Onewheel Terrain Riding: Tips and Tricks for Street, Trail, Beach, and More

Oskar Fällman

Updated on:

Onewheel in the snow

From busy city streets to mountain trails, the Onewheel can go off-road and can tackle almost any terrain thrown upon it. Whether it is just cruising and floating around town on smooth pavement, crushing trails consisting of dirt, grass, or gravel, or you are hitting the beach with all the sand. The Onewheel is an all-terrain vehicle.

List of terrain you can ride on an Onewheel

  • Streets and Pavement
  • Grass
  • Trails and Dirt
  • Beach and Sand
  • Snow
TerrainCharacteristicsPrecautions and Tips
Streets and Pavement– Common terrain.– Avoid keeping up with fast traffic to prevent nosedives.
– Suitable for cruising and deep carving.– Cover the charge port, waterproof the board, and wipe down after a ride.
– Check the speed and stay within board limits.
Grass– Softer surface but higher risk of falling.– Keep knees bent and weight low for stability.
– Additional power needed; risk of nosedives on bumps.– Perfect for learning 180-degree turns.
Trails and Dirt– Onewheel excels on trails and dirt tracks.– Practice in the neighborhood before trail riding.
– Requires alertness for obstacles (roots, stumps).– Lower tire pressures for increased traction.
– Pay attention to surroundings and anticipate obstacles.
Beach and Sand– Iconic scene; avoid water due to non-waterproof design.– Ride on wet packed sand near the water.
– Carve waves, but prevent saltwater exposure to avoid corrosion.– Apply a waterproof kit to protect the non-waterproof Onewheel.
Snow– Possible, but snow reduces wheel friction.– Cover the charge port, and waterproof board, and wipe down after.
– Follow winter riding tips for a better experience.– Riding in cold weather decreases range (20-40%).
– Riding in cold weather can significantly decrease range.– Consider treaded tires or accessories for better traction.
Characteristics and precautions associated with riding an Onewheel on different terrains

Riding on Streets and Pavement

Pavements and street is the most common terrain for riding your Onehweel. The majority of my commute is on pavement if I don’t decide to take an off-road MTB track over the hills.

The rubber in the go-kart wheel is sticking to the pavement making it possible for deep carving when hitting the streets.

The main risk when street riding is to fall into the trap and start keeping up with electric bikes and other traffic. Remember to check your speed and stay within the board’s limits else you are risking a nosedive for overloading the motor.

Person Riding a Onewheel on street
Onewheel Riding on the street

Riding on Grass

After the pavement stepping onto grass is the usual next step when learning to ride an Onewheel.

The grass is softer to fall on however the risk of falling is greater. There are usually hidden bumps and there is additional power needed to ride on grass, hitting a bump and overloading the motor is the most common cause for a nosedive on grass.

Grass has lower friction to the rubber making it perfect to learn 180’s. Remember to move your upper body first and then rotate the board with your hips.

The best tip when riding on grass is to keep your knees bent, and weight low and above the wheel to be more prepared for hitting a hidden bump.

TSG Pass Pro riding on field
Onewheel riding on grass

Riding on Trails and Dirt

Onewheel shines when hitting the trails and dirt tracks. You need to be alert when bouncing over roots and around stumps and holes. A good idea is to practice around your neighborhood before heading out on the trail when you do it’s well worth it! There are many mountain bike tracks for you to explore or trails to head down.

I strongly recommend reading my guide Onewheel off-road (Trail Riding Tips). It goes over everything you need to know about off-road riding.

When riding trails lower tire pressures to increase traction to the ground and keep a good stance. Trail riding requires you to pay attention to your surroundings, and watch the trail ahead to anticipate obstacles in your way.

Riding on the Beach and Sand

Riding on the beach is one of the most iconic scenes from the Onehweel commercial and many riders love hitting the sand and carving the waves. The Onewheels are not waterproof so stay out of the water there is a risk that the saltwater will increase the corrosion and shorten the life of your board.

Riding on dry loose sand is difficult as the wheel will dig down into the ground. It’s therefore recommended to ride on the wet packed patch near the water.

Don’t ride in the waves.

When riding your Onewheel on the beach make sure to cover the charge port protecting it from sand, it’s recommended to waterproof the board and make sure to wipe it down afterwards.

Riding on Snow

It’s possible to ride your Onewheel in snow but there are some things you need to remember. Snow will reduce the friction for your wheel so it’s a higher risk for slipping and falling. For better traction, you can change your tire for a treaded one or get yourself Soccasin from Badgerwheel.

The Onewheel isn’t waterproof, therefore it’s recommended to apply a waterproof kit like the one from Badger Wheel to reduce the risk of damage. Riding in cold weather will also drastically decrease your range by somewhere around 20-40% depending on your board and temperature.

If you want to know more about winter riding check out my guide Onewheel winter riding (Tips).

Onewheel in the snow
Onewheel riding on snow

Looking for more tips for riding on different Terrains?

Remember to always ride safe, here is my list of the gear I use daily Onewheel Safety Gear

About Oskar Fällman

Oskar Fällman, founder of FallmanTech, is a seasoned Onewheel rider and a visionary system engineer with a master's in Industrial Management and Engineering from Lunds University. With thousands of miles under his belt, Oskar combines technical expertise with a passion for technology and innovation. As a leader in the Onewheel community, he not only rides Onewheel's but also prioritizes safety, new innovations and the growth of the sport. As a system engineer he also holds a multiple patents and innovations. LinkedIn, Academia profile, Contact, Twitter, Patents.