Should I wear any protective gear while riding an EUC?

Three words: wear to prepare!

There are two types of EUC riders: those who have smartly suited up before a fall, and then those who after a fall wish they had suited up. It's much better to have done it before! Aside from preferring not to get hurt or killed, I would hate to get sidelined from being able to ride my wheel due to a fall and it would be particularly bitter, knowing it was preventable with some gear precautions! Otherwise, you may be among those who learned it, loved it, but won't ride again because of a bad fall.

You are bound to take a fall from an EUC at some point, either during the learning process or while in your early stages, or even later when you're experienced, but taking more chances or riding on more challenging terrain. There is always a small possibility of equipment failure. EUC makers strive for excellence, but nothing is perfect. Question is, how much do you want to gamble with the odds? Given that an EUC requires normal operation to remain balanced, anything less than 100% reliability means I am wearing a helmet. We know that EUCs are not 100%, because nothing operates at 100% reliability. But I can wear a helmet 100% of the time--that is a variable easily under my control.

And if you're putting on a helmet, make it a full face helmet, unless you don't value your face.

Do not get caught unprepared!

The ground hurts. I know, I've had the opportunity to experience it and have been lucky enough to walk away every time, but I try to wear the right gear. EUCs are now approaching motorcycle cruising speeds. Protective gear can allow you to get up and continue riding, instead of someone having to call 911. There's just no need to risk it, when protective gear is so readily available, reasonably priced, and well designed. All the gear that I use is presented here. Lower down, there are also capture devices, which you'll be ready for probably more so after you've gotten some skills.

Protective gear can come in handy at different times, depending on the type of riding you may be doing. You don't necessarily have to wear all of your gear all of the time, but there are times you should absolutely be wearing some gear. Maybe when EUCs were going 10 to 14 MPH it was less important, but now most can go 15 to 31 MPH, with some topping out in the 40+ MPH range, all with enough power to take on hilly, rugged terrain. "Remember, with great power comes great responsibility." Listen to Uncle Ben! Stay within your abilities, push the envelope carefully, and protect yourself! If you're riding the latest EUC and moving with some speed, it is safest to wear all of your gear all of the time, because you never know when it will be needed.

It's better not to be one of those street riders I've seen online (sometimes with a person along chasing them with a camera) zipping in between cars and people, violating all traffic and pedestrian laws, and ignoring traffic signals. There is a tendency to want to show off EUC skills, once achieved, and I know the feeling very well, but try to avoid being irresponsible. Blatantly disregarding all existing safety guidelines and posting proof online will fast track prohibitive legislation governing EUCs, when there currently is really none. If you're going to ride like a maniac, regardless of your skill level, please have enough sense to wear some protective gear (no, a stylish hat doesn't count) and don't post reckless riding online! All it will take is one incident, which will inevitably be captured on video, to inspire a concerned citizen to rally or instigate a legislator into making something law.

Show me a rider of anything who is too arrogant or too vain to wear the appropriate protective gear and I will show you someone who is literally one second from a catastrophic or life ending injury. Wear the gear and your chances of no or reduced injury and survival increases dramatically. I have had many years of street bike riding, motorcycles that could reach 90 MPH in first gear, with five more gears to go. Let's just say I didn't stay in only first gear and I live in California, where lane sharing/splitting is legal, so I understand speed and risks very well and the value of protective gear. I find it incredibly shortsighted of the people doing reviews and videos to not set an example by wearing the right gear or in many cases wearing no protective gear whatsoever. People, be a good ambassador of the sport, especially in these early stages.

Standing on your feet and falling down can kill you, if your head strikes a hard surface with enough force. Not just in theory, but it happens everyday of the year. Add to that additional velocity by being on something moving and the risk rises exponentially. Traveling faster than you can run without any head protection is likely to result in serious injury or death, should your head meet a solid surface. Behold, we have the helmet! A wonderfully protective encasing that will, in many situations while riding an EUC, prevent you from having any head injury at all. So, I normally wear a full face helmet while riding an EUC, especially while on pavement. Doesn't matter if I'm not going far or not going full speed. The arguments about helmets being too whatever are ridiculous--it'll save your life. You may not get a second chance.

It's important to understand that, for example, a 31 MPH maximum speed means you can comfortably cruise along in the 25 MPH range with a nice buffer, without having any speed warnings and without experiencing tilt back, a safety feature that activates when approaching top speed, but many riders prefer not to reach the tilt back point. Top speed should be considered more as an indicator of where a wheel can cruise in a comfortable range, as opposed to simply how fast it can go at its maximum. Constantly bringing an EUC to its design parameter limits is not wise. Deliberately or inadvertently bringing an EUC beyond its upper speed limit is not advised, despite tilt back being offered on many models intended to prevent overspeed. Know the limits of your EUC by practicing with the app open and speedometer displayed, so you can feel and hear what it's like to be near the top speed.

Learning to ride

If you are new to EUC riding, the most important safety tip I can give you is to stay next to something you can hold onto, take the time to get some skills, before going off into open space.

