Since the announcement of the Pint, there has been limited access to the newest addition of the Onewheel family.
What we know and have seen of the Pint has come from Onewheel promotion videos and supervised test rides by some popular YouTubers such as Jesse Driftwood, the Moment boys, MKBHD, some of the Dude Perfect team, and the Digital Trends channel were granted the opportunity to ride the newest Onewheel.
We also know that Float Life members Slydogstroh and Bodhi Harrison also flew out to Santa Cruz so they could try out the Pint.
Video footage of the Pint has been limited but recently CNET released some footage of the Pint in a Hands-on Impression Video.
The Moment channel describes the Pint as being “squirrelier” which I guess is in line with what Future Motion’s Jack Mud calls “Nimble.” This is most likely due to the smaller tire and rounded contour of the tire.
Jeff McCosker of the Float Life even went as far as to put a Pint sized tire on an XR just to get a taste of what the Pint may feel like.
In some of the Pint clips from Digital Trends and CNET the Pint looks unusually wobbly. The clip from Digital Trends channel as they test ride through Chinatown looks especially wobbly. When I first saw this I thought to myself, dang that thing looks unstable. Others had the same feelings and in the comments people asked about it:
The response by Drew, the rider and review of the Pint from Digital Trends put my mind at ease. It was his lack of experience and jet lagged legs that led to the wobble. Fair enough.
Then CNET recently released a new first impression video by one of their Senior Associate Editors, Joseph Kaminsky. Joseph is no stranger to the Onewheel and he reviewed the XR last year when it was first announced.
In the CNET video the Pint appeared to also have a fair amount of wobble. Joseph described the board as being “agile.”
Agile, nimble, wobble… Am I concerned about the wobble? Honestly, I’m not and this is why:
Compared to the XR the Pint may be a little less stable for new riders because the tire is smaller and rounder but this could be a good thing. I anticipate the Pint may take new riders a little longer to learn how to feel comfortable because of the side to side wobble but I feel this will keep new riders from getting a false sense of security on the Onewheel early on.
The people I most often see nosediving are new Onewheel owners who jump on the board, feel comfortable on the board quickly and after getting some miles under their belt they move on to trying to set speed records. That’s where the disastrous nosedive usually ensues.
With the Pint, hopefully riders will know that it is not a speed machine. I also hope that there is a bigger safety margin built into this new Onewheel. With prior models such as the Plus and the XR, once you near or reach the advertised top speed, it will not take much to overpower the motor and nosedive.
As the Pint becomes more widespread and available to the masses as Future Motion plans, I can see more and more younger folks jumping on the board and trying to push it to the limits. Hopefully the initial wobble of the smaller, rounder wheel will keep new riders respectful of the Onewheel and keep them from trying to set speed records… at least early on.
Once riders become accustomed to the board, I don’t think the wobble will be an issue at all. You watch seasoned riders like Jesse Driftwood and the Moment channel guys on the Pint and it looks like those guys have no problems at all.
In fact, I think the more rounded contour will give more experienced riders the ability to maneuver better and possibly perform certain tricks with ease.
As for the wobble question, the Pint is a new board. If you’ve ever tried a Onewheel with a tire other than the stock Vega you will know that it’s a new experience. Put a more rounded tire on there and you get more wobble. It’s no different with the Pint and it will just take some getting use to.
During their launch the XR and the Plus experience was described as “Buttery.” As for the Pint, we keep hearing from the Future Motion folks that it’s a little, “Ripper.” I’m excited to give it a try just to see how different of an experience it will be.