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CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

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Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#51

Post by kube-system »

0_____0 wrote: post #23

One issue I've noticed with these new forms of electric wheeled transport (longboard, transverse and longitudinal one-wheelers) is that the people riding them often don't come from a sports background. They aren't "safe" devices exactly - it takes skill to pilot them, and when things inevitably go awry, it takes good reflexes to avoid damage. Novices to action sports often throw their arms out to catch themselves whe…

I broke a bone literally the very first time I tried one of these. It was a painful lesson.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#52

Post by celestialcheese »

Reading this warning, I don't understand why now? Is there a bug with onewheels that are causing this injury/death? Or is it just rider error doing a dangerous activity?

Is the CPSC going to start warning against purchasing Rossignol skis or Santa Cruz mountain bikes because their respective activities are dangerous?

Participation in action sports and high-speed transportation will result in a higher expected mortality rate over the mean. I don't know who in their right mind would think flying down a street at >15mph on a single wheel would be _not_ incredibly dangerous.

Let adults make stupid decisions - whether that's jumping off a building with a parachute, riding a bike down a recklessly steep hill or hurtling my body down Main St. on a sideways unicycle.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#53

Post by opwieurposiu »

One issue with the skateboard style of e-wheel is that your feet are perpendicular to the direction of motion. This means when the wheel quits or you hit a big bump you will have to turn 90deg before you can run. The unicycle style where your feet are parallel to the direction of travel is much easier to "run-out" if the motor quits. The unicycle style also allows a larger wheel and larger batteries.

I think reason the unicycle configuration is less popular is that it does not look as cool as the skateboard style. My wife calls mine the dorkmobile.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#54

Post by rainsurf »

I strongly disagree with this recall.

I own a Onewheel (XR) and have ridden nearly ~1,000 miles on it in a variety of conditions.

I've only had one incident and it was entirely my fault (riding at night without proper lights and hit a pothole).

The Onewheel definitely has a learning curve. Like most things in life if you are patient in learning it and respect the limits it is entirely safe.

I think the safeguards Onewheel has implemented are completely adequate (primarily pushback).

I think the big problem is people not wearing safety gear and/or maxing out the board (speed specifically) too early.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#55

Post by [deleted] »

outworlder wrote: post #44
1attice wrote: post #8

With thunderstorms, you count seconds 'twixt bolt and boom. With the current golden age of electrified last-mile transport, we're seeing the gap between innovation and regulation opening up wide -- now several years. Real-world impact: I routinely get up to speeds on my e-bike that are, quite simply, dangerous. It's not that I never hit 25 miles an hour on my old road bike, it's that I spend so much more time hanging…

At least bicycles are stable. This onewheel thing cannot work without a computer balancing it (+ the rider). If it fails the rider falls on their face. It would be the equivalent of a bike fork breaking.

[deleted]

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#57

Post by advisedwang »

teekert wrote: post #50

4 deaths in all those years? Much safer than most forms of transport then? Of course I didn’t do the math but it seems like very little, perhaps there also aren’t that many out there?

"four reported deaths between ... after the product failed to balance the rider or suddenly stopped while in motion"

These are deaths specifically from the scooter suddenly stopping mid-ride and throwing the rider off. It's not including deaths like getting hit by a car. This is the product spontaniously killing people!

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#58

Post by Dylan16807 »

js2 wrote: post #10
aksss wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good summary. I would just add that "can't supply enough power" is a state the board can enter into either in lower battery levels or (more often) when a rider has put their center of mass too far forward, causing the board to work harder to stay under them, while also moving at a higher rate of speed or accelerating - the board can't give enough power to maintain this. Pushback is to be respected, but the user can a…

When I was a teenager I rode my skateboard down a parking lot ramp when I realized I was going way too fast, was about to enter the street and the only way to bail was to jump off and run. It looked about like that video. I didn’t realize these one wheels have top speeds of 16-20 mph. That’s faster than most people can sprint. 16 mph is a 3:45 mile. 20 is a 3:00 mile. > we're lucky to enjoy them before the nannies st…

> I didn’t realize these one wheels have top speeds of 16-20 mph. That’s faster than most people can sprint. 16 mph is a 3:45 mile. 20 is a 3:00 mile.

Those numbers are somewhat relevant but shorter sprints are about 50% faster than a mile pace.

Re: CPSC calls for full recall of all Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards

#59

Post by alden5 »

thembones wrote: post #29

Never been able to understand why these don't come by default on the Onewheels: https://land-surf.com/products/new-fangs-gt-built-tough-to-r... I put these on mine and love em. They work well and prevent exactly what's being described.

I personally don't like fangs as when the bumper drags on the ground during a nosedive it slows the board down quickly, when I first nosedived at 3k miles the friction caused me to slow down to about 5mph before I had to run it out, I was going downhill and if I had fangs I would have continued accelerating, eventually you need to bail and with fangs wouldn't have been able to run it out.
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