New Mode of Transport for the Urban Daredevil
Diverging a little away from our normal electric scooters, but still keeping it electric, let’s take a look at a new toy we’ve picked up lately, The Electric Unicycle. With e-scooters’ increasing popularity, many people are now keener towards trying other electric products. Some people may be looking for something more portable than an E-Scooter, or just something more unique and interesting, that is where the Electric Unicycle’s come in.
Electric Unicycles are eco-friendly, self-balancing mobility gadgets. You can travel in style to and from the office or to meetings without breaking a sweat or wrinkling your clothes. The design is compact, about the size of a backpack, and you can bring it on the train or bus, fit it into your car boot and stored under your table at work with ease.
E-Unicycles are perfect for those looking for a fun hobby or want to acquire a new skill. Almost everyone can ride a scooter, but not many can say they can ride an electric unicycle. You will definitely get many jaw dropping stares in awe when the public sees you in action and it also makes for a really good conversation starter. *wink wink.
They use a gyro sensor to help you balance and move with your body. Think Segway sans stick and one wheel, without the high price tag. The computerized balancing system uses high technology that can sense your movements. To move forward, simply lean forward and use your toes. To reverse, just lean backwards and use your heels. The more pressure you put on the unit, the faster it’ll go.
It appears some celebrities are even taking up E-Unicycles, check out this article on the dailymail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2732625/MIC-s-Spencer-Matthews-takes-tumble-rides-electric-unicycle.html
Numerous models and brands are popping up around the world and in Singapore. The brand that appears to be the strongest in terms of community, technical support (they come with a 1 year local warranty), and product quality in Singapore appears to be the Wheelies. They have a total of 3 models: the Essential, R8, and Xtreme. They have even been featured RazorTV, and even on National TV – “The 5 Show”, check the episode HERE!
The one we used specifically was this model, The Wheelie R8. The weight of one of these babies is about 11kg and it can carry a load of 120kg. Comfortable 16-inch wheels. Travels at 10-15km/h. Charging time is approximately 2 hours and one single charge can take you up to 40km!
I’m going to have to admit, learning this wasn’t easy at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s super fun. The muscles needed to help you balance, especially your calves, may hurt a bit at first, but eventually they will develop “muscle memory” that’ll help ease the learning of your Wheelie. It also comes with a training strap and training wheels for those that need a little more help while learning. Having someone hold you or practicing next to a wall is recommended in case you fall. Although, the learning stage may be difficult, it makes for a really good workout.
Depending on your balancing skills, the learning curve can range from a couple days to a week or two, much like learning how to ride a bike when you were 8. Ah, the memories. The Wheelie is going to be just like that. It won’t be like using a scooter where you can get the hang of it in an hour or a day, this will definitely take practice and much, much patience. But once you’ve mastered it, it is super worth it. Using it would be as natural as walking, but 100 times the fun. Once you’ve mastered it, you can even do tricks on it!
If you like challenges and acquiring new hobbies and skills, check out the Wheelie at FalconPEV.
*The Wheelie’s R8 is available from FALCON PEV for $899. Visit the showroom to test drive them yourself!