The Electric Skateboard will be the Cool Christmas Gift in 2018?

Christmas is coming soon.  What's your wish in the new year?

Are you looking for a cool and fashionable gift for your friends or families?

Maybe you’ve scoured some of the top toy wish-lists and all-around great gift ideas, then still cannot find out a ideal gift? If you’re looking for some great ideas, look no further.

Recently, one of new Christmas gift becomes a fashionable trend, that is Longboard Electric skateboard.

Why? Because people receive the electric skateboard has a great honor to show around their friends and family.

Can you image that when you’re riding on the Electric skateboard and suddenly somebody looking back to you as well as an eye of envy to you?

Are you StarWars fans? Star Wars is coming!! Take your lightsaber and go to the cinema with Kooboard!

At last, nobody like traffic jam in the morning. So E-board not only a cool Christmas toy but a very fashionable commuting tool. Everyone deserve to own it.

What are you waiting for? Send a special gift to your friends, give them a surprise!

Types of Braking on Electric Skateboards

In any electric vehicle, there are several primary kinds of braking– dynamic, friction, and regenerative braking. They all use different methods of slowing the vehicle down.

Friction Braking

Friction brakes are the same type of brakes that are used on conventional cars. Essentially, friction against a brake disc is used to convert kinetic energy (the movement of the vehicle) into heat, which slows the vehicle down. A regular road bike also uses friction to slow down by clamping a brake pad against the inner rim of the bike’s wheel.

Electric skateboards generally do not use friction brakes because it requires bulky mechanical hardware that wears out.

Dynamic Braking

Outrunner brushless motors– the most common type of motor used on electric skateboards–are essentially a set of permanent magnets around a core of copper wire wound in circles so that when electric current is driven through the wire, it creates a magnetic field that pushes on the set of permanent magnets, causing the motor to rotate. The coiled wires make an electromagnet. The cool thing about magnets is that the opposite effect can occur– if you rotate the magnetic ring around the copper wire, it introduces electric current in the wires. This is the basic principal behind both dynamic and regenerative brake systems, and how generators generate electricity.

Dynamic braking is a system usually used by train locomotives. In this system, the kinetic energy is converted into heat by transferring the electricity generated by the spinning motors into a resistor, which then dissipates the energy as heat. When the magnets in the motor induce a current in the copper wires, resistance is generated, slowing the motor spinning.

As of today, there is one electric skateboard that uses dynamic braking in conjunction with regenerative braking.

Regenerative Braking

Electric skateboards primarily use a system called “regenerative braking”. This is similar to dynamic braking, except instead of redirecting the electricity into a resistor to dissipate the energy as heat, it’s redirected back into the battery, recharging it.

The primary issue with regenerative systems is that when a battery is full, it can’t accept any more current without overloading and destroying the battery. Because of this, boards that only use regenerative braking will actually lose all ability to brake after the battery hits 100% charge.

Boards like the Koowheel Board or Boosted Board will beep just before the brakes cut out, but this is often not enough to cause inexperienced riders to bail off the board. This is why it’s important to always know how to foot brake at every speed you ride your electric skateboard at. The big advantage with the Mellow Drive is that it uses both regenerative and dynamic braking– once the battery is full (and when another board’s brakes would cut out entirely), it switches to dynamic braking and still allows you to slow down.

What's the difference between a bike helmet and skate helmet?

A common question which people ask is, “What’s the difference between a bike helmet and skate helmet?” Aside from the obvious difference in looks, bike and skate helmets are actually functionally different in several ways, and you would like to make sure if you buy the right type of helmet for riding your electric skateboard.

 

Physical Coverage

You can see the difference in coverage between a regular bike helmet and one designed to protect the back of your head. Image credit: The Sweethome

One major difference between bike helmets and skate helmets is actually related to their distinct designs. Skate helmets, which are traditionally round and smooth, cover the back of your head. This is because they are designed to protect against falls that skateboarders commonly take, where they might land on the back of their head. In contrast, bikers rarely fall of the back of their bikes.

 

For an electric skateboarder, I would recommend getting a helmet that covers the back of your head like a traditional skate helmet does. Because your board has the ability to accelerate quickly, you could be thrown off and backwards if you misjudge how much throttle you’re applying.

Impact Resistance

The other major difference between a regular skate helmet and a bike helmet is the ability to protect against different types of impact. Traditional, non-certified, skate helmets are designed with a softer foam shell that protects against multiple small impacts. In contrast, a bike helmet is made out of a hard EPS foam that is designed to take one large impact and break, after which you need to replace the helmet.

Though traditional skate helmets, designed for normal skateboards and Electric longboards, are often not certified, you should get a skate helmet that uses the same hard EPS foam a bike helmet has, that still protects the back of your head. You can easily tell which skate helmets are designed this way by making sure they are CPSC certified.

What helmet should I buy?

All of the helmets I’ve listed in my helmet guide are CPSC certified and designed to protect the back of your head. As long as you ensure you have a certified helmet that also protects the back of your head, you will be much safer on your electric skateboard.

The Best Electric Skateboard Backpacks For Your Board

Usually you don’t want to carry your electric skateboard long distances by hand, and a board backpack can make it much easier to do so. With a board backpack, you can also feel free to carry your board to work during a rainy morning and still ride it back home when it’s sunnier in the evening. There are several options for electric skateboard backpacks that can carry a 15 lb+ longboard:

Burton Day Hiker Pro 28L 

One secret to keep in mind when you look for a board backpack is that snowboard backpacks usually work pretty well. Burton, a well-known snowboard equipment brand, has a wide variety of snowboard backpacks that work well. The Day Hiker Pro 28L is one such example, with a wide variety of colors, ample room for other gear like wrist guards and knee pads, and a vertical board carry system. Koowheel Longboard Bag 

Koowheel Electric Longboard Bag is a fairly distinct and popular option to carry both regular and electric longboards. I personally highly recommend this one as well as it is very welcomed by most consumers. Besides, due to Christmas coming, Koowheel Christmas 8600mAh ( Double power) Replaceable Battery Limited Edition E-board is on sale.  Just only 20 days. Needless to say it is a special gift for new and old customers. 

You can buy the Koowheel Longboard and bag direct from the official website.

Unity Skateboard Backpack 

The Unity Skateboard backpack is a slightly smaller alternative to the larger Burton and Dakine bags. It supports skateboards up to 15 lbs, so it’s not designed for the heavier boards like the Evolve Bamboo GT. However, with boards like the Boosted Board Dual+ (2nd Gen) that come in just under the 15 lb limit, the Unity Skateboard Backpack will work just fine.

Evolve Backpack 

For Bamboo GT or Carbon GT owners (or, proud Bamboo GTX early adopters), Evolve offers a branded skateboard backpack designed to hold their boards. It has standard features like a water bottle pouch (though, theirs is insulated), and reflective logos so cars can see you at night. You can order the Evolve Backpack directly from their web store.