Originally Posted by
UniChris
On the contrary, my conclusions come specifically from having ridden them. They're cool, but have little actual utility outside some interesting niches like a camera platform.
Not really, they're quite heavy to lug around when done riding, and especially on and off trains or worse busses, up stairs, etc. They especially have the problem of having a large mass of hub motor and battery enclosed in a bulky housing dictated by the tire, so they don't carry as well as the same weight in friendlier shape that hangs closer to the body would. And making the wheel smaller, which I also tried, leads to a poor ride quality.
To be specific, you have ridden a 14, 16, or 18 inch wheel with an integrated trolley handle? Where the handle pops out of the body?
And I'm specifically referring to the seatless unicycles, that only have the folding footpads.
For example, the Inmotion V8 is a 30 pound wheel that folds up into something not much larger than 16 inches and only a four inches thick at its widest point. This is a foldable wheel that can be trolleyed under its own power. It's tiny when folded up!
It's like we're talking about different objects, our experiences are so wildly diverging as to be from different planets.
I use mine several times per week on public transport, and this wheel sits next to me on my lap, or between my legs, or placed upright against the wall of the tram. It's unnoticeable, much smaller than just the front wheel of a bicycle although much thicker.
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To reiterate, you've ridden these types of wheels? These specific kinds of recent generation wheels?