Electric Unicycle Buyers Guide for Beginners

Electric Unicycle Research Tips and Shopping Guides

Finding the Right Wheel Should be Easy!

Electric unicycles are fun to ride and are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. They’re entertaining, save money and time, and require little upkeep. The sheer number of wheels and manufacturers available on the market can be overwhelming when so many possibilities exist.

But don’t worry; we’ll go into the high-level features to get you up and running as quickly as possible. Please be confident that the top brands we recommend are Begode, Inmotion, King Song, and Leaperkim, to name a few.

Now that we’ve narrowed down the top brands, let’s take a deeper look at some of the essential EUC specifications, which include top speed, range, battery pack, weight, and portability.

• King Song S20 is Here!

Beginner, Advanced, Expert Wheels

In the world of electric unicycles, each wheel can be classified into one of three categories: beginner, advanced, and expert. Beginner wheels have a top speed of around 25 mph, advanced wheels have a top speed of about 35 mph, and extreme wheels have a top speed of more than 40 MPH and up to 50 MPH.

It sounds a little crazy. In most cases, however, the faster the wheel, the larger the battery, motor, and shell, resulting in a significantly heavier wheel that is less portable. With all of the characteristics of an electric unicycle, there are advantages and disadvantages, as well as a lot of trade-offs.

Best Electric Unicycles for Beginners, Advanced, and Expert Riders

Beginners: 10-20 MPH Electric Unicycles • Advanced Riders: 30 MPH Electric Unicycles • Expert Riders: +40 MPH Electric Unicycles

Benefits of Electric Unicycles:

It feels like floating and flying!

• Speed: Electric unicycles are fast. Some can reach 20–55 MPH!
• Weight: Electric unicycles are lightweight, and they can weigh between 20 and 100 lbs.
• Portability: Electric unicycles are so small that you can store them indoors without worrying about them being stolen.
• Comfort: Electric unicycles are enjoyable, as riding one feels like you’re flying above the ground.
• Affordable: Electric unicycles are simple to ride once you learn how to balance your feet and weight on one. Unicycles are inexpensive, with more expensive models costing $4,000 or more.
• Ownership: Electric unicycles are low-maintenance. All you need to do is pump your tires and change them once in a while.
• Popularity: Electric unicycles are life-changing and taking over the world! They’re becoming more popular than e-bikes and E-scooters

BEST 2022 EUC’s by Category – Editors Pick

Electric Unicycles come in various sizes, battery configurations, performance specs, and premium features. Check out the best Electric Unicycles for beginner, advanced, and extreme riders.

• Best Beginner Electric Unicycles: Begode MCM5, Begode MTEN3, King Song 16S, Inmotion V8S
• Best Advanced Electric Unicycles: King Song S18, Inmotion V11, Tesla V3, Begode Nikola+, Inmotion V10F, Begode RS HT
• Best Extreme Performance Electric Unicycles: Begode EX.N, Veteran Sherman MAX, King Song S20, Extreme Bull Commander, Begode RS HS

Beginner Wheels

YouTube and blog forums are excellent resources for first-time riders looking for guidance on their first purchase. Make sure you have your funds ready and a budget in mind before making your purchase because the sheer number of wheels, features, weight, and power make a significant difference in the value of your investment.

When it comes to first-time riders, we recommend that they pick a 15-25 mph beginning wheel that weighs between 25 and 40 pounds. These entry-level devices are ideal for commuting and last-mile solutions because they are simpler to learn on and store. These beginner wheels are excellent backup wheels for more experienced riders.

• Power: 550 – 1500W
• Top Speed: 25 MPH
• Weight: 20 – 40 lbs
• Range: 15-35 miles
• Cost: $500 – $1,300

Advanced Wheels

For first-time riders who only want one wheel, the advanced wheel is an excellent choice because it strikes a good balance between cost, power, and portability. These wheels typically go at 28-35 mph and weigh between 40 and 60 pounds.

Advanced wheels are located in the middle of the wheel range and are the ideal middle ground for riders looking for the revolution that is just right. Mid-range wheels are not too slow, not too powerful, not too big, not too small; they are just right, and they are excellent long-term wheels.

• Power: 2,000 – 2,600W
• Top Speed: 35 MPH
• Weight: 40 – 60 lbs
• Range: 30 – 60 miles
• Cost: $1,500 – $2,300

Extreme Performance Wheels

Outer wheels are the way for experienced riders who wish to ride at fast speeds, over long distances, and with extreme performance. Outer wheels are distinguished by high torque motors or high-speed motors, enormous 100V battery packs, and weights ranging from 60 to 100 lbs or more in some cases. Expert wheels are beginning to appear on the market equipped with complete suspension systems, allowing them to cross more challenging terrain. On the other hand, expert wheels are only for advanced riders who are confident in their ability to ride them securely. We strongly advise novice riders to begin with either a beginner or an advanced wheel to learn the basics of riding.

