Category: Electric Skateboard Reviews

Posted on by Drew Frayre

The Mellow Drive Review: Gliding into a New Era for Eskating

When we talk about eskates, we hear about a lot of companies coming out of California, and China. We do not often think about Germany, a country where eskating is illegal, but with a rich history of technical innovation and precision engineering. One company has taken on the mission to apply the German mindset to eskating, and have created a product that is truly as refined and precise as one would expect.

The Mellow is an eskate notorious in the community for its high price. At $2,299.95, the Mellow Drive is one of the most expensive bolt-on kits that money can buy, but is it worth the high price tag? I spent some time commuting-on, racing, and generally abusing the heck out of my Mellow Drive to find the answer to that question.

First, let’s get the tech specs out of the way.

The Board

The Mellow Drive is an Eskate bolt-on kit that replaces the rear trucks of any skateboard with two 1000 Watt hub-driven motors, turning it into a fully-functional eskate. It boasts a top speed of 25 mph, in “pro mode”, with a range of 6 miles, or a top speed of 15 mph with a range of 9 miles in “eco” mode.

The kit features acceleration and regenerative braking controlled by a remote that is a bit different from your standard eskate controller.

Unlike controller “wheels” that you roll forwards or backwards with your thumb, the Mellow features a proprietary “sliding” action that takes some getting used to. In order to accelerate, you slide the top portion of the remote away from you, and to slow down, you slide it back towards you. The method of control does take some getting used to, and I have sometimes found myself crossing some wires in my brain and accelerating when I meant to start braking.

Needless to say, having the board perform the opposite action than that which the rider intends can get quite dangerous, so Mellow have instituted a top speed limitation of 15 mph as a safety measure on new drives until a user has logged 18 miles on the board as well as several other cool safety features:

“The Mellow Remote does not have a classic dead man’s switch but a set of other features in order to have increased safety even without the switch.
  1. Push Start. The mellow board will not start from a standing stop but the rider has to push to start in order to engage the motors. This is critical to avoid the board shooting of by accident and either hurting other or getting damaged itself by shooting into rolling traffic.
  1. The “Run Away Blocker” monitors the acceleration within the first 5s of skating. This functionality monitors the wheel speed increase and decides whether there is a rider on the board or the board is running of alone. If there is no rider on the board the wheels rev up at a ways higher rate (read – the board shoots of). If this is detected then the board will beep twice and apply 10% breaking power. Enough to stop the board after 1-2m but not enough to knock of a rider. After 5s of riding the system is switched of so there is no interference while i.e. jumping off curbs and revving wheels due to that.
  2. Emergency braking. In case of a loss of BT-Connection between the remote controller and the drive (i.e. because the remote has not been charged in a while) the drive will run a emergency braking sequence by gradually applying the brakes. It starts with 10% and slowly goes up to 100% braking to bring the rider to a full stop. You can test this by switching off the remote while riding. After about 3s the drive will start braking automatically.”

Unorthodox design aside, the Mellow remote SCREAMS quality. With a matte finished front that features bright LED’s that indicate your board battery level and riding mode, it is easy to quickly take in relevant information about your board in an instant, in even the brightest conditions. The back of the remote features grippy rubber, which is particularly useful for retaining the fine control needed to execute precision remote-sliding maneuvers at high speeds or on bumpy terrain.

The one thing that every eskate remote should have that the Mellow remote lacks in its simplicity, is a deadman’s switch. I always tell myself, “you are an experienced eskater, you won’t have THIS board go running off on you.” which is generally followed by said board zooming off from under my foot at max speed into traffic, while I watch, dismayed. The Mellow was no exception in this regard, and is powerful enough to easily jump right out from under your foot if you apply pressure to the remote accidentally (as I did while skating with some stuff in my hands.)

I have noticed a slight sticking on my remote that does not allow it to return to perfect “neutral” in the center position, but this may be due to the fact that I have fallen onto the remote before, and scuffed up the plastic. This is a very minor issue that is not dangerous and rarely impacts my ride, but it is worth mentioning.

While we are on the topic of quality, MELLOW. HECKING. SLAYS. IT. Everything from the box it comes in:

(look at this beautiful box and board! It is even designed with steps in mind to guide you through the unboxing process.)

To the online learning support:

And the literature included:

In all of these regards, Mellow goes entirely above-and-beyond anything else that I have seen in the eskate scene. If there is one thing that I hope other eskate companies take away from Mellow, it is this extremely high standard for quality parts, online support, and usability.

One aspect of Mellow as a company that I LOVE, is their commitment to skater education. Even if you don’t own a Mellow, I would urge all skaters to check out their “Mellow School” videos that teach valuable skills that any eskater should know, particularly:

Emergency Stopping

Eboard Stances

Safety Tips

These videos are created by real skaters and highlight a lot of the lessons that many eskaters have had to learn the hard way (they even slide a board under-power in the emergency stopping video in a pretty gnarly slow-mo shot).

This attention to detail is also reflected in the drive itself. The battery feels solid, well-designed and easy to snap into and out of the drive. It and the mount are encased in rubber and dampening foam which help solve the issue that most bolt-on kits have, incessant amounts of rattling. Another cool feature on the Mellow battery is a small port that allows you to use the battery as a power-bank for your devices. I haven’t utilized this particular feature yet, but it seems like a great way to charge a remote or cellphone in a pinch!

(Pardon my dirt, had to test the water-proofing…)

All cables on the Mellow are recessed into the a specially-designed channel in the trucks that gives the drive a very clean look and ensures your cables wont get caught or rub on anything.

The Mellow is actually pretty indistinguishable from a regular skateboard if you overlook the small black box that is mounted on the bottom. Add this to the fact that the drive itself is IP65 waterproof, which means it is splash, water jet and dust resistant, and you have yourself a very robust commuter! I tested the waterproofing claims in-depth (literally deep puddles) and in the rain and found them to perform as-advertised.

Operation is easy. Simply snap the battery into the drive, click its big button, turn on your remote, and you are good to go. You can even easily snap in another battery in seconds once your first one runs out.

(my typical commute involved bringing my two batteries with me and snapping another one in after 5ish miles of aggressive riding had drained the first one)

The board is so user-friendly, it’s crazy. The closest analogy that I can think of is; its like if Apple designed an eskate, it’s so simple to use that a monkey could ride it. To test this theory, I lent the board to my roommate without any explanation and she found she was able to ride it in minutes without any prior skateboarding experience, besides one hiccough that also got me, the rolling start.

