What is a Onewheel board? You must have seen onewheel electric boards around the roads and streets like electric skateboards. These new devices have gotten famous over the past few years, and people use these wheels as their transport devices. We assume that you are also looking for one and are trying to get information about it before making the big decision.
In that case, you’ve made the right decision as we’ll be discussing all the basics and details of one wheel board in this article. This will include its working principle, an essential guide to riding one wheel, and other aspects.
Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
History of the onewheel board
It’s essential to know a bit of history about this high-tech device before looking at the details.
The onewheel board has a relatively short history, but it has quickly become one of the most popular electric boards on the market. The onewheel was first released in 2014 by Future Motion, a company founded by Kyle Doerksen. Doerksen had been working on the concept for the onewheel for over two years before releasing it to the public.
The onewheel is a unique electric board that uses a single wheel to balance and propel the rider forward. This design makes it much more stable than other electric boards and allows riders to go much faster than traditional skateboards or longboards.
Since its release, the onewheel has become extremely popular with riders of all ages and skill levels. In fact, Future Motion reports that they have already sold over 10,000 boards worldwide.
Parts of a onewheel board
A onewheel board isn’t just a simple board on a wheel. It may sound simple, but it’s a piece of art. A lot of struggle and parts come together to form this beautiful piece. We’ll be looking at the different components that make up a onewheel board.
1. Deck
The deck is the most prominent part of one wheel. It has a space in the middle for the wheel to be placed. The deck is the part where the rider stands, and that is why different brands use different materials to make it lighter and durable.
2. Battery
The battery is one of the essential parts of a onewheel board as this provides the power needed to drive the one wheel in different directions.
Batteries come in different sizes and arrangements of cells. If you’re buying a new wheel board or making a new one, consider these things.
3. Motor
The motor alongside the battery is an integral part of the onewheel board and is crucial for the proper working of your board. This supplies the energy to the wheel and moves in different directions.
The motors are of different types. Previously, the motors used were belt-driven, which are still used nowadays. However, with the advancement of technology, hub motors are also being used in onewheel boards.
4. Wheel
How can we forget the wheel? This is placed in the center of the deck, and it is what we can call the legs of a onewheel board. The wheels come in different sized and stuff.
The wheel makes the one wheel go on different terrains other than the streets or roads.
5. Sensors
There are special sensors on the front of your board that help detect the changes and then makes the board change its balance so that your ride gets easier.
6. Gyroscopes
This detects changes in the angle of your board and makes the motor change the angle back to normal for proper functioning.
7. Accelerometer
This is present inside the board to measure long-term, low-frequency acceleration.
How does a onewheel board work?
After knowing about the significant parts of one wheel, let’s move on and see how these components work together and make the onewheel board functional.
The central part is the wheel, and it consists of a complete propulsion system and an electric motor. The motor has two functions. It makes the one wheel go forwards and backward by spinning. The other thing it does is to keep you balanced by making minor adjustments.
Now comes the stance and the adjustment of your body. You have to place one foot at the front and the other one at the back.
The foot at the back area has a battery under the deck, giving the motor the energy required to propel and take you where you want to go. The front foot has a microprocessor under it which makes the whole device work.
Two pressure-sensitive pads are also present under your front foot, which detects the change in pressure and helps the onewheel board function properly.
Then come three internal accelerometers and gyroscopes, the main components that help the one wheel maintain its balance. These will maintain the balance and the level of your one wheel so that you will have difficulty riding your device.
The gyroscopes inside the board have a particular function to perform, and that is to detect any change in angles. They can sense what the board is doing 14000 times per second and help the motor make the board balance itself.
An app is also available that will tell about the battery level to recharge it and allow you to change different modes on your one wheel. This enables you to change the performance of your board.
Read also: Can onewheel boards go uphill?
How does it feel to ride a onewheel board?
You might be excited to get the feel of your first ride on a one wheel board. Let me tell you how it feels to go on a trip on this fantastic device.
Once you get on the one wheel and balance while standing straight, you have to change your center of gravity and move a little forward and backward while pressing on the pressure-sensitive pads, like the hoverboards.
Likewise, you have to move your body backward and decrease the pressure on the pads to slow down the board. This will sound difficult, and I’ll not lie; it will be challenging at first. However, as you practice regularly, this will get easier.
The last and most important tip is that you must wear protective gear while practicing or riding your one wheel. This is important as you don’t want to get any road rash, bruises, or broken bones. A padded helmet and elbow and knee paddings are necessary for a safe ride.
Accessories for your onewheel board
Apart from the built-in parts on a onewheel board, you need to have these accessories to increase the life span of your board. These are:
1. Float Plates
Without these plates, known as float plates, we’ve seen the one wheels break its bumpers, headlights, and other vital parts of the wheel get damaged.
These float plates are designed to absorb shock in case of an accident or jump. This is a must-have part on your one wheel because it makes it resistant to damage.
Otherwise, your one wheel would be delicate, and without this extra layer of protection, you might spend a lot of money repairing it.
2. Rail guards
These are important for protecting your one wheel board from the side. It’s a fact that whenever you ride one wheel, you will encounter a situation where your board will tip over, roll on the sides or scratch it.
To avoid this from happening, use rail guards, which will increase the durability of your onewheel board.
3. Footpad Accessories
The most faced problem by people using onewheel boards is foot fatigue. For this reason, you can get footpads on your decks. These are cushioned for people of any size and shape.
It’s a great way to reduce foot fatigue and make your rider more comfortable.
4. Hub bearings
Usually, people use stock bearings in their wheels and do not try to replace them with bearings made up of ceramics and steel. These are more durable and smoother, which will make your rider even smoother.
5. Fender
This is one of the most used onewheel accessories of a onewheel board. A fender keeps you and your shoes away from dirt or when you’re riding your one wheel during rain.
Final Words – Wrapping it up
To conclude all of the above, a onewheel board is just like electric bikes, scooters, or skateboards with a bit of variation in design and the number of tires used in it.
This is a future gadget built up of many different parts with accessories that you can add for added safety and a comfortable ride.
Riding on a onewheel board is easy if you practice regularly, but while doing so, you should always have protective gear on because safety always comes first.
