Environments
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Every Onewheeling environment carries its own risks -- what risks do you see in your riding environment?
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The Greenway I usually ride is 44 miles long, and mostly arrow straight pavement through woods and farm fields. It encourages speed. Lately I have been averaging 20mph. A fall at speed last month knocked me out, even with a helmet on. The other risk is the remoteness. When I fell last month the EMTs wheeled the gurney down the trail to get to me -- luckily it was less than a quarter mile.
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@s-leon said in Environments:
what risks do you see in your riding environment?
Cars! i wish my city had protected lanes for Onewheels (and other non-vehicular ways of getting around).
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@s-leon sugar sand and goose turds down by the water. cars too cuz i ride in the streets. black ice too but i dont ride when its that cold anyways.
XR's got what plants crave!
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Children and Dogs, I slow for both. People with buds or NC headphones are not much better.
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Deep potholes, blind corners and wild creatures at night seem to be my top 3.
Potholes aren’t unique but still a consideration. They can sneak up on you if you’re lulled into thinking the smooth road remains smooth.
Roads aren’t always the safest option so in some areas using a path is the only option. The UK and anywhere else old enough usually has extremely thin paths that will wrap around obstacles making for some blind corners that can be risky if someone is coming around.
When night riding all the rabbits like to come out and one particular spot is full of them. If they’re not in your way they can still last minute dart in front as they try to cross to the other side in a panic. Keeping slow round there has prevented me hitting one of them or needing to swerve abruptly.
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paved root heaves and dogschite under leaves
carving turns all year round
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@b0ardski said in Environments:
paved root heaves and dogschite under leaves
slippery feets with my fender deletes...
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I ride mostly trail and find myself concerned for critters. In warm months, snakes are a bit tricky for me as I'm always trying to second guess my vision: Is that a stick or a snake? Hmmmm ... I've had some narrow misses with live sticks (snakes). Frogs are also a frequent obstacle on night rides.
The cats on our property also become a hazard as they simply assume we would never hurt them ... even as they dart into our path at the last moment. (Good thing they have 9 lives?)
P.S. My problems with snakes isn't new to my OneWheel adventures. I have a history of stepping on snakes around here. I just don't see them?? And, apparently, they don't see/hear/feel my approach either. I really try to avoid them and will go out of my way to free both snakes and lizards when they are caught in our fruit tree netting or garden fencing. I've worked really hard to free those critters ... and hate when any harm comes to them.
SoCal XR "Sunflower"
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@horseplay what kinda fruit we talkin here?
XR's got what plants crave!
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@notsure -- We've had plum, apple, apricot, and peach trees; blueberry bushes and grape vines.
However, 2016 was a bad drought and sadly our well couldn't keep up. We had to stop irrigating. The grape vines made it ... but not the fruit trees or blueberry bushes. We've put more emphasis, since, on native landscaping and "volunteers." If it wants to grow ... and it provides either a visual screen or shade ... and it doesn't attract too much negative attention from the neighbors ... I'm inclined to let it be.
SoCal XR "Sunflower"
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@horseplay said in Environments:
We've put more emphasis, since, on native landscaping
dragonfruit grows in the desert
XR's got what plants crave!
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@notsure said in Environments:
dragonfruit
Ooooh, fun idea. I might have to look for some of those ... they look easier to eat then our prickly pear?
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Easy flowing onewheeler looks rather static for those who are not familiar with this thing, right? In other words: seemingly does nothing to accelerate, decelerate.
Diverse light traffic roads close to residential areas where training road riders, jogglers with earbuds, dog-walkers, all sorts of PEV riders all get together, this tail light up on your backpack or rear side of helmet could give a sign to others you are actually slowing down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPAhjlMexG8&ab_channel=&t=0m44s
(Needless to hint for you folks in US that actually have such phenomenon as 'OW group riding'.) -
Crossing the trail I ride today utility company workers were stringing up a new cable -- as I cautiously Onewheeled through I almost got clotheslined as they pulled the cable up toward position!
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@s-leon Oh no everything has been out to get you recently D:
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Oh-oh! An e-bike enthusiast told me today that the Ashtabula Metroparks Ranger pulled him and his wife over on the trail and warned them against riding on the Greenway. The e-bike enthusiast said the Ranger has been stopping and threatening tickets to other riders of e-bikes, too -- and wondered if I, too, on a Onewheel had been stopped. No, I have not even seen a Ranger lately.
Apparently there was a crash very recently where an e-bike ran into the rear of another bicycle, causing a damaging fall to the lady riding the one hit.
The summer weather has brought out many "fair-weather" trail users, not all of whom know how to share the Greenway with due courtesy.
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@s-leon Interesting. I ride the American River Parkway bike trails in Sacramento daily and occasionally get bicycle riders that I pass going the other way yelling at me "skateboards are not allowed!", due to it being actually written on the path every few miles. I've seen, and talked to, park rangers, police, and even security folks and none of them have said I am not allowed on the paths. Most are just interested in how my board works, lol.
We also have Bike Patrol people with vests and medical kits that will occasionally be riding on the path. I was riding along and came upon one and started to talk to him, so he pulled over and we had a discussion . . . his name was Paul. I was asking if I, even though not riding a bike, could be on the patrol as I ride the paths every day. He stated that they are an extension of the ski patrol and that they have to pass various certification tests (i.e. CPR, etc) and are fully qualified members of the ski patrol. He said he would check with one of the leaders and get back to me.
We exchanged numbers and a few days later he texted me saying that as long as I passed the tests, wore the vest, and carried the proper kit, they would have no issue with me being on the "Bike Patrol". In addition, he gave me a card with the rules, which I found QUITE interesting.
Allowed on the path, besides bikes:
- Class I and II e-bikes and e-boards (that's us)
- Pedestrians
- Horseback riders
Not allowed:
- Class III PEVs (meaning anything that can go over 20 MPH, so none of those fast bikes or EUCs)
- Skateboards
It also states:
- Bikes must yield to ALL other users
- All users must yield to horses. Horses have the right of way
I seriously can't wait to tell the next bike rider that yells at me that not only am I allowed on the path, but that THEY have to yield to ME!
GT-S > GT > Pint X > XR > +
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@onedangt said in Environments:
I seriously can't wait to tell the next bike rider that yells at me that not only am I allowed on the path, but that THEY have to yield to ME!
plz record this lol
XR's got what plants crave!
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@notsure Would be even better if I got certified and was wearing a Bike Patrol vest!
GT-S > GT > Pint X > XR > +