Unlike other eskates, the Mellow will not work from a complete stop. It has been designed to only allow a user to accelerate after the board has already begun rolling. I will admit, I thought that I had a defective unit for about an hour until I did my research and discovered that the Mellow requires you to push a couple of times before you can engage the drive.

This serves two purposes:

  1. It eliminates jerky starts where a user must apply a lot of power with their remote in order to overcome the moment of inertia for their mass. These starts rarely look graceful on other boards and, let’s be honest, you should all be pushing into your accelerations anyway. I understand that we, as eskaters, are not the biggest fans of physical work, but we can all afford to push once or twice at the start of our journey.
  2. It saves a lot of power, thus extending range. As I mentioned above, a lot of engine torque must be applied to overcome the moment of inertia for an eskater and their board. All it takes to save a large amount of that energy, is to give the board small push and start rolling before you apply throttle.

Since I have started testing the Mellow, I have incorporated rolling starts into my eskate routine with ALL of my boards, and I have found that my quality of life, and my range have increased as a result. Enough about the specs and the tech, let’s talk about…

THE RIDE

When they named the Mellow, they did a good job. The first thing you notice when you apply the remote and begin sliding forwards is just how damn SMOOTH it is. Acceleration and braking don’t come on suddenly or surge, and feel almost uncanny in the way that they carry you forwards, almost like a gust of wind or wave that carries you along. It also helps that the board is very, very quiet. After riding the Mellow for a couple of months and jumping on my Boosted, I was surprised by the loud whine of the belts and turning of the motors. The Mellow, by contrast, is almost silent…almost too silent in fact. I often find myself startling people as I pass them, a problem that I never had on my Boosted.

When the board is new, it is limited to a measly 15 mph which isn’t very exciting. Once the full, 25 mph top speed is unlocked, the Mellow really starts to spread its wings. I have a lot of boards in my stable currently, but when I have to get somewhere in a hurry, I always grab the Mellow. For my typical, pothole ridden, bumpy, city-riding commute, 25 mph is plenty of speed, any more than that begins to feel unsafe. The torque is great as well, you can tell that the Mellow team put a lot of work into building the torque curve to utilize the power of the two 1000 Watt motors without making the ride jerky and dangerous.

One area that I notice the Mellow Drive to be lacking in is the braking department. Though the Mellow boasts having 2 brakes per wheel that help double-up on braking power, I have noticed that the ECU is a little TOO protective of over-braking, which often results in decreased braking ability at lower speeds. This problem doesn’t seem inherently dangerous, as the board provides great braking power at higher speeds, but at lower speeds, I always find myself rolling a few more feet than I expected when coming to a full stop.

I can totally understand that Mellow does not want you to be able to apply the brakes hard enough to throw yourself from the board, but at current levels, it just doesn’t provide enough braking when slowing to a stop. As a former DH racer, this is not a problem, I can slow myself down just fine with a footbrake, but eskate-exclusive riders, might find this a little annoying.

I should mention at this point, that I ran the Mellow in as stock of a setup as I could, including their strangely-named “Cruiser” deck which is actually shaped like a shorter top-mount DH deck more than anything else. Let me tell you, this is close to the ideal eskate deck as I have ever seen. It is short enough to store easily and be maneuverable. It has cutouts for big wheels, a very light and strong construction, and a little bit of a tail for jumping off of curbs and pivoting on those tighter turns.

The “Mellow” brand double-barrel bushings that come with the trucks were also surprisingly springy and close-enough to an ideal rebound that I didn’t have to swap them out with some Venom barrels (something that I do with almost every eskate that I ride). The setup feels turny and responsive right out of the box with great rebound that makes for really good carving. This is yet another testament to Mellow’s commitment to a great skating experience, over just creating another high-powered eskate and bolting it to a deck.

The two 1000 Watt hub-driven motors provide ample power (very similar to the feeling of my Boosted V2) and the 80 mm wheels are a good size for eating up bumps and cracks in the sidewalk on your ride (especially needed with the reduced urethane for the hub-driven motors in the rear). I was even lucky enough to pick up some sizable debris from a construction site on my way to work!

(A couple seconds with handy-dandy pliers and I was good to go again)

The W concave on the deck is also a god-send, and something you rarely see in a sea of flat and bouncy Loaded Vanguard copycats. I like to feel the road under me when I ride, and want to be locked in on my heels and toes with a comfortable concave, not be bouncing around on what essentially amounts to flat trampoline covered in grip-tape.  Hell, if the concave on the Mellow deck was a little more aggressive, I might even consider racing this thing as a regular skateboard.

Speaking of regular skateboarding, Mellow offers a unique riding mode called “Endless” that does something that I have never seen another electric do, it mimics real skateboarding.

The way it does this is by allowing the rider to manually push the board up to a given speed, and then simply continuing that momentum with the hub driven motors. It sounds great in practice and is advertised as a way to get a “real skating” feeling while extending battery life. I come from a skate background, so I was very excited to try out this feature, but quickly came to the realization pushing off and continuing the be pushed forwards at a constant speed feels very far from “natural.” Sadly, you still have to have your remote with you to slow down and stop, but this mode is great for extending your battery life, and I found myself making use of it several times to limp home with <5% battery life.

What I would LOVE see is a mode that uses the hub motors to subtly add a little more “glide” to each push, extending the power that a rider is able to put down, and allowing for a little bit of a motor-assisted skate session without requiring use of a remote. 

In Conclusion:

The Mellow Drive is the best bolt-on kit that we have tested. If you have deep pockets, and are not into soldering wires and programming your own ECU’s, but still want an eboard that can mount on any household deck, this is unquestionably the right choice for you.

Additionally, Mellow is making great advances in the fields of eskate tech, ease-of-use, and putting the rider experience first. Their products truly reflect a love of skating and a consideration for skaters that goes beyond what we see from the rest of the industry. In a world where Chinese manufacturers are constantly copying each other’s designs and pumping out boards with bigger and bigger motors bolted onto shitty, flat decks with trucks that fall apart during real use, it is important to recognize that Mellow is focusing on innovating eskating as an experience.

We can buy products from the Meepo and Wowgo’s of the world for a hundred years, and I can almost guarantee that the eskate landscape will look very similar in that time (albeit, extremely cheap if they keep up their current trends) but it takes companies like Mellow to actually bring new features, technology, and ideas into reality that will truly innovate the eskate industry. (after 2 months of abuse, this is what a Mellow looks like. It handled light rain, dirty roads, and Boston traffic and came out looking none the worse for wear)

I hope you liked this month’s long-term review. If you have any questions about the Mellow or have an idea for a product that you would like us to review or compare next, feel free to email me at [email protected].

