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AirWheel electric unicycle review

92 points by bemmu 12y ago

klinquist 12y ago
I'm a fan of the SBUv3 - I can't imagine not having a seat to sit on. No calf pain :). The seat post is removable making it pack almost as small as the AirWheel. Video of me on my SBU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mngn92PXsso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mngn92PXsso
- eridius 12y ago
  I have an SBUv2. I thought it was really neat, although the one time I tried riding it on a street I quickly decided that I was far too freaked out about falling over and getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, it turns out to not be usable in San Francisco. It handles hills up to a decent grade (I forget exactly what, but probably the 30% the SBUv3 advertises). But unfortunately it doesn't handle variations very well. And as hilly as San Francisco is, you can't walk 5 steps without the slope changing. When I say it doesn't handle it very well, I mean it feels like it's speeding up or slowing down unpredictably. Even just going from the sidewalk to the street, crossing it, and back to the sidewalk is hard. Because of that, I haven't touched the thing in several years. And the last time I looked at it (sometime last year) it turns out the battery won't even charge anymore. Apparently leaving it unused for a couple years is sufficient to render the battery unusable. I have no idea if the SBUv3 is any better. Of course, if you live somewhere that's reasonably flat, then I'm sure it will work great.
brianbreslin 12y ago
So is this a US made "vehicle?" or designed? the author cites a few chinese clones, so I'm wondering if the chinese manufacturer made them first or what. If the chinese one came second, then its impressive they've cloned this so fast.
- JacobAldridge 12y ago
  What gives you the impression this is US? Seems straightforward to me that bemmu talks about seeing them in China and purchasing one to ship from there on his return home to Japan.
ccozan 12y ago
Also the SoloWheel: http://inventist.com/soloindex.php http://inventist.com/soloindex.php .This chinese wheel might be a clone of this.
- ansible 12y ago
  One of them is likely the clone of the other. I can't say which way from what I've seen so far. However, I can't imagine many people buying an electric unicycle for $2000 USD. That is very expensive.
  - SchizoDuckie 12y ago
    I saw someone in The Hague on one of these. It looks like a very good way to kill youself. Still, urban commuting really lends itself for awesome things we grew up with like skateboards, unicycles, rollerblades and all that. I've been traveling with my skateboard ever since I needed to catch trains to get to work and missed them frequently. Since then, no such problems.
vitno 12y ago
The Chinese ones were made first. I had a lot of fun bonding with a guy riding one of these in 西宁. I found it to be a fair amount easier than the author described it. After 5 minutes or so a few friends and I managed to balance and move a little bit. edit: now that I think about it, I had a sorta riding strap I could pull on that would help me balance at first. That probably helped way more than training wheels.
- bemmu 12y ago
  I think having a friend to help you out would help immensely, as they can show you the basics and help balance you. I had no idea what I was doing.
quickpost 12y ago
For comparison sake, I learned to ride a unicycle (level 2 ish) with about 8hrs of concerted practice spread over a couple weeks. A lot of the problems you encounter in the video (difficulty mounting, speed control, not falling on your face) are exactly the challenges with learning to ride a real unicycle. I highly recommend trying it out sometime - it's a surprising amount of fun once you get the hang of it. EDIT: Unicycling levels - I'm probably about a level 3 (on a good day). Neat sport with interesting progression - perfect for programmers that like to level up and get good at things (and stay active!): http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/levels.cfm http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/levels.cfm
- zacinbusiness 12y ago
  On my last trip to London I noticed several people riding unicycles around and I started wondering if it's a growing trend in urban environments (I'm intensely intrigued by the urban landscape and how people cope with the challenges there). I plan on purchasing one myself simply out of curiosity (and because it would be a boat load of fun). Any pointers on brand, technique?
  - quickpost 12y ago
