore when you first ride it no matter what you train for. The only way to get over that, is by riding it. Your feet and lower legs are going to work like they never have before. The first time I did more than 5 miles straight, I couldn’t walk for 2 hours after.

Rail protection, float plates are unnecessary, especially on the XR...unless you are gonna be grinding or curb hopping. Which you prob shouldn’t as a newb anyway.

If you can, start on grass, a golf course fairway preferably. It hurts a lot less when you wreck out .

Wrist protection and helmet are prob worth it. I don’t wear them, I have a helmet but when I nosedived I landed on my face so it wouldn’t have helped, luckily I was on grass. But if you crack your noggin on pavement you will prob die.

Best advice? Don’t be like me or all these other nosedivers. RESPECT THE BOARD. Don’t try to fight thru the pushback. At your size it will end badly. I know first hand.

3 July 2018, 12:24 UTC

I am a biggn. I use Triple 8 hired hands, G Form pads, POC Crane Commuter helmet. Had a nasty fall. When I did, my head came down with the rest of my body, AT THE END of the fall and hit a broken branch. The branch was 3 inches of hardwood. After getting up, making sure everything worked, with me not the board, I looked at my helmet, and there is a big dent. So, yeah I believe in a quality helmet. Ride on.

5 July 2018, 12:08 UTC

@capodeltoro agreed on all of the above, thanks for the thoughts.

5 July 2018, 12:10 UTC

@waftingtransient Damn, glad to hear you're OK! So do you think a full-face helmet is the way to go or am I good with a classic skateboarding helmet?

5 July 2018, 15:15 UTC

@life-themovies You're riding at bicycling and skateboarding speeds (or slower). Cyclists don't wear full face. Skaters don't wear full face. Full face is probably overkill.

7 July 2018, 08:22 UTC

Hip, leg protection...just (1st July) broke my leg close to the hip after a nosedive incident.
Not allowed to walk for 6 weeks and after that rehab. Love my OW just don’t trust her anymore...
Ignore this post just like I use to ignore nosedive stories but at least be prepared for the fall. It will happen. I am really going to miss my OW rides. I‘m done.

7 July 2018, 12:41 UTC

@life-themovies Protect your nuggin my friend, by any means necessary.

7 July 2018, 13:24 UTC

@waftingtransient

Noggin...right? Head
By all means.

7 July 2018, 15:20 UTC

@george are you selling it? Looking for an XR...

7 July 2018, 16:57 UTC

@capodeltoro

V1 (Kickstarter) and I live in Europe (transport $$$).
Btw before I sell it FM would need to convince me (they have the diagnostics) that I did something wrong or send me an explanation incl. a part I would need to replace.

8 July 2018, 02:33 UTC

@george oh. You said you’re done so I assumed you meant you were getting rid of it. I have a V1. Looking to upgrade. Good luck on getting an explanation from FM! ;)

8 July 2018, 08:28 UTC

@capodeltoro

I‘m not expecting a response from FM. If there is music out there (nosedive) then FM should face it, fix it and get on selling this great product. My leg will heal but as long as I don‘t know what went wrong there is no way I can get back on the board. I ski, go biking, inline skating and have crashed with all of my toys...but I always got back onto them because I knew why I crashed.

I know you think I‘m whining but actually I have too much time on my hands now and think others should understand that there might be an issue with the board. Not for the tough guys pushing it to the limit they are prepared for a crash but wusses like me that just like to cruise around on a Sunday afternoon.

I was looking at the XR myself...wonder what my wife would do if it showed up on my doorstep :-))

8 July 2018, 13:16 UTC

I am 50, but with decades of board experience. The full face helmet is really overkill unless you plan on testing the speed limits of the board. If you already bought it, you might as well wear it until you gain some confidence on the thing.

In order of priority I would say helmet is essential. Don’t even balance in your basement without one. The hardest falls I’ve seen localy haven’t been nosedives. They have been dismounts gone bad. Wrist guards would be next highest priority. Not so much for protecting against fracture, but more to keep from having to pick sand and gravel out of your palms if you take a header.

Elbows are next and then knees if you please.

