I just pre-ordered the new one and I can't wait to ride longer distances.
I used to be a big longboarder, and after shattering my collarbone coming off a hill, I had to sell it. (My second big accident on it.)
Obviously, not much can be done about the physics of a big-headed, top heavy primate toppling, but do these boards have a way of governing their speed going down hills?
If so, I'm looking forward to buying one. I miss skateboarding.
Still ride it almost every day though :)
If you're going fast in a straight line it can handle a fairly rough road. The slower you're going the more likely an obstacle is to stop the board and throw you off, but of course the faster you're going the more it will hurt if it does :)
Carving + powered wheels + debris also makes it more likely for the board to slide out from under you.
Basically avoid all potholes/rough patches/sand/etc at first and over time take them on more aggressively as you get comfortable. When in doubt go around or stop and walk across.
And wear a fucking helmet.
You can practice running off the board by riding into a garden hose (this will also prevent damage to the board or trucks). You can make the hose more or less taut to make the stopping intensity higher or lower. What you are trying to do is maintain your momentum in the direction you are traveling, and your goal is to make this such a natural reaction that your body will automatically do it when something unexpected knocks the board out from under your feet.
Take safety seriously and remember that things can go bad any time, so go slow (but not too slow) when it's riskier. Knowing how to foot break and fall safely are also musts.
But seriously, the brakes work pretty well. You should still learn to footbrake.
One thing I do suggest to everyone is to get a proper full-face helmet. The longboarding kind, not motorbike (lighter). It makes the ride less windy and cars take you more seriously in traffic.
Plus, at 22mph you can do some serious damage to your moneymaker. A $200 helmet will stop that. Totally worth looking like a bit nerdier.
Can't wait to get the new version of the board. With daily riding, it amortized against Uber in 3 months.
It seems insane to me to charge a skateboard, but since I've moved to a very hilly area it does make sense, just maybe not at 1500 bucks for me.
I did longboard before - not sure why skateboarders seem to dislike the idea of electric boards so much.
I have used a longboard and I also grew up skateboarding/surfing/snowboarding/etc. I also have a carver board. I love all types of skateboards, but this one is something else. I would say it most reminds me of snowboarding, especially when carving at high speeds.
These boards appear to have engine braking, but they also note that it's subject to fail on a steep hill or when the battery runs out: http://boostedboards.com/faq/
So— it'd probably be useful for a flattish, quietish commute of up to a few miles where storing a bicycle would be difficult. The learning curve also probably depends on your skills with reading traffic, e.g. if you've biked or motorcycled lately. (Driving helps too but won't necessarily give you an appropriate fear of big busy streets)
Riding is super fun :)
How are sidewalks with curbs?
Watch out for manhole covers.
I bought a nice ~$200 made in brooklyn longboard and started to use it.
It did cut down the commute time, and I liked riding it, but then I hit a pebble or something and was thrown forward, the board sliding across a busy street.
I am laying there, with a yellow cab having to swerve to not hit me, people honking, its amazing I didn't break anything, and me or my board didn't get run over.
Longboard wheels are just too small, too easily stopped. I gave up on it and just walked, not worth broken bones or a broken skull, and having to carry a helmet negates some of the benefit anyhow.
I would ride one if it had larger pneumatic tires and a foldable handlebar that would let you take a bump and stay on the board.
A lot of the challenge is in learning the roads and behavior of the drivers. I biked for ~ 3 years prior to getting my boosted board which contributed a lot towards knowing some of the "safer" routes.
That being said, your legs and calves will hurt like hell until you start to adjust to riding every single day. I go the gym 5x a week and still get achy calves from riding long distances.
I've only taken a single spill thanks to losing and regaining bluetooth connectivity going full throttle through a turn (mostly my own fault).
I can't recommend Boosted Boards enough. Extremely reliable piece of tech.
It's super fun to ride though. I was comfortable on a normal longboard before getting one. I'd say it's worth learning the ropes on a regular longboard first so you can get comfortable with braking without the engine in case things go south.
I think the negative situations just stand out more.
Also, be sure to wear a helmet. Unlike riding a bicycle, various seemingly small obstacles can cause a longboard to come to an immediate stop, sending you flying. I'd love to see a board that address this problem somehow, as that's a big safety concern for me.
I wonder what made them pick Bluetooth?
If it had a range that was further than 10 km, I might’ve considered getting one.
I'm holding out for one of these babies:
I would definitely ride a boosted board if I could justify the $1500.