• Power: 2,600 – 3,500
• Top Speed: 40 – 50+ MPH
• Weight: 60 – 100 lbs
• Range: 60 – 150 miles
• Cost: $2,300 – $4,000

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Electric Unicycle Technical Terminology

Jason McNeil (eWheels) proposed manufacturer specs standardization around ‘speed’, ‘range’, ‘power’. The terms proposed are found below:

• Cruising Speed: the maximum manufacturer-designed speed on a level, smooth course with a rider weighing 70 kg and no audible warnings. This average speed should be from 100% to 33% battery capacity.
• Max Sustained Speed: Unlike cruising speed, this is the speed at which the Wheel can be ridden ‘safely’ with little risk of power cut-outs, but above the [initial] audible alarm.
• Max Speed: the highest speed at which there is still some margin (e.g., 3kph) before the power is cut off (same criteria as above). In contrast to the cruising speed, it can be a ‘peak’ figure when the battery pack is fully charged. Max Speed does not apply to wheels with pedal tilt-back greater than 15°.
• Braking Distance: the distance required for a 70kg rider to come to a complete stop from a speed of 16kph (a speed at which most Wheels should be able to reach)
• Range: continuous riding on a level and smooth course with a 70kg rider until the EU generates the “get off now alarm.” The manufacturer may choose the speed at which this test is performed but must declare it on the results.
• Sustained Power: the continuous mechanical motor output rating that does not jeopardize the battery, control board, or motor.
• Peak power is mechanical motor output for no more than 10 seconds. The battery pack, control board, and motor may experience some transient “stress,” but no irreversible damage or degradation should occur.
• WH Rating: The EU defines usable Wh as the energy available from a fully charged cell down to the cut-off threshold set by the BMS/control board.
• Maximum incline: to support a 70kg rider up a 10-meter-high incline (at a minimum).
• Charging time: the amount of time it takes to charge a battery from a completely depleted state fully.

ElectricUnicycle.org

Forum.electricunicycle.org is one of the best forums and communities for all things related to electric unicycles. Research, engage, and interact with riders from all across the world. EUC.org also has a Facebook group that allows riders to interact in real time.

EUC Components

Cut-off or cut-out  

There are (at least) two types of cut-offs that can occur with a EUC: the first is what I’ve referred to as “mainboard induced cut-off,” also known as “[motor] shutdown” or “[high/max]-speed cut-out,” and the second is the BMS cut-off.

Reset

Resetting a wheel entails turning it off and on again. Many wheels require you to do this after the motor has shut down, though some automatically reset when turned upright after a fall.

RPM (Rounds per minute) 

RPM is a measure of the motor’s turning speed, or how many total rounds (turns) the motor performs per minute

MOSFET 

MOSFET stands for “Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor” and is a type of power transistor used in mainboards (usually in groups of 6 or 12) to drive the motor by controlling current flow in the three phases. When discussing the technical details of mainboards or when someone has a burned board, this term is frequently used (one of the most common reasons for a failed board is burned MOSFETs).

Riding Terms (electricunicycle.org)

Idling

Idling is a term used to describe moving the EUC back and forth while remaining relatively stationary. This is taxing on the motor (constantly changing direction) and quickly depletes your battery, but it can help wait for a traffic light to change, for example.

Leaning

Leaning is the act of moving your center of gravity and controlling the EUC with your body. To accelerate/decelerate or change direction, you lean forwards and backward. To turn the EUC, you usually lean in the direction you want to turn (left or right), similar to how you would ride a motorcycle or bike at a faster speed, though you can also use your hips to “swivel” around for tight in-place turns, at least at slow speeds.

Out-leaning or over-leaning

Out-lean / overlean is a term used to describe a situation in which the rider leans (usually) forwards so much that the wheel can no longer keep them balanced (inadequate torque), which generally results in the rider dismounting (or falling).

Out-leaning is most common at high speeds or on uphills when the wheel motor cannot produce enough torque to keep the wheel upright as the rider continues to lean forward. It usually happens only after the full tilt-back (but not always, significantly when accelerating quickly, the wheel may not have enough torque to tilt back), so most people shouldn’t be able to do it by accident unless it’s due to a low battery (if the tilt-back is based on speed).

Overpower

Overpowering a wheel refers to a situation similar to out-leaning. It is often used as a synonym, but it appears to be more commonly used to describe a situation where the wheel cannot keep you balanced on level ground, such as when hitting a pothole that causes the wheel to tilt too far forward or simply out-leaning.

