TLDR: You all clearly love your electric skateboards. Can you make me excited enough to build one over an e-bike? why did you make that decision?
this is my first post but I have been trolling around for a while, and I think I have a decent idea of the build I would make if I did end up building a board but the truth is: I am sitting on the fence as to whether to build up a board or an e-bike. Mostly I want a viable practical around town alternative to a car. (I live in salt lake city where public transit is not a viable alternative) seems like for relatively like to like comparisons they cost similar amounts to build up, so that isn’t really a differentiator for me (feel free to tell me I am wrong on that)
Pros and cons I see as an outsider:
if you run out of batteries on a bike, you still have a totally reasonable form of transport, e-skateboard not so much.
I have put a lot of miles on a bike, and feel totally comfortable bombing around town in traffic on it, (I would just like to get to work a bit faster and less sweaty) skateboard I am a bit skeptical I would feel comfortable at 20++ mph.
as a commuter, rain happens. e-bikes seem to handle rain a bit better???
the ability to easily bring a skateboard on a bus, train or into a store seems super convenient, but it seems like it will be hard to set up a build that is light enough to conveniently carry around with enough range to be a viable commuter vehicle (say 15 to 20 mi range) am I wrong?
I don’t travel all that much but every time I do transportation is a problem, so the idea of bringing an an e-skateboard on a plane with me is kind of appealing. not a huge deal, but seems convenient.
(ps: I am brand new here and still learning the community: do you think this question deserves it’s own thread?)
This is an esk8 forum, so the answer is that a esk8 is better…
Portability and range do not coexist very well. Pick one or the other if you don’t want to carry around a heavy board or an even heavier bike.
If you are going to daily commute it, a bike is probably a better option. If you haven’t longboarded before, and are going to using it to commute through traffic and a city, you are going to have a bad time. You will probably be scared shit-less to even ride in traffic let alone make good time using an esk8.
You can’t beat the compactness of an esk8 in terms of size. You just can’t, there isn’t much that can propel you upwards of 20mph and be the size that they are. Weight is an issue, but in the end it will still always weigh less than a bike. In addition, the weight you want your board to be is kind of your choice. You can buy carbon-fiber decks and lightweight parts and find yourself with a very, very light board. It depends on how much you want to spend. But in the end, you will always come out above a e-bike in terms of weight.
You will have far more fun on a esk8 than you will on a bike, every time. Try out someones longboard and see, and then imagine not having to do that terrible thing called kicking and be able to go 20mph. It’s a blast.
It comes down to if you want to ride your esk8 or commute your bike. Not to say an e-bike is boring, but esk8’s aren’t generally commuters. They are meant to ride.
Also you can stil kick a dead skateboard in the same way you can still ride a dead bike.
I have built about 5 electric bikes and a handful of electric boards.
The bikes are maybe marginally easier to push dead than the boards… but still a lot harder than a normal bike
Provided your not on all terrain tires, you likely won’t get a flat tire with a board.
You can lock a bike to anything stationary while at work/class/play whereas you have to usually keep your board by your side if you don’t have secure storage. On the other hand, you can keep your board inside your home or apartment if you don’t have storage, and your binge will be left outside exposed to the elements.
Mega con, if your in Europe or certain states, many countries still don’t have proper rules for esk8, bikes are allowed everywhere. Riding in public is a risk of getting a fine in some areas.
I ride my bike to work regularly. I also use my eboard now.
I now prefer the eboard over car, bike & train, but I ride the bike in rain and when i want more exercise.
I have way much more fun on the board, and I feel like i’ve meditated on the way to work.
When you carve on a board, you look cool, and it feels cool. That’s the meditation.
When you do that on a bike, you look drunk, and it looks weird.
Do both if you can afford it
If you can’t, I think you’d have more fun on a board.
Caveat: this assumes you know how to board…
If not, then longboard first and get the hang of it before doing anything electric.
I shat myself the first time I put the throttle down, and fell 3x in the first 30 mins whilst learning the controller params. Since then, all good!
when I started with eboards a few years ago, they inmediatly replaced my bike for non wet conditions. so much more fun way to travel! I would say I ride about 4000km on my boards per year!
Im a day 1 snowboard veteran though, always loved carving and missed it in the summer! for me it has been a revelation on my bike Im just bored …
I commute on an Esk8 would say it’s the better option over an ebike. I’m slightly biased though. I’ve been skating since I was 8 or 9 years old and feel totally comfortable skating through traffic or practically any other situation.
Yes, you can build an Esk8 that can get a 15 - 20mile range and go 20+mph. I went about 16 miles on my board yesterday, my board goes way faster than 20mph, and I still had 37% charge. It weighs roughly 14.5 lbs. If I wanted to, I could cut a little here and there and probably shave a pound or two, but I’m fine with the weight.
The issue you may have with airline travel and batteries that will give you longer range is the 100Wh limit. You can’t go as far on a smaller pack, but you can always carry a spare. If you’re considering an ebike as your other option, I imagine this would just be a bonus.
The thing about a bike is that they are big and heavy. You can’t exactly walk with your bike into a restaurant, office, store… You also have to worry about locking it up and theft. With a skateboard, you can stop and grab a coffee and just carry your board. Hop on a train, bus, or taxi and you never have to worry about someone stealing it. On the other hand, you can ride over any terrain and weather condition with a bike.
When it comes to running out of juice, a bike will be better, but an esk8 is not all bad. You can still push short distances, but there is a little drag. If you go with Hub motors, it’s less, but it’s still there. With belts, you get more drag, but you have the option of taking off your belt and it will ride like a regular board.
Go esk8 all the way. It’s much more fun. Think about it this way. I can skate to my office in under 30min, but I always take a little more than 45.
i’m going to take one of those lowrider chopper looking bicycles i see around town and make a nasty ass ebike out of it one day. It will basically be a motor cycle.
So I had a similar issue but it was a normal bike not ebike. But I got both and use both for commuting and fun. Only thing I find is that if it’s wet or I run out of power putting esk8t in the car is much easier. Obviously ebike can go further but all depends if you go atb as can get more on them. Think trying a standard longboard to see if you like the feel of it.
It’s safety vs excitement. For example: I’m thinking about building an Ebike for my wife…already built her an esk8, but she’s not really comfortable on it. Feel like this is a major themetic difference…esk8s are a blast, but they’re not for everyone, too much real or perceived risk … Ebike seems a little boring to me, but anyone could ride one. To be fair these points aren’t mutually exclusive, esk8s have some safety measures and ebikes have some measure of risk and excitement, but at the core those are the critical factors. If a person isn’t comfortable accepting the risk of an esk8 then it doesn’t matter how perfect it is for their commute, they’re not doing it. The opposite is likely true as well, if a person is comfortable accepting the risk of an esk8 and it meets their commuting needs (or enjoyment) they’ll probably choose an esk8 over a less exciting option.
on my bike Im just bored …