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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

#161

Post by johnyzee »

tomflack wrote: post #155
johnyzee wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's really not that difficult - you shift your weight all the way back, flex the rear knee into a very low stance with the front leg 'pushing back' against the deceleration. With proper technique you can brake almost as well as a bike.

Simply incorrect that you can get bike like braking safely, even using the described technique. Edit: I really want to prove this, but the only way I can think of to do it is you buy one of these for $1200, I buy a bike for $1200 and we spend $1200 in airfares to meet somewhere and try it out. Perhaps someone with physics qualifications can weigh in?

I have been riding a board like this in urban traffic for a while, so I am speaking from experience.

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

#162

Post by stickfigure »

tomflack wrote: post #144
nostromo wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"More than 49,000 pedalcyclists have died in traffic crashes in the United States since 1932 — the first year in which estimates of pedalcyclist fatalities were recorded. In 2005, 784 pedalcyclists were killed and an additional 45,000 were injured in traffic crashes." http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810617.pdf That's a huge number. By one source cyclists are 10x more likely to die per each mile traveled than motori…

What a ridiculous comparison. As anyone who has skateboarded ever in their life knows, a bicycle is a thousand times safer and easier to control. Why don't you address the parent's points - that it is impossible to provide safe and effective braking on a skateboard. It's impossible to prove, but replace bicycles with skateboards and the fatality rate would shoot up.

This product is unlikely to ever replace bicycles. It will always require significantly more skill and practice to ride a skateboard - powered or not.

However, that's an unnecessary measure of success. The board just has to find a big enough customer base to be profitable. There's room in the world for many different kinds of transportation.

As for legality - certainly there are concerns, but unlike the segway, this board is subtle enough to fly under the radar for a while.

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

#163

Post by kbutler »

malandrew wrote: post #146
guelo wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

SF actually has streets that reach over 30 deg incline.

37 degrees to be exact. Prentiss between Chapman and Powhatten

http://www.datapointed.net/2009/11/the-steeps-of-san-francis... cites it at 37% grade (37' rise for 100' run, approx 20 degrees).

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

#164

Post by 001sky »

johnyzee wrote: post #161
tomflack wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Simply incorrect that you can get bike like braking safely, even using the described technique. Edit: I really want to prove this, but the only way I can think of to do it is you buy one of these for $1200, I buy a bike for $1200 and we spend $1200 in airfares to meet somewhere and try it out. Perhaps someone with physics qualifications can weigh in?

I have been riding a board like this in urban traffic for a while, so I am speaking from experience.

Motorcycle>bicycle>skateboard.

There is simply more inertial mass on a Moto, which allows you do use the front brake to its full potentail without pitching a faceplant. That and the suspension absorbs some energy. Also, the rider position is usually COG to the rear.

On a bike, your body position on drop bars puts you more COG forward, steeper head angle, more levered over the front friction patch (tire/road). The bike is light, suspension if any not as robust, its prette easy to stop a 20lb bike vs a 250-500lb moto, and for you to fly off. You are like a pole vaulter at 60 deg vs 45deg on the stick (not precise, just directional)

Normal skate is same thing, its light, close to ground, The board has a low COG. The rider a much higher one. The board has no suspension. So, it can stop on a dime if it meets and object that makes one wheel "not round". You are like a pole vaulter at 90 degrees.

It it possible to ride like a ninja, super low and crouched to the back and de-weight at precisely the right time to go over XYZ obstacle. Maybe. But the issue really is one of probabilities. At what stage do you not foresee the obstacle? And heaven forbid an hazard that is only slightly more complex, say, 10-20 meters of sand or grit on the tarmac, that you cant just skip over. That is a very normal type of defect to urban road surfaces. Ther is a reason they have "street sweepers" and alternate side parking and all of that.

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

#165

Post by tomflack »

stickfigure wrote: post #162
tomflack wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What a ridiculous comparison. As anyone who has skateboarded ever in their life knows, a bicycle is a thousand times safer and easier to control. Why don't you address the parent's points - that it is impossible to provide safe and effective braking on a skateboard. It's impossible to prove, but replace bicycles with skateboards and the fatality rate would shoot up.

This product is unlikely to ever replace bicycles. It will always require significantly more skill and practice to ride a skateboard - powered or not. However, that's an unnecessary measure of success. The board just has to find a big enough customer base to be profitable. There's room in the world for many different kinds of transportation. As for legality - certainly there are concerns, but unlike the segway, this…

I wasn't suggesting it was to replace bicycles, just pointing out the absurdity of the parent's comparison to bicycle fatalities.

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

#166

Post by jmccaffrey »

Alot of people are getting down on this... I'm very excited.

I live in downtown San Jose, and _alot_ of people tool around on long-boards already; I've been thinking about getting one and I'm a dedicated cyclist. The city is quite flat, and the bikelanes and side-walks are wide and nearly empty. Combined with a high bike-theft rate, and this would be a great way to scoot around.

So even if it might not work where you live, there are places where this contraption fits perfectly.

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

#167

Post by brc »

001sky wrote: post #164
johnyzee wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been riding a board like this in urban traffic for a while, so I am speaking from experience.

Motorcycle>bicycle>skateboard. There is simply more inertial mass on a Moto, which allows you do use the front brake to its full potentail without pitching a faceplant. That and the suspension absorbs some energy. Also, the rider position is usually COG to the rear. On a bike, your body position on drop bars puts you more COG forward, steeper head angle, more levered over the front friction patch (tire/road). The bik…

I think the problem here is that people are conflating an enforced stop - hitting a rock - with a normal braking stop, and even then with an emergency stop.

If the issue is - is an electric skateboard more dangerous than a bike? well, then of course it is. You're less visible, less stable, and have less braking ability and much smaller wheels.

But that's not to say you can't safely brake a skateboard without throwing yourself off the front. Like any device - motorised or not - it's up to the operator to control their speed for the conditions.

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

#168

Post by 001sky »

brc wrote: post #167
001sky wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Motorcycle>bicycle>skateboard. There is simply more inertial mass on a Moto, which allows you do use the front brake to its full potentail without pitching a faceplant. That and the suspension absorbs some energy. Also, the rider position is usually COG to the rear. On a bike, your body position on drop bars puts you more COG forward, steeper head angle, more levered over the front friction patch (tire/road). The bik…

I think the problem here is that people are conflating an enforced stop - hitting a rock - with a normal braking stop, and even then with an emergency stop. If the issue is - is an electric skateboard more dangerous than a bike? well, then of course it is. You're less visible, less stable, and have less braking ability and much smaller wheels. But that's not to say you can't safely brake a skateboard without throwing…

This is a fair point. The only note here is that the "enforced stop" as you put it is a function of the wheel diamter. If you think about making a wheel "non-round", its a function of the surface hardness of the wheel (ability to deofrm) and the relative size. so a 1/2 inch rock is just so much more likely to hurt a 2inch or whatever wheel than a 17/21/26 or whatever (would be like hitting a 6-8inch piece of concrete).

The frequency of this hazaard is more the problem. I skated in college to work all the time, but had the benefit of clean/smooth/concrete. It was a great mode of transit, for that. Who knows maybe someday the will have such lanes for these things?

& Obviously, the enforced stop scenario sucks on bike. Think, NYC taxi-cab doors, and etc. So thats fair.

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

#169

Post by malandrew »

cocoflunchy wrote: post #160
malandrew wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

37 degrees to be exact. Prentiss between Chapman and Powhatten

I think you must be mistaken. 37° is steeper than any road you've ever driven. It would be very hard to even walk !

Ooops, my bad. I didn't know there was a different between grade and degree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grade_(slope)

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

#170

Post by boostednoob »

mahyarm wrote: post #92
skdoo wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The electronics will be somewhat water resistant, but we don't recommend riding in the rain. A big reason for that is the wheels (from standard longboards) are slicks and are somewhat dangerous in wet weather. It is very capable at uphill climbing and downhill braking. Our ability to stay standing on it is usually the limiting factor. As for why you would choose this over others, it's the lightest, has way more power…

It's unfortunate nobody has made a waterproof electric skateboard yet, it's what makes me stop buying any of them. How would it perform with knobby all terrain tires?

Reread the statement you are commenting on. The reason that you don't want to ride this board in the rain is inherent to longboarding, not to electronics. It is entirely possible to design the mechanical enclosures of electronics to withstand rain, it is simply a design choice. If people shouldn't be longboarding in the rain, why design for it?
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