Out on the local trails near my place today, doing a quick dog walk and talk. And it hit me: I haven’t posted one of those “New Year’s resolutions” videos yet… and honestly, I’m okay with that.
Because for a lot of people, New Year’s resolutions turn into something else. A performance!
You post your big plan on Facebook or Instagram, maybe you talk about it on YouTube… and suddenly it’s not just a personal goal anymore. It becomes pressure. It becomes something you feel like you have to prove. Sometimes you even end up making something up just to have “a resolution,” instead of choosing something real.
This year, I’m not even going to share my resolutions. Not because I don’t have goals, I do. But because I want to keep them personal and private, and focus on what actually matters.
Don’t Start With What’s Easy
Here’s the truth: it’s tempting to focus on the things you’re already good at.
For me, health and fitness is in my wheelhouse. It’s not “easy” every day, but it’s familiar. I know how to do it. I know the routines. I know the habits.
So if I said, “This year I’m going to work out more and get leaner,” I mean… sure. That’s fine. But it’s not the area that truly challenges me.
And that’s the point, if you want the new year to actually change your life, you don’t start with what comes naturally. You start with what you avoid.
The Real Starting Point: What You Avoid
If you’re serious about growth, you need an honest look at your life. Not a “highlight reel” look, an honest one.
Make a list of the things you avoid:
The stuff you’re scared to address
The stuff you keep putting off
The stuff that makes you uncomfortable
The stuff that “isn’t you” (so you tell yourself you’re not good at it)
Those are usually the areas that will make the biggest difference if you tackle them.
And no, you don’t have to fix everything. But that’s where you start, because avoidance is often the thing quietly costing you the most over time.
Funny Thing: The Monster Shrinks When You Face It
One of the weirdest things about facing what you’ve avoided is this:
Once you finally do it… you often realize it wasn’t as big of a deal as your mind made it.
It’s not that it’s effortless. It’s that the fear of starting is usually worse than the work itself.
And when you start chipping away at it, getting a little better, a little more confident, it can even become something you enjoy.
Then you look back and wonder why you avoided it for so long.
If Your “Avoided Thing” Is Fitness
Now, if the thing you’ve been avoiding is health, fitness, diet, exercise, you’re not alone. That’s one of the most common New Year goals for a reason.
Here’s the simple approach that actually works:
Chip away at it. Every day.
Not in a dramatic way. Not in an “all or nothing” way. Just make a promise to yourself:
“Today, I’m going to do at least one thing that moves me forward.”
That could be a workout. Or a walk. Or a better meal choice. Or prepping food. Or getting to bed earlier.
And if you miss a day here and there? No big deal.
Just get right back on it.
Consistency beats intensity, especially when you’re building a lifestyle you can keep.
Keep It Personal. Keep It Real.
My advice for the new year is simple:
Stop performing. Start improving.
Be true to yourself. Be honest with yourself. Identify the areas you’ve been avoiding, and deal with them one by one, day by day.
I picked up my MagWheel T3 a while back for $195, which is a crazy deal for a one-wheel style board… assuming it works.
The previous owner thought the battery was shot because he was getting terrible range and low power. After I got it home and had a closer look, I realized the real problem was much simpler: the tire was almost completely flat.
I pumped it up and suddenly the board woke up. Range went back to normal – easily around 10 miles, maybe up to 12 – which is right in line with what you’d expect from the stock 7Ah battery. So the good news: the battery and motor were fine. The bad news: the original non-VESC controller definitely wasn’t the best.
Why Upgrade to a VESC Kit?
The older MagWheel / Trotter style controllers work, but they’re not exactly smooth or confidence-inspiring—especially if you’re used to riding a Onewheel.
People say once you get used to the stock controller it’s okay, but for me it never felt like that “locked-in” Onewheel feeling. The board was rideable, but not something I fully trusted or really enjoyed pushing.
