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Comment by schrodinger | Hacker News Reader

I've broken both arms in the first 6 months of riding. First time was from a steel plate on the road that made the board stop dead (didn't notice how high it stuck up). Second time I just fell backwards after getting hung up on a bump.

Still ride it almost every day though :)

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Me thinking: This looks fun, I might want to get one of these!

> I've broken both arms in the first 6 months of riding.

Me closes the tab, backs away slowly....

Somewhat comically when I went to pick up my boosted board from their shop in Mountain View the guy I met shook my hand with his left hand which I thought was weird, but didn't think much about it.

A bit later I asked if he commuted on his boosted board and he said that he did everyday until recently because he had surgery after shattering his right elbow.

I asked, "Not from the boosted board right?"

He smiled and said he had hit a bit of oil.

Didn't exactly inspire confidence.

I don't really think there's a way to make a skateboard safe at speed. Ultimately if the skateboard stops suddenly, you continue to travel at the speed it was going, and unlike a bicycle, nothing is going to absorb damage except your body.

Thanks for sharing this. I was beginning to wonder if I should substitute my bike for a boosted board for my daily two-mile commute, but then your comment reminded me that riding this on the awful streets of Baltimore would be suicidal.

(I used to be a skateboarder. I know how much pain a tiny pebble can cause.)

I ride through the absolutely horrible streets of midtown Manhattan and I have gone down a couple times, one time where I was digging dirt out of my palms. But really, I think if you are smart about your speed and keep your eyes on the road, the danger is mitigated somewhat. One thing I always do is keep the motors engaged at all times, which is less energy efficient, but at least lets me know if my remote has lost connection with my board since you can feel the sensation of the motors disengaging power.

Ooh, that's no good :/ the controller loses connection when you're riding - is that a fairly common occurrence?

It's not common at all. I always keep the belt engaged because it also keeps the deceleration constant, and I do not know how to brake normally -- so the brakes are the only thing that will save my ass if a car jets out in front. Never had the remote cut off except the one time I forgot to charge the remote. But the beeping about 10 times before it cut off was ample warning. I have never really fell in love with a product before as much as the boosted board - and this is coming from someone who had zero skateboard/longboard experience. Maybe I'm a natural, or maybe it's just dumb simple to learn. I still can't cut corners very well and have problems figuring out the right tightness for my trucks, but that's my hangups, the board is still a great piece of engineering.

The 75MM In Heat wheels are pretty good about small cracks and pebbles. Totally different than regular skateboard wheels. I use them on a traditional longboard and have to hit something pretty big to snag up.

It's only partially the case. I've taken pretty bad spills before because of unfinished road tar that pretty much "ground me to a halt", like quicksand, and also from curbs that I thought I could brace, but instead sent me forward head over heels. Skateboard accidents can be a lot less forgiving than bike ones if they are the kind where your board stops and you keep going.. Though they also can be a lot more forgiving since you are closer to the ground. It's a mix. I don't wear a helmet -- helmets makes me more clumsy. But at the same time, I don't really go in the street much, mostly a sidewalk skater.

You'd be surprised at how much stuff the bigger wheels on a longboard can roll right over. Maybe see if you can find a friend with a longboard to give it a try :)

Still a problem though because you have to be a lot more vigilant on board versus a bike. A bike can somewhat "hop" an obstacle that the wheels might not be able to roll over. The board on the other hand will most likely send you forward as it abruptly stops.

Yeah, bigger, softer wheels + higher speeds + 2000 watt motors doesn't compare to a regular skateboard with small, hard wheels.

That said, it also doesn't compare to bicycles with ~26" air-filled tires. You definitely have to pay close attention to the road surface.

This is the best/worst product testimonial ever.

Probably appeals to the thrill seekers ("you could break an arm but its so fun you'll want to do it again!").

Yes, it certainly appeals to me. I like the idea of doing things dangerous enough that one must actually focus and pay attention.

I went right back to motorcycle-riding after the bolts in my thumb healed up. :-)

wow! that's heavy duty. I've had about 3 falls over 2k miles or so. The first version was a super product with creat fit and finish. I'm assuming v2 will be even better.

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