Maintenance upkeep for a Onewheel

7 min read

There’s no doubt the Onewheel is made of strong stuff. But to get the best out of your board, a bit of upkeep and maintenance can go a long way.

Maintenance upkeep for a Onewheel
Jan. 16, 2019

Maintenance upkeep for a Onewheel

 

There’s no doubt the Onewheel is made of strong stuff. But to get the best out of your board, a bit of upkeep and maintenance can go a long way.

Just curious about what the maintenance entails, try a Onewheel rental first.

 

For the most part, the Onewheel community is filled with stoked riders who praise the Onewheel for how robust it is. They’ve racked up hundreds of miles, cruised through rainstorms, and put it through numerous wipe outs and still haven’t had any problems. Sure, it’s a testament to Future Motion for building such a tough board. But it also comes down to a little bit of upkeep and some well timed maintenance.

credit@gravitywell

 

It’s best to break down upkeep as the quick and easy care and checks riders can do themselves. Think of maintenance as the lifespan of the parts and when they need to be replaced. Some you can do yourself, others need a professional to do it.

 

All in all, looking after the Onewheel is totally easy. Pretty much the bulk of the costs are upfront when it’s purchased. After that it’s just a matter of knowing the lifespan of the parts and keeping an eye on the amount of miles you’re getting through. It’s like a car, but much cheaper to run and way more fun.

 

credit@miguelagutiierrez

 

Tire pressure and tire change

Daily upkeep: It’s worth scanning over your tire after your final ride of the day. Look for cuts in the sidewall or tread before you retire it for the night. If it needs a clean, brush it down with a dry handheld brush.

Monthly upkeep: Test your Onewheel’s tire pressure a few times a month or if you notice a change in the way the tire rides. Head to your local gas station to use a digital gauge to save on buying one. Future Motion advises the tire to be inflated to 20 PSI, though riders have their own preferences. Check out the Onewheel forum discussion here.

Maintenance: Generally, the lifespan of the stock Vega tire is 1,000 miles. That means a casual rider doing 5 miles a week only need to change it once every 4 years. Even more frequent rider hitting around 20 miles a week will need to change their tire around once each year.

 

Riders who want better traction for riding in winter or crushing off road terrains switch up their tires before the end of the Vega life. They opt for a Burris or Hoosier treaded tire. Those who are happy with their stock Vega tire can change replace it by sending it off to Onewheel. Ideally it should be done by FM as they need to recalibrate it and sending it elsewhere might mean your warranty is voided. If you’re someone sitting on the fence about which tire is right for you, try a Onewheel rental. You might be able to rent a Onewheel with a different tire and/or tread so you can try before you change.

 

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Grip Tape

All Onewheels come with stock grip tape to hold your feet in place on the footpads. Just like in skateboarding, they get dirty and worn down over time making them less effective.

Upkeep: It’s not necessary to clean the grip tape all the time. But there are some instances where it can help to prolong the traction and increase the grip. A brush down with a handheld brush after riding on the beach is a good idea. Also, drying the grip tape with a dry cloth after riding in wet conditions will help. The grip tape can also be cleaned with a griptape cleaner stick once it’s dry. This kind of stick will get rid of any dirt or debris that can build up, and breath some new life into your rides.

 

credit@Black Diamond

 

Maintenance: It’s not always done, but it’s best to change the grip tape every 200 to 300 miles. Good grip means good control and good control means even better rides! Worn out grip tape can mean your feet might slip during high speeds and won’t be able to kill those sharper carves. If you’re going to dress for the slide not the ride why not make sure your grip is going to hold you in place too. You can order some new from Onewheel, CraftandRide or Floatlife and put them on at home. Here’s more information on grip tape replacements.

 


 

Battery upkeep and life

The OW + lithium iron phosphate battery and the OW + XR nickel manganese cobalt oxide battery have long lifespans and survive thousands of cycles. That means you can get years of use out of our OW if you follow some key upkeep tips.

Upkeep: If you’re not a regular user of your board, still make sure it’s charged once every two months to keep your warranty in check. FM claim to keep the battery in good condition, it should be left charging overnight a couple times occasionally to rebalance. Always store your board indoors and make sure you store it somewhere that is room temperature, not cold. Cold weather for a short time decreases the performance of the battery. Prolonged storage in cold temperatures will begin to degenerate the battery and no one wants that! If you follow the upkeep, there’s no need for maintenance - sweet!

 

credit@D-wave

 

Here’s some extra info about battery troubleshooting for the Onewheel.

 

credit@electriccyclery

 

Keep it clean

Who can blame riders who just want to grab their OW and ride off into the sunset. If you’re riding in good conditions, you can usually do just that. But a few strategic cleans after you ride can make the good times last longer.

Daily Upkeep: Giving your Onewheel a quick clean at the end of the day can’t hurt. After a ride in good weather conditions take a minute to wipe down the board with a dry cloth. If you’ve ridden over grit, ice or sand you’ll need to take it a bit further. Wipe down the rails after use to keep them looking fresh. After all, if you’ve got some sick mods you want looking good you’ll need to keep them that way. Don’t forget to always have in your charging port plug - they stop water or grit getting in the electricals. Here’s a nice article breaking down different dummy plug products for Onewheel.

Monthly upkeep: As well as doing the daily upkeep, Do a dry clean once a month to get any resistant or caked on dirt off. But don’t hose it down! Onewheels are only water resistant, not waterproof (don’t listen to people who say they are). You want to avoid any corrosion and excess water getting into any of the electrics so hosing it down kinda counteracts that goal. Use an air compressor to get rid of any stubborn dirt too. For more info on approaching to cleaning check out the discussion in the Onewheel forum.

 

credit@redditwiki

 

Don’t forget the fender

If you’re a rider with a fender, it will also be a good idea to take it off and give it a clean once a month. There’s a product called “THE SYSTEM” a few riders are using now that means taking off your fender is totally easy. It allows you to easily take off and clean the fender, but it also stops the fender’s screws coming out once it's in place. Check out a review of THE SYSTEM by Send here. Here you can check out even more of the best mods for your Onewheel for inspiration.

 

credit@thesidewaysmovement

 

As you can see, the maintenance and upkeep of Onewheels is minimal. It only takes a few minutes each day to clean and check your tire. The larger tasks each month like dry cleaning your board, charging the battery overnight and taking off the fender also aren’t time consuming or labor intensive. Once you’ve got those down, it’s all about knowing the lifespan of the parts on a board from then on. It’s a board that’s built to endure, but be proactive in looking after it and the Onewheel will serve you for many years to come! Here you can check out even more of the best mods for your Onewheel for your inspiration.

 

Do you agree with our maintenance and upkeep tips for the Onewheel? Do you have any other tips that work for your board?




 

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