If you’ve just bought a new hoverboard or are thinking of purchasing one then it’s definitely worth giving yourself an idea of how to ride it before you just jump on. In this post we’ll take you through how to ride a hoverboard in 5 easy steps.
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What is a hoverboard and how do they work?
A hoverboard is a self-balancing scooter or a self-balancing personal transporter that uses two motorized wheels, gyroscopes and a pair of articulated pads for the placement of the rider’s feet. The rider controls the speed by leaning either forward or backward and the direction of the travel is determined by the twisting movement of the pads.
Here’s a quick video that gives you some additional tips and tricks before we get into the step by step guide.
Step by Step Instructions
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Prepare the hoverboard and the surrounding area
Give your model of hoverboard’s manual a quick read so you’re familiar with how it works. Make sure it’s charged and turned on and in an area where you have some clear space. Ideally you want a slightly rough but flat surface. This will make it easier for the hoverboard to grip and will make getting on the board easier for you. Having a clear space will mean if you do fall it’ll be a lot less painful, embarrassing and expensive to fall on your backside than it would to fall through your nice new glass coffee table.
You can also learn on grass to make falls softer and the sensitivity of the board a little lower.
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Getting on and off the board
When the board is powered up and the area clear, it’s time to get on. Do this one foot at a time, starting with your dominant foot. When your first foot is on the board get the feel of it and see how it reacts to your weight and the pressure you are applying. After you feel comfortable with that in a quick, fluid motion bring your second foot on to the board.
There’s nothing wrong with asking a friend to help you with this step, or even do it in a doorway or somewhere similar so that you have something to hold onto. Try to make the motion of stepping on the board as smooth as possible. It’s best to keep your weight over the center of the board and your knees bent a little to help with balance.
Getting off should be much easier but make sure you step off backwards. Take your least dominant foot off first and place it on the ground to stop you. Then just step off.
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Basic movement
Once you’re on the board and feel comfortable with getting on and off it’s time to start moving. Hoverboard controls are very simple and intuitive. They respond to the change of pressure and weight distribution for direction and speed. For this we’d recommend trying to keep your center of gravity over the middle of the board and using the front of your feet to push down on the board to move forwards. Whilst if you want to go backwards you should use your heels. All whilst keeping your bodyweight over the center of the board. When you get more comfortable with the hoverboard controls you can start leaning more but for now keep it to simple pressure from your feet.
Go forward and backwards a few times until you’re comfortable with simple motion.
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Steering
To steer left and right you use a very similar principle as you do to move forwards and backwards. However, with steering you’ll be exerting more pressure with either your right or left foot to turn left or right. It’s important to remember to apply more pressure, not to let off the pressure.
This will be easier to understand when you’re actually on a hoverboard but remember to apply more pressure to turn in the direction you want. When you have a good grasp of the basics of turning and feel comfortable with these movements you can try some more advanced techniques.
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Advanced Movements
By this point you should be able to get on a hoverboard, move forwards, backwards and do some simple turns. But if you want to quickly get better then a few of the following tips will greatly speed up the learning curve and you’ll be doing more than simple turning in no time.
As hoverboards use two motors it means that each wheel is virtually independent of the other. This means you can make one wheel turn in one direction and the other wheel turn in the other direction. Doing this will cause the hoverboard to spin. A neat trick in itself but also very useful for super sharp turns. For example, if you’re weaving around cones then applying a slight backwards pressure to the opposite direction you want to turn will give you a nice sharp turn.
You’ll also be able to take the hoverboard out of any training modes and go into expert modes. This is usually where the top speed of the hoverboard is made available and the board is made a little more responsive. This is by far the best and most fun way to ride your hoverboard and with some persistence and practice you’ll easily make it to this point.
How fast does a hoverboard go?
This will be very dependant on the hoverboard but it can be expected that a lot of hoverboards can reach 10+ mph. This might not seem a huge amount until you’re actually on one for yourself.
For example, one of our favorite hoverboards, the Halo Rover, can go 10 mph off-road.
If you’re thinking of buying a hoverboard, here’s a list of the current top sellers on Amazon:
Well, I hope you found the step by step guidelines and the handy tips mentioned above easy to remember so you’ll be less likely to have any embarrassing falls with your new hoverboard. If you need to know more, think we’ve missed something or want to ask us some questions then comment below or connect with us on Facebook. Also check out the other hoverboard content we have on the site, for example:
- The 7 Best Hoverboards for Kids
- 5 Best Off Road Hoverboards
- How to Ride a Hoverboard like a Pro in 5 Easy Steps
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