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Comment by boxcardavin | Hacker News Reader

I've got 500 miles on my board and it has never been a problem, just something to be aware of. Adding mechanical brakes would involve one or two servos, two sets of brake disks and pads, and a few dozen more parts. That's a lot of hardware for a problem that few experience so it will likely never happen.

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I've been seriously considering buying one, but can't decide if the brakes cutting out will be a problem.

I live at the top of a steep hill, so it sounds like I wouldn't be able to leave my house on a full charge. Maybe I could just do a bit of trial and error to figure out how much "room" I need for the downhill?

The main issue with this style of brake is dissipating the huge amount of energy generated from a person riding down a long steep grade, in braking components that need to remain small and lightweight.

If it were an annoyance, sure, but this is a safety issue.

If they at least gave you a clear warning of some sort that would be okay actually.

There is a clear warning. The board will start beeping like a m'fer. I live in Seattle and there are lots of hills that I go down. I usually make sure to charge the board to 90% instead of 100%. I agree that the brakes could be better - having the motor brake instead of an actual disc brake does sometimes cause a bad side-turning skid, but it's nothing that can't be dealt with diligently by knowing how to ride. I've never fell off due to the brakes.

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