Fine-tune how the board responds (stiffness, tiltback, acceleration, etc.)
Calibrate everything properly for your specific board and riding style
The kit cost me $350 USD, and by the time you factor in exchange to Canadian dollars and a bit of shipping, I’m into this build for roughly $650 CAD total. For a board with a solid battery, a powerful motor (around 1500W), and a VESC brain, that’s still very good value compared to a lot of ready-made boards or eeven entry level used OneWheels.
What Comes in the Gozmilo FOCstrot V2 Kit?
The kit is designed to be mostly plug-and-play for the T3:
FOCstrot V2 VESC controller (pre-wired for this style of board)
New front double sided sensor footpad
Spacer plates that sits on top of the pad so you have a flat surface for the grip tape
Grip tape sheets that go on top of that spacer plates
New on/off power switch (latching type – stays in when on, pops out when off)
LED light strip font and back
Screws and hardware for mounting everything
The only thing that arrived a bit sketchy was the front LED strip – the wires had been pulled off in transit. I tried to solder them back on, but my soldering skills and cheap soldering iron didn’t do me any favors. I probably cooked it. I’ve asked Gozmilo to send a replacement strip so I can clean that part up properly.
The Install: Mostly Easy… Until I Broke the Software
Physically, the install isn’t that complicated – it’s more time-consuming than technically difficult:
Open up the board and remove the old controller.
Install the new VESC controller in its place.
Install the new power switch (the VESC requires a proper on/off latch, not a momentary switch).
Replace the LED strip (rear LED worked fine, front one will be swapped once I get the new strip).
Swap in the new foot sensor plate and top plate, then add the grip tape.
Where things got interesting (and frustrating) was on the software side.
The FOCstrot V2 controller is pretty new, and I ran into some firmware mismatches between the controller and the VESC Tool. The result: the motor detection and setup routine wouldn’t run properly. The system wasn’t recognizing the motor, so I couldn’t complete the normal calibration process.
While troubleshooting, I basically overwrote the original build that came preconfigured for this exact wheel. That meant I lost the nice, easy, “plug-and-play” setup that would’ve sped everything up.
To recover, I had to:
Find a compatible VESC firmware build online
Flash it to the FOCstrot V2
Manually go through and re-configure all the important settings for the MagWheel T3
That meant motor setup, current limits, angle limits, and especially sensor and accelerometer calibration.
Dialing in the Ride – Calibration is Everything
At one point in the process, the board was technically working, but it felt awful:
The nose adn rear would dive way to easilys
The board felt mushy and loose
My inputs didn’t translate cleanly into what the board was doing
I also had a couple of hard falls while testing bad settings, which is not something you want, especially once you’re over 50 and don’t bounce the way you used to.
The big turning point was getting the sensors and geometry properly calibrated:
Leveling the board correctly
Making sure the accelerometers knew which way was “up”
Setting sensible tiltback and angle limits
Tightening up the responsiveness so it didn’t “wash out” or nosedive under load
Once those pieces were dialed in, the board completely changed. It went from sketchy and unpredictable to smooth, stable, and confidence-inspiring.
Now it genuinely feels very close to a Onewheel in how it rides – maybe even snappier in some ways, and the best part is I can see and tweak everything in the VESC/reFloat app.
First Real Ride – How Does It Feel?
Once I got it all running properly, I took the T3 out for a proper test ride with my DJI Neo 2 drone tracking me.
A few ride impressions:
Smooth power delivery – no jerky surges, no sudden weird dips
Stiffer response – I’ve tuned it so the nose doesn’t drop much, even going up hills
Confident carving – corners feel predictable instead of “will the nose randomly dive this time?”
The board now feels like something I can trust, not just something I’m “managing”
I still ride within reasonable speeds. On one-wheel type devices, I’m happy in that 15–20 mph (25–30 km/h) zone at most. Once you start going much faster, any fall becomes a lot harder to run out. For me, especially at my age, it’s about fun and longevity, not trying to set land speed records.