    I have a Torker Unistar with a 20" wheel and that's been perfect to learn on. Depending on your height, the seatpost usually comes pretty long, so you may have to cut it down with a hacksaw to get some flexibility on seat level. As far as learning, I kept a little logbook of each time I went out. It honestly feels impossible at first (constantly falling in 360 degrees), but you just have to keep working on it. I did most of my learning at a school playground (lots of space to wobble around) and leaned against the school wall for support.
    - sillysaurus3 12y ago
      Yow, the electric unicycle cited in the article is over $600! The Torker is $90. Maybe it's possible to build an electric one cheaply? I wonder how much tlb's cost... EDIT: http://tlb.org/#eunicycle http://tlb.org/#eunicycle "All together the components, in single unit retail quantities, cost about $1500." I wonder how expensive it would be today?
phy07 12y ago
Solowheel used to fight crime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgMweTcrIYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgMweTcrIYs
- ansible 12y ago
  That... was quite odd. And mildly entertaining.
lzybkr 12y ago
I tried a Solowheel a couple years ago with a group of other unicyclists. I thought we'd all have no troubles the first try, but it did take a couple minutes to get the hang of it. I thought the training wheels actually slowed down our learning. After a bit, most of us had no troubles going up and down a very steep hill or going full speed on the flats. It was fun to try, but I couldn't see buying one - too expensive. I also found my shin bones hurt after an hour of messing around.
_sabe_ 12y ago
WTF? Gizmoduck! http://darkwingduck.wikia.com/wiki/Gizmoduck http://darkwingduck.wikia.com/wiki/Gizmoduck
ColinWright 12y ago
Unicycles have been mentioned several times, so I thought I'd post a link to my page on learning to ride one. It was a work in progress, and no one ever asked for more. Take that as you will: http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/LearningToUnicycle.html?HN0 http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/LearningToUnicycle.html?HN0 Added in edit: email in profile if you want more!
- Spearchucker 12y ago
  Thanks, just bookmarked it, because on the back of this thread I've just ordered one. I already see myself. Splayed, facedown on the pavement...
nextstep 12y ago
Sweet pics of it charging! I wonder what it looks like being ridden.
- prawn 12y ago
  Did you watch the video linked right up at the top of the article?
  - nextstep 12y ago
    Clearly I did not. Sorry.
nl 12y ago
The idea of using one of these as a transport device (as opposed to a recreational vehicle) is very interesting. I think that cities in general would function much better with a more diverse transport mix. The improvements in personal electric vehicles is one of the biggest steps towards achieving this. I think electric bicycles, electric skateboards and now these things can all play a part.
kimonos 12y ago
Interesting! But not sure how long will it take for me to learn to ride it. LOL!
seanmcdirmid 12y ago
I see these all the time outside of my office. It looks a bit dangerous, and I really wouldn't want to play around with one of these in Chinese traffic. Still, its nice to know what they finally are.
thedays 12y ago
I saw someone go past me on a YikeBike in Sydney a few weeks ago - it's a small electric bike, with one large wheel at the front, a small one at the back and a seat and handlebar. It's unicycle in size but has a small wheel at the back. I haven't ridden any of these but the YikeBike looks cool, functional and seems to be a similar size to these electric unicycles and more stable. http://www.yikebike.com http://www.yikebike.com
25cf 12y ago
I wonder if these would actually be a feasible mode of transport if people started using skii poles with them to maintain balance. I'd personally like to test that idea out but I don't have an AirWheel.
e-unicycle 12y ago
authorized dealer of electric self balancing unicycles New York, NJ and tri-state area along with Los Angeles. bestunicycle@gmail.com
e-unicycle 12y ago
Get a two-wheeled electric unit, very easy to ride, no need to train, learn in under a minute for an average person, better than walking, faster, safe, reliable. The fastest human footspeed on record is 44.72 km/h (12.42m/s, 27.44 mph), seen during a 100 meters sprint (average speed between the 60th and the 80th meter) by Usain Bolt. Maximum human sprint speed is strikingly slower than that of many animals. e-Unicycle rider could easily ride at 25 mph in full control, safe and go for up to 40 miles range, great commuting, outdoors, large industrial warehouse distances covered in seconds, could ride as slow as your walking partners, compact, places off road, narrow walkways, along the road, or sidewalks - where cars and bikes don't go, e-unicycle goes. https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions bestunicycle@gmail.com