Another learning tip I can offer is there is no need to know yet how to mount an EUC without the assistance of something to hold onto--save that one-footed stepping up practice for after you have some skills riding. At first, to mount an EUC, put one hand on top of the wheel and push it over towards the second foot, to allow the second foot to get onto the pedal more easily. The second foot should be next to the pedal, not behind it. Avoid holding the handle, so you don't accidentally engage anti-spin, which will shut off the balancing power. The other hand should be holding onto something, such as a fence or wall. One hand on top of the wheel, the other holding something for support, so your second foot can get onto the pedal.

Have your feet evenly placed on each pedal between front to back and side to side. Legs should be in full contact with your wheel, but not too tightly, with nothing feeling like it has too much pressure on it. Do not clench the wheel with your knees, which may mean your feet are too far from the wheel, and there is a tendency to grip the wheel too tightly with your legs when learning. You may even bruise your legs a little, along with getting sore muscles. The need to apply as much pressure goes away once you have learned how to ride more. The bottom of your feet may also get sore during the learning stages, which lessens with experience. Taking breaks often during training to walk around can reduce foot soreness.

Your center of gravity should be neutral, so that when standing up straight and relaxed, the wheel doesn't have a tendency to move forward or backwards. And with the slightest of change in your center of gravity, while maintaining straight posture, the wheel will move in that direction. Do not press on your toes or lean back on your heels--this is not how to control a self-balancing device! The change in center of gravity should be coming from your body, not your feet, not your head and neck. It is generally destabilizing to pick up your toes or heels while riding, unless you are doing tricks. Do not pump the pedals, which is also destabilizing.

Initially, do not try to go anywhere, not yet. You have no skills, where do you think you're going?! First, you must get a feel for the wheel. Make very small moves to the front and to the back, just enough to be moving, not really going anywhere. Understand how the self-balancing mechanism responds to slight changes in your center of gravity. Gently allow the wheel to tilt from left to right, to understand the weight of your wheel and the movements necessary to keep it upright. Again, you should not be going anywhere yet. Your first moves should be basically standing in one place.

Once you have a feel for the most elementary motions, go forward a little, while holding onto something, as far as you can go under reasonable control, even if that's moving one foot of distance at a time. Increase the distances methodically within comfortable control. If it's getting a little chaotic, dial down the distances and speed. Increase the distances, as your skills develop. Do not focus on speed at all, which will happen naturally when it's time. One to two hours a day for one or two weeks and you should have some decent skills. People who jump on an EUC and try to suddenly cruise into open space, assuming they will instantly "get it" because they're good at whatever else are in for a surprise, because it requires some amount of training.

Avoid bending at the waist or crouching forward, which will not contribute much to you moving and will just give you a sore back eventually. Of course if you see something particularly bumpy ahead then do crouch downward (not forward) and bend your knees more in preparation. Don't lock your knees, but keep your knees loose and bent slightly. One of the biggest hazards you will face while riding are the bumps you are not prepared to absorb. If you're making an unusually fast stop, bend your knees accordingly and sit towards the rear.

Never ride with one or both hands in your pockets. Keep both hands free and ready to move. It doesn't matter how skilled a rider you are, having both hands available is important to your safety.

Once you have skills and are a stable rider, however long that takes, then you will be ready to learn how to mount without assistance, but learn while having something to hold onto, even if you have riding skills! Your riding skills are different than your mounting skills.

The key to safety while learning is to remain near something to hold onto until you have achieved enough skill to comfortably move around, without needing assistance, but not before! Take the time necessary to achieve the required skills and you and your wheel will remain in one piece. Patience is perhaps the most important ingredient in the whole wheel learning process. Accept that initially you will have practically no skills and it will require some work. And even after you gain skills, there will always be room for improvement and new challenges.

You may have noticed in videos that experienced riders, in some instances, have developed their own techniques, which obviously works for them. However, I caution you against initially trying to ride like them, which would be like taking bicycle training advice from a BMX rider. I highly recommend you begin with the basics as I have described above and if your own style should evolve with experience you will have built it on a foundation of the way EUCs were designed and engineered to operate.

23 helmet vents
4 brow ports
6 chin bar vents

784 grams (medium)

Bell Super 3R helmet
Adjustable visor, removable chin-bar, with MIPS
(Multi-directional Impact Protection System)

Schampa CoolSkin Adventure balaclava (for warmer weather)
and
Schampa CoolSkin Chill Breaker balaclava (for cooler weather)

Fox Racing Pawtector gloves

Flexmeter Wrist Guards double-sided

Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX boots (pictured above)
Better for dirt, mud, dust, wet, and cooler conditions.
No breeze is felt through the top when moving.

and

Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid Aero boots (not pictured)
Better for city, dry, and warmer conditions.
Breeze is felt through the top when moving.

McDavid neoprene ankle sleeve

Fox Racing Titan Pro knee and shin guards

Alpinestars Faster Back Pack

Cygolite Ranger 1400 lumen headlight

Cygolite Hypershot 350 lumen tail light

Maui Jim Ho'okipa MJ Sport sunglasses

AmazonBasics Safety Glasses
Anti-scratch, UV-resistant polycarbonate lenses, mirror coating

SCOTT Recoil XI goggles

Mirrycle Incredibell Adjustabell 2

DJI Osmo Pocket 2

DJI OM 5

DJI Air 2S