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Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

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Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#121

Post by tienshiao »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #31
rokhayakebe wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a bit different, I believe. Segways just do not look cool, and you would be kind of embarrassed riding one, unless you really don't give a fuck what the world thinks. These on the other hand are cool enough that you are ride them without looking like a clown.

Interesting fact: in Prague there are people offering sightseeing tours on Segways; it seems to be quite popular there.

I think Segways are great for sightseeing tours, and I've done (and enjoyed) a couple on my travels. Segways basically created a new way to sightsee.

I can't imagine how tours would be able to operate 12-15 mile 2 hour "walking" tours otherwise. You're able to see a significant part of a city from eye level without a huge amount of physical effort.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#122

Post by saidajigumi »

dreeves wrote: post #89
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

With the caveat that I'm not a skateboarder (I inline-skate), I don't think your assessment of the braking is right. As the brakes engage you shift your center of gravity back and you end up with, I reckon, even more stopping power than a bike, since you have more rubber-to-road surface area. The same applies to the "tiny rock pitches you forward" argument, which I can speak to from experience. On inline skates I can…

As another (rather skilled) inline skater, I'll second the ideas in the above post. When I was a newb, rocks were Teh Evil. Now rocks just spit away, if I don't just avoid 'em in the first place.

Physical skills have a learning curve. Whether riding a bike or driving a car, some significant skills acquisition is needed before safe use. For cycling, first there's existing cultural folk knowledge on learning to ride a bike (e.g. what you learned as a kid). If you want to be a properly skilled commuter, then you'll really want to brush up on additional skills ala Effective Cycling or a similar program.

I don't see this longboard as being particularly different from either cycling or driving, except that it's new. Living in a very hilly part of the USA, I love that they've designed for that from the get-go.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#123

Post by mertd »

jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

There is another issue that everyone missed. These things will most definitely be used on bike lanes. Any cyclist who had to share a lane with a longboarder knows that this feat is impossible. Longboard takes up the entire lane due to the salmon-like movement pattern. This forces the cyclist to go into the regular lane. Not that it is illegal, but frequent merging in and out of regular lanes is always dangerous.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#124

Post by eupharis »

johnyzee wrote: post #49

I have been riding an electric skateboard through Copenhagen for a few years (Evo 600: http://en.evo-skate.com/street600wood/ ). We have great bicycle tracks all over the city which is ideal. The principle of the board is the same, board strapped with an electric motor, controlled by IR remote in the hand. I'll share a few thoughts. First off, my board has a 600 watt motor and does around 20mph, which is fast in the…

Regarding the speed, the website says it's artifically limited, so I don't think you'll see these flying around at ridiculous speeds. It sounds like just included the beefy motor to power up San Francisco hills.

Here in Portland I think the laws would go unenforced for electric bicycles like in Copenhagen. I can't imagine any cop pulling someone over who isn't doing something stupid.

And laws can be changed. If these travel at roughly bicycle speeds, in bicycle right-of-ways, let's regulate them like bicycles, not cars.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#125

Post by k33n »

mertd wrote: post #123
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

There is another issue that everyone missed. These things will most definitely be used on bike lanes. Any cyclist who had to share a lane with a longboarder knows that this feat is impossible. Longboard takes up the entire lane due to the salmon-like movement pattern. This forces the cyclist to go into the regular lane. Not that it is illegal, but frequent merging in and out of regular lanes is always dangerous.

I guess you'll just have to "share the road" and stay behind them until it's safe to pass ;)

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#126

Post by mertd »

k33n wrote: post #125
mertd wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is another issue that everyone missed. These things will most definitely be used on bike lanes. Any cyclist who had to share a lane with a longboarder knows that this feat is impossible. Longboard takes up the entire lane due to the salmon-like movement pattern. This forces the cyclist to go into the regular lane. Not that it is illegal, but frequent merging in and out of regular lanes is always dangerous.

I guess you'll just have to "share the road" and stay behind them until it's safe to pass ;)

The existence of bike lanes is the number one proof that humans are incapable of peacefully sharing the road ;)

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#127

Post by technosex »

firefoxman1 wrote: post #106
hollerith wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you've never ridden a skateboard or done so for only a very short time.

That's my guess. You just plant one foot on the back, lean backward and Scraaape you're stopped.

There is no tail on this longboard, so that is impossible.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#128

Post by 001sky »

christiangenco wrote: post #113
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

One more counterpoint to the "no brakes" argument: Power and braking, even on hills We can electronically limit the top speed without sacrificing the power you need to tackle hills. Steep San Francisco hills become easy to climb. And on top of that, we've added regenerative braking, accomplished using the motors. That means it's easy to learn, easy to maneuver, and easy to control your speed, all while recharging the…

The "inadvertant" breaking is still a problem--From the post you are replying to:

It might be conceivable to overlook this failing if it weren't for the fact that tiny unsuspended wheels have almost no capacity to absorb bumps and road defects. Anyone who skated as a teenager will remember being thrown to the ground by a small piece of gravel stopping the wheel.

Or a crack in tarmac/leaf/stick/drug needle, etc on a hill, etc

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#129

Post by mynameishere »

k33n wrote: post #115
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

This comment is proof that no matter how awesome the product in an article posted to HN, somebody will always find a way to declare that it will certainly fail. Your comment contains so many factual inaccuracies that it's not even worth debating. I hope that comments like this will start to be deleted in the future because they are the reason many people, including myself, refrain from participating here more.

awesome

Since when did obvious nuisances become "awesome".

I hope that comments like this will start to be deleted

I hope that comments referring to obvious nuisances as "awesome" will be deleted.

Here's the problem, as no one has quite caught on yet: The public transport areas consist of two main areas: Those for street-legal vehicles (cars, motorbikes, bicycles) and pedestrians (walkers, wheelchairs, baby carriages). There is simply no place for semi-powered vehicles on sidewalks. A moped or segway or motorized skateboard is an absolute nuisance on the sidewalk, and is a danger to everybody on the roadway. It doesn't fit outside of a mall-cop context.

Re: Boosted Boards (YC S12) Unveils Its Magical Electric Skateboard

#130

Post by crazygringo »

k33n wrote: post #115
jdietrich wrote: post #82

These contraptions are illegal to use in public and if they become popular the laws against them will be enforced immediately, because they're incredibly dangerous. It is impossible to provide effective braking on a skateboard. The rider has absolutely no means of impeding their forward movement, so even if the board has effective brakes it's just going to throw them off. This is a minor problem if you're rolling aro…

This comment is proof that no matter how awesome the product in an article posted to HN, somebody will always find a way to declare that it will certainly fail. Your comment contains so many factual inaccuracies that it's not even worth debating. I hope that comments like this will start to be deleted in the future because they are the reason many people, including myself, refrain from participating here more.

But your comment is useless. I don't know anything about skateboarding, and would love to learn why you think the commenter is wrong, but you aren't providing any reasons -- just saying it's "not even worth debating".

Instead you're lamenting the quality of commenters on HN... I really hate to say it, but maybe you should take a look in the mirror in this case?

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