Do you know what people say about Enskate? They don’t. Enskate is not a brand that usually comes to mind when it comes to Eskate companies. We know they are a good sport though, even after we made fun of their Enskate Woboard S in our previous review, they still came back for more and we respect that. They also addressed some of the complaints that we had with the Woboard S, by upgrading its ESC to a standard Hobbywing, and using a better, non-sex-toy-looking, standard Bobbywing remote.
This time, they want us to test out the Enskate R3 Mini, a practical portable, well-polished shortboard that’s intended for sidewalk commute. And here we are, trying to answer 2 questions with this review:
Is R3 Mini amongst the top choices for sidewalk commute and
is it time for everyone to start paying attention to Enskate?
Enskate R3 Mini Review
As usual, lets run through the specs real quick.
Top Speed: 20mph/35kmh ( Our test: 23mph/38kmh )
Range: 12.5miles/20km ( Our test: 6miles/9.5km)
Battery Pack: 2.5AH pack from Samsung in 10s1p configuration
Weight: 13lbs/6.0kg
Features: 450w dual hub motors, Hobbywing ESC remote controller,wide concaved deck, big and functional kick tail
Price: 399 USD
Riding Experience
i. Acceleration & Breaking
The board has pretty smooth acceleration and braking as expected from hobbywing ESC. Acceleration felt quite powerful and strong. This came as a small surprise as this, after all, is a 10s1p board, performance is not supposed to be its strong suit. Enskate did put a stronger than average 450W hubs on it, so I guess that explains why.
ii. Stability and Maneuverability
R3 Mini has a kicktail that’s useful for sharp turns in tight space and dodging pedestrians, however beginners should pay extra attention when accelerating as it might resulted in an accidental manual and fall on their back. Honestly, same can be said about most shortboard with kicktails, always gotta be careful about them if you are not use to it.
iii. Vibration
The R3 Mini performs great on smooth roads. It has wide concaved deck that makes riding felt stable. It is very nimble and responsive as well. Carving with it is very enjoyable and fun.
But as always for a mini board, when it come to rough roads, the board will suffer. The combination of stiff and short deck make the road vibration felt intense.
iv. Range& Top Speed
I bet you notice something doesn’t add up here. Unless Enskate has it’s battery magic imbued, there is no way that a 10s1p 90wh get us to 12.5 miles or 20km in range.
Our range test gave us 6miles (9.5km) Riding fast on mode 2 and 3 which is expected from a small battery. On the 5.5miles (9km) mark, the voltage sag is noticeable as it starts to slow down significantly.
In other words, Enskate didn’t break the law of physics, but it might’ve broken the heart of some buyers who actually believes 12.5 miles (20km) is possible. Unless, you weigh 88lbs (40kg) and you ride conservatively, there is no way you will get 12.5 miles (20km) with it.
Our tested top speed however is slightly higher than the marketed top speed. During our test, we get 23mph (38kmh). The R3 Mini is pretty stable at high speed but still for a mini-board, 23mph (38kmh) felt faster than usual.
A closer look at the parts
i. Deck
The deck is 8 layers maple with close to zero flex. It has a very wide concave which makes riding feels very comfortable. It has a functional kicktail that is wide making it easy to kick turn.
ii. Components
The board uses a standard 90mm 78A wheels.
There is not much to say about the 90mm 78A wheels that Enskate uses other than there isn’t much to say about them.
Let’s just say, they are good wheels but they aren’t Orangatangs.
iii. Truck
Generic trucks that are nimble and responsive enough
iv. Remote
The R3 Mini uses generic Hobbywing and it came with the first-gen Hobbywing remote that has no telemetry screen.
For two of you who are not familiar with Hobbywing remote, this remote is comfortable in hand, it has no drop connection, and it fits pretty comfortably in the pockets.
Verdict
So, what is our final verdict on the Enskate R3 Mini?
I hope that by this point it’s plenty obvious that the R3 Mini isn’t made for punishing terrain or group rides. It’s made for a very specific purpose, last mile commutes on a sidewalk. So, is it good for that? Yes. It’s a polished short board that rides comfortably and isn’t a chore to lug around.
Is it the best campus board for $399? It really depends on your situation, other budget shortboards like the Meepo Mini 2 are every bit as good and have 2 times the battery size, but like Uncle Ben says, with great power comes… greater weight. There is a reason we DIY-ed a 10s1p crappy shortboard after all.
If you are interested in buying an Enskate, be sure to check out our affiliate discount link here and uses code: “ESKATEHQ” during check out. It will help you get a small monetary discount and helps us out too. On top of that, you’ll be tagged as an Electric Skateboard HQ customer and probably be treated better. Cheers!
