A Onewheel is a self-balancing personal electric vehicle, similar to an electric skateboard, with one key difference. As the name suggests, a Onewheel has just one tire, with the rider standing with a foot on either side of the wheel. Riding a Onewheel can be tricky at first, especially if you don't have any experience in similar activities such as snowboarding or skateboarding. With a little practice and this wikiHow article, you'll be carving up the streets in no time!
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 4:
Gearing Up
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Wear a helmet. This is the most important safety step of riding a Onewheel. A helmet will protect the most important part of your body in the event of a fall, so it's worth it. A skateboarding helmet is best for this application, but a standard bicycle helmet will also work.
- Even experienced pro riders who have been Onewheeling for years always wear helmets. The board could encounter a software bug that causes you to crash at any moment, so it's always better to be safe than sorry.
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Wear closed-in shoes. Skate shoes are best for Onewheeling, due to their flat bottom that allows for the best contact with the sensors (more on that later). Try to avoid shoes with springy, foamy soles as this can make engaging the board difficult. Never ride in thongs or sandals, or barefoot.
- Closed-in shoes protect your feet in the event of a crash, and can also make it easier to ride.
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Wear elbow and knee guards. Although this step is considered optional by many, scrapes and grazes to elbows and knees are common injuries that can be incredibly painful and easily avoided with elbow and knee guards.
- Long pants and shirts with tough fabric can be a substitute for this, but they won't be as good at protecting you.
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Wear gloves. Gloves will protect your hands if you fall off. Look for gloves with hard pieces of plastic woven into the palm and wrist that allows you to slide along the guard if you fall off, instead of your bare flesh.
- Since it's second nature to throw your hands out in front if you fall off, it's best to make sure they're protected.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 4:
Getting On the Onewheel
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Find out which foot is your front foot. For most people, this is the left foot. To test this, stand still, and have someone push you (not too hard!) from behind. Whichever foot you naturally put out to catch yourself is your front foot. Remember this for later.
- People who ride with their right foot forwards are said to be riding 'goofy'.
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Place the board on the ground in front of you and turn it on. One side of the Onewheel is heavier than the other, so let it naturally lean so it's resting on the tire and bumper.
- The power button is on the 'higher' side of the board, usually on the left side rail, although this can vary by model.
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Find some support and location. This can be a person, pole, tree, or building. Just something for you to hold on to while you get used to Onewheel, as it can be quite tricky when first starting out. It's sometimes advised to learn Onewheel on grass, as you'll likely fall off, and grass hurts much less than pavement! The downside to this is it's actually much more difficult to ride on grass, as there's less grip and the board can slide around underneath you.
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Place your back foot on the rear footpad. This is the footpad resting on the ground. For most people, this is your right foot.
- Now's the time to grab a hold of whatever is nearby to help you.
- Place your foot in the middle of the footpad, with an equal overhang on either side. This stance will likely change as you get used to Onewheel.
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Place your front foot on the front footpad. As this footpad is up in the air, you'll need to shift your weight to your back foot for now. Place your foot in the middle, making sure there's equal coverage of each half of the footpad (toes and heel).
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Engage the sensors. Underneath the front footpad, there are two sensors, one on either side of the board. To ride Onewheel, you need to place weight on both sides to engage the sensors, otherwise, the board's motor won't turn on, and you'll likely bite the dust immediately.
- If you have a Onewheel Pint or Pint X, you'll know the sensors are engaged when the status bar lights up fully blue.
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Push down with your front foot and release weight on your back foot. As you reach horizontal, the board's motor should activate and you'll feel it become responsive under your feet.
- If nothing happens and you simply see-saw the other way and hit the ground, try changing your front foot positioning to make sure you're hitting both sensors.
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Stand still on the board, and get used to balancing. You'll probably fall off the first few times, and that's ok! Just make sure to wear safety gear, and don't push down too hard on either side, or you'll send the board in that direction.Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 4:
Riding the Onewheel
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Understand how the board works. The way a Onewheel balances and operates looks impossible at first glance, but it's quite a simple principle. There are two sensors in the front foot pad that, when engaged, activate the motor if the board is brought to horizontal. The motor will constantly provide power to the wheel to keep the board balanced, so it won't tip too far one way or the other. If pressure is placed on one footpad, sensors inside the board will register this, and the motor will accelerate in that direction. This is the same for both forward and backward, as a Onewheel can go either way.
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Lean forwards to go forward. Still holding on to another person or object, slowly begin to lean towards the front of the board, placing more and more pressure on the front footpad. The board will begin to slowly accelerate forward.
- Make sure to stay upright, and don't lean using your hips or waist. It's important to keep perfectly vertically upright when riding to avoid losing balance.
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Lean backward to go back. Similar to accelerating, leaning backward will slow the board down, and eventually reverse in that direction. The process here is the same as going forward, just lean your entire body back slightly without moving your hips, waist, or knees.
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Balance heel-to-toe. The Onewheel's motor will take care of the forward-backward balancing for you, so you just need to make sure you're balanced heel-to-toe. This can vary in difficulty depending on the model of Onewheel, tire profile, and prior board-sport experience. Make sure to keep your legs and knees straight, and try to lock your ankles to avoid movement. If the board does begin to lean to one side, gently rotate your ankles to bring it level, without overcorrecting or making erratic movements.
- Balancing efficiently isn't overly difficult, and you'll improve with consistent practice.
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Avoid nosedive. A 'nosedive' happens when you place too much pressure on the front footpad of the board. At a certain speed threshold, the motor won't be able to supply enough force to keep the board level, and the front will suddenly drop into whatever surface you're riding on. Often, the front bumper gets caught in the surface, flipping the board, and you, directly forward into the ground at whatever speed you were traveling. This leads to the most common injuries from Onewheels, and can include scrapes, cuts, severe bruises, or even smashed shoulder or collar bones.
Pushback: This is one of the most important safety features of a Onewheel. If you're accelerating too much, you'll feel the front footpad of the board 'pushing back' against your acceleration. This is a warning that you're nearing the speed threshold, and you should begin to slow immediately to avoid a nosedive. Pushback can occur at different speeds depending on various factors, so it's best to always be on the lookout for pushback, and respond accordingly to avoid injury.
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Abort if it gets too risky. If you're riding for the first time and you feel yourself going too fast, losing balance, or losing confidence, it's best to abort. To do this, jump off the board with both feet at the same time .
- Don't worry about your board, it'll stop when it notices you're no longer on the footpad, plus, Onewheels are notoriously indestructible.
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Part 4
Part 4 of 4:
Getting Off the Onewheel
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Jump off with both feet at the same time. This is one of the easiest ways to dismount a Onewheel after your first ride, or in an emergency. Simply jump off the board with both feet at the same time , preferably to your rear, so you can just hop off and land on the ground.
- If you're traveling at speed, slow down before you attempt this.
- It's extremely important to use both feet at the same time, leaving one foot on the board will cause it to accelerate quickly in that direction, pulling your feet out from under you.
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Stop moving, then lift your heel on the front footpad to disengage the sensor. This is the standard way to dismount a Onewheel. Steadily lean back until the board is stationary, then carefully lift your heel on the front footpad to disengage the sensor. After a couple of seconds, the motor will disengage and the bumper will drop down, letting you off.
- Retaining balance while doing this can take lots of practice, so it's best to use other methods before attempting this.
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Use Simplestop if you have a Onewheel Pint, Pint X, or GT. Simplestop is a feature that helps new (and experienced!) riders dismount with ease. It essentially removes the 'reverse' functionality of a Onewheel, instead slowly lowering the rear of the board when you lean backward, letting you off in style!
- Simplestop is on by default on boards that include it, and you can turn it off in the Onewheel app if you like.
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Don't try to step off with one foot. This can be extremely dangerous, as it causes the board to accelerate quickly in the direction your foot is on, pulling that leg away from you while your other is fixed on the ground. Needless to say, this can be very painful and dangerous, so make sure to use both feet!Advertisement
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Warnings
- Do not push the Onewheel beyond its capabilities, as you will most likely fall off and injure yourself.Thanks
- Do not attempt to learn to ride in a busy setting.Thanks
- Riding a Onewheel can be incredibly dangerous. Make sure you always wear protective equipment , including a helmet, gloves, and knee/elbow guards.Thanks
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Tips
- Enlist a friend to help you learn, to give you something to hold on to. You can repay them by letting them have a go on your fancy new Onewheel!Thanks
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