Monowheel (EUC) first impressions

I've finally decided to give myself a try on electric uni-cycling. It was always appealing to me ever since I started regularly riding my e-scooter: the idea of having a small transportation device which you can literally take anywhere, which would have similar speed and mileage capacity, yet consume very little space. For instance, as the time goes, there are less and less spaces where you can take an e-scooter inside. Not being able to properly lock it outside is a real struggle. While with an EUC... it's just like a suitcase.

So I chose V5F as my first wheel. First, there was a choice of wheel diameter. 14 inch seems like a sweet spot. There are not so many wheels in that dimension. Battery has to be 320 Wh or more. Motor power, for my weight (65 kg) should be at least 500 Watts. Choosing between KS-14D and InMotion V5F, the deciding factor was weight (latter is a bit lighter), overall sturdiness and availability in local stores. I bought it for $540 in October 2022.

It took about 7 hours in total to get more or less going. I can still catch a wobble from time to time (going 10+ kph), not very confident at quick turning. But I think as long as I don't get off guard, I am safe. I fell zero times, mostly because the rule "let the wheel run away" works. Whenever something unexpected begins happening, just jump off and let the wheel fall.

Learning curve is quite steep, first few hours were literally painful and sweaty. But once I got a grip, it felt wonderful. Like some thing from a sci-fi movie. The EUC totally is an attention gatherer. Some people give advice, some suggest praying while riding, and some just curiously watch.

At the end of day two of training, I went for an ~8 km ride and it went smoothly. Even though parts of the route ran through pedestrian sidewalks and I had to deal with casually walking people, slowing down almost to a stop and maneuvering. Looking forward to learning more.