Wheelies news since 2013

Friday 14 February 2014

Uncovering the Wheelie!


Introducing the lightest electric unicycle! It is environmentally friendly. Its lightweight & small design make it convenient and easy for you to carry around. You can bring it to classrooms, national parks (overseas because Singapore Nparks doesnt support green transport), MRTs stations, offices etc. It is a fun ride too where you can spend hours improvising your skills. The usage of this Unicycle leads to a whole range of other benefits too such as improvements to your concentration, self-confidence, co-ordination and muscle strengthening.

SPECIFICATIONS

  1. Highest Speed : 18km/h
  2. Cruising Distance: Between 12 - 15 km
  3. Max climbing radius: Approximately 15 ° 
  4. Max Load: 120 Kg
  5. Weight : 9.8 Kg
  6. Charging Interval: Approximately 45 mins
*specs may vary


Q: What is an Electric Unicycle?
A: It is a gyro stabilized Unicycle powered by electricity. The wheel is battery powered. It is a truly green product

Q: Is it a dangerous?
A: Like any other sport, avocation of good practice is important. Riders must use proper safety precautions. Always ride under control and at a speed that is safe for you and those around you.

Q: What sort of terrain can I ride on?
A: The Unicycle is a highly manoeuvrable and allows rider to easily navigate over rough pavement and around obstacles. However, to prevent the loss of traction, the rider must always be careful when riding. Not recommended for slippery, wet and sandy surfaces.

Q: Where can I buy it?
A: You can leave your message in The Wheelies FB page and Blogspot for the moderator to contact you. The Wheelies FB page is www.facebook.com/thewheelies . You may also email us at thewheeliesasia@gmail.com

Q: Why should I buy from The Wheelies?
A: The Wheelies offers a competitive price and we make sure you will get every value for the dollar you paid for. 


  • With our training package, you will not feel you are buying something that you might not be using. Our training will ensure you will be able to use the product confidently
  • Our 1 year warranty sets your mind at ease as opposed to other  online websites that only keen to sell you the product but disappear after selling you without honoring the warranty. A piece of mind is what you need
  • We also organize weekly activities for our customers to participate to ensure you are not just a customer, but part of a community. The community is the largest electric unicycle site, with 800 members till date 

Q: How safe is the product?
A: The product has been send for stringent CE test. The CE number 2979140613. CE marking signifies that the product conforms with all EC directives that apply to it. The battery used is a Sanyo Lithium battery from Japan.

Q: Is there a life-expectancy for the product?
A: The battery is expected to last about 1000 cycles

Retail price is currently S$850 (Black or White colour). It comes with two free training wheels (worth $80.00), a training strap, a year warranty on battery and gyroscope. The Wheelies will also be providing a two hours personal coaching (worth $50.00). Please mail us at thewheeliesasia@Gmail.com for international delivery.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Rise of the Segways!


Hold on your horses before you start shuddering and dial up 999! This is not T-850 model 101 Terminator from the “Rise of the Machines” teleported from the future to kill you. So what exactly is the two wheel vehicle above? Answer: It’s a Segway and chances are you probably have seen it used in Singapore, either in the airport or in Sentosa.


A Segway is a two wheel, self-balancing vehicle. Introduced in 2001 by Dean Kamen, the 54 kg electric powered vehicle can reached up to 20km/h and travels up to 19km on a full charge. It’s a state of the art vehicle. According to the description in Wikipedia, Segway balances with the help of dual computers that run proprietary software, two tilt sensors, and five gyroscopic sensors. The servo drive motors rotate the wheels forwards or backwards as needed for balance or propulsion. The rider controls forward and backward movement by leaning the Segway relative to the combined centre of mass of the rider and Segway, by holding the control bar closer to or farther from their body. The Segway detects the change in the balance point, and adjusts the speed at which it is balancing the rider accordingly. On older models, steering is controlled by a twist grip on the left handlebar, which simply varies the speeds between the two motors, rotating the Segway PT (a decrease in the speed of the left wheel would turn the Segway PT to the left). Newer models enable the use of tilting the handle bar to steer. 

Some common use of Segways are
  • Guided tours in Disney California
  • Use for patrolling and policing
  • Group Ecotours in Dominican Republic
  • Use in factories for transportation
  • Play Polo. Believe it or not, there is an international Segway championship since 2006
  • Replaces a buggy in the golf course
In Singapore, Segways are use for patrols by the security personnel in the airport. If you want to get your hand and try out the Segway, you may also head out to Sentosa and sign up for a Segway® Fun Ride where you learn to manoeuvre the circuit in a guided environment. For S$118, you may also signed up for Segway® Eco Adventure where it brings you to all 3 beaches in Sentosa. More information can be found in Gogreen Segway® Eco Adventure


Advantages
  • Small learning curve
  • Low operating cost as it runs of electricity
  • Green and Eco-friendly
  • Good point A to point B transport
Disadvantages
  • Large size and heavy makes it not practical for personal use
  • Expensive. An entry level segway costs $6000
  • Not pedestrian friendly as its huge footprint means it cannot go on walkways
  • No peddle power means you have to a big problem after the battery runs out

Segway is available in Singapore too. If you are interested in getting a Segway yourself, you may visit http://www.gogreenholdings.com/ for more information. 

Thursday 6 February 2014

Bangkok: On a Wheelie


Bangkok, the City of Angels, always brings me fond memories. First visited in 1999, I had been making trips to this lovely city for more than 80 times in the past 14 years due to my work as well as leisure. It's a city that never fails to fascinate visitors, whether you are a first timer or a returned traveler. Home to a population of 8 million, the Land of Smiles bring out a smile to every visitors with its friendly people, cultural delights and cuisine that tickles and wow your taste buds.

I had the opportunity to bring my Wheelie to visit this lovely city in December 2013. Moving around in my Wheelie does opened up new experiences of the City that I did not previously had in my previous visits. Below is a pictorial of some of the photos taken during the short half day tour on my Wheelie.



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