Until next time, stay rolling, stay upright, stay stoked!

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Meepo Campus 2.0 – Review

Foreword

In the electric skateboard world, the budget board segment definitely sees the toughest competition. Brands from China are always trying to out-compete each other through upgrades, price, and customer support.

MeepoBoards, the company that ignited the affordable eskate market definitely has not stayed idle. Meepo refreshed its lineup just like the Boosted, and gave all its boards the 2.0 update – which includes improved remote, trucks, ESC, motors and of course – looks.

While these improvements have helped to maintain Meepo’s position as the leading affordable brand in the eskate market, the most interesting news that comes with the update is the revival of the Meepo Campus in the form of the Meepo Campus 2.0.

This is the board we will be reviewing today.

Introduction to MeepoBoard

MeepoBoard’s story is something that many of us are very familiar with, but for the sake of those who aren’t, it is worth retelling.

MeepoBoard is undoubtedly the most popular budget board brand in the market right now, but the story of how the eskate giant came to be, surprisingly, is a Cinderella story.
The founder of MeepoBoard, Kieran, was a young engineer who worked sales in an electric skateboard company. Disagreeing with the company’s focus on pushing sales while disregarding quality, Kieran decided to try his luck in selling a self-assembled board on Youtube. After a few successful sales, he decided to set up his own eskate brand with a focus on affordability, practicality and customer satisfaction.

In a world where any electric skateboard under $700 was either a toy or thrash, Kieran’s Meepo was asking for half of that price while delivering decent performance. Kieran figured with word of mouth , existing customers vouching for the quality of the Meepo and his post-sales service, MeepoBoard could break the hesitance of international buyers towards cheap Chinese Boards.

True enough, a dozen positive customer reviews on Redditt and a featured interview post with us later, the floodgate was opened. With weekly orders in the hundreds and customers lining up – willing to wait for months to get their Meepo, MeepoBoard has not only established itself but also set up the affordable eskate market as we know it.

With the meteoric rise of the MeepoBoard, other Chinese electric skateboard manufacturers have moved into the niche and “Meepo-clones” have become a thing.
And now, thanks to the affordable electric skateboard movement that Meepo created, anyone can own an electric skateboard.

Meepo Campus

The last generation of the Meepo Campus was a nickel board series known as the Meepo Penny.

It was never supposed to be the focal point of MeepoBoard, but many still seek out this lesser known little brother of the Meepo for its form factor and price.

The Meepo Penny later received some upgrades to become Meepo Campus, which was often sought after for the same reasons.

Because the Meepo Penny and the Meepo Campus weren’t very powerful boards, Kieran thought that the board might not be right for a lot of people and chose not to market it heavily.

Hence, when the 30” Meepo Board became available, the Campus was quietly discontinued.
Well, that didn’t last long!
To Meepo fans delight, the Campus board has been brought back to life with the 2.0 update.

Is it any good though? read on.

Meepo Campus 2.0 Review

So how did the Meepo Campus 2.0 come to be?

Well, apparently the Campus 2.0 was designed by Kieran for his wife’s commute.  Aimed to be lighter, tamer and beginner friendly, the Campus 2.0 kept the portable mindset that the Campus series was known for with tons of other improvements.

Meepo Campus 2.0 Specs

The Meepo Campus 2 saw lots of improvement in specs but also gained some weight.

  • Top Speed: 18mph (30kmh)
  • Range: 10mil (16km)
  • Weight: 12.5lbs (5.5kg)
  • Charge Time: 2 Hours
  • Features: Weatherproof, Regenerative Braking.
  • Price: 299 USD.

Build Quality

This is 2018 and cheap Chinese Boards are not cheap in quality anymore.
From the packaging to the finishing, 2nd Gen Meepo is evolving from its garage-made origin.

From the carrying handle of the box to the fitting cut out from the protective foam, the Meepo Campus 2.0 looks good right off the bat.

While the makeshift A4 printed instruction manual and the lack of design on the instruction booklet were two dead give-aways of Meepo’s garage-made origin, they also remind us that Meepo’s priority has always been affordability and practicality with polish being something extra.

Deck

The Campus 2 come with a broad 32” Canadian maple deck with a kicktail.
It has a slight concave to it and feels good underfoot.

Instead of a regular grip tape, the Campus 2.0 uses a non-abrasive foam tape.

I am sure there are skaters who would prefer a regular grip tape but this foam tape worked for me (and my pants, my car seat, my skateboard carrying bag – they all hate the regular sandpaper grip tape).

The foam tape definitely wears faster than regular grip tapes, but its a tradeoff I am willing to make.
I wonder if it makes doing tricks harder though?

Wheels

The 83MM 78a wheels were great. They’re soft, big (for a skateboard this size anyway), and all yellow.
(not sure how I feel about the color though.)

Trucks

The 2nd generation Meepo boards have upgraded trucks. The Campus 2.0 trucks are now beefier compare to the 1st gen Meepo.

Time to put rest to the thought that Meepo doesn’t have good trucks.

ESC

With an updated ESC, the Meepo Campus retained the popular smart turn on feature (board turns on when pushed). The board will also turn itself off if left idle with the remote off, and I really love this power switch button.

Summary of Build Quality

The Meepo Campus 2.0 is a beautiful product.
The finish is great, the parts look good, and everything was put together solidly.
By looking at it, you wouldn’t believe that this puppy costs under $300 bucks. Impressive!

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

All of the 2nd Gen Meepo boards come with 4 riding mode, Beginner, Eco, Expert and Pro.
But to be honest, the Meepo Campus 2.0 probably doesn’t need them.
The Meepo Campus 2.0 has only one hub motor and a single hub motor can only do so much for acceleration and braking.

All of the riding modes come with gentle acceleration and deceleration, and only the pro-mode has a little kick during acceleration.

This is definitely a beginner’s board. The acceleration is very gentle, even in pro-mode – too weak for someone who likes the thrill of a fast start, but good for someone who wants absolutely no risk of falling.

Kick pushing to start is definitely a good idea.
Braking is definitely gentle and butter smooth, say goodbye to the braking jerk of the previous gen Meepos. The downside? It is weak. Takes a long time to brake to a full stop and full braking down a hill is not possible, it can only slow you down to a safe speed so that you can walk off the board.
Again, single hub motor has its limitation.

Vibration & Stability

Single hub motor = three 83mm 78a soft skateboard wheels = better vibration dampening and more comfortable ride.

However, you will definitely be standing on top of the truck so your legs will feel every vibration.
Riding it on cobblestone and poorer road surfaces feels… acceptable, but definitely not as good as most larger electric longboards.
The Campus 2.0 has a broad deck and feels stabler than most longboards once you tighten the trucks. You can’t go fast enough to become very unstable anyway.

Tight maneuvers are what the Campus 2.0 does best.
With the short wheelbase, the turning radius is great, perfect to navigate around tight spaces.
What’s more, there is a kicktail for kick turns.

There is, however, a risk of wheel bite. The board has wheel wells but unfortunately, at the tightest turn, the wheels will still bite. I decided to tighten the trucks, sacrifice maneuverability for safety and sure enough, after the truck have been tightened, I can’t get the wheels to bite anymore.

*I have contacted Kieran on this and was informed that they are now using a harder bushing to prevent wheel bite. They are also installing a higher riser and making a bigger wheel well .

Remote Control

The remote is definitely more ergometric and better looking.

It uses a dial to allow finer acceleration control.

As I mentioned, there are 4 riding modes. Changing the riding modes mid-ride is even possible!

The remote also features an LED indicator showing the board and remote battery as well as a reverse button.

Nothing too fancy and of course, no disconnection issues.

Summary of Riding Experience

With smooth acceleration and braking, soft bushings, good maneuverability, the Meepo Campus is both fun to ride and practical as a mobility device.

It cannot provide the thrill of a high-speed ride but the campus 2.0 is definitely good enough for a leisurely slow ride.

If I am being totally honest, the lack of adrenaline rush is what makes the Campus 2.0 my current personal favorite Eskate – I have a peace of mind when I am on it.

Beginners and non-skaters would definitely appreciate the configuration.

Capability

Range

Can’t be a good last mile option if it can’t go many miles, can it?
The Meepo Campus 2.0 is using a 4AH, Sanyo 10S1P, 144wh battery and
is advertised with a serviceable 10mile(16km) range.

My personal range test, running on a flat surface between 9 to 15 mph (15-25kmh) lasted me around
13miles(22km) before the battery went dry. There is almost no voltage sag either!
(my weight 165lbs/ 75kg)

The range is definitely an upgrade from the original Meepo Campus.

Speed

Speed is definitely not the priority for Campus 2.0.

That said, it can still get up to 18mph(30kmh). (Full speed tuck, with a little help from the wind.)
Even then, as the acceleration is slow, you will definitely still get dusted if you choose to take the Campus 2.0 to a group ride.

But considering what its made for, sidewalks, and within building compounds, the top speed is definitely sufficient.

Torque

Its called Meepo Campus and campuses are supposed to be flat.
The Meepo Campus is definitely torque-challenged and could not perform a stop and go on a multistorey car park ramp. To my surprise, it did manage to hold the board to a stop and not continue rolling.

Stop and go on this incline, however, didn’t seem to challenge the board at all. It went up from resting position without a problem.

Riding modes affect the torque as well. If you are facing any incline, any at all, you should be using only the expert or pro mode. Other modes handicap the Campus 2 so much that it can’t start from an imperceptible incline with you on it.

Honestly, I was expecting a far worse performance from a single hub motor board but I actually find the results acceptable.

With that being said, torque is definitely the biggest limitation of the Campus 2.0, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone heavy or who lives in hilly areas.

Customer Service

Customer service doesn’t come with a board at this price, unless it has a Meepo logo on it.

Product quality and post-sale service are what separates an affordable electric skateboard from a toy that you use for a single weekend then store away in the garage, never to see daylight again.

Simply put, the Meepo Campus 2.0 is the cheapest electric skateboard on the market that meets the customer service requirement, and hence the only electric skateboard I can recommend at this price point.

Other Features

It has smart turn on. Auto shut-off.
Has a non-abrasive grip tape and that’s pretty much it.
Nothing fancy, all the budget probably went into making the core part of the electric skateboard.

Verdict

Meepo makes eskates that allow everyone to ride, and the Meepo Campus 2.0 is the epitome of that, pushing the affordability to the extreme.

The Campus 2 is an easy recommendation. With good value and an insane price, the value per dollar ratio is just through the roof.

Not to take away the fact that the board is pretty good but with this price tag, you won’t do too bad even if you just buy the board to salvage its parts – and per usual, tinkering and upgrades are always easy with the Meepos.

It is perfect for beginners, for children and for someone who just wants to experience eskating.
It’s also perfect for someone who doesn’t need torque and doesn’t care about top speed.

For the above reasons, the Meepo Campus 2 is at the moment, my favorite board. Its performance is enough for me in most situations and its portability and ease of handling (that non-abrasive grip tape makes a difference) make it my go-to choice for last-mile commuting and rides within building compounds.
(Well, technically my favorite board at the moment is Arc Aileron V2 but it costs 3x more.)

With that said, it is important for me to make it clear that Meepo Campus 2.0 is definitely NOT a beast. It’s a tame puppy. It fetches your newspaper and makes life fun and won’t hurt you, but don’t ever expect it to outperform any big dogs. At least not without some tinkering.

$299 used to get you a toy, well, not anymore.

Wanna hear bad news? It is only available in the USA.

P.S: You can even get it from Amazon!

Check out Meepo Campus 2.0

To know more about MeepoBoards, click here.

For those who are from a European country, you can choose to shop from a local dealer – Speedio.
Speedio is an Electric Skateboard re-seller based in the Czech Republic. While you do pay a little premium, they offer a 2-year warranty, local support, and fast 2-5 days shipping.

Posted on by Paxson Lim

Teamgee H6-Review

Foreword

Just as the winter ends, another wave of new electric skateboard began their marketing push. Teamgee H6 manages to stand out amongst the generic boards that are coming out from China with its pintail deck and stealth design.

Introduction of Teamgee

ShenZhen TeamGee Electronic Co., Ltd is a big established company in China. It has around 70 employees under its payroll, though only a dozen of core members work on the electric skateboard project.

Teamgee began its business as an OEM and ODM of various electronic components but it definitely didn’t limit itself there. For the past few years, Teamgee has established itself in the E-mobility world offering products such as the hoverboard, electrics-scooter and unicycle.

In 2016, they started to get into the electric skateboard business and have been selling fairly well in the Chinese market.

Teamgee electric skateboard project is the brainchild of the company owner, Mr. Sun, a 36-year-old gentleman with a receding hairline and a friendly vibe. Mr. Sun is not a skater but nonetheless an avid sports enthusiast. Like many of us, he found electric skateboard being much more fun as compared to the likes of the hoverboard. With the structure that Teamgee has, it is easy for them to get into the electric skateboard business so that was what they did.

Teamgee electric skateboards

Don’t let the emptiness in Teamgee web-store fool you into thinking that it has only the H6 to sell.
Teamgee has more than that, it has been selling a variety of eskate in the Chinese market and has even more of them in development, including an electric skateboard booster drive. The pintail H6 is the most recognizable by far and that was the reason why they chose to enter the international market with it.

The business owner, Mr. Sun has a particular insistence in the aesthetic design for his electric skateboard, wanting it to look and feel more like a regular longboard, hence the stealthy design. His passion towards creating an aesthetically pleasing electric skateboard is easy to see through the passionate way he spoke about board designs and the extent their team went through to make Teamgee board look the way it is.

We can all agree that the H6 looks pretty nice, can’t we?

But can it perform?

Teamgee H6 Review

Not aiming to be the most powerful, Teamgee H6 is at least decent in the specs department.

  • Top Speed: 18.5mph (30kmh)
  • Range: 10mil (16km)
  • Weight: 14lbs (6.3kg)
  • Charge Time: 2 hours
  • Features: Regenerative Braking, LED lights.
  • Price: 529 USD.

Build Quality

Right out of the box, Teamgee impressed with its looks and design.

The sleek design without any protruding component boxes also means the board has a very solid feel in hand.
The appearance of the board is definitely among the best in its price category. Though a little hot glue residual on the connecting wires serves to remind that this is, at the end of the day, a $500 board and not quite at the Boosted level in finishing.

Weight:

Not to let the sleek designs fool you to think that the board is light.
It is not heavy at 14lbs (6.3kg) but definitely not something you want to be carrying around for an extended time.

Deck:

Pintail deck aren’t often seen in electric skateboard market and the Teamgee H6 is definitely the first one in this price range.

The pintail deck was made from Canadian maple and not-surprisingly, it is stiff – considering all the electronic components were housed inside the deck, it would be foolish to expect otherwise.

The pintail deck has a slight concave to it.
Compares it to a flat deck, the concave definitely helps with the control and feel of the deck.

If you are on the taller side, say 5’9 (180cm), you might find the deck too narrow for comfort.
I am 5’7 (175cm) and the deck works well for me.

The graphic design on the deck was something that Teamgee put a lot of effort into. Even if the design doesn’t work for you, it is difficult to argue that the H6 stands out amongst your typical eskates.

Wheels:

Teamgee H6 chose to use 83mm 83A wheels.
The design of the board simply doesn’t allow any bigger wheels as with 83mm, wheel bites are already happening at full-lean in low speed.

(The team told me that in the future, they will have wheel-well on deck to prevent wheel bites.)

The hub motor urethane sleeves are replaceable so that is a plus.

Summary:

Beautifully designed, the Teamgee H6 is definitely one of the most aesthetically pleasing electric skateboards out there. Both the build quality and finishing while not perfect, are good.
Keep in mind, this is, after all, a mid-range board.

Riding Experience:

Acceleration and Deceleration

Straight out of the box, it definitely took me awhile to get familiar with the H6.

It has a perceptible delay in acceleration and braking. The team told me it was designed that way to cater to a less experienced crowd. Although I don’t see how that would help, my wife seems to like this configuration better than the other boards I have.. well (that puzzled me a lot, actually.). Shrugged…

The delay is even more noticeable when going from braking to acceleration. That means if you flip the throttle back and forth very fast, the board would not move at all. (Just something that I notice).

Thankfully, that was something that I get used to quickly.

Anyways, the H6 has 2 speed modes, high and low.

In the low-speed mode, acceleration and deceleration are one of the tamest I’ve experienced.
Combine it with a gentle top speed of 11mph(17kmh) in the low-speed mode, the H6 is well suited for beginners to comfortable cruise around in.
In the high-speed mode, however, the acceleration and braking are significantly stronger. Its still within the control of a seasoned eskater, but definitely not for the casuals.

Vibration & Stability

A stiff deck and a (relatively) small wheel mean that Teamgee H6 is not the best board to ride on bad roads. Riding the H6 on cobblestone, I can feel each of the vibration.
The 83mm wheels also put a limit on how big a bump you can roll over.

In my opinion, the board is configured to give the best cruising experience on low speed with its soft bushing that makes carving better.

While the board won’t challenge your balance in low-speed mode, it is a different story in high-speed mode. Bear in mind the pintail deck of the H6 is more narrow and the truck-based is shorter than your regular 38″ longboard deck, so going 20mph(32kmh) felt to me like riding on a rocket broomstick. On the other hand, an eskate veteran who was accustomed to highspeed riding will definitely have no problem with a measly 20mph.

Remote Control

For international buyers, Teamgee H6 comes with a new remote, which is cool.

Well, because the old remote is really bad in both look, feels and function.

This new remote is pretty good.

First of all, the soft rubber feels really good in the hand.
Secondly, it has a small screen that shows speed, and battery life.
It also has a LED light on the top, something that might be useful from time to time.

This remote use a dial in the middle, it has a pretty short throw limiting the fine control you can have with it.

There is also a cruise-control feature build into this remote. By pressing the dial twice, the H6 will lock the current speed and allow you to cruise along without holding on the dial. Simply move the dial again in either direction to disengage the cruise control.

It’s a nice feature and but kinda dangerous for those who are oblivious to it, as the board might speed-on unintendedly if you accidentally engage the cruise control.

Summary of Riding Experience

I never tried surfing but cruising and carving on this pintail deck definitely feels the way I think surfing would feel.

The H6 are designed for cruising and carving around big smooth roads and it really shines in that setting. Engage the board in cruise control and all that left to do is to enjoy the carves.

For other use, however, the board is just passable. There is more powerful and stabler board for high speed and there is lighter and agiler board for navigating city sidewalks.

Capability

Range

Obviously, the range of the board depends on your weight, your riding style, and the temperature.

The 3.5Ah battery is advertised to give 10miles(16km).

If you are blasting at its top speed all the time, the board will last you around 7.5miles(12km). On the other hand, just cruising around in the low-speed mode will still leave you with half of the battery after doing the advertised 10miles(16km).

Note: I am 165lb(75kg) and this was tested in a typical hot tropical weather.

Speed

Teamgee H6 has advertised top speed of 18.5mph(30kmh).

With speed tuck, I can get the board to accelerate up to 20mph(32kmh).

The low-speed mode has its top speed set at 11mph(17kmh). A comfortable speed to cruise around in.

Torque

I did the standard stop and go test on the hill and the board did admirably. It can brake into a full stop on the incline and continue up the hill without rolling backward.

Comparing it to other board in the similar price, it handles hills considerably better.

Passed with flying color.

Customer Service

Teamgee is a new company and the customer service is, well, unproven.

The effort is definitely there – they have set-up a US hotline to service US customers better.
For the rest of the world, the customer service will be via email.

I do foresee the company to struggle a bit in the near future before they get more seasoned in servicing international customer. If tip-top post-sale service is a must to you, do check back this post in a few months and I will update this section once the company proved itself.

Verdict

So, would I recommend Teamgee H6 to anyone? How does it stack up against boards of its tier?

While Teamgee H6 takes a backseat to Meepo-Wowgo-Ownboard in performance, it definitely is miles ahead in aesthetic and looks.

The surf like carving experience and the sleek design is something unique that only the H6 offers.

I, however, do not think the board suits well to a big tall person as they might find the deck too narrow and the stock bushing too soft.

To summarize, I would recommend the Teamgee H6 to someone who looks to cruise around in comfortable speed and in good roads.
Or to anyone who really needs to eskate under the radar.
Or to anyone who really likes that design.

Looks elsewhere if you are tall, big, need for speed, rides on bad roads or are looking for a very portable board.

Teamgee Official Site
Use “EskateHQ” affiliate code during check out to get 10% off.

 

Note: Post-sale service is a thing that I put into heavy consideration when recommending a board.
Though Teamgee seems to genuinely care about building a brand,  I couldn’t just take their words for it.

I hope my reader can help me keep track of Teamgee post-sales service by CC-ing [email protected] when you are dealing with Teamgee’s customer service.
I will also do my best to make sure my reader gets taken care of.

I hope this helps. =)

Posted on by Drew Frayre

The OneWheel ShredLights Integration Guide

ShredLights, the lights designed specifically for use with skateboards, an industry standard, beloved by all.

When I heard that ShredLights would be providing EskateHQ with some lights to test, I was excited. I found my mind racing, trying to decide which of my skateboards to try them on.

The Boosted? No, too generic.

The Killswitch? I don’t ride it enough.

My slalom setup? I don’t know if the world is ready to see those lights wiggling towards them on the Boston streets at night.

What about my old standby commuter, the OneWheel? That’s ridiculous. ShredLights can’t fit on a OneWheel!

UNTIL NOW.

Using the most advanced technology available to us at EskateHQ, we have been able to combine these two unlike elements into some sort of eskate chimera, even more powerful than the sum of its parts…

And now it is time to teach the world how, without any modification, hole-drilling, or general screwing-with of your beautiful OneWheel.

Welcome to the OneWheel ShredLights Integration guide.

It’s actually super easy. All you need is the OneWheel allen key, a ShredLights esk8 Combo Pack, 2 extra “stepped brackets” and about 20 minutes. (Use the “ESKATEHQ” promo code during checkout to receive a discount!)

First things first, you are going to want to unscrew the middle screws on the board. The ones that normally hold on the fender. I performed my install by mounting the stepped brackets underneath the fender, but I believe that a similar approach can be used without the fender, even if the screws are a little shorter.

Next, you want to align your stepped brackets over the hole of the screw, and then replace any screws/fenders that you might have removed. With a flat bracket, you will not have any leverage when you attach your lights, so putting them on and taking them off will be very difficult as the bracket will rotate. As long as you attach your stepped brackets tightly, the “step” will keep the bracket immobilized along the rail of the OW and enable easy attachment/detachment of lights.

Finally, attach your ShredLights. First by pushing the side with the light up against the outer tab of each bracket, and then by pushing down (hard!) on the lens until the other side slips over the inner tab.

I realize that this is a tight fit and that some of the lights might appear a little cock-eyed, but I have yet to have a light fall off in over 40 miles of riding with this setup. ShredLights did a really good job making sure that their lights attach firmly and are also rugged and water resistant enough to stand up to the crazy stuff that comes flying out of a One Wheel’s wheel well.

I have found these lights to be QUITE bright, boosting both my vision and visibility roughly 3x that of the stock lights. As an added bonus, I recently realized that my OneWheel’s stock tail light had gone out, and I was not very excited to send it back to Future Motion, so ShredLight’s products arrived at the perfect time.

It is true that your feet will block some of the beam coming off of the lights, but trust me, when you see exactly how many lumens these bad boys are pumping, “Are these lights bright enough?” is not going to be a part of your vocabulary.

Peep some extremely rare video footy of me commuting home at night with the ShredLights a’blazing. (note the enormous “V” of light coming out of the front of the board)

Aaaaaaand that’s why I stick to written content, sorry to subject you to that…

Until next time, keep it steezy boys and girls.

Check-out Shredlights here.
Use “ESKATEHQ” promo code during checkout to receive a discount at check-out!

Posted on by Drew Frayre

The One Wheel 300 Mile Review

Welp, it’s been a while since I wrote about my decision to purchase the One Wheel as my first eskate, and seeing as my in-app odometer recently hit a major milestone, I guess I should check in with ya’ll with the…

One Wheel 300-Mile Review

It’s been a big year:

I had my motorcycle (and only method of transportation around the city of Boston) stolen.

(Looks good, don’t she? Some dirty thieves thought so too!)

My fair city of Boston received a paltry 43.8 inches of snow (with more expected on this balmy April weekend.

I adopted a lovely new workout routine focused on acrobatics,

and transitioned into the lovely world of eskate.

A big year has required a big wheel, and I am happy to say, that the One Wheel has been up to the task.

Learning Curve

How hard is it to learn how to ride a One Wheel?

Short answer, pretty difficult for normies, significantly easier for life-long skaters.

Due to the unique nature of the One Wheel’s leaning controls, and the balance required to stay on the hecking thing, riders need to have VERY strong ankles and a great sense of balance. In my limited time trying to teach new riders the ins and outs of OW-ing, I have seen some people take to it like a fish to water, and others take to it like a fish to a volcano. If you are used to board sports like surfing or skating, you will be in much better shape than most.

Luckily, the OW is built like a tank, so any slams or falls that the board takes during the learning process will not impact the performance of the board.

Here is a video guide to how Future Motion recommends you learn to ride the One Wheel:

For new riders, I recommend learning to mount the board next to something, either a person or a table (for you lonely-ass riders), to use as an assist as you get a feel for how the board activates, and suddenly “grabs” you to find your balance point.

From there, practice rocking from front to back while holding on to your balance item (person or object) until you feel comfortable enough to roll away. One of the most common problems that I see newer riders facing is that they get scared and try to stop stock-still. This is a huge issue because, even among veteran riders, you need movement to balance correctly. Try to avoid the instinct to freeze as much as possible and just keep the flow going, riding back and forth until you get a good feel for the machine! The OW is all about flow; if you lose it, you are going to have a bad time.

The next step is to take that bad boy out on the sidewalk and get used to rolling over all manner of crazy obstacles, slanted surfaces, and divots. You will learn pretty quickly that, though the wheel dampens a lot of the harsher road vibes, your ankles will need to stay strong and malleable to keep you safe and on the board. It is here that the onboard lights can be super useful for spotting uneven pavement or obstacles in your path that you might not have noticed before.

It is also worth noting that keeping up speed and flow is essential when moving over obstacles as well. Generally, the squared sides of the tire are not suitable for mounting small bumps, so they should be approached at a perpendicular angle, much like on a skateboard. Also, the more speed you have when attempting to clear a bump, the better, as the speed will help carry you over an obstacle that might stop you in your tracks at a slow speed.

Commuting

Is the One Wheel suitable as a commuter? As a man recently devoid of my primary commuting device, this was primary concern when purchasing the One Wheel.

I wouldn’t describe my commute as particularly difficult, 1.5 miles from my home to the train station, and then another mile and a half from the station to my work. My daily commute encompasses a few crappy Boston roads, covered in potholes (but with a few bike lanes), some sections on sidewalks and overexposed bricks, more than a couple of construction zones strewn with rocks, sand, and even the occasional wooden dock.

(Oh, and sometimes rain….a lot of rain.)

The One Wheel was very well suited for its task of navigating all of these hazards and more. Having a big inflatable wheel to roll over bumps and obstacles with impunity is an amazing tool for any Boston commuter, and the One Wheel’s ability to quickly turn and maneuver well at slow speeds made it easy to join with foot-traffic on sidewalks when needed. I would say that I feel comfortable piloting the One Wheel indoors, and have even gotten good enough to enter the train station, swipe through the ticket gate, and enter the platform without dismounting!

This leads me to my first minor problem: Sometimes the One Wheel’s method of dismounting is inconsistent, or too difficult to perform on the fly.

Future Motion states, “To safely dismount Onewheel, always slow to a stop and then remove your foot from the rider detect area.”

This sounds easy in theory, but can be quite difficult in practice. Sometimes I find myself lifting my heel off of the rider area, only to have the motor remain engaged and begin taking me in an unwanted direction. Other times, I have had the OW turn off while I was moving very slowly or stopped waiting for a light. These issues are not really a safety problem but have made me wary of doing quick dismounts without grabbing onto something nearby to ensure that I can dismount effectively.

I now also take steps to keep moving back and forth when waiting for a traffic light. This serves two purposes:

  1. There is less risk that the OW senses you are trying to dismount and deactivates
  2. It is much easier to keep your balance while “stopped” by maintaining a little back-and-forth dance

Unlike traditional eskates, it is not practical to dismount and remount at every light. The OW also weighs 25 pounds and is quite unwieldy, so I find myself riding it everywhere I go, even if only for a short distance. I am by no means a weak guy, but lugging this thing through a train station to make a connection, or up and down a flight of stairs, leaves me breathing pretty heavy and breaking a sweat. Luckily the OW is rideable in most situations, so I am not forced to carry it very often.

Locomotion Experience

One of the biggest differences that I notice between riding an OW and a more traditional eskate like a boosted board is the mellow and “cushioned” nature of the ride. Not only does the OW put you on a large inflatable go-kart tire that is pretty good at absorbing bumps (though dealing with the bouncy recoil of the tire takes some time), but the forward/backward leaning nature of the controls also helps to mellow out any bumps or cracks you might hit on your travels.

Taking on speed is as easy as leaning forwards more, which can be dangerous for newer riders.. After a couple “nose-dives” from over-leaning and maxing out the torque on the motors, I learned that keeping your weight centered over the center of the wheel and pushing the nose and tail down with your feet is the optimal way to control the OW. I have not had a dreaded “nose-dive” happen in the last 4 months or so of adopting my new riding style, but I have had some close calls that I was able to recover.

Once you are comfortable on the board, it is possible to rip over all sorts of terrain as Slydogstroh demonstrates here: 

Jumping on a skateboard after riding the OW exclusively for a couple of months was a very jarring experience. I kept expecting the skateboard to lean with my body, instead of with the pavement surface. I won’t lie, I looked pretty kooky struggling to stay on my Boosted V2+ as it bucked and bounced just like it always did…

Range

I have been pretty happy with the range of the OW. My ~ 3-mile commute puts the batter somewhere around 40% in the colder winter months, which fits right in with Future Motion’s claimed 4-6 miles of range.

I did manage to perform one maximum range test and was able to ride the OW around 5.3 miles home after one particularly wild night. I did find myself desperately looking for outdoor outlets as I cruised home with >10% battery left at 1 am (I did manage to almost set the recycling room in a local supermarket on fire due to a charger issue, but that is a story for a different time.), but was surprised to see how long the board held on with even minimal charge.  Around the last quarter mile, I began encountering MASSIVE pushback from the board, as it elevated the front to nearly unrideable levels (I felt like Captain goddamn Morgan) before finally shutting off and leaving me to lug it the last 100 yards to my house.

Still, I was very impressed with how Future Motion programmed the board to alert the rider of a low battery issue, and now ride without fear that I will forget to charge my battery and suddenly find myself eating asphalt when the battery unexpectedly goes dead.

Bad Weather

Holy crap, have I really delved deep into testing this aspect of the OW. From pouring rain, and salty roads to 3 inches of snow, my poor OW has seen the worst of what New England has to offer.

(If you are from Future Motion and reading this, I am speaking entirely metaphorically and have been nothing but the perfect, caring owner to my OW, please don’t void my warranty)

The first time I took the ol’ gal in the rain, I did so without purchasing the (essential) fender for the board, and soon became intimately acquainted with the OW’s habit of picking up water with its tire and depositing it PRECISELY all over my inner front leg.

(It feels a lot like straddling a sprinkler head.)

Needless to say, I was a little peeved, and after purchasing an $85 “Fender Kit” from Future Motion, I found riding in the rain to be a, dare I say it, pleasurable experience!

The great thing about the OW’s design is that it keeps everything below decks, meaning that (with the addition of a fender) the pavement, pebbles, water, and snow are all separated from your tender, soft body by at least a few layers of ABS plastic. This means that, on rainy days, I found myself actually arriving at work DRIER than if I would have walked. Try finding a bike or skateboard that can make that claim! There is no better feeling in life than plunging through a puddle at full 18 mph clip and watching the water splash up and away to the sides of your feet, as though you are some sort of modern-day tech-Jesus. Just be careful not to splash any peds who might be walking near you, they are not very fond of being splashed.

Don’t believe me? Just watch Slydogstroh absolutely DESTROY a rainy day in Chicago:

I thought this thing was impressive in rain until I tried it in snow and icy conditions, and DEAR GOD does it enjoy playing around in snow and ice like a 1 year old husky. There is something about the design of the board, perhaps the fact that all of your weight is over one large contact patch, which allows the OW to retain traction and keep on rolling right through fresh snow. Looking back at my tracks, I was reminded of a Coast Guard Cutter in the way that the wheel shunted the snow to the sides as I forded my way through fresh, powdery snow.

Icey conditions is a slightly different story, with a similar ending. As long as you keep your weight over the wheel, taking care not to lean out far or change direction suddenly, you should find yourself slowly gliding over even the slipperiest of conditions. I actually found myself having an EASIER time riding the OW over some of the icier parts of my commute than I did walking them. This may be partly due to the sheer number of sharp rock chunks that I have embedded in my tire after 300 miles of riding. I think they may actually give me pretty good grip on ice…

(I do not advocate engaging in dangerous riding on ice and snow, the previous statements are made based on my experience as a trained professional on a closed course under controlled conditions, but seriously, it was rad AF)

Durability

This thing is built like a TANK. I am not someone who likes to baby their gear (read: I ruin my things), so anything that I use on the daily has to stand up to some pretty savage conditions, and the OW has done exactly that. As I write this article, my OW sits next to my desk absolutely CAKED in mud, dirt, and salt. I have taken it in the snow, pouring rain, through large puddles, and off-road at a local preservation, and it has taken everything in stride.

(Trigger warning if you like to baby your stuff…oops too late.)

I also like to make a point to let anyone who wants to try it out have a go, so it has had its fair share of pretty gnarly crashes and flips. Surprisingly, only the plastic nose and tail sections, the metal rails, and a few spots on the fender and wooden footpads show signs of damage, and that is purely cosmetic. Functionally, the OW is just like the day I got it, but that hasn’t always been the case. On to the…

Technical Issues

This might work better as a list.

Here are the issues that I have encountered with my OW since I purchased it in October.

  1. Rear tail lights no longer turn on reliably, I have seen them work sporadically and very weakly.
  2. OW refused to charge, reporting over-charged/empty battery sporadically for 2 weeks, then went back to normal. OW was not usable during this time.
  3. OW would not turn on after spending the night in a cold car, worked later on that day after warming up.
  4. Occasionally OW will not sense my dismount foot position and will keep moving, causing some less-than-graceful panic-jumps.
  5. Ran into nosedives twice within the first month of riding. These dives were very dangerous and unexpected, but I have since learned how to handle the board a lot better and have not encountered any at-speed for the last 4 months or so.
  6. Occasionally the board will turn off while I am stationary or nearly stopped (balancing at a stop light). I believe that it is sensing a phantom dismount command due to the stopped board, and have not had this happen at speed, so it is not a safety issue.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the reliability of the OW, save for the 2 week period where it would not turn on due to a batter over/undercharge issue. I was in the process of contacting Future Motion for a replacement and even bought a Boosted Board to commute on during this time. The fact that the board can run into an issue where it is suddenly inoperable like this is a deal-breaker for someone who uses the board as a commuter. I was late to work because the method of travel that I had become dependant on wasn’t able to fulfill its primary function.

That being said, Future Motion was very helpful in troubleshooting the issue, even if the OW ended up just fixing itself when all was said and done.

Conclusion

(Sick Shredlights integration instructable coming soon!)

Is this where I gush? Alright, fine, I’ll gush a little bit.

As I sit here finishing this article, my odometer sits at 328 miles. Doing some quick napkin math, that means that I have spent roughly $4.57 per mile traveled ($1,500/328 miles). While this number isn’t that impressive yet, I am just getting started. If I am able to ride 750 miles on this OW, then I will have hit the golden number of $2 per mile traveled. “Why is this important?” you ask? Well, as a city commuter, I must compare every method of transportation to the gold standard, Uber. Uber claims an average cost of $2 per mile traveled, so if I am able to knock out 750 miles on my current OW, every mile after that is just gravy.

Add to that the fact that I am having a blast zooming around the city, when I would ordinarily be crammed into a car, and the fact that I am getting to my destinations a lot sooner and having conversations with people I would never ordinarily talk to, and you realize what a remarkable machine the OW is.

If I was able to log 328 miles between October and April in cold, snowy New England, I can not even imagine what a Spring and Summer season on the OW will be like. I anticipate a lot more riding in my immediate future, and have even delayed getting a replacement motorcycle because riding this little wheel is just too damned fun!

I am deeply saddened by the fact that traveling with the OW on a plane is a monumental task, requiring you bring laminated documents, legal knowledge, a disassembled board, and the knowledge that you might not be able to take your OW with you anyway. Otherwise, I would love to travel all over the world with this bad boy and ride every type of terrain there is.

I urge all eskaters who haven’t to try the OW at least once. The feeling of floating around, off and over things is intoxicating and addictive. I look forward to getting up from my desk at the end of every workday and taking the stupid thing back out on the city streets to hooligan my way home, day or night.

That’s all for this week folks! As always, feel free to post your comments below and email me at [email protected] if you have any ideas for what you would like to see in future content. Special thanks to Slydogstroh for letting me use some of his awesome video content and shoutout to his sponsors The Float Life, HoverHooligans, Craft&Ride, Flatland3D and BoulderDenim.  If you liked his stuff you can follow him on Insta @slydogstroh.