Am I Too Old for the Onewheel?(No, See Why)

Am I Too Old for the Onewheel?

If you have never tried riding a Onewheel, the sport might look like a miracle. And if you happen to see people zip by on a Onewheel, you might think to yourself,

“What the hell is that, and is it hard to ride it?” This is understandable. It always looks a little tricky at first glance.

This is because it’s different from how we are used to seeing people get around town and faster than a bike. Again, you don’t have to do much on the board as it carries you around.

Indeed, the riding experience is not only different but unique. So you might wonder, am I too old for the Onewheel?

No! Onewheel does not have many restrictions on age, but you need to be over 13 years to ride it. However, that is not all. Some situations might make it illegible to ride. For instance, if you are not physically fit, it might be too much to ride a Onewheel.

When you think about riding a Onewheel at whatever age you might be, you will most likely think about the balancing act.

However, a Onewheel is supposed to be a self-balancing vehicle! This means that it has sensors, and it endeavors to balance itself according to weight and speed.

This is a very complex procedure that the sensors perform several times in a second.

When you climb on the board, it will register that it has someone aboard and try to re-align itself to ensure you are balanced.

You might indeed feel wobbly at first, but this is normal and will fade with time. You might be happy to know that your Onewheel will strive to balance you, with or without your effort.

Isn’t this wonderful? Therefore, don’t worry if you are too old to balance yourself on the board. Controlling your Onewheel movements is easy.

You must be thinking, how do I turn with my Onewheel, unless you are planning to always ride in straight lines, which I highly doubt.

This must sound like an awkward question, but it’s pertinent to all new Onewheel users. It’s even more pronounced for those who have never tried things like snowboards.

With your Onewheel, it only takes a look into the direction you want to turn, and your wheel will respond. However, you will need to couple this with a bit of pressure on the front foot sensor.

What Age Is Appropriate For One Wheel?

As already mentioned, anyone past the age of 13 can ride Onewheel easily and at limited risk. What you will need to ride your Onewheel safely are enough practice and a little instruction.

Since the wheel has the technology to keep you balanced, that will not be part of your concern. Indeed, you don’t have to be a circus performer or a pro surfer to figure it out.

However, it will take some time and practice like any board sport to become a pro. But many people acquaint themselves with the basics within their first 15 minutes on the board.

Hundreds of thousands of people across all ages have learned to ride the one wheel, and I know you can do it too. I have seen an 86 year-old riding their Onewheel with a lot of ease.

Because Onewheel is a transport vehicle, you will need to know how to remain safe on the road and streets.

Some rules and regulations are operational in different states, and you will need to look at them to know if it’s legal to ride your board there.

Again, as you might pose a threat to other road users, some knowledge of traffic rules will never disappoint.

But if you are riding it on the beach, you might not have anything to worry about. Unfortunately, you cannot always ride your Onewheel on the beach.

You will also need a feel of the town and some feel on the city streets as well. This calls for extra caution when using your Onewheel.

Perhaps, this is the reason Future Motion puts the minimum age at 13 years.

You will need to make some critical judgments of other road users at times, which might not be easy for younger children.  

Therefore, we should celebrate this age limit. Why would you allow your younger child to ride your Onewheel and endanger their lives?

Is Onewheel Street Legal?

Yes and No. It depends on where you are. There are several states where you can use your Onewheel legally on the streets.

Many threats bedevil personal electric vehicles (PEV), including the Onewheel.  These include water damage, nosedives among other risks associated with falling.

Battery life is also an issue with this kind of vehicle. However, this is not the greatest threat. You might be asking, what is the greatest threat then?

Well, the laws governing such vehicles are the greatest threat. Indeed, there are unfavorable regulations that govern the use of such devices.

It’s true that personal electric vehicles are exploding in popularity and usage.

Unfortunately, governments seem to be unprepared and clueless as to the communities on how best to handle such devices.

As many governments struggle on how best to handle the situation, Onewheel continues to be delivered. There are no homogeneity in-laws.

Consequently, different states are supposed to handle the situation differently, sometimes in a case-to-case scenario.

While you might wonder what I am talking about since it’s okay to ride a Onewheel in your state.

You might be worried to note that some regulation might be in the offing where someone might want to push through a law that would see them banned from city streets, parks, or from the sidewalk.

Indeed, some states, communities, and cities have unanimously banned personal electric vehicles like Onewheels, electric skateboards, electric unicycles, and electric scooters altogether.