As far as skids and skins, save your cash. It’s a onwwheel, not your grandmas bone China. They look cool with some “experience-marks.” Plus the skids take away some clearance on the XR. Less is more.

No balance board or exercise is going to prepare you for the riding experience, like riding it. You won’t test the battery limits on your board for quite awhile. Ride it on multiple short rides (15 minutes or less) over several days, to build onewheel endurance. If you take it on an hour ride on day 2, it will sit in its stand on days 3-5. Also, the fatigue that initially comes with the riding stance leads to newbie safety issues on longer rides due to soreness and initial lack of stamina.

Enjoy!

17 July 2018, 09:24 UTC

@mot sage advice. Thank you sincerely for answering all of my questions. I returned the full face helmet and got the dual certified Triple8 one. I'm happy with it. I also invested in good wrist guards. Bummer that I cannot wear my Apple watch with them, but oh well... I won't need distractions anyway.

I had knee/elbow protection backwards. Always thought that if I bailed, my knees would hit first and I could throw down my hands to roll way before my elbows took the impact. Thanks to your note, I'll be looking into relatively inexpensive (but still effective) solutions to both with the intent to shed them once I'm confident on the board.

And good stuff on the short rides initially. The last thing I want is to be so sore that I cannot ride the next day. Thanks again!!

17 July 2018, 11:31 UTC

@life-themovies

Some of your questions are like asking "what kind of shoes should I buy"? The answer: it depends.

I did not have float plates or side kicks on my OW+ as they did not exist when I bought it... but I put them on my XR day one. A nosedive on pavement ate a good chunk of one of my rails, figure like my head, why not just add some protection on my investment. Most skaters love the "well used" look of a used board and think the ride should show your learning and battle scars. That decision is yours... a OW cost a little more than a new wooden deck.

Helmet I think is a must but I ride with some folks that don't wear one... they also don't wear seat belts in cars and are still alive. So it's another case of do you plan for the worst or hope for the best.

I personally wear wrist guards and elbow pads (in addition to a helmet). I feel more confident with them on knowing that my chances of surviving a fall or not getting gravel/dirt in my palms is greatly increased. I use Killer 187 wrist guards and Triple 8 elbow pads with the hard shell. The flexible ones help with impact but don't slide well. I wanted mine to protect against sliding on pavement more than hitting rocks. I started with knee pads as well but stopped wearing them after a few months as they were hot and never used. If I'm doing something crazy in the woods, I might still get them out but for normal riding I feel ok with out them.

In my opinion, the best way to answer most your questions / concerns is just to start slow and take it easy. Spend an hour working on dismounts. Spend an hour going back and forth in a straight line. Spend an hour just doing circles, etc... then start cruising around once you have some basic skills and confidence. Being over confident is what I believe causes most accidents... or simply too comfortable. At least for me and some of the local crew that has been the case.

Last comment: both on rough sidewalks and definitely off road I have hit my float plates with enough impact to shatter the FM plastic parts. I don't grind anything but know 100% my board would have needed repairs without those plates. No concern about ground clearance with The Float.Life plates on my OW+ or OW XR. But again, depends... are you cruising the beach or aggressively riding in the woods?

Edit: I have Greg's SilverHandle (available from him or Craft & Ride) on both my boards and they work great. Small, light and super durable. Makes it easy to carry board like a suitcase when needed. I also have OW Armor reflective rings on my wheels. I thought about adding more but the wheel has been good enough for me riding in the city at night or my neighborhood. I also invested in a good $100 flashlight for really dark areas to avoid large pot holes and such. I have a @njcustom magnetic carbon fiber fender; it's the best of both worlds. I prefer riding without a fender, I like the way the board/wheel looks. But if you are riding near mud or want to keep shoes/pants/legs clean, the fender just snaps on in 2 seconds. There are a lot of options for foot pads, grip tape, etc... out there. I'd wait until you find you need something before you buy it. I'm still on factory grip tape but know for a fact it's getting worn and dangerous on aggressive trails but again if you're just cruising pavement and sand, maybe it'll last a life time.

19 July 2018, 01:41 UTC

@skyman88 extremely helpful, thanks! You now have me reconsidering float plates...