Hi, so I think this is a problem many first timers have after finishing their first board. Figuring out the best stance, reducing speed wobbles, and all in all just get used to and comfortable with their board. Especially learning to get it up to near its top speed can be hard. I had just gotten used to going really fast, but then took a nasty fall that kept me off for about a month. Now, I’m getting back on it and noticing I’m going really slow and am reluctant to push the throttle too far. I would love some tips on how to get as comfortable as possible for high speed riding.
Here are a few of my tips that I have learned so far:
Widen your stance: this helps gain more control of your board and reduce speed wobbles
Find your perfect truck setting: when I first got on, it was way too tight, so I loosened it. I got a lot of speed wobbles then. It took me a while of adjusting, but I finally found my perfect setting.
Dont go from full throttle to no throttle: this was a big cause of my accident. I thought that releasing the throttle would simple make the board neutral. However, due to the immediate change between extreme acceleration and no acceleration, it causes a jolt the could send you flying forward off your board.
So those are my tips. I would love, and I’m sure many others would love it too, for some of your types from more experienced riders!
Oh thats me I am recording the first video part tomorrow. A raw 25km run. With some fast stretches 50-60 depending on the conditions. Hope that clears up alot of stuff I tried to describe with words.
@Esrapp21 This should not happen… motor resistance should never be so high that you get knocked off. You need to adjust something. If you share your settings here we can help you.
Another tip that I really think is essential is to practice riding a regular non-electic board (if you don’t already).
I think it’s less about motor resistance and more about the change from extreme acceleration to no acceleration. Thanks for pointing that out, I’ll change that.
Is there a VESC setting for that?
I just tested it out and I was going 20 mph, I let go of throttle and I nearly fell straight off. Can I adjust it so it will sort of gradually reduce acceleration or do I have to do that manually?
@Esrapp21 to really help you out we’d need to know more about your build and to see a screenshot of your VESC settings. There are a few parameters that impact throttle. The first thing to do would be to make sure you’re full configured your remote. Look up PPM here on the forum as a starting point. Also check to make sure your deadband is configured so that there is a little “play” in the throttle before the brakes engage. Also look at braking force; you might be able to back it off a little.
If yu are at Practicing, learn to slide out at higher speed, so you can catch a complete loss of Brakes without bailing or crashing. It is quite hard to slide wheels like the Abec11 Flywheels so start with something easier (Abec11 flashback, Abec11 Freeride, cult classics, Cult converter, whatsoever).
A lot of it will come from personal preference. Myself I noticed I had a lot of close calls with our nemesis the small rock. I like my trucks loose, very loose, to the point if I loosened them more I’d have to remove the nut xD
So when I hit a rock I do get the wobbles and there’s been a couple times I couldn’t come back from them. So I found that if I had my front trucks at a tightness that wouldn’t cause this and the rear loose I had both the ability to turn and hit rocks at speed.
This does take some getting used to as I have to put most of my body weight closer to the truck I’m relying on.
Although with that said I always put all my weight on my back leg when traveling at speeds as I find it easier to prevent speed wobbles that way.
Also note that going slower at times is more dangerous than at speed. Bumps or holes or lifted pathways will stop you dead if you’re going too slow, so be careful with that.
Lastly you’re going to stack at some point, if not by loosing balance it will be mechanical failure of some kind. When I had my motor lock up (the usual not insulated problem had with this motor) I was going about 30km/h. Near saved it the first moment when it slide out but I went to brake (without thinking) and it locked up a second time. Below is the result, I still got back on kept going, because it’s a part of skating I guess
Does anyone suggest learning to ride a skateboard before jumping on a high powered one? It’s still all skateboarding you know and it’s better to learn about skateboarding and learn how to do it before taking off at high speeds without any experience…seems like common sense to me…
I have a question about riding technique:
I’ve just finished my build and started learning to ride it (build log coming soon). Based on what I’m reading here, I’m doing a lot of things right- helmet and other body armor on, not trying to go full speed, no hard braking, etc. My deck is a drop-down and I’m keeping my stance as wide as possible in that.
My deck uses trampa trucks and tires with yellow dampas for easier steering.
Normally my right foot is dominant but I’ve found it to be more comfortable to ride with my left foot forward.
I’m able to push down with my toes and lean forward slightly, thus turn right fairly well, it’s still a wide turning radius but I’m not yet trying to turn too sharply.
Turning left is much harder for me. I lean back slightly, putting more weight on my heels, and I do turn even more widely than to the right, but I also feel like I’m going to lose my balance, so I avoid having to turn too much.
I try to keep my stance low and knees bent at all times which does help, but it’s still nerve-wracking to feel like I’m about to fall backwards.
Am I doing it wrong? Do I just have to get used to it and then start pushing the envelope when I feel confident enough?
Thanks
I believe you are speaking about front-side turns, yes? they will be harder, it feels like you are going to fall over, yup…more speed and force to hold you up will help…as your speed increases it’s easier…I recommend a regular unpowered skateboard, with loose trucks to learn these things…learn it without having to manage or integrate the use of the throttle 1st, then learn on the eskate once you are confident on the skateboard…I still have trouble with front-side carves in pools or bowls and it’s something I regularly work on so I am comfortable with it. Imagine that feeling of falling over but vertical and blind (you cannot see behind yourself) and from the top of a pool to the bottom, lol…it’s a shitty feeling, it’s unnatural and takes practice to get comfortable with…
Thanks guys, I’ll just keep at it then. I haven’t actually fallen yet, so there’s that at least. Of course in this hobby it seems to be a question of when, not if.
True, but I think there’s quite a bit of overlap between enjoying something and it being generally beneficial. We enjoy building our boards and the fact that it’s environmentally friendly is a bonus.
Conversely, I would guess that those who are interested solely in the social and and environmental factors are not necessarily interested in the building aspect. They just want something that works.
Kind of the way someone who enjoys driving a car, be it high-performance, hybrid, electric or whatever, is not necessarily interested in tinkering with the internals.
True, but also enter the possibility that no boards on the market are good enough for what we want as our commuter vehicle of choice. Or that none are actually totally waterproof.
I am recording the first video part tomorrow. A raw 25km run. With some fast stretches 50-60 depending on the conditions. Hope that clears up alot of stuff I tried to describe with words.
