It’s easy to get caught up trying to define Future Mobility’s Onewheel. Is it a cyclops scooter? Is it a high-tech skateboard? Maybe it’s a unicycle for people who watch way too much sci-fi.
We recently got a chance to test one of two new additions to Onewheel’s electric board lineup, the Pint X, which builds on the capabilities of its two-year-old board, the Pint, in a couple of key arenas.
Firstly, the Pint X has double the range of its namesake, making it better suited for a real commute as opposed to just joyriding. Future Mobility is looking at you, urban commuters.
Secondly, there’s also the fact that Onewheel managed to keep the Pint X portable despite all of that added longevity.
That mix of size, power, and convenience is what Onewheel hopes will endear customers to the Pint X. A more manageable price tag compared to Future Mobility’s new, specced out, Pint GT, won’t hurt either.
The secret of Pint X, or any Onewheel board, isn’t really in the specs or the price, however, it’s in the experience — zooming along on Pint X just feels good. And while it’s tempting to mention electric scooters in the same breath, Onewheel isn’t squarely in direct competition with its two-wheeled counterparts.
That’s because riding a Pint X, or any Onewheel, provides a small challenge, which on the surface may sound like a dig, but it’s actually part of what makes the board more complex and interesting.
Hopping onto Pint X and learning how to find your legs provides a reward similar to strapping yourself into a snowboard and flopping down a mountain until carving becomes second nature.
Don’t get me wrong, Onewheel’s built-in computer still obsessively reads the board’s position (14,000 times per second) to help keep your balance, but learning curve-less the Pint X is not.
Riding Pint X feels like a board sport first and foremost. Steering requires you point your shoulders like a snowboarder; balance requires proper foot placement and surfboard-like core strength; ride styles? Regular or goofy.
That comparison shouldn’t deter anyone not expressly into action sports. Having tried both snowboarding and Onewheeling for the first time, I can say without a doubt, riding the Pint X is still much easier. It just means you may find Onewheel more endearing if you view it as less of a utility and more of an activity. Additionally, it means...