Was the Upgrade Worth It?
Short answer: yes – for the right person.
If you:
Want a smooth, Onewheel-like ride
Don’t mind doing some tinkering and learning software
Like the idea of fine-tuning your board instead of being locked into factory profiles
…then the Gozmilo FOCstrot V2 VESC upgrade is a really solid option.
If you want something you just unbox, charge, and ride with zero setup, a VESC build may not be for you. There is a learning curve, and if you mess up like I did and overwrite the original build, you’ll spend some time digging yourself out and learning as you go.
For me though, that learning was part of the value. I now understand:
How a VESC one-wheel style board is set up
How to calibrate sensors and geometry
How to tweak settings to match my riding style and comfort level
So now I’ve got a $650 CAD VESC MagWheel T3 that rides great, feels safe, and didn’t cost anywhere near what a brand-new premium board would.
Will I keep it long-term? We’ll see. If it starts bucking me off again, maybe not. But right now, I feel very confident on it and I’m really happy with how it turned out.
If you like this kind of content—gear, tech, and fun ways to stay active over 40—make sure to subscribe to the GetFitOver40 YouTube channel, and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Lots more PEV, fitness, and lifestyle content coming your way.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know GetFitOver40 isn’t only about sets, reps and macros. For me, fitness is also about lifestyle and mental health, doing the things that light you up and keep you excited about life.
For me, one of those things is flying drones. I use them for my GetFitOver40 videos, for my Replica Airguns channel, and honestly just for fun. There’s something about being outside, moving around, and capturing cool shots that really fills the mental-fitness bucket.
Recently I picked up a new drone that I’m pretty excited about: the DJI Neo 2. I ordered the Fly More Combo as soon as it dropped on Amazon here in Canada. In this article, I’ll go over what it replaces in my current setup, what’s in the box, and why this little AI drone is probably going to become my main “do-it-all” camera drone.
Why I Upgraded to the DJI Neo 2
Until now, my “AI drone lineup” has been a bit of a juggling act:
DJI Neo (original) – Great little AI drone, decent video, solid tracking and FPV-style fun.
HoverAir X1 Pro Max – Absolutely amazing video quality, bigger sensor, super clean 4K image… but it doesn’t do everything the Neo does.
Other FPV drones for the more immersive, swoopy flying.
The problem was:
The Neo did more things, but the video quality wasn’t as good.
The HoverAir X1 Pro Max had better image quality, but didn’t offer all the same AI and FPV-style versatility.
So I ended up needing multiple drones depending on what I was doing.
Based on all the early reviews and footage I saw, the DJI Neo 2 looked like it could finally replace both my original Neo and the HoverAir X1 Pro Max for most of what I do: fitness content, lifestyle shots, drone B-roll and even tracking shots for my Replica Airguns videos.
Unboxing the Fly More Combo
I went with the Fly More Combo, which in Canadian dollars came out to about $550. Here’s what you get in that kit:
DJI Neo 2 drone
RC-N3 controller
Three batteries total
Charging hub
Antenna / transmitter module pre-installed on the back of the drone
Extra propellers (A + B)
USB cables (including a Lightning cable for iPhone users)
The regular base Neo 2 is cheaper, but it doesn’t include:
The RC-N3 controller
The antenna module for long-range use
Extra batteries and charging hub
For me, the combo made sense. It turns the Neo 2 into a true hybrid: I can fly it via phone only for quick runs or use the RC-N3 and get serious range and more traditional “drone” control.
Neo 2 vs Neo 1 vs HoverAir X1 Pro Max
Physically, the Neo 2 and Neo 1 are similar in footprint, but the Neo 2 is flatter and more low-profile. The big change is in the gimbal and brains:
Both Neo 1 and Neo 2 use roughly the same size sensor (around a 1/2" type sensor), but:
Neo 1 only has a single-axis gimbal (up and down).
