Update 11/24/23: FlightFins just released the modular, Falcons II System
As someone who loves Onewheel trail riding, I’ve often wished I could be more “locked in” on my board while cruising over rough terrain. Replacing the stock grip tape was really the only change I made that helped with that, but it’s still easy to get thrown off occasionally by the roots, rocks, and drops that are common on mountain bike trails. I wanted something more than increased surface friction to keep my feet planted on my XR.
The OG foot holds for Onewheel are FlightFins. Introduced via an Indiegogo campaign in 2017, Fins are rubber blocks that attach to a specialized fender, hanging over your feet to keep you attached to your board. They were originally designed for jumps and tricks but FlightFins are loved by trail riders as well.
I’ve tried FlightFins on friends’ boards before, but they always felt awkward as I keep a pretty wide stance while riding. Over the last few years, several other creative solutions have popped up which provide control from the outer edges of the board instead of the center.
All of the products above provide the outer-edge control I was looking for, but Overlanders are still the only commercially available solution. The thing that kept me from buying a set was the size. They’re comically large and I couldn’t see having that much metal protruding from both ends of my board. I just wanted something I could hook my toe under, so when I heard that FlightFins was selling early batches of a metal toe hook called FF Falcons, I jumped!
Only a few drops were sold before the out-of-stock listing mysteriously disappeared from the FlightFins website in mid-September. While FlightFins never commented, several people have claimed that FF pulled the product after getting a cease-and-desist from Overlanders. I managed to get my hands on a set of these now-discontinued wonders, as well as a set of the V2 FlightFins and slapped both on my Onewheel XR.
It looked pretty rad, but after a couple of test rides, I could tell that using Fins and Falcons at the same time was risky. I struggled to dismount cleanly after bringing the board to a stop and couldn’t imagine trying to bail from that configuration on a nose dive. The control it offered was great though. I rode over some rough terrain, dropped off curbs, and could jump off the ground with my feet under the Fins, the Falcons, or any combination of the two. As I expected though, I felt most comfortable with my feet placed wide and decided to just take off the blue fins. With my initial experiments complete, I went out for a few miles of trail riding this morning and posted the two videos below on my @jas1wheel Instagram account. The first one is an Insta360 cut from some of the singletrack sections and the second is me sharing my initial impressions.
I learned after recording those that Overlanders is currently pre-selling a GT-only product called “OWL Lifters” that is much more similar in design to the FF Falcons. I’m not sure who’s in the right here, but I love my Falcons so far and still think there’s plenty of demand in the market for even more Onewheel foot hold options.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I enjoyed the read. I sure do love my Titanium Overlanders! Float steady!
Glad to hear you’re happy with your Overlanders. I honestly haven’t heard of anyone who has a set that isn’t.