Here's my review from trying one a while back: http://www.bemmu.com/airwheel-electric-unicycle-review

It was a ton of fun but I did not end up using it in real life because of the low range and unsure legal status. I still miss having one though and might buy a newer model later to give it another go, it was so much fun to ride.

Thanks for the review. I think I read it before I pulled the trigger to order one. BTW, I think some manufacturers now make unicycles with double the range than the one you had. Silent chargers also now exist.

> I think some manufacturers now make unicycles with double the range than the one you had.

Double or more, the gotway 680 is advertised for ~40 miles/70km (on flat ground anyway)

I host a beginner intro meetup for electric unicycles in the east bay. http://www.meetup.com/Eastbay-Electric-Unicycles-Meetup/even...

Cool! Am I right in thinking that "electric unicycle" is a somewhat misleading name since these things are self-balancing (forward-backward) unlike traditional unicycle which require a lot of practice?

I consider it a unicycle because of the word etymology. uni "one" + cycle, from Greek kyklos "circle, wheel".

Some guy showed up to the first meetup asserting that it was a "bc wheel", which I later learned is from the old B.C. comics strip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_wheel

I used to love those comics with cave people riding on wheels. Maybe that's why I like these things.

With regards to practice, it took me 2 weeks to learn well enough to travel a few blocks around the neighborhood. Other people learn faster. Many people come to the meetup and go a few feet on their first day.

Thanks :)

I propose calling them a "seg". Given that they are half of a Segway.

So then falling on your face from one of these would be a segfault?

Segmentation fault (core dumped). Shoulda worn a helmet.

-- epitaph

There's a guy in Brighton (UK) with one of these... he always looks so happy and surprisingly stable on it.

It seems to make up the relatively steep hill I live on, but I've never seen him use it to go down the hill. Guessing it gets bit sketchy fighting gravity.

> Guessing it gets bit sketchy fighting gravity.

The big risk is going too fast: because the wheels use balance (forwards/backwards) to know whether to accelerate or slow down, if the wheel goes beyond a certain speed it tends to behave somewhat oddly, some models will lock and stop, others will "freewheel", either way the user will likely end up eating pavement.

IIRC the latter is the behaviour of the interviewee's rockwheel, it starts beeping (in several increments) when closing in to maximum speed, then the systems just shut down and you get a completely unmanaged unicycle (without electronic stabilisation). Other wheels will try to forcibly rebalance the user, but again it's fairly easy to defeat, not much the wheel can do if you just lean forward despite its best effort… and you eat pavement again.

Aside from that, acquaintances who've tried/used them tell me they're fairly fast to learn and very enjoyable and convenient.

But can't you go down a hill slowly by just not leaning as far forward? Trivially, these allow you to remain stopped on a slope, right?

> But can't you go down a hill slowly by just not leaning as far forward?

Sure. But there is a higher risk on losing control on downhills, and if you do the only brake is to bail.

I'm fairly sure these devices (along with Segways) are illegal to use on the road in the UK[1] (I believe you could use it if you registered it as a vehicle, but then you need tax, insurance and an MOT if they're over 3 years old).[2] I guess now they're so cheap people are willing to take that risk (or just aren't aware of the legal situation).

The government apparently pledged to make Segways (and then presumably all these self-balancing 2 wheel electric scooters) legal but never actually did.

[1]: http://www.legalisesegways.co.uk/ [2]: https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules

We have some strange and outdated laws. The electric wheelchair laws are also interesting:

https://www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs...

In particular as you need to register them which seems pointless and antiquated.

Someone in London too. Not as stable, though. He hopped on it and promptly fell over ;)

I've seen a lot around Oxford Circus, I'm gonna guess tourists or hipsters ;)

there's a guy in Highgate that cruises around on one of these with a mohawk and a duster billowing in the wind. He rides his in the road, a good thing too as I've seen him go at around 20mph.

I used to ride down the steapest streets in twin peaks, SF - a little harder than normal to keep balance but it slows for you. The tricky part was getting back up, it drains the battery rapidly so easy to run out of juice and the carrying these by hand is a massive workout. I have the solowheel, I think airwheel is a knockoff?

There's also the Monorover class of devices that start at around $200 and could be interesting. I've wondered about getting one to replace a 10-20 minute commute and avoid parking issues. I think these sorts of devices will be trouble for Boosted Boards eventually - they're cheaper and smaller.

This year at Black Hat Vegas there were a few people gliding around on similar devices in the hallways. It struck me that here is yet another device to help geeks live a sedentary lifestyle.

Yeah. It's also a bit of worry, because it potentially undermines the combined benefits which you get from pedestrian/cycle/bus friendly transportation policy, of efficient use of city space, and improved health for individuals. When efficiency goes up against health, we all know which comes out on top.

> It struck me that here is yet another device to help geeks live a sedentary lifestyle.

How does a device whose whole purpose is to move around "help live a sedentary lifestyle"?

> How does a device whose whole purpose is to move around "help live a sedentary lifestyle"?

sedentary, adj. 1. characterized by or requiring a sitting posture: a sedentary occupation. 2. accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise.

So, sedentary refers to not getting enough exercise. If you replace walking with one of these, your lifestylie is more sedentary than it was.

> If you replace walking with one of these, your lifestylie is more sedentary than it was.

And if you replace driving or sitting on a bus with one of these then you're less sedentary/getting more exercise.

See the glass can be half full too.

> And if you replace driving or sitting on a bus with one of these then you're less sedentary/getting more exercise.

No, in both cases you are being moved by an external power source, so they're equally sedentary.

Holy heck, what a negative outlook.

It could be, I don't know, people find them fun and like to have fun? I know, crazy, but just consider it.

Being fun and a net negative for health are not mutually exclusive.

I ride an e-bike. After I got it, my physical shape deteriorated rapidly as my primary means of exercise was reduced. Now I make a conscious effort to turn off the assist once in a while to get some exercise.

> Being fun and a net negative for health are not mutually exclusive.

Indeed. But you're making a point that pivots from the point the OP made and I replied to.

The OP suggested that because they witnessed people utilising these devices, that these devices inherently exist to support our (as a group) sedentary lifestyle. That argument is weak simply because it ignores any other value these devices could provide to a user (like enjoyment, faster movement, etc).

It is essentially taking a new concept and looking at it from the most negative viewpoint imaginable, while ignoring the fact that these electronic alternatives offer mountains of improvements to the user and society at large.

Plus if we want to talk about sedentary, what is more sedentary than sitting in a car or on public transport? Certainly not a device where you have to shift your weight around to maneuver it.

My original point was that I witnessed these being used at a conference, to get around a conference. What is the alternative? Walking. All things being equal my point stands. These devices, when used in situations like I described are nothing more than stand-up mobility scooters. There can never be a net positive health benefit over the alternative which is walking. In terms of transportation to and from work, I believe there's a statistic somewhere that states the average bus or train commuter will walk at least five miles a day in order to facilitate that commute. There's no way that even a 20 mile commute on one of these would require the energy of five miles of walking. Further, if you look at the manufacturers own marketing, these are the "size of a briefcase" for a reason with the intent clearly targeted at reducing that five miles of walking by being able to take it with you on the train.

I ride an ebike and I take more longer faster trips than I used to, so I'm getting more exercise...

> I ride an ebike and I take more longer faster trips than I used to, so I'm getting more exercise...

I guess it depends on how you ride it and what kind of exercise. For me, I found that I was doing more endurance training, as I would cycle 100+km, which I never did before I got the motor. However, I lost a lot of strength training as I no longer really had to fight with the numerous steep hills around here, and I found that I could no longer bike them after a month on the motor.

So now I occasionally turn off the motor before a really nasty hill just to force myself to really push it once in a while.

Seeing these and the 2 wheel version all around London

tube strikes driving sales ;)

A colleague of mine did get one for the tube strike the other week. Took him about 1.5 hours to commute about 4 miles on it that day, partly because he was unfamiliar with it, and partly because there only rough potholed cycle lanes for some of the way where it was safer to get off and carry it.

Had a go on it myself. Found it a little tricky getting on, given that you have to put one foot first and it has a tendency to start moving when you take the other foot off the ground. I was wondering if there was a way to tether it to an app with a big stop button you'd keep pressed until both feet were on (although not sure how feasible that would be if the balancing thing requires forward or backward motion).

The Telegraph has a less accomplished reporter falling off a similar machine http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11418069/AirWheel-...

I see people zipping through NYC on these. Usually on dedicated running/biking paths (E River, West Side Highway), but occasionally on city streets and sidewalks, as well.

I'm always concerned I'll see them hit an unexpected pothole or raised lip at speed and absolutely bite it into traffic.

I've been seeing them around increasingly in Reading and London. It may be a new trend?

I saw the thing live for the first time back in May. Today I have seen 2 or three teenagers with those without even looking.

Then again that is here in the "suburbs", can't remember having seen any of them in the city where I work. (I did see a longboard on my way to work just the other day though.)

You can see a lot of those things in Auckland too, also a few in Perth/WA

The are pretty fast in my opnion but when I checked also very expensive. (+/- 2000k)

In cities where you get a a decent but "not reaching your home" metro(subway) this thing is very handy.

Have a look at this from Seattle: http://solowheelseattle.com/products/solowheel

Seen a guy with what looked like a DIY version practising on the street...

https://vid.me/5PVq

Neat, but refusal to update legislation will kill this like Segway, the sinclair c5, etc. Can have a Segway in the UK but am only allowed to drive it in your living room. Useful.

Governments want people to keep buying petrochemical cars - it's wildly profitable for them - and why else would anyone be in government other than for personal profit?

It does look a little less bulky than a Sedgeway but also less comfortable.

Its like the monster (Professor Callaghan) from Big Hero 6.

The electric longboard is the non-goofy version of this.

Although invoking diabetes is at least a new one, reflexive dismissals are what we're trying to avoid on HN.