Category: Questions

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Questions

Where to buy replacement belts for electric skateboards

Q:
I’ve done a bit over 100 km on my board and one of the belts already has some punctures from small rocks. Is that even safe to ride now? And where can I buy replacement belts for less than the manufacturer’s website?

You can get belts for electric skateboards from places like Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, or maybe some other marketplace for your country. Check your belt for text that looks something like “HTD 290-5M”. Search for that term in the marketplace to find the right size replacement belts. Also check the width of your belt – most e-skate belts are 15mm wide.

As for whether you can continue using a belt that has punctures: if the belt doesn’t look like it’s tearing, I would keep using it but have a spare and the proper tools ready just in case it breaks.

When a belt snaps, it feels like the acceleration and brakes become a lot weaker, so be aware of that if you ride in situations that require sudden braking. That’s assuming your board has dual motors. If it uses a single motor, then you won’t be able to accelerate or brake with a broken belt.

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Questions

How to start e-skating at 40 years old

Q:

As a 41-year-old guy with zero boarding experience I’m hoping you can give me some advice for myself as well as the board itself.

A:

Here are some steps I suggest for a complete beginner:

  1. Get a helmet that fits well. If you buy online, check the return policy in case it doesn’t fit well.
  2. Watch some YouTube videos on how to ride a longboard so you learn foot placement and weight distribution, etc. (I should probably make a video on this.)
  3. Practice riding slowly – slower than you can run. Take as long as you need. You might find that you need to work out your legs more.
  4. Before you start riding faster than you can run, I suggest getting gloves, elbow pads, knee pads, and maybe even hip pads, and practice falling with them. Start by just standing on the ground and touching the ground with your hands, and then rolling on the ground. Getting familiar with how it feels to be on the ground helps a lot. I’m 39, I normally wear all the pads (except hip pads) if I’ll be riding faster than I run.
  5. Understand that falling is a normal part of skating. You’ll fall at some point so practice and ride accordingly!

For maintenance and other tips, I suggest watching the videos in this playlist:

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Questions

Should you get Exway Flex or Exway Wave?

Q:
I’m planning on purchasing an Exway board later this month. I’m just split between the Flex or the Wave. I work 4 miles away from my house so it’d be an 8 mile commute total. My town is pretty good for skating. I’m just not sure which one would fit my needs better. 

A:
8 miles roundtrip should be doable on both boards if you’re under 200 lb and have no hills. (This may be useful.) Otherwise I suggest just charging the board at work. As for Flex or Wave, I personally find the Wave to be more convenient and I use it more than other boards. But I like carving more on the Flex, though the stock bushings are a bit hard for me.

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Questions

Board in storage with fully charged battery – How bad is that?

Q:
I recently purchased a meepo v3. I was only able to ride it twice until I had to pack into a non-climate controlled storage in December. I made the mistake of packing it away with fully charged batteries. Unfortunately, I won’t have access to it until March or April due to Army stuff. Do you think it will be fine when I’m finally able to unpack it and ride it again?

A:
For a Li-ion battery, you can assume roughly 20% loss of battery capacity per year if stored at full charge in room temperature. In low temperature the degradation should happen more slowly. If your electric skateboard will be left unused for more than a week, try to store it at around 50% charge, preferably in cool temperature. Best to double check with your board’s manufacturer.

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Questions

Should you get 120mm or 105mm Cloudwheels?

Q:
I seem to remember that in a comparison video you made between Zealot and Flex, you said that on Zealot, due to the shape of the deck, the 120mm wheels are not good because they would touch the deck when cornering, right? Do you generally think that 120mm ones make riding on rough roads much more comfortable than 105mm ones or does it change little?

A:
I don’t feel like the 120mm Cloudwheel is much more comfortable than the 105mm size. The 105 size is lighter and has slightly more contact patch, so personally I would prefer that one. I would only choose the 120 size if I were to put it on a board that could use some extra ground clearance.