For instance, Germany and other European countries have made it illegal to ride any personal electric vehicle.

If you try to ride any personal electric vehicle, you will end up being ticketed by the police. Specifically, the police in Berlin is famous for this type of thing.

In addition to this, your Onewheel board or whatever PEV you might be using will be confiscated.

Therefore, if you live in this area, it’s best to avoid using your Onewheel in public.

Better still, if you haven’t bought it, you might reconsider your intention before concluding the deal.

There have been some forms of picketing and demonstrations in Germany to review the stance against PEV.

Unfortunately, nothing much seems to have been achieved by such petitions and picketing. As you might already know.

It’s easier to prevent bad legislation from becoming law than wait for it to become law and then change it.

Can You Return A Onewheel?

No. Future Motion argues that the nature of their product can’t allow them to accept any return. This makes the sale final. And they state that the sale is final.

Returning or not returning anything after you buy is governed by either a return policy or a warranty.

Electronics have warranties and return policies that differ from one manufacturer to the other. Some devices are too delicate to have extended warranties.

And after all, warranties are meant to make you feel better, not to help you. Manufacturers are hesitant to replace products, even when their warranties state they do.

So does it mean warranties are useless?  No. Let’s first familiarize ourselves with warranties and what they entail.

Warranty is a contract binding a party to act in a specific way to provide a product that accomplishes some specified tasks.

All types of products have some form of warranty.

Legislatures have been trying to protect consumers by increasingly developing theories of “implied” warranties where minimum performance criteria are imposed even in the absence of agreed-upon terms of warranties.

A warranty assures the buyer that the product is free from defects. It should provide some specific remedy if the product fails to meet the terms of the warranty.

The person who buys the product can rely on such a warranty and can seek legal redress if the warranty is breached.

Future Motion’s warranty is limited. This warranty does not cover any possibility for return as they will never accept the return of Onewheel unless you return it within 30 days, and it should be unused.

The warranty covers the product without covering the footpad, battery pack, and tire. All other parts are supposed to be free from defects for up to 12 months/1243 miles.

On the above-mentioned parts, the warranty is for six months / 622 miles, whichever comes first.

If the product fails before the warranty expires and a claim is filed within the warranty period.

You might be lucky enough to get a repair, replacement, or some refund of the money used to buy the product.

Does Onewheel Warranty Transfer?

Many people love it when warranties can transfer. There are transferable warranties and non-transferable warranties.

When you sell a device with a transferable warranty, you will need to follow a certain procedure to transfer the warranty to the new owner.

There are benefits associated with the manufacturer’s factory warranty. If you have ever owned a car with a transferable warranty, you might be aware that such cars are easier to sell.

In addition to this, the seller will get a higher price for the car if the transferable warranty is valid. Note that the warranty might not always be valid.

So, be careful to check if the warranty of an item you are buying is valid. If you are selling any device with a valid warranty, it’s evidence that the device is in condition.

Indeed, during the transfer period, if there are any breakages, the new owner will not take care of such repairs.

When buying a used appliance, it’s critical to know if the appliance has a transferable warranty. This is a good way for the seller to get more money.

When there is a claim, the manufacturer would be able to cover the claim even if the appliance has a new owner. But only faithful manufacturers will do that.

Onewheel warranty is not transferable. Onewheel warranty is somehow complex. I feel that Future Motion can do better.

There is so much that wants in the warranty. Start with the fact that you can’t return a used Onewheel, even if you used it for five minutes.

This is not only ridiculous but absurd. What would you do to a Onewheel if you tried it for five minutes and feel that you don’t want it?

There is not much likelihood that you can damage the Onewheel in such a short while. Why then does Future Motion remain rigid with their terms of warranty?

I think much has to do with monopoly. Since there is no other manufacturer of Onewheel’s in the market, Future Motion can behave the way they deem fit.

After all, where else can you buy a Onewheel? You will have to bear with them, no matter what your opinion on them might be.

But this is common with all products that have only one manufacturer. Introduce competition, and everything will change.

Due to this monopoly enjoyed by Future Motion, you are not likely to see any transferable warranties anytime soon. You better get used to the status quo as there is nothing you can do.

Conclusion

Age is not much of a problem when it comes to riding a Onewheel.

However, there are critical riding decisions that might be hard to be made by people within a certain age bracket and specific conditions.

Therefore, for this reason, Future Motion has limited the entry age for riding Onewheels to 13 years.

Therefore, it’s best to ensure that you don’t allow your child under that age to ride a Onewheel.