OW caster board?

[Scottrod]

What would you think of a One Wheel derived caster board? I’ve been pitched off the front of my plus numerous times, twice at high speed onto the pavement. Those wrecks hurt and now I ride with that ‘fear’ in the back of my mind. I’ve also got a rip stick and it carves nicely and you don’t have the teeter-totter effect to worry about. That got me thinking about a caster board built stout like a OW, with the range of the XR and most importantly, big rubber pneumatic tires that roll over gravel, rocks, cracks, etc.

The tires would have to likely be more narrow to carve but maybe a bit taller to keel some off road capability?

I like my OW but I generally just use it for carving and commuting to work. Aside from the novelty of the single wheel, I think a caster board design would provide the same carving feel but make it more practical and safer for higher speeds and commuting. It seems like there might be a market for a caster board model?

[skyman88]

@Scottrod have an example of a caster board? I'm not familiar with that term.

[b0ardski]

@Scottrod said in OW caster board?:

What would you think of a One Wheel derived caster board?

If your thinking of small wheels like fangs on both ends I can see that, if your talking additional wheels in contact with the ground all the time you just negated the thing that makes onewheel different and special, the float

[blkwalnutgrwr]

The hands-free aspect of a Ripstik is nice, and there is a certain amount of fun factor. You are right, though, a stout caster board unit with Onewheel torque and bigger, pneumatic tires capable of off-road would make it more useable and enjoyable. A balance drive control instead of a remote would give it more of the Onewheel feel. As it is on my Onewheel I have 2700 miles -- on my electric Ripstik I have maybe ten.

[b0ardski]

@blkwalnutgrwr aint nothing with 2 or more wheels ever gonna have that one wheel feel

[Scottrod]

I’m not sure I follow what the term float is describing? Is it when you go down a steep hill and the board settles back a bit? I enjoy carving on my OW but it gets old trying to go up any type of steep, short incline and have the front end dig in. I have fangs on the front of my board but they are of limited benefit.

I was thinking a pneumatic tired caster board with the OW hub drive. The system could put more power and speed to the board since it wouldn’t be fighting your weight from going to far forward. I think it would feel similar to a OW for carving and you wouldn’t have to worry about nosing in and getting thrown hard onto the pavement.

Here is what a caster board looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHKYqtoeeOk

The ripsticks are fun and have their own feel. They are limited to pavement and concrete surfaces because the wheels are so small and hard.

[b0ardski]

That "float" feeling comes from balancing on a center pivot point between your feet, even when you standing still on it, 2 wheels aint gonna give you that. There are lots of options to get that "carve" feel we all love but non of them have that for/aft "lean to go" feel. Powered caster wheels don't exist because the wheel under power negates the function of the caster. I'd love to see your hub motor designs and how you integrate the caster lock when the wheel power kicks on. escooter wheels might work for a mountain board type design, or start with a powered scooter and design casters for it

[Scottrod]

I was thinking a hub motor could be mounted to a large, industrial type caster which would be equipped with stops to prevent the wheel from flipping all the way around and shearing the power cable. However, you bring up a good point with how the caster might react to the motor torque. I had not thought about that and maybe it wouldn’t work at all? I noticed the electric rip stick doesn’t use a caster in back. I tried ordering one on Sunday but due to the battery, no one will ship to Alaska.

I don’t know if I’m that enamored with the float feel on the OW. It isn’t really like snowboarding, except in powder and even then that feels different. All in all I generally find the teeter totter feel a bit annoying, except when slowing down quickly, that feels pretty natural. Leaning forward to go up any incline is pretty screwed though.

[Maverik]

@Scottrod I know that the Float is what attracted me to the Onewheel. A boosted board might work better for you.

[stinkyface]

@Scottrod each to their own. I love to really lean back hard and drag the tail when stopping.

[Sponge315]

Sound like you might like one of these
https://summerboard.com/

I road a non electric version of these casterboard/skateboard hybrids some years ago. (http://freebord.com/) It was WAY cool, but only as a downhill ride. Very snowboard like.

[Scottrod]

That’s an interesting concept but won’t work for want I want. The OW’s big pneumatic tire allows for off pavement riding wheas that board with its little tires wouldn’t be able to do that.

[Kielanders]

@Scottrod

Right there with you - I still have flashbacks from my youth going down the road on a skateboard, wanting to dodge every crack or imperfection in the pavement, then reminding myself that I'm on a OW.