The Segway was the first of the self-balancing class. Then came the hoverboards. Now it’s time for the future of self-balancing vehicles. Meet the SoloWheel Glide 3, a self-balancing electric unicycle that serves as a fun and convenient way to get around town.
The team at ReadWrite got to “Glide” around in one of these for a while and we’re hear to tell you what we think of it.
SoloWheel Glide 3 Specs
The SoloWheel is a self balancing electric unicycle, or an EUC (not our term). The SoloWheel can zip around at a max speed of 19 miles per hour and travel up to 31 miles on a full charge. Although, our team doesn’t recommend taking this thing to it’s max speed right away.
The range on the SoloWheel is also a big plus. As long as you leave the charger at your home or wherever you typically travel to, you should be just fine. The downside to all that power and range is weight. The SoloWheel weights a little over 30 lbs which isn’t the most fun to carry around with you. Not to mention, it’s not able to climb up stairs very well either.
Fortunately, the SoloWheel Glide 3 does come with a retractable handle that you can use to walk the wheel around like a suitcase. This makes it much easier to walk around with while you aren’t riding.
You can find all the other specs here.
Must Be Hard to Ride Right?
We’re going to be honest with you guys. There’s definitely a learning curve to riding the SoloWheel.
At first, it’s difficult to maintain proper balance. The SoloWheel is very sensitive to your movements, so any lean forward or backwards will trigger movement. When you’re getting started for the first time, I highly recommend holding onto something sturdy. And try to make sure it’s not something that can be ripped off the wall…
The best way to learn is to practice moving back and forth by leaning while standing in between a doorway. Hold onto both sides of the doorway while you lean back and forth. You need to train your body and mind to trust the device. Once you’ve practiced this, try taking it for a spin without holding on to anything. We recommend picking a wall or table 10-15ft away and ride over to it trying to maintain your balance the whole time.
Once you’ve practiced enough in the office (we don’t recommend riding this in the office), you can take it out in the parking lot for longer rides.
After about 3 days of riding, you should be able to take it around town. Again, it really comes down to trust and balance. Once you get the hang of those, you should be fine.
Summary
The SoloWheel Glide 3 isn’t a cheap gadget. It retails for $899 USD. That said, it’s a well-built machine and deserves that price tag.
Whether you’re looking for a new toy or a fun way to commute to and from work, the Solo Wheel Glide 3 is definitely something you should consider. Just remember to wear your safety equipment while riding!
Special thanks to wellbots for setting us up. Here is a 10% OFF discount for your readers on the Glide 3 with code READWRITE10