Overspeed

The term “Overspeed” refers to the speed at which the mainboard cuts power to the motor. This was done (for the most part) with older, pre-2016 wheels. Most wheels nowadays (November 2017) will allow you to push it to the end. Still, once you reach the maximum speed (which is somewhat dependent on the battery charge state), the voltage difference between the battery and the motor back-EMF (voltage induced by the turning motor) is too small to cause enough current and, thus, torque. The rider ends up overleaning the wheel.

Braking with force

This is an “unofficial” term for braking in which you push the wheel in front of you with your legs while simultaneously leaning back and pushing the pedals down to brake as quickly as possible. It takes some practice, but it’s not too tricky, and it’s a valuable skill to have when you need to stop “on a dime.”

But be warned: On rare occasions, this has resulted in the mainboard burning the MOSFETs, though this is no longer common, especially in higher-end power wheels.

Tilt-back

Tilt-back is a safety feature in which the wheel begins to tilt the pedals backward at higher speeds to warn the rider and prevent him or her from leaning more forward. While it is possible to lean more and try to gain momentum, doing so may be dangerous because you may overpower the wheel. Most wheels have this (many wheels allow the user to adjust the tilt-back speeds with an app), but some older wheels do not.

EUC Components (electricunicycle.org)

At a high level, an EUC comprises four parts: a tire/pedal assembly with a motor in the hub, a mainboard, a battery or batteries, and the shell that holds everything together.

Electric Unicycle Battery

A battery is a component of a unicycle that stores energy to power the motor and the electronics. Most wheels use a battery pack made of lithium ion cells (which come in a variety of chemistries, brands, and models), typically 16 (around 48-67V empty or full) or 20 (60-84V) cells in series to achieve the high voltage required to drive the motor, and one or more of these packs to gain high capacity.

The total capacity of the battery packs is typically displayed in Watthours (Wh), and it appears that an average 10-20Wh is required per kilometer. However, this may vary between EUCs, riders, and riding conditions. EUCs with larger battery capacities (typically achieved by connecting more 16/20-cell series in parallel and/or using higher capacity cells) not only go for longer on a single charge but also tend to keep their torque high even when the battery is depleted.

The BMS (Battery Management System)

This is a printed circuit board (PCB) typically found within one or more battery packs (although in some cases, like at least some IPS models, it can also be integrated directly into the mainboard). The BMS controls battery charging, and cell balancing and has some safeguards (which can sometimes be dangerous).

Firmware

Firmware is a piece of software on the mainboard that contains all of the wheel’s logic: alarms, speed limits, tilt-back, motor driving logic, balancing the wheel, communicating with a possible mobile phone app via Bluetooth or other means, various types of monitoring and alarms (Overspeed, overheat, low battery, over-tilt…).

Hall-sensor

Hall sensors are magnetic field detection sensors. Inside the motor, such sensors detect the motor’s position and RPM. The mainboard logic requires this information to drive the motor.

Furthermore, the electrical current sensing of the mainboard is commonly done with a chip based on the hall effect, which is also required for certain types of motor driving algorithms such as Field-Oriented Control and to detect situations where the power output is approaching the limits.

Mainboard

This is the “heart” of the electric unicycle, typically a single printed circuit board (PCB) inside the unicycle, though more than one board may sometimes be present.

The mainboard contains one or more MCUs (MicroController Units, or the “brains” of the wheel), a power feed for the motor, a step-down switching-mode power supply for other electronics, a combined gyroscope/acceleration sensor (often called IMU, Inertial Measurement Unit, or MPU, Motion Processing Unit) for balancing, and usually, something like a Bluetooth-chip for app support, LED control, possible display control,

Pedal

When riding, you place your feet on top of the pedal. Typically made of aluminum or steel, they come in various shapes and sizes (often a little too small for western feet), and they significantly impact the riding comfort of the wheel (especially on longer trips).

Pedal clearance (height from the ground) is also essential in riding because low clearance can cause the pedal to hit the ground while leaning. The part that connects the pedal to the motor is commonly referred to as the Pedal arm, though other names have been used.

Shell

The shells are the plastic covers that house the other components (mainboard, batteries, tire/motor assembly, etc.). Older wheels had a single shell made of two parts; more modern wheels have four parts to the shell, an “inner shell” that usually only covers the motor and to which the batteries, mainboard, and other components are connected, and separate “outer shells” that protect the electronics and batteries.

The difference is that those with separate inner and outer shells are much easier to work with when performing repairs or other tasks. They have better ingress protection (preventing moisture/water from entering the electronics/batteries).

Tire

Usually refers to the tire’s outermost rubber part, but it can also refer to the inner tube

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Editor's Note: VROOOMIN.COM reports the advertised speed and range from the manufacturer. The exact results will vary depending on the rider's weight, overall payload, road conditions, and charge level. Most PEVs will deliver at least 60-70 percent of the quoted range, if not more. The top speed and range will be decreased for heavier riders.

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