92 points by bemmu 12y ago

I'm a fan of the SBUv3 - I can't imagine not having a seat to sit on. No calf pain :). The seat post is removable making it pack almost as small as the AirWheel. Video of me on my SBU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mngn92PXsso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mngn92PXsso

eridius 12y ago
I have an SBUv2. I thought it was really neat, although the one time I tried riding it on a street I quickly decided that I was far too freaked out about falling over and getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, it turns out to not be usable in San Francisco. It handles hills up to a decent grade (I forget exactly what, but probably the 30% the SBUv3 advertises). But unfortunately it doesn't handle variations very well. And as hilly as San Francisco is, you can't walk 5 steps without the slope changing. When I say it doesn't handle it very well, I mean it feels like it's speeding up or slowing down unpredictably. Even just going from the sidewalk to the street, crossing it, and back to the sidewalk is hard. Because of that, I haven't touched the thing in several years. And the last time I looked at it (sometime last year) it turns out the battery won't even charge anymore. Apparently leaving it unused for a couple years is sufficient to render the battery unusable. I have no idea if the SBUv3 is any better. Of course, if you live somewhere that's reasonably flat, then I'm sure it will work great.

brianbreslin 12y ago

So is this a US made "vehicle?" or designed? the author cites a few chinese clones, so I'm wondering if the chinese manufacturer made them first or what. If the chinese one came second, then its impressive they've cloned this so fast.

JacobAldridge 12y ago
What gives you the impression this is US? Seems straightforward to me that bemmu talks about seeing them in China and purchasing one to ship from there on his return home to Japan.

ccozan 12y ago

Also the SoloWheel: http://inventist.com/soloindex.php http://inventist.com/soloindex.php .This chinese wheel might be a clone of this.

ansible 12y ago
One of them is likely the clone of the other. I can't say which way from what I've seen so far. However, I can't imagine many people buying an electric unicycle for $2000 USD. That is very expensive.
- SchizoDuckie 12y ago
  I saw someone in The Hague on one of these. It looks like a very good way to kill youself. Still, urban commuting really lends itself for awesome things we grew up with like skateboards, unicycles, rollerblades and all that. I've been traveling with my skateboard ever since I needed to catch trains to get to work and missed them frequently. Since then, no such problems.

vitno 12y ago

The Chinese ones were made first. I had a lot of fun bonding with a guy riding one of these in 西宁. I found it to be a fair amount easier than the author described it. After 5 minutes or so a few friends and I managed to balance and move a little bit. edit: now that I think about it, I had a sorta riding strap I could pull on that would help me balance at first. That probably helped way more than training wheels.

bemmu 12y ago
I think having a friend to help you out would help immensely, as they can show you the basics and help balance you. I had no idea what I was doing.

quickpost 12y ago

For comparison sake, I learned to ride a unicycle (level 2 ish) with about 8hrs of concerted practice spread over a couple weeks. A lot of the problems you encounter in the video (difficulty mounting, speed control, not falling on your face) are exactly the challenges with learning to ride a real unicycle. I highly recommend trying it out sometime - it's a surprising amount of fun once you get the hang of it. EDIT: Unicycling levels - I'm probably about a level 3 (on a good day). Neat sport with interesting progression - perfect for programmers that like to level up and get good at things (and stay active!): http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/levels.cfm http://www.unicyclist.org/cont/levels.cfm

zacinbusiness 12y ago
On my last trip to London I noticed several people riding unicycles around and I started wondering if it's a growing trend in urban environments (I'm intensely intrigued by the urban landscape and how people cope with the challenges there). I plan on purchasing one myself simply out of curiosity (and because it would be a boat load of fun). Any pointers on brand, technique?
- quickpost 12y ago
  I have a Torker Unistar with a 20" wheel and that's been perfect to learn on. Depending on your height, the seatpost usually comes pretty long, so you may have to cut it down with a hacksaw to get some flexibility on seat level. As far as learning, I kept a little logbook of each time I went out. It honestly feels impossible at first (constantly falling in 360 degrees), but you just have to keep working on it. I did most of my learning at a school playground (lots of space to wobble around) and leaned against the school wall for support.
  - sillysaurus3 12y ago
    Yow, the electric unicycle cited in the article is over $600! The Torker is $90. Maybe it's possible to build an electric one cheaply? I wonder how much tlb's cost... EDIT: http://tlb.org/#eunicycle http://tlb.org/#eunicycle "All together the components, in single unit retail quantities, cost about $1500." I wonder how expensive it would be today?

