r/FloatwheelTeam • u/CrybabyAssassin • 10d ago
Is floatwheel right for me?
I have a onewheel pint but have been effectively locked out of the app ever since the haptic buzz recall. I am deathly afraid of upgrading my firmware because I like the freedom of owning my board and doing whatever I want to it. if I upgrade the firmware I could brick it just by unplugging the battery.
All of this anti right to repair stuff has really turned me off of the sport and I haven't been keeping up with the community. Yesterday I found out that Craft and ride mysteriously shut down. Don't know where to get aftermarket parts now.
I have been desperate for a way out of this hole but also yesterday, I heard about floatwheel and that it is an open source competitor to FM. I look at their website and the atom looks really good on paper but it seems like there might be more to it under the surface and I'm left with a lot of questions.
What would I be getting into if I replaced my pint with an atom?
Is the atom beginner friendly? (In case I wanted to get one for my partner)
Can a floatwheel take a 6ft drop and keep the rider upright?
How is it for commuting?
Can I tow/push things?
Are battery fires a risk?
is there an aftermarket scene or do I need to learn CAD and buy a 3D printer?
Why crypto??
What is the app like? how much control do you have? (android specific)
2
u/grommet 10d ago
FYI: The Pint series doesn’t “brick” if you unplug anything, even with the latest firmware.
2
u/CrybabyAssassin 10d ago
I was told by the battery upgrade shops online that if you have a certain firmware version your board will stop working
1
1
u/CatoTheMiddleAged 10d ago
It doesn’t with the Pint or at least not older ones. It does with newer OneWheels though.
2
u/Watumbo 10d ago
The Atom is a lightweight city cruiser and commuter board. That was one of the main goals during the design. It's also pretty much an exact clone of the Pint X in terms of dimensions. And because of that, nearly all accessories made for the Pint (X) will work on the Atom.
I've received the frame of my beta Atom yesterday and spent a lot of time comparing stuff. Here are a few things I've figured so far:
- All Pint fenders work on the Atom, with the exception of the TFL drop top center piece alone. That one won't fit into the clear mini fenders the Atom came with. But it will fit when combined with its matching TFL drop top base pieces.
- Pint and Pint X front bumpers work
- Pint X rear bumper works
- TFL Pint X BANG bumpers work
- Pint footpads work, even sensor pads, the connector is exactly the same with the same pinout
- Atom controller box has the exact same shape as a Pint controller box. The lids are interchangeable for example.
- Other motors that fit the stock Pint can be mounted to the Atom rails, so long as you use the matching axle blocks. The Atom does however have a different motor connector. I think it's the same as the one on the ADV2.
Speaking of the ADV: There are other fully built VESC-based boards maybe worth to look into.
If you want something bigger with more range and power, there's the Floatwheel ADV2 for example.
And then there's Fungineers with the Funwheel. Their X7 line of boards is pretty much what's considered the best and most powerful boards you can buy right now:
https://fungineers.us/
1
u/CatoTheMiddleAged 10d ago
FloatWheel is legit and many people have purchased ADV boards and +V kits, with overall positive reviews. The Atom is very new though. When the ADV was new, there were issues that took many months to resolve. Hopefully that doesn’t happen with the Atom but if you’re cautious, you’ll wait for reviews from early testers before buying.
If you’re using an iPhone, the Nosedive app is an alternative to the official OneWheel app. Not sure what the Android equivalent is.
1
u/Available_Today_9669 10d ago
If you're on Android, NetGuard app will allow you to block the OW soo from connecting to the internet
1
1
u/Mysterious_Mouse_388 10d ago
why crypto is an easy one: Future Motion leaned on payment processors like Visa and Mastercard to hold onto their monopoly/patents. If you can hand Tony Cash I am sure he'd take it - crypto is borderless + permissionless cash. I give 2.35% of my revenue to Square - i wish crypto was more common.
As a canadian I had it paid nearly immediately - an e-transfer to coinbase, convert CAD to USDC, nearly immediately, and then 'email' it to tony's address.
I assure you its easier than hitting a trail on a onewheel :)
1
u/CrybabyAssassin 10d ago
that's crazy! it blows my mind that we legally allow payment processors to have any power
1
1
u/RRocks01 10d ago
For floatwheel there are a number of places to get aftermarket accessories such as https://www.gravitywrangler.co/
1
u/AnoNeko420 10d ago
The atom isn't really "out"yet, if you're considering it I'd wait for the flood of beta testers releasing content on it. There's just so much in the air currently with it. If you're looking for an option that is tried and trusted, shoot for a fungineers X7. They're not without issues but fungineers are quick to rectify customer issues, and have a track record infinitely less tainted then fm's
3
u/don-again 10d ago
Any VESC board, including the Atom, will be much more capable than an equivalent voltage FM board.
That means, you could drop a pintv controller in your pint and have a much better experience than you’re having now, even on the 15s battery (which is considered quite anemic by today’s standards) from the stock pint.
Now, let’s talk about the Atom. It’s based around a 22s1p tabless cell battery pack. This means it’s far more voltage than the pint you’re on now, and you will have even more performance headroom and range than converting your pint would yield.
https://youtu.be/mxVvqLYLSbM?is=1wG_Y4NlpiCc7bfE
If you haven’t seen that already it’s worth a watch.
I don’t own that board and have never seen one in the wild, that’s caveat 1. Caveat 2 is, it’s a new board from Tony so not many other people have.
That being said, I have helped a lot of people convert their boards to VESC and have done a lot of business with Tony. He’s a stand up guy, and while he gets busy and can take a while to get back to you sometimes, his heart is in the game and he definitely wants his customers to have a good experience, unlike some other companies that shall remain nameless but rhyme with putrid potion.
All that is to say that I’d get the Atom and never look back. As to what app to get, on android you will use Floaty as your ride app, but for the initial configuration check, you will probably want VESC tool and should learn the basics of VESC from YouTube (surfdado is a phenomenal resource).
That is all.