Quick Onewheel Rental Tips to Know Before Choosing
If you’re a board sports enthusiast you’ve probably always dreamed of riding a hoverboard. Unfortunately, those aren’t exactly as widespread in 2018 as we have hoped for. While not exactly imbued with the ability to fly, Onewheels are the next best thing that can make you feel like you’re floating on mounds of fresh pow! It’s the hot new talking point in board sports and if you’re an enthusiast with some extra cash to spend, you’ll do yourself a favor by giving it a try.
But starting out alone in the sea of Onewheel rental options can be terrifying. Especially since everybody who’s an enthusiast will have a strong opinion. Luckily for you, we’ve prepped a list of Onewheel rental tips you should know before getting ready to purchase one for yourself.
What is a Onewheel?
Onewheel is an electric skateboard with self-balancing features and it’s a great option for experienced board sports nerds who want a speedier transport option. It was invented by Kyle Doerksen, CEO, and founder of Future Motion. It all happened yesterday, in 2014, which is why purchasing a Onewheel can be a pricey ordeal. That said, it feels really cool to ride and can go up to 20 miles per hour, so most people swear it’s worth the price.
How does Onewheel work?
Basically, Onewheel is a self-balancing electric board with just one huge wheel going through the middle. It was designed to satisfy the needs of both, the board sports enthusiast and the regular commuter who wishes to ditch the car.
The feel of riding a Onewheel is often compared to snowboarding or surfing, more so than to skateboarding. That’s probably why so many successful business people don’t shy away from using it as a transport method on their way to work. Starting out a busy day feeling like you’ve just surfed to your office has got to be one of its major appeals among such an unlikely demographic.
It runs on batteries and can take anywhere from 5-18 miles when fully charged, depending on the model. It’s based on a foot-to-foot weight-shift system. One of the two pads is equipped with a sensor which you control with foot placements. You’ll know which one has the sensor because it will be crossed by a line. When your foot is placed flat across that line the Onewheel is on and will keep moving. Once you place your foot completely on either half of the pad, the board deactivates.
The other pad (where your back foot should be) is equipped with a battery. Onewheel, unlike an electric skateboard, offers a remote and hands-free riding experience. It even has various riding modes that you can enable using apps!
Onewheel Rental Tips
So now you know what a Onewheel is and how it works. You want to try it out.
But there’s a problem: Purchasing it will cost you. With prices starting at $1400, Onewheel is an expensive "toy" to have. And sure, this might not be a big deal for you if you’ve thought about it and maybe tried a few different versions on a few different settings and terrains. But if that’s not the case, or if you’re a complete newbie, then Onewheel rental might be the best option for you.
You don’t have to commit fully straight away. Renting a Onewheel instead of buying it is a great way to try it out before giving all that cash. And it’s not that you don’t want to give Kyle Doerksen your money – his product is worth every penny to the right consumer. It’s that you don’t want to give money straight away before deciding which Onewheel purchasing option is best for you. So without further ado, here are some Onewheel rental tips to help you get started.
Which Onewheel to Get
Determining the Onewheel specs that will work for you is probably the most important tip out there. It’s crucial to know how much money and time you’re willing to spend on your hi-tech transport mode and where to get a Onewheel rental.
- Onewheel +
Onewheel + is the older generation of Onewheel with the 2017 technology. It’s equipped with a lithium iron phosphate battery, which doesn’t give it that much range compared to the new generation. However, this type of battery takes around 20 minutes to charge and is allowed on planes. That’s why the specs of Onewheel+ perfectly fit the regular commuter who would use it for transportation and moderate recreation. It’s also the cheaper version to both buy and rent, starting at $1400. So if you want that feeling of snowboarding on your way to work but don’t have the need for speed of an average extreme sports nut, Onewheel+ is hands down, your best choice.
- Onewheel + XR
There’s no doubt about it – Onewheel + XR is the best option for the real enthusiast. You have to be really committed to pay $1,799 just to own it.
However, the specs of Onewheel + XR are out of this world. One charge will take you anywhere from 12 to 18 miles and it’s virtually indestructible. This option is for those who really want to go to town and take their board for the rockiest ride of its life. And if you’re extra adventurous and want to take your Onewheel somewhere uphill – the XR has the right amount of power and torque for doing just that.
Unfortunately, as high as you can ride them uphill, you might be faced with problems trying to get it to fly. Onewheel + XR works on a nickel manganese cobalt oxide battery, which is known to cause trouble on airports. So if it’s important for you to take flights with your Onewheel, I’d advise opting for +.
What to Wear
The next most important Onewheel rental tip after choosing the right model is your Onewheel gear. It’s crucial to know what kind of shoes to put on in order to get the feel of the board. It’s also paramount that you protect yourself against injury, as there is a serious risk of it at the beginning. Although Onewheel is fun as soon as you pick up the basic moves and get to know what it feels like, it takes time to get there. Rushing the process can only lead to injury and frustration.
So now that you know you should play it safe, let’s get into Onewheel gear tips for your first time on this self-balancing miracle. The most important thing to keep in mind when taking your Onewheel for a ride is the footwear. Although putting on your best sports shoes might seem like a thing to do, you’d actually be far better off with regular skater shoes. If you don’t happen to own a pair of these – don’t worry. Any footwear with flat bottoms will do. If you wear shoes with steeper heals, you risk feeling your feet slip off from the board. Although this is just a sensation and your feet aren’t really going anywhere, it can be distracting. On top of that, you’ll fail to get the full feeling of flying across the road if your feet feel awkward.
Another important tip when taking your rental Onewheel for a ride is to wear headgear, no matter how much you hate it. You wouldn’t go wrong with securing yourself even further with knee and shoulder pads, but a helmet is an absolute must. Unlike with the footwear, any regular helmet that’ll keep your head safe will do just fine.
Your First Moves
Now that you’ve got all the facts straight, you’re all set to go. The last in the line of Onewheel rental tips deals with standing on your board for the first time. Believe it or not, even stepping on it can be tricky since it’s a completely new mechanism. And although it sounds annoying, it’s the prerequisite for innovation. Technology moves faster than us. Onewheel is the future of personal transportation and you just haven’t evolved muscle memory for the process. So when you first step on the board – be wary.
The first thing you’ll want to make sure to do is to turn on the board before stepping on it. Once you do that, step on the board and make sure your foot is plastered across that pad line that keeps the Onewheel on. Just like with a snowboard that’s high up in the air – look where you want to go and don’t fear the speed with this one. Going too slow will actually make you lose the sense of balance and control, while speed is much easier to navigate.
Once you learn to step on the board and control the speed, it’s time for you to start really trusting your Onewheel. It’s an amazing electric device designed to take you wherever you want to go if you just get that perfect, solid feeling in your feet. The feeling you get once you’ve really gotten a hang of something. The best way to do this is to place your gravity center really low and stick your feet firmly to the board.
How to Dismount from a Onewheel
Stepping off you Onewheel is by far the hardest beginning lesson. It all comes down to learning how to work with the sensor mechanism in the pad. To dismount, bend your right knee and push your weight back. This is important because lifting and bending your front leg can make you lean forward and lose the sense of balance. What you want to do is just bend your knee, push your weight back, lift your heal so that you inform the sensor to turn the board off, place both feet firmly on the board again and jump off. This is really the safest way to do it, so I’d advise this method for the first few tries.
Now you know some of the most important tips, it’s time to start your journey. It doesn’t matter if you’re a sports enthusiast or a regular commuter who wants a cool new ride to work. This is device is really set to win your heart over. But because it’s pricey, make sure to rent it first, and try out a few rides before you commit fully. Pick the right board for your needs and learn how to step on and off of it the right way. And don’t forget to wear flat shoes so that you get the full feel of the board and protect your precious head. Knowing which Onewheel is for you really comes down to knowing which one feels best under your feet. So make sure to do everything correctly so you’d know which Onewheel is the correct choice for you.
Where to find a Onewheel rental?
Here at FriendWithA, you can find a Onewheel rental from a Onewheel ower. Onewheel owners will let you demo for a day or for a week. Find your Onewheel rental here and get ready for the ride of your life!