After a long time thinking if you should get a Onewheel I actually decided to get one. This was over a year ago and here is my review and why I decided to buy this board. Let’s first get one thing out, is the Onewheel Pint worth it?
The Onewheel is definitely worth it if you are a person who likes to feel the freedom of floating around. Riding the board does clear your mind on your way to and from work or just want to get out of your house. It’s a totally unique riding experience that you can’t get on bare land with any other device.
As a parent and probably older than I would like to admit life has caught up with me. It’s not like before when you could head out on a windy day to catch the waves with your kiteboard. Time has become a more scarce resource for me and that’s one of the main reasons why I decided to buy the Onewheel Pint.
To Long? here is a table summarizing the key information of my review:
| Section | Summary |
|---|---|
| Commuting with Onewheel | The Onewheel Pint offers a unique and enjoyable commuting experience, particularly for those with limited time. |
| Riding Experience | The board provides a nimble and playful riding experience on pavement, making it fun and enjoyable. |
| Trail Riding | While the Onewheel Pint is suitable for trail riding, the larger GT offers more stability and range for off-road adventures. |
| Features of Onewheel Pint | The Onewheel Pint has “Simplestop” for easy dismounts and an integrated handle for improved portability. |
| Charging and Safety | Charging the Onewheel Pint takes approximately 2 hours, and safety gear is essential due to the risk of nosedives. |
| Personal Learning Experience | Learning to ride the Onewheel is relatively easy, even for inexperienced riders, with a focus on taking it easy during the learning process. |
| Accessories and Value | The are a lot of different accessories to upgrade your board. I good thing is that the Onewheels hold their value well, making used boards a viable option. |
| Final Verdict | The Onewheel Pint is highly recommended, especially for short commutes in good weather. Consider the Onewheel GT for a longer range or trail riding. |
I just finished my first ride, it took me back to winter 1994.
I’m lucky to just have just 5km to work enabling me to actually commute to and from work on my board, and even luckier to be riding around a nice looking hillside (it’s an old garbage dump with planted trees and grass). Making the Onewheel a perfect alternative for me.
Riding makes you clear your mind and I can definitely feel the difference when I commute with my Onehweel compared to either my electric scooter or are really lazy and take the car.
If you decide that you would like to get a Onehweel the question will come and the Pint is often compared to the bigger brother XR. There is some key difference comparing the two Onewheels made by Future Motion Inc., the Onewheel Pint, and Onewheel XR. The XR has a higher range and just a slightly higher top speed when compared to the Pint. What the Pint got is a smaller footprint and better maneuverability. For a great breakdown check my post on Information about Onewheel.
For me, the XR is larger, more stable with the stock tire compared to the Pint, and has increased range. I decided on the Pint because of the nimble feel and carvability of the board at stock configuration. Yes, the almost half price made the buying decision a bit easier.
I got a friend who got the XR after I bought my Pint so I can compare the riding feeling of both.
Is an Onewheel worth it
The Onewheel is definitely worth it, it is making every day count when commuting to work. I now look forward to my 20-minute commute to work. Riding the board does clear your mind and it gives a totally unique riding experience that you can’t get on bare land with any other device.
Riding on the pavement
The Onewheel Pint is nimbler and more playful under your feet compared to the XR. The difference comes mostly from the smaller tire and that it’s a few pounds lighter. The tire is more round enabling better responsiveness when carving and it feels snappy and immediate when turning.
I love the Pint and as I mostly commute on the pavement it’s arguably more fun to ride this board compared to the bigger brother.
Riding on the trail
The Onewheel is still great for trail riding, Compared to the XR the smaller wheel makes it a bit more unstable and after riding with my friend and changing boards mid-ride I definitely feel the benefits of the XR for pushing trails. Also, the larger battery really comes into play if you want to ride long tracks out in the woods.
For me the Pint has performed as I expected on the trail, if trail riding is what you want to do the majority of the time, then I would look into the XR and maybe even change the tire for a treaded one after the warranty has expired.
A nice feature introduced with the Pint is the Simplestop. It’s good for new riders and makes dismounts clean and easy. I would recommend you turn it off when you are feeling more comfortable with your board and actually start practicing the heel lift dismount straight away.
The integrated handle at the wheel is so much more comfortable compared to the XR front grip. These improvements directly address two of what many users have expressed to be Onewheel’s biggest pain points — hard to dismount and cumbersome carrying.
Charging the Onewheel Pint
The stock charger that comes with the Onewheel Pint has a very long charge time. Going from a flat battery to a full is approximately 2 hours. For me this has never been a problem, there is an option to get the optional Ultracharger which will cut the charge time down to 50 minutes.
The Onewheel is not by any means a safe device. If you push it too much the motor will not be able to hold you up and the board will nosedive into the ground. You need to think about carrying safety gear and I have actually installed front wheels from Land-surf to make my ride a bit safer.
If you want to take a look at my installation you can find more information here or if you are interested in all the alternatives out there I have a great breakdown of all the front wheels for the Onewheel. This should not discourage you from getting a board.
My Onewheel Pint learning experience
Learning to ride an Onewheel is not that hard, it’s actually quite intuitive to get started. Yes, I have kitesurfed and some board experience, talking to other riders and to the store owner where I bought the board both state that the learning curve is fast even for a totally inexperienced rider. The most important tip is to take it easy, you will get the hang of it. I have compiled my list of Beginner tips that can be found here if you would like to get some more information.
At least have a helmet and wristguards, I ended up spending quite a lot on both safety gear and accessories for my board. I always ride padded, if you are interested my list can be found here.
On the accessories side, I highly recommend getting a Fender, both for not getting debris launching from the wheel and get the dreadful wheel burn if your ankles hit the naked go-kart wheel.
The Onehweels and the Pint are holding their value quite well. You can save some money by buying slightly used boards from places like Facebook or Craigslist. The warranty is transferable and 12 months / 2000 KM (1243 miles), whichever comes first. The warranty for the footpad, tire, and battery pack is 6 months / 1000 KM (622 miles). More information can be found here about the Onewheel Warranty. I recommend buying the board from a local they usually can help you, let you try the board and give you some training before you head away with your new device.
The final verdict
I highly recommend the Onewheel Pint, especially if you live in a climate with good weather and have a commute of around 5-7km (miles). This requires you to carry your charger or get an extra to have at work. I see no problem with this. If you feel like you need a little more range and plan to do a lot of trail riding I would actually look into getting the Onewheel XR. An option is to add an external battery pack, this has fixed my range problems. Read more about the best battery extensions over here for the Onewheel Pint.
I rock the GT40 from GTMOD for almost 3 times the range. (Fallman gives $30 off at checkout)
Float on!
Looking for more information? Read the articles below
- What comes in the Onewheel Pint Box. A breakdown of what you get
- How to ride the Onewheel. A breakdown with tips and Trix for new riders
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
