Fun, as long as you don't fall

Riding this battery-operated, self-balancing skateboard is as much fun as it is a challenge

Do you remember the first time you rode a bicycle? The fear of falling, then overcoming the fear, learning how to balance and, finally, the exhilaration of pedalling away to glory? Recently, I got a chance to experience something similar. And I figured it was a lot less painful as a child.

In for review was Spider Designs' self-balancing skateboard. The basic premise of the contraption is simple: balance on this platform-on-wheels and move forward using the battery-powered motor. I charge the board for a couple of hours, switch it on and climb on it.

A caveat: don't climb up if you weigh less than 20 kg or more than 100 kg (thankfully, I'm a few kilos short of 100).
 

As I look down, the indicators on the board light up. When I put my second foot up, the motor comes to life with a whirring sound. Next, the lights switch on and I move back a few feet. But before I can understand any of it, I am looking up at the sky - this, in the parking space of our society. Yes, I have fallen on my back. It is painful, but there is no damage, thankfully. I had climbed backwards.

This is because the manual, in a nutshell, is incomprehensible. There's good English and bad English, but the full manual seems to be a Google Translate job of the original Mandarin version. It takes me some time to get my balance right, but after that it is a lot of fun to move about at a comfortable pace in a straight line. The next challenge is to get off without making a spectacle of myself. The easiest way to stop is to hop off.

The next big challenge is turning. One needs to move one's left foot to turn right and one's right foot to turn left. It's fairly simple once you get the hang of it.

It was fun using the board in the parking. On the grass, it was fun as long as it was level ground. The moment it was on uneven ground, I lost my balance. On one occasion, I even had to jump off when one of the wheels fell into a hole. And it's an absolute no-no for the board to travel on gravel.

It takes me a few days to learn how to start safely, hop off and turn. Next, I try using the board indoors. I am able to make my way through the apartment without bumping into anything as long as I travel in a straight line. Turning is a problem within the cramped space.

The manual says the board is good to go for 15 to 20 km; I did not use it for that long a distance, but the battery never ran out. Also, I couldn't figure out a way to control its speed. The board also comes with a remote control to switch it on or off as well as to locate it. I didn't find too much use for it, though.

At Rs 34,550, the Spider Designs self-balancing skateboard is a fun but expensive toy. You can use it as a personal transportation device, but not on busy or uneven roads. And wear protective gear - a helmet, elbow and knee pads - at least for the first few times you use it.