So, I've been considering micromobility options recently to help me get out a little bit more and range better. My dog told me he'd appreciate it if I got out a little more on my off-days. I don't know why he's gotta be so judgy like that...
Anyways,
-Bike formats are out, it needs to be easier to transport and not take up that much space.
-Balance boards are cool, but I'm not sure that's quite what I'm looking for either...
Electric skateboards, scooters, mountainboards, etc., what's good? I'm drawn to the idea of electric boards with (potentially?) off-road capabilities. I'm a mountainbiker and often have access to excellent trails, so I like the thought of being able to ride on those too sometimes but my main uses would probably just be getting around town or going out on paved greenways.
Entry level would be good, I'm hoping for somewhere in the 500-1000 dollar range if it exists but if I have to pay more for something better then so be it.
Also, DIY solutions aren't completely out of the question for me. I could see myself messing around with a build project if it strikes my fancy.
Thanks for any help, I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!
Kinda sounds like a scooter might be what you're looking for but can you give us more of an idea of how exactly it will be used? Specific range and terrain would be especially helpful.
10 miles or so seems like it might be a nice range, just as a general guess. I'm not really sure how capable these types of vehicles are.
Terrain would include gravelly/rocky surfaces (light), as well as paved greenway sidewalks and such.
I'm more of an ebike and bicycle enthusiast, but I would recommend that you take all posted ranges with a grain of salt especially if you weigh anymore than 100-125lbs: Most companies give overly generous range estimates (i.e. a very lightweight rider, no cargo, flat terrain, no headwind, not too cold... basically perfect conditions that you'll never see IRL with any consistency).
Also, keep in mind that anything battery powered will have reduced range the colder it gets so it would be wise to factor that and the probably misleading range when making a purchase.
As for terrain, thicker tires tend to do better in worse terrain, but at the cost of efficiency so it's a trade off where you need to kind of find the sweet spot for your needs.
Finally, do your best to get something with quality batteries that have UL certification: Saving money on something that either underperforms, breaks, or straight up burns your home down isn't really saving money.
Once you have decided on a ride, be sure to take care of the battery long-term: Don't charge it while it's been exposed to cold temperatures, don't bang it up, don't leave it on the charger forever, stuff like that. If you need to keep the battery in storage for an extended amount of time, try to get the charge down to around 50% until it's ready to be put back into use.
Solid advice all around, thank you. I will take all of that into account.
Good luck and try to be patient: I wish I had saved up my money and got a different ebike than I did (Engwe EP2 Pro). Take your time, do your research, and enjoy the ride that works best for you when you find it!
Source: I occasionally ride a (street) e-skateboard.
I'd be worried about riding a skateboard on gravelly or rocky surfaces. The wheels are small, so you'll have a much harder time with rocks/bumps/roots than you would on a bike.
One of the problems I've encountered in my board is that there's nothing for me to hold onto when the board hits and kind of obstruction. In my case, it's large gravel on bike paths. Basically, the board slows down or stops, and I get launched.
No injuries so far, but I get use out of my knee/wrist pads and a helmet.
I'd go with a bike for anything other than flat asphalt.
I don't generally take my Exway Flex onto gravel paths either, though I have done so at times. Still, on street boards I stay on pavement 99% of the time.
My larger Eovan board deals with gravel very well. I slow down for the transition but once on gravel I'm generally able to go about as hard as on pavement (though obviously grip isn't the same so taking turns or braking as hard as on pavement is a bad idea).
The Eovan is much longer allowing for a wider stance making sudden jerks or changes in speed less of an issue. It's a stupidly powerful board but despite that it is the only one I have on which I've never taken a fall. Even hitting bumps and potholes that have scared the crap out of me, it has kept going and kept me on top.
But anything at longboard size or smaller should only be ridden on surfaces that you can be sure are level enough to not interfere. The only reason I've hit potholes on my Eovan is because I take it onto roads I would never ride on my Flex.
I've actually been looking at getting an e board for my 4 mile commute to work. I've been researching reviews to decide on a board with good reliability and ride comfort primarily, and the flex has come up often. Any especially good or bad experiences with it?
It's just really good. Exway pays attention to details other brands don't.
The result is a board that's as good as it gets to ride out of the box. Good wheels with good urethane, trucks with great handling, especially under power. And bushings that don't make controlling the board feel like a dance on a knife's edge in a bad way.
With every other board I've felt the need to fix something on it. The trucks, the wheels, the bushings... Not the flex. I just took it out of the box, and it was good.
I do have two complaints, the first of which is that despite the belt covers, tiny rocks really really love getting in under the belts and getting embedded in the plastic drive gears. This is a local problem though, as there's gravel all over, even on pavement as in the winter gravel is spread everywhere to make ice less slippery for pedestrians.
Complaint two is that the battery on it tends to let the cells go out of whack, resulting in times when the board will claim to be at 70% battery, but behave like it's at 5, slowing to a useless crawl.
This mostly happens after letting it sit for a winter. Leaving it in the charger for 24-48 hours to let the BMS trickle charge the offending cells back to level with the others, fixes it. And if you regularly use the board you'll notice it "tiring out" only slightly sooner than empty, and know it's time to let it sit and charge a full day.