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