[GUIDES]THE RIGHT TYRE PRESSURE FOR THE NINEBOT ONE Z10
Hello G-RideRz!
I'm tackling a subject that has been the subject of much discussion, almost as much as the beginning, as to whether the Z10 is a good wheel or not.
Let's be clear from the outset, this article does not pretend to give you a clear and precise answer by giving you a precise pressure value. Moreover, the remarks and advice you will read are based on my tests and my feelings, and do not claim to be absolute truths for all cases.
Rather, the aim is to draw your attention to some aspects of behaviour, posture and driving style that you might consider trying to enhance your Z10 driving experience.
Small aside
In today's society, people are increasingly looking for plug & play, ease of access, and as little headache as possible. As a result, very often, in order to provide the general public with an immediate grasp, we end up with disappointing products, a blatant example is that of video games where certain publishers, by dint of having constantly simplified the gameplay of certain games, have quite simply sabotaged them.
NINEBOT chose not to do plug & play with its Z10. Therefore, mastering the beast has to be earned and you have to spend a lot of time on it, testing and re-testing the different pressures in different situations to start feeling comfortable with it, unlike almost all other wheels. It's only after that that you can really appreciate all the subtleties of this unusual wheel that marks a breakthrough in the world of gyroroues.
There will be a before and after Z10 for sure.
This being said, let's get to the heart of the matter, globally from my point of view we can divide into 3 categories the driving feeling in relation to the different pressures used with the Z10. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- Zone 1 (22 to 30 Psi) :
For cross country, offroad or on roads that are not really in good condition or roads that you don't know, it's a real pleasure because the tyre absorbs all the defects of the road. I think this promo video was made with Z10s inflated to this pressure range.
The wheel sticks to the tarmac, the stability is perfect, and it is necessary to really shift like the GP riders do to be able to turn properly while riding at 20km/h or more.
Some people will love this style of driving which offers an uncommon sensation, others will hate it. I found the use of the pads really helped when cornering as they gave more content to hold on to when shifting.
On the other hand it is very energy consuming for the battery, and it is very likely that you will be out of fuel after 40km or less if you are constantly driving at top speed.
As for speed, the tilback starts to make you slow down from 42km/h and you will rarely exceed 44km/h.
- Zone 2 (31 to 39 Psi) :
So in this pressure range, the wheel becomes more manageable, you force less to turn, you gain autonomy, and you can reach 45km/h at tiltback.
On the other hand, you have to be careful to constantly bring your feet backwards because the slightest obstacle makes you jump and pushes you forwards and above all the wheel is driven by the strength of your calves!
You have to exert constant pressure with your calves to keep it stable above 25-30 km/h. It's a pretty tiring style of riding, which I wouldn't really recommend to those who don't have muscular calves or who have very long distances to cover.
However, cornering at over 20km/h becomes a little easier and you don't have to flex as much as with a pressure below 30psi. You have to be careful though as the Z10 tends to shake if you squat too much and don't maintain enough pressure with your calves.
The closer you get to 39Psi, the more I find the use of the pads awkward in the corners where you really have to exert a lot of pressure with your calves to stabilise, but that's just my feeling.
- Zone 3 (40 to 47 Psi) :
This is where things get interesting. Some people say that riding a gyro is for lazy people, maybe they are right, but one thing is for sure, in Zone 3 with the Z10 there is no doubt, you are clearly going to do some sport!
The Z10 becomes almost as "agile" as an INMOTION V8 blown up to 42-43Psi, but is driven entirely by calf strength, constant pelvic support and almost the tip of the foot which is not your support foot. It is this foot that needs to be moving regularly to allow you to adjust your position. Once the concept is assimilated it is a pleasure to ride like this.
The 20km/h+ turns become very accessible, but you have to give it some slack and not be afraid to let it wiggle a bit, which was not really necessary in the previous zones.
In this pressure zone, the Z10 becomes very, very bouncy and you need to be very careful on unfamiliar roads. Watch out for holes, crevices and speed bumps in the road, because while you'll have no trouble getting over them, they can quickly become synonymous with ejections if you're not prepared.
You gain a lot in autonomy, the 60-70km are reachable, you can reach 46.6 km/h in peak, but all this is done at the expense of driving comfort. You feel all the bumps in the road, and this can lead to foot pain after 15-30 minutes of use.
However, the big positive point is that you no longer have to worry about the wheel tilting to one side or the other to stay perpendicular to a bumpy road, you are now "surfing" on the asphalt and it's quite brilliant.
Anyway in this area I strongly recommend shoes with good "gripping" soles, (I changed my shoes for Van's, and it's true that it's not bad, but I still don't find them "gripping" enough for my taste.) without which you risk the ejection at each turn if you are not used to it
Conclusion
This is what I consider to be the 3 main areas of behaviour of the Z10. This is a very relative statement, however, as you have to take your fully equipped weight into account.
For information mine is about 90kg with the following equipment for the duration of my tests:
- BEON full face helmet
- Portable air compressor (in my bag ^^)
In short, the heavier you are, the more zone 1 will expand (from 22 to 35 psi for example) and conversely, the lighter you are, the faster you will move into zone 2 (26 to 32 psi for example). This is why it is impossible to define a universal ideal pressure, as in fact the ideal is to change pressure according to the activity you are doing, and it also depends on your weight and the style of driving you want/love.
Testing to find out where your different zone boundaries are is therefore almost mandatory.
To finish, I would say that as much as the zone limitations change according to the weight of each person, the different remarks and characteristics of these 3 zones will not really change.
A little additional information during all my tests I noticed 2 things that were really effective in making driving the Z10 easier and more enjoyable for me:
- Changing shoes: As much as the V8 was a treat with any pair of shoes, the Z10 was not, and it was only after buying Van's that everything improved greatly across all tyre pressure zones.
- Using soles: The idea came to me after I bought the Van's, because they are really flat and I never really liked walking in flat shoes.
The use of these insoles in the Van's is a joy to walk and ride with the Z10. If I still have a bit of foot pain from time to time, it usually goes away very quickly and it's really very sporadic.
The final word
Bravo to those who will have the courage to take the time to really test the Z10 before saying that this wheel is impracticable!
I hope my comments will help you in your research and testing, for my part I have now unlocked my Z10 and increased its max limit from 46 to 56km/h. I'm going to start new tests to test the stability and the autonomy of this one at more than 50km/h that I will of course share with you too.
In the meantime, happy riding to all!