[1] https://twitter.com/RideMarbel/status/693081497264373760
[2] https://www.facebook.com/ridemarbel/videos/vb.75887281080344...
But no harm in asking your card issuer to see if they can help.
http://shop.gopro.com/mounts/curved-plus-flat-adhesive-mount...
Anyway, wouldn't it make more sense to walk a bit when you are on a downhill, less tiresome than going uphill.
In general though, I really do think that these kinds of "personal transportation" devices are the way of the future. I ride my self-balancing electric unicycle [2] from the light-rail to the office any time it's nice out and I'm not hauling anything in. It's the best way to get around in the city as far as I'm concerned.
I feel like it's a better solution because of the big, pneumatic tire. I can ride it up a bump of about an inch without even thinking. I feel like it'd be quite a challenge to ride something with wheels that small on the roads/sidewalks/trails around here (Minnesota).
[1] http://imgur.com/jm5NoCJ.jpg
[2] http://i.imgur.com/lHoVGQ3.jpg
Edit: I will say, the one thing I'm really jealous at with the boosted board is that it's half the weight of my wheel and apparently has the same range. Carrying this thing around for extended periods of time can get tiring.
I was hoping that there would be a more compact version for improved portability. @skdoo -- any chance we'll see something like this in the future?
[0] http://original-longboardshop.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/im...
Yesterday morning, I came off the Caltrain (walking my bike), and there was a guy with a classic short board with flat gray tape.
As I heard that telltale clack-and-roll and watched the guy kick down the sidewalk, I overheard two guys joking that it was really strange to see a guy with an "old-school non-motorized" skateboard coming off the train.
Congratulations, Boosted, you've reached male-SF-techie hegemony!
I never can get over the price for a Boosted board. $1500. Wow.
Evolve Carbon GT:
http://www.gizmag.com/carbon-gt-electric-skateboard-review/4...
I'm looking for a rubber tire long board, looks like they have a decent model. Woot! :)
Why don't we have cheap, semi-durable, electric long boards? Or Tesla's patents in use for long boards? bikes? Motorcycles? I wish I had the skills, I'd do it. Sure, R/D is a high cost but...there are better models to disrupt an industry than this snail-pace innovation.
If boosted boards could merge with E-glide [1], we'd have a bad ass true commuter solution. Then maybe pool resources to improve the battery and we'd have a product that disrupts things.
EDITED: Since I'm getting down votes, let me clarify. Replacement wheels cost $105[2], motor belt $25 [3]. On their website, they say [4] that the belts should be replaced every 200-400 miles. I doubt the wheels will last that long with normal use but let's be generous. 800 miles on the wheels.
If this were to be truly disruptive and would replace local commuting, it would need to do about 5,000 miles per year based on 20 miles a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. (this would be 250-500 charges per year).
Adding up the entire maintenance costs (735 yr in wheels, 300 in belts = 1,000 year in maintenance), I feel electric long boarding is only after hobbyists and not disruptive enough.
[1] https://e-glide.com/electric-skateboard-store/electric-skate...
[2] http://shop.boostedboards.com/products/replacement-wheels?va...
[3] http://shop.boostedboards.com/products/motor-belt-service-ki...
Where's the throttle/drive enable?
Looks like a great redesign - the waterproofing alone makes it worth it.
Good job to the team!
But one thing sticks out to me: The 80mm wheels - polyurethane? No mention of different wheel/tire combinations for different terrain though? Like, I get there may be dynamics and clearance issues with feet, and some rolling resistance / unsprung weight / geometry to consider, but I don't like the idea of the wheels.
Are there any thoughts regarding making a strong rim and high quality rubber / treaded tire (inflated?) that would reflect influence from automotive technology[1], versus the holdover from the skate/longboard world?
[1] For reference, I see Ford is about to "mass produce" carbon fibre composite wheel rims (still very limited) and I've followed tire tech through various racing outlets, and would probably contact Michelin as my first choice.
Most of these are asking $1000+
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/sss?query=boosted+board&s...
Is anyone here with more insights which board might actually be better?
Would've been great to see at least a cost estimate. It's hard to tell how large the packaging is and how much the weight is.
And dropping $1000+ > just to get slapped with some unknown shipping fee is a bit strange.
Edit: Nevermind, just checked the laws. Because the board is faster than 6km/h, you would need lights, bell, reflectors, insurance, a license plate and a drivers license in Germany. Yikes. Let's hope that gets changed.