Neo 2 has a two-axis gimbal (up/down + side-to-side).
With the Neo 1, when it was flying sideways in the wind, the drone had to digitally crop in to keep the horizon level. That means you lose resolution and field of view. The Neo 2’s mechanical two-axis gimbal keeps the sensor level while the drone tilts, so you get:
Less cropping
More of the sensor actually used
Cleaner, more stable footage
On top of that, the Neo 2 has newer, faster processing and can shoot:
4K at 60 fps all day long
Up to 100 fps in 4K for even smoother motion
The old Neo topped out at 4K 30 fps, which is pretty limiting if you do FPV-style flying or lots of action where you want smoother footage.
As for the HoverAir X1 Pro Max: it still has the best pure image quality of the three. Bigger sensor, 8K capture downsampled to 4K, and excellent low-light performance. But it doesn’t give me the same all-around versatility that the Neo 2 does, especially for FPV-style flying and advanced AI features.
For my needs, fitness videos, outdoor lifestyle content, tracking shots while I’m riding boards, bikes or EUCs, the Neo 2 is the better all-rounder even if the HoverAir still wins slightly in low-light and pixel-peeping.
Obstacle Avoidance, Sensors & Durability
The DJI Neo 2 is loaded with sensors:
Fisheye cameras on the top and bottomm that give it nearly 360° awareness.
A front-facing LiDAR sensor, which doesn’t rely on light, it measures distance, almost like a 3D scanner.
That means:
It can track and avoid obstacles even in low light.
It’s extremely good at seeing trees, branches, poles, and people, and adjusting its path to avoid collisions.
It’s arguably one of the best object-avoidance drones on the market right now bar none.
On top of that, the Neo 2 is built like a little tank:
Full guards around the props
Compact body
A bunch of videos out there showing it crashing and coming out just fine
So even if it does clip a branch once in a while, it’s usually no big deal.
Battery Life & Range
Real-world numbers matter more than marketing, so here’s what I’m seeing and what others report:
Each battery is rated for around 19 minutes, but realistically you’re looking at:
12–16 minutes depending on how aggressively you fly and the conditions.
With three batteries in the Fly More Combo, that’s about 35–40 minutes of actual usable flight time in the real world.
Range:
Phone-only (Wi-Fi): DJI claims up to 500 m, but realistically expect 200–300 m of solid, reliable range.
With the RC-N3 + antenna module: you can get serious distance (DJI talks about up to 20 km in ideal conditions). In real life, it’s plenty of range for typical filming and tracking scenarios.
AI Tracking, Gesture Control & “Jedi Mode”
This is where the Neo 2 shines for a solo creator like me.
You’ve got multiple ways to control and track yourself:
1. App-Based AI Tracking
Using the phone app, you can:
Select follow modes (front, side, rear, etc.)
Adjust distance (near, medium, far) and height
Switch angles while it’s actively tracking you
It will follow you forward, backwards, sideways, and does an impressive job staying locked on while avoiding obstacles.
2. Gesture Control (“Jedi” Mode)
This is one of the coolest features:
Raise your hand with palm showing = it recognizes you
Move your hand with palm showing up/down = drone moves up/down
Move your hand with palm showing left/right = drone shifts left/right
Spread your hands apart with palms showing or bring them together = adjust distance
Close your fist to lock in the position
You can literally reposition the drone mid-shot without stopping recording or digging into menus. It looks like you’re doing some Jedi mind-control, but it’s incredibly practical when you’re filming yourself.
3. Intelligent Flight Modes
Neo 2 comes loaded with pre-programmed moves:
Follow – standard tracking while you move.
Spotlight – the drone stays in place like a tripod, but the camera follows you.
Droney – pulls back and up for that classic reveal shot.
Rocket – straight up overhead while keeping you in frame.
Helix – spirals around you while moving up and away.
Boomerang – arcs around and returns like a boomerang.
Circle – simple orbit at a set radius.
Dolly Zoom – that cinematic “background zooms while subject stays the same size” effect.
All of these can be triggered quickly, and they record both the “going out” and “coming back” portions where applicable.
Using the RC-N3 Controller
The RC-N3 controller turns the Neo 2 into a more traditional drone:
You can fly manually with sticks for classic aerial shots.
You can still use ActiveTrack while also nudging the drone around with the sticks to change angle or distance.
You can get much higher altitude and further distance than in pure AI follow mode.
For things like big scenic B-roll or more cinematic passes over a park, river, or field, the RC-N3 combo is awesome. For my tracking shots on boards or bikes, I’ll mix both modes depending on what I’m doing.
Real-World Use & Final Thoughts
For my GetFitOver40 content, this drone is going to be used a lot for:
Outdoor workout B-roll
Riding shots (EUC, one-wheel style boards, bikes)
Walking & talking videos where I need the camera to track me
Lifestyle and travel content
For my Replica Airguns channel, it’ll mostly be a behind-the-scenes workhorse:
Tracking shots when I’m outdoors doing walk-around shooting tests
Dynamic angles when I don’t have a camera operator
You might not see the Neo 2 on camera much, but you’ll definitely see what it captures.
Is it perfect? No drone is. The HoverAir X1 Pro Max still wins for sheer image quality and low light. But:
The Neo 2’s two-axis gimbal,
4K 60–100 fps,
AI tracking,
gesture control,
obstacle avoidance,
and the ability to replace multiple drones in my bag
…make it the best single “do-everything” AI drone I’ve used so far.
For anyone over 40 (or under) who’s into content creation, solo training videos, or just wants to get outside and play with some impressive tech that doubles as a creative outlet, the DJI Neo 2 is a seriously fun piece of gear.
Today’s post is a bit of a mix between tech, toys, and staying active. I took my newly acquired MagWheel T3 out for a proper shakedown ride while having the DJI Neo 2 drone track and follow me for most of it.
The goal:
See how this used MagWheel T3 actually rides
Find out what kind of real-world range I can get
Decide if it’s worth upgrading with a VESC controller (and maybe a new battery) and turning it into a “poor man’s OneWheel GT”.
MagWheel T3 vs OneWheel – First Impressions
Visually, the MagWheel T3 looks a lot like a OneWheel. Big central hub motor, single wheel, board on top. But the ride experience, especially with the original controller, is very different.
My MagWheel T3 is an older, pre-VESC model with the stock MagWheel controller.
Newer MagWheels and Trotters often come with VESC controllers, which give a ride much closer to a OneWheel in terms of smoothness and responsiveness.
Right now, my board feels:
Jerky compared to a OneWheel
A bit unpredictable in long turns (the nose can suddenly dip more than you’d expect)
Awkward when mounting and dismounting until you get used to its behavior
On a OneWheel, the board won’t really engage until you’re level on the footpads. With the MagWheel T3, it starts at an angle and slowly comes up to level while you’re already on it. That alone takes some getting used to.
But the big selling point: I picked this thing up used for about $195. For that price, I was expecting some compromises and probably a tired battery.
Riding Characteristics – The “Buck and Chuck” Factor
This board is fine on smooth pavement and mellow paths. Where things get sketchy is:
Bumps, roots, curbs, and rough patches
When you’re going faster and hit something uneven
When the board starts a rocking or “bucking” motion
Instead of just a straight-up nosedive like a OneWheel can do when pushed too hard, the MagWheel tends to rock back and forth. If you overreact to that movement (like overcorrecting a fishtail in a car), you just make it worse and increase your chances of getting tossed.
What I’ve found helps:
Stay relaxed and don’t over-correct
Slow down for bumps and curbs
Accept that this board takes more skill and finesse than a OneWheel, especially in stock form
By the end of the ride, I was noticeably more comfortable. I could roll up small curbs and deal with chunks of rough pavement as long as I kept my speed reasonable and didn’t panic when it started to “buck”.
Battery, Range & Power – How Did It Actually Do?
Let’s talk numbers, because that’s where this ride got surprisingly positive.
The MagWheel T3 I have:
Runs a 60V system
Battery is around 6Ah (~300Wh)
Has a 1500W hub motor (roughly double the rated motor wattage of a OneWheel GT on paper, though controller and voltage/amps matter more than that number alone)
Remember, I bought this used. The previous owner told me he was only getting about 15 minutes of ride time, and it felt underpowered. When I picked it up, the tire was basically flat – my pump read 0 PSI. So he was likely riding on a almost-flat tire, which absolutely murders range and performance.
On my test ride:
I rode about 8.5–9 miles total
At 8.25 miles, I got my first 25% battery warning beeps
I purposely ended the ride on a good note instead of running it right down to empty
Based on that:
I’m comfortable saying I can get about 10 miles of real-world range out of this used battery
With a fresh, higher-capacity battery (say 8Ah or so), I could probably push that into the 12–15 mile zone
For context, a OneWheel GT has:
Higher overall battery capacity (around 9–10Ah)
Slightly higher voltage (around 62–63V)
So the GT will still win on range, but this MagWheel T3 is shockingly decent, especially considering its age and price.
Speed & Safety
I didn’t try to break any land speed records here.
I got the MagWheel T3 up to almost 15 mph
I never hit speed warning beeps during the ride
The board clearly has more top-end speed available
For me personally:
Around 15 mph already feels fast enough, especially on a board I’m still getting used to
At that speed, if you bail, you still have a chance to run it out and not completely destroy yourself
Once you start pushing into the 20+ mph territory, crashes get more serious very quickly
With a VESC controller installed, this board should easily and safely do 20+ mph, but again, that doesn’t mean you should ride it there all the time—especially if you’re using it for casual cruising and just staying active outdoors.
DJI Neo 2 – Smarter Follow & Obstacle Avoidance
The other star of this session was the DJI Neo 2, which tracked me almost the entire ride.
A few highlights from how it behaved:
It can track from the front or rear, and has rear cameras for obstacle sensing
It will rise up a bit higher as you go faster to reduce the risk of running into ground-level obstacles
When it sees trees or obstacles, it adjusts its position and height to avoid them
Unlike the older Neo I had, the Neo 2 is much better at:
Staying in front instead of constantly drifting behind
Finding a safe way around you and obstacles, then reestablishing its position
Avoiding branches and objects instead of plowing straight into them
There were a couple of moments where the Neo 2 dipped, dodged, or swung wide around trees and then found a way back in front of me. The older Neo would have given up much sooner or smacked into something.
Overall, for follow shots and solo riding footage, the Neo 2 is a big upgrade in terms of intelligence and obstacle avoidance.
Why I’m Considering the VESC Upgrade
Here’s where the MagWheel T3 gets really interesting for tinkerers.
Right now:
The stock controller is the weakest link
There’s no app, no real-time battery readout, no way to adjust ride feel
I’m basically guessing battery capacity from range and beeps
A VESC controller upgrade (around $300–$350 CAD by the time it’s in my hands) would give me:
App support to monitor voltage, amps, temps, etc.
The ability to tune tilt, nose dip, aggressiveness, and smoothness
A much more OneWheel-like ride quality
More control over how the board behaves under acceleration, braking, and cornering
If I throw:
~$200 for the board (what I already paid)
~$300–$400 for VESC and possibly a new battery
I’m still only in for around $600 CAD total, depending on how far I go. That’s for something that can ride similarly to a OneWheel GT, which costs well over $3,000 in Canada and locks you into their ecosystem (ship it back for nearly any major repair or battery work).
If you enjoy modding and doing your own repairs, the MagWