Can You Ride a Onewheel In the Snow

Can You Ride a Onewheel In the Snow        

So you have bought a new Onewheel and want to know, can you ride a Onewheel in the snow? Yes, you can. But it’s very tricky when it comes to riding a Onewheel in snow.

Yes, it requires a lot of carefulness as it can be slippery. Additionally, riding in colder temperatures can impact your board’s performance. Extreme temperatures exerts a toll on your battery, your tire, and even the motor.

Again, extended exposure of your board to extreme temperatures exerts a toll on your battery, your tire, and even the motor.

Also, your board might give an error message when your battery level gets too cold.

Extreme cold temperatures will most likely cause a premature battery drain, in which case you will have to bring the board back inside.

Another critical consideration you might want to assess is that snow turns into water when it melts.

If this happens, you might not want to ride your board in the snow as water and electronics aren’t any friends at all!

It’s a real joy when it comes to riding your Onewheel during winter. However, it would help if you did it the right way not to create problems for yourself or the board.

There are several recommendations that Future Motion makes regarding your Onewheel and winter riding.

Do I Need To Dress Warmly?

Yes. The easiest way to avoid hypothermia is dressing heavily and correctly.

If your body loses heat at a faster rate than it can create it, then you have a case of hypothermia.

In normal circumstances, your body is at around 98 degrees Fahrenheit. If your body temperature drops below 95 degrees, you will be said to have hypothermia.

When riding a Onewheel, there is not much hard work that you are doing.

Indeed, your activities are minimal while aboard a Onewheel since the board does all the stuff for you, from balancing to acceleration and deceleration.

This means that your heart rate does not increase like it would if you were riding a bike, skiing running. This is the reason warm dressing becomes important.

As you travel at a speed of 15 miles per hour, cold winter blows right through you unless you are dressed correctly.

The appropriate fabric for cold weather is wool, cotton being the worst material for cold weather.

The latter absorbs water and even takes longer to dry than other fabrics like wool and other synthetic fabrics.

Therefore, peradventure you are rained on when dressed in cotton.

The moisture from this or even from snow or sweat will make you miserable as the water conducts heat from your body faster than air.

Additionally, the water will take up space between the fibers, practically forcing warm air out. As the water evaporates, more cooling should be expected.

Should I Protect My Head When Riding In Snow?

Yes. The head can be a great avenue for losing heat from your body. When riding your Onewheel in cold weather or the snow, it’s crucial to wear a helmet.

But many helmets have too much ventilation to keep you cool. Consequently, if your head is getting too cold, it’s advisable to wear a beanie under your helmet.

Indeed, you can complement this with a balaclava for the provision of protection from the cold.

Is The Onewheel Battery Drain More Rapid In The Snow?

Yes. Batteries scarcely perform at their optimum when exposed to extremely cold temperatures.

Consequently, if you are riding in snow, prepare for a decreased range unless you are ready to walk home carrying your Onewheel.

You will also need to remember that you can never leave your Onewheel outside when you are done riding due to the extreme temperatures out.

Your Onewheel needs to be stored in a temperature-controlled room where temperatures are almost constant.

When you do this, your battery will last longer, in addition to getting the normal range from your Onewheel.

In extreme cases, your battery might become permanently damaged and incapacitated to hold any charge.

Do not perform as well in extreme cold, so expect and plan for decreased range.

Also, just as Future Motion recommends, do not leave your Onewheel in the cold when not in use.

In very cold temperatures, the battery may stop working altogether, and you will have to bring the battery in to warm up slowly before it becomes operational again.

Can My Onewheel Withstand The Snow Turned Water When Riding?

No. Not really. As already pointed out, electronics should be kept away from water.

As you think of riding your Onewheel in the snow, let’s get one thing straight; we are dealing with water, but not snow, as the snow will melt into water under your wheel.

Onewheel is similar to an electric skateboard(Amazon Link) as both use electronic circuits and electricity together with batteries to transport you.

It’s critical to understand that Onewheels are not water-proof. They might be water-resistant but certainly not water-proof.

If by any chance water gets into your board and occasions a short-circuit, it will become dead right away. Your Onewheel board can withstand some little water but not much.

Therefore, it might be a good idea if you avoided riding your Onewheel in snow or puddles, or even heavy rain.

However, if your board accidentally gets water, it is advisable to wipe it dry before you power it on.

If you must ride your Onewheel in the rain or snow, steer away from unpaved streets or any watery routes much as possible.

Additionally, you can also avoid muddy roads. Still, it’s advisable to ride at low speed when riding on wet or rainy streets.

This is because it becomes very easy to slip and fall, hurting yourself. It’s recommended that knee and elbow caps should be worn by all Onewheel riders for more protection.

Can I Ride My Onewheel On The Beach?

No. It might not be a good idea to ride your Onewheel on the beach. Sand might find its way into your Onewheel.

But if you still want to cruise the beach sand on your Onewheel, then I would suggest that you use rubber plugs to protect any holes or vents on your Onewheel.

Unfortunately, sand on the beach contains water. Therefore, we are not dealing with sand getting into your Onewheel only.

Water might also get into your Onewheel and damage the circuit, as we have seen earlier in this article.

Therefore, it is advisable to avoid riding your Onewheel on the beach to avoid water and sand getting into your Onewheel.

Peradventure water or sand finally gets into your Onewheel; there are appropriate tools to use and dry your board without the risk of damaging your board.

However, if you do not have the appropriate tools, first allow the board to be dry, avoiding switching it on before 24 hours have elapsed.

Can I Charge My Onewheel When It Is Extremely Cold?

Not. One thing you might find helpful to understand is that warm batteries make a happy charging session!

Indeed, you should never attempt to charge your Onewheel if the battery is cold. In addition to charging slowly, a Onewheel battery that is charged cold will most likely be damaged.

This underscores the need to always bring your Onewheel in with you, never leafing it outside.

Indeed, winter riding is not a thing I would advocate for as far as beginners are concerned. Winter riding is not like summer riding, and the differences are significant.

There are specific challenges that come with winter. These challenges add to the ride, not taking from it!

Therefore, if you consider yourself fit for the task, you will need more preparation than wearing synthetic or woolen clothing.

For instance, if you desire better traction, you will need to change your tire.

This might involve sending your Onewheel to Future Motions for a wheel change to stay within the warranty specifications.

Investing in the right tires is a sure way to maintain traction, control, and speed on the ground concerning your Onewheel during winter.

If you decide to do it without involving Future Motion, it might be a bit of a minefield as far as choosing the correct tire.

However, the great players in the field are Vega, Hoosier, or Burris. Now, Vega is what you had as the stock tire, so learn about the rest.

While Future Motion recommends an 11.5×6.5-6 Vega tire ensuring a smooth ride for the rider over uneven terrains and concrete pavements.

The Hoosier 11×5.5-6 D30A is preferable due to its desirable maneuverability on snow or icy surfaces. Additionally, the Hoosier option can be studded for traction.

In addition to this, if your battery drains, do not charge it cold. Indeed, it is better to avoid charging at all instead of charging it cold.

Again, it will pay off if you plan your routes ahead of time, ensuring that your storage (if at all it must be stored) is in suitable environmental conditions.

Are Onewheel’s Speed Machines?

No. Onewheel does not qualify to be a speed machine. Indeed, speed enthusiasts are discouraged from buying a Onewheel.

There are several reasons why a Onewheel should not ride at very high speeds, including the dreaded nosedive.

Consider your Onewheel nosediving at high speed. The results would be catastrophic.

It is critical first to ascertain the safety of any board before you covet high speeds from the same.

For the Onewheel, it gets less stable with increased speeds due to the function of the motor.

To understand this, remember that the motor performs several crucial functions, including balancing the board and accelerating/decelerating the board.

When you ride at high speeds (from where pushback occurs onwards), more functionalities are offered to maintain speed instead of balancing the board.

Consequently, your board becomes a conventional board if rode at such high speeds.

Well, the Onewheel XR tops at a speed of 19 mph, while the Onewheel Pint tops at a speed of 16 mph.

While this is what is claimed by Onewheel, it might not be what you may experience in practicality.

The truth is that both boards can help riders at higher speeds than the stipulated ones but with a higher risk of nosediving.

I have tried my XR severally and achieved a top speed of 21 mph. This is somehow unexpected, bearing in mind that I have 200 pounds.

For me, pushback occurs at around 18 mph, though the riding mode affects this. 

When it comes to the Onewheel Pint, I easily hit 15 mph, Pushback coming at around 13 mph. It is possible to go beyond this, but it is not always safe.

Since the boards are not designed for high speeds, pushing them beyond the recommended speed (and you can easily do) is very risky.

What Affects Onewheel Speed?

It is factual that no person will ever attain the same top speed on a single Onewheel board or any other electric skateboard, for that matter.

Multiple factors affect speed including, incline, rider weight, and terrain. If you are too heavy, your board will have to struggle more against the force of gravity.

This is because your weight downwards is too great, causing more friction between the ground and the board’s wheel. This dictates a lower top speed.

This calls for keenness when choosing a board, as attention should be directed to the maximum load that the board can hold.

If you buy a board with a lower maximum load capacity, you will be doomed from the first day!

Again, terrain also affects the speed as well. Rough surfaces mean less speed.

Conclusion

While Onewheel claims that none of its products is water-resistant, it’s critical to understand what that means before using your Onewheel in a compromised environment.

Future Motion has not stated anywhere that their products are water-proof. Therefore, do not think that you can ride your board in the snow or water and stay safe.

This might be the beginning of problems with your Onewheel.

Additionally, you will only discover when it is too late that the warranty does not cover any damage related to the terms “water-proof” since they have not insinuated that their products are water-proof.