Hello dear readers, Electric Skateboard HQ’s newest writer here!
For my first article, I would like to take you down the journey of how I decided on purchasing my first electric board, but first, a little background about me. I have been riding, sliding, and racing skateboards for over 8 years now. From racing (and crashing) in competitive events to running from cops in the dead of night, skateboarding has left an indelible mark on my life and become one of my favorite activities, and far and away, most preferred method of locomotion.
(Me freeriding a local spot in 2010, please excuse the neon-green laces, it was a different time)
I am of the (rather strong) opinion that skateboards are a strict improvement over walking, and that, if everyone in the world learned to skate, we could solve most of our travel infrastructure problems instantly. As a Bostonian, I have found myself racing people in cars, buses, bikes, and even trains to get around the city and have always found skateboarding to be as fast, or often faster, than these more cumbersome modes of transportation, if slightly more dangerous.
But Why Skate?
Skateboards are light; you can bring them with you into most businesses and forms of public transportation. A wise man once said, “Why sit in a thing that runs on money and makes you fat, when you could be having fun commuting on something that runs on fat and saves you money?” On top of that, skating can be a very sophisticated form of self-expression. From wheels, trucks, and board cosmetics, to choice of gear* and even the style in which you ride, there is something about skating that lends itself to having a rich culture and identity element, much more so than biking or driving a car.
(*As long as you are wearing flannel. Always wear flannel.)
With all of this said and done, skating does have some shortcomings:
You can do it in the rain, but you will be miserable
Long distances can be very tiring and make you arrive at work dirty and sweaty
Riders are confined to paved roads
As a skate-commuter, all of these factors had begun to wear on me. I hated having to walk to work in the rain or keep a separate set of clothes at work to change into when I arrived. At this point, I noticed that eSkateboards were really beginning to explode in popularity. I started to see yuppies zipping around Cambridge on the new Boosted Boards, and kickstarters popping up regularly for boards with more range, power, and speed.
Sadly, I couldn’t bring myself to pay the high prices of these new eSkates, not because I disliked the specs, but as a former skater, I noticed the low quality of the components. No way was I going to pay above market price for a Loaded Vanguard and some O-Tang wheels! I had much better setups at home. (At this point let me pause and say, that if Boosted partnered with Rayne or Landyachtz to make an electric Killswitch or Evo, I would throw my wallet at them faster than Predator Banshee can get off the line.)
At this point, I began to look into building my own custom eSkate. Sadly, the components were expensive, difficult to life-proof, and would require a fair bit of proficiency to spec out and then assemble. As a skater, I knew that I needed a commuter that I could beat the hell out of, that could survive the constant abuse of Boston’s winters, as well as my inane need to push my gear past its limits every chance I get.
This led me to the One Wheel. It doesn’t look that hot on paper with a top speed of 19 mph and a range of 5-7 miles, but it had a lot of other features that made it a very appealing alternative to the eSkates that I had been researching.
Those points boiled down to:
One Big Wheel
No Remote Needed
Don’t Look Like a Fool
Really Bright Lights
Very Unique
All-Weather
Off-Roadability
One Big Wheel:
First of all, the One Wheel features….well, ONE wheel, but it’s one BIG wheel. The wheel is actually a big, inflatable, rubber go-kart tire, capable of eating up cracks, potholes, and most road-debris thrown its way. All skaters know the feeling of having to take a couple of extra cautionary pushes when cruising over sketchy road conditions, but with the One Wheel, this is not the case.
Boston’s roads (some of the oldest in the nation) are not exactly known for their immaculate upkeep; I have often been forced to jump off of my skateboard and walk for a couple of hundred feet in order to avoid some bricks that look like they were installed in ancient times by Christopher Columbus himself. Having the big, inflatable wheel of the OW looked like the perfect solution to Boston’s unexpected landscape.
(Anyone who has tried to ride a few blocks on this jank knows that pain)
No Remote Needed:
One of my major gripes with most eskates is the need for a handheld remote. Skateboarding is so cool because you can do it hands-free! I have ridden back from the supermarket countless times with an armload of groceries, or ridden along while getting something out of my backpack, or answering the phone. Requiring you to use one of your hands to “drive” the skateboard takes the user further away from the experience, and is just another device that can malfunction and ruin your ride.
(An example of the awkward, “I’m holding a remote” stance)
The OW has only two rider controls:
Lean forwards (to go forwards)
Lean backwards (to go backwards)
As a lover of the “flow” of skateboarding, this is an ideal control mechanism. It keeps my body engaged in the control of the board, and keeps my hands free to balance, high-five strangers, and pat any adorable animals that I may pass by on my travels. Riders claim that these controls feel very natural, and also enable the rider to do something most eskates don’t: go backwards.
A quick youtube search revealed these controls in practice; I witnessed OW riders executing slides, grinds, stalls, and pivots on their machines, in much the same way that a street skater would tear up a rail or curb. I was enamored to see an eskate that had some trick potential Sick of watching hundreds of videos of kooky youtubers “cruising” down long smooth roads on their Boosted and Meepos, the OW was looking roughly 60% more fun at this point.
Don’t Look Like a Fool
One of the biggest gripes I have with “hoverboards” and Electric Self Balancing Unicycles (ESBUs) is that you look like an absolute TOOL riding them. Rolling along in a neutral standing position has got to be one of the worst ways to travel. Compared to skaters, ESBU users are taking up twice the width of the sidewalk, and are about as aerodynamic as a brick wall.
(Let’s be honest, no little kids are going to see this guy putting along and go “Wow, I want be like HIM when I grow up!”)
Conversely, the OW allows the users to take a skater’s stance, narrowing your profile on the ground to the wind, and giving you an aggressive lean that (admittedly still not anywhere approaching “cool”) hopefully won’t cause EVERYONE who sees you to make some sort of Robocop joke. This wider stance also gives you more stability as you ride, which allows you more balance and confidence at higher speeds. What’s not to love?
Really Really Bright Lights:
As a skater who commuted to and from work and school for around 6 years, I have definitely had my share of close calls with vehicles. Learning over time, I began to mitigate this risk by wearing hi-vis clothing, attaching reflectors to my backpack, and just generally attempting to become the human version of a Christmas tree.
The OW helps you out in this regard by supplying a headlight and taillight that dynamically change depending on your riding direction! It also bears mentioning that these lights are BRIGHTER THAN THE LIGHTNING BOLTS OF ZEUS. As in, do-not-look-directly-at-the-device-when-you-turn-it-on-or-you-might-go-blind, bright. This creates a really cool effect at night, where you seem to fly around effortlessly on a bed of white and red lights. It also has the effect of really freaking out some pedestrians, so I would recommend that you give people who look easily surprised some space.
Very Unique:
One thing that I will say about the One Wheel is that it has a very unique and noticeable design. I was prepared to get some interesting looks, but not prepared for the number of people who would approach me to learn more about it, and even attempt to ride it! From old grandpa’s on the subway, to some of my more straight-laced clients, everyone wanted to learn more about the OW, and very few people had anything but wonder and joy to express. I won’t say that the OW is immune to random haters, but the vast majority of people seem to really enjoy watching the thing roll around.
All-Weather:
One of my biggest concerns with getting an eskate was gaining the ability to commute to work (5 miles) in the rain or snow. If my ride couldn’t handle a downpour or an inch of snow, I would be better off just sticking with my old skateboard. Traditional eskates would be tough in the rain because, while they are mostly waterproof, the placing of the exposed wheels is perfectly set to rooster-tail water right up and onto the rider. As a downhill racer who has done a number of events on wet mountain roads, I was familiar with just how soaked you can get from this strange phenomenon.
The OW, however, is uniquely designed to keep all water UNDER the board. With the addition of an OEM plastic (or sick after-market carbon fiber) fender, the OW can self-contain all water spray below-decks. This keeps your legs dry, and your need to take an immediate shower upon arrival in check.
(Though you DO have to get a fender for it, or it will aggressively spray water at your front leg like a fire hose, as I learned my first time out in the wet)
Off-Roadability
Even as a little kid, I fantasized about being able to ride a skateboard over any terrain. The only thing cooler than the effortless feeling of gliding over the pavement would be to continue right off of the road and into your favorite backwoods trail.
One of the coolest things about the OW is its ability to go anywhere and everywhere. Taking a quick look around youtube today, you can see that there is around a 50/50 split between OW footy that is on and off-road. These things can absolutely TEAR IT UP on dirt trails. The single, powerful motor built into the hub of the wheel combined with the large tire make the OW well suited for off-road riding, and I have even seen some users fit special treaded tires on their OWs for additional traction in mud and dirt.
(Even after just one week with the OW, I found myself surprised at the places I could take it)
All of these points, combined with the sudden theft of my motorcycle, led me to make the purchase of a new OW+. Since then, I have since ridden this strange device for over 125 miles, and have countless stories to share, but those will have to wait for next time!
I hope you enjoyed this little narrative of how I chose my first eskate; I apologize if it had less wheels than you were expecting. I would love to hear any feedback on my first article, criticisms of my process, or any requests for future articles, so feel free to email me at [email protected].
