A Month With My Onewheel…
I paddle most days. Most people don’t. As the owner of a paddle shop, it’s an easy excuse to get on the water, stay fit and train my core for optimal paddling. That said, I was looking for something that would continue the training on land, and during the off season. I was also looking to expand the offerings in the shop with a small skateboard department (coming in 2022 dogpatchskate.com).
So I started exploring the various options of EVs to see what might be a good fit to help me get around town. I considered e-bikes, scooters, boosted skateboards, and the very unique Onewheel. Of all the options, I have to admit that I was least enthused by Onewheel because it seemed like a death trap and looked kinda goofy when i saw people riding them around town. Until I tried one…
So all of the other options are solid for various reasons. E-bikes are probably most convenient, give you a reasonable leg and cardio workout if you don’t rely on the motor (except for hills). The only drawback is that they are huge, heavy and cumbersome (must put a lot of effort into locking and are subject to theft). Scooters…well not so much. I mean, they are convenient, but require no effort. I honestly thought I would be looking for a boosted skateboard – good core training for balance, fun, easy to transport.
But, as I mentioned, when I got on the Onewheel, it became very clear that there was more to it than I originally thought. It wasn’t some goofy evolution of the kitschy hover boards the kids were riding years ago. No, the Onewheel experience was more like snowboarding on land. It was actually beyond a mode of transport, more than a subtle core trainer, more than an EV – it was actually an action-sports stoke machine!
At first I was wobbly. I learned pretty quickly how to level out and move forward. But it took a minute to figure out how to dismount and turn. Slowly, sense memory came into play and I applied snowboarding and surf movements to finesse my PintX demo into gentle carves, like riding soft powder on after a fresh dump.
“C’mon Adam, that must be hyperbole” I told myself. To be honest, I was scared shitless every time I left the comfort of the shop. I quickly became adept at making tight turns on the comfort of the carpeting and soft inflatable boards that served as my barriers around the shop. Out on the road, with lots of hard surfaces, cracks, pot holes, divots – that’s another story. I am still hyper-alert on the street and feel like I could bail at any time. But I haven’t.
And so I ride on the street. I take it shopping around the neighborhood. I climb (and descend hills). I’ve been downtown a few times. The Embarcadero is like a long ski run. The challenges in terrain are an exercise in control. I am keenly attuned and I don’t push it. I wear a helmet on longer jaunts. I’ve never been above 15.4mph (it can go to 18).
Most importantly, I’m having fun! Yes, I look forward to riding this thing every day. In the shop, you’ll often see me making figure 8s and wrapping tight backside turns while I’m on phone calls. I make excuses to get out of the house so I can carve turns in the park or run errands just to ride my Onewheel PintX. I’m totally hooked.
So who is this for? If you’re just a casual commuter looking for an efficient EV, it’s likely not for you. Get the e-bike or scooter. But if you’re a stoke junkie: a snowboarder, skier, surfer, skater… you’re gonna frikkin love this thing! Get over the preconceptions and come to the shop to demo it (yes. anyone can try it out in the safety of our shop). Bonus: as you can see on the picture below, certain Onewheel models shred off-road. Yes, you can ride these things on trails for a full mind blowing experience. Once you try it, you’ll get it. And you’ll want one. And we’ve got em.