phy07 12y ago

Solowheel used to fight crime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgMweTcrIYs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgMweTcrIYs

ansible 12y ago
That... was quite odd. And mildly entertaining.

lzybkr 12y ago

I tried a Solowheel a couple years ago with a group of other unicyclists. I thought we'd all have no troubles the first try, but it did take a couple minutes to get the hang of it. I thought the training wheels actually slowed down our learning. After a bit, most of us had no troubles going up and down a very steep hill or going full speed on the flats. It was fun to try, but I couldn't see buying one - too expensive. I also found my shin bones hurt after an hour of messing around.

_sabe_ 12y ago

WTF? Gizmoduck! http://darkwingduck.wikia.com/wiki/Gizmoduck http://darkwingduck.wikia.com/wiki/Gizmoduck

ColinWright 12y ago

Unicycles have been mentioned several times, so I thought I'd post a link to my page on learning to ride one. It was a work in progress, and no one ever asked for more. Take that as you will: http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/LearningToUnicycle.html?HN0 http://www.solipsys.co.uk/new/LearningToUnicycle.html?HN0 Added in edit: email in profile if you want more!

Spearchucker 12y ago
Thanks, just bookmarked it, because on the back of this thread I've just ordered one. I already see myself. Splayed, facedown on the pavement...

nextstep 12y ago

Sweet pics of it charging! I wonder what it looks like being ridden.

prawn 12y ago
Did you watch the video linked right up at the top of the article?
- nextstep 12y ago
  Clearly I did not. Sorry.

nl 12y ago

The idea of using one of these as a transport device (as opposed to a recreational vehicle) is very interesting. I think that cities in general would function much better with a more diverse transport mix. The improvements in personal electric vehicles is one of the biggest steps towards achieving this. I think electric bicycles, electric skateboards and now these things can all play a part.

kimonos 12y ago

Interesting! But not sure how long will it take for me to learn to ride it. LOL!

seanmcdirmid 12y ago

I see these all the time outside of my office. It looks a bit dangerous, and I really wouldn't want to play around with one of these in Chinese traffic. Still, its nice to know what they finally are.

thedays 12y ago

I saw someone go past me on a YikeBike in Sydney a few weeks ago - it's a small electric bike, with one large wheel at the front, a small one at the back and a seat and handlebar. It's unicycle in size but has a small wheel at the back. I haven't ridden any of these but the YikeBike looks cool, functional and seems to be a similar size to these electric unicycles and more stable. http://www.yikebike.com http://www.yikebike.com

25cf 12y ago

I wonder if these would actually be a feasible mode of transport if people started using skii poles with them to maintain balance. I'd personally like to test that idea out but I don't have an AirWheel.

e-unicycle 12y ago

authorized dealer of electric self balancing unicycles New York, NJ and tri-state area along with Los Angeles. bestunicycle@gmail.com

e-unicycle 12y ago

Get a two-wheeled electric unit, very easy to ride, no need to train, learn in under a minute for an average person, better than walking, faster, safe, reliable. The fastest human footspeed on record is 44.72 km/h (12.42m/s, 27.44 mph), seen during a 100 meters sprint (average speed between the 60th and the 80th meter) by Usain Bolt. Maximum human sprint speed is strikingly slower than that of many animals. e-Unicycle rider could easily ride at 25 mph in full control, safe and go for up to 40 miles range, great commuting, outdoors, large industrial warehouse distances covered in seconds, could ride as slow as your walking partners, compact, places off road, narrow walkways, along the road, or sidewalks - where cars and bikes don't go, e-unicycle goes. https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions bestunicycle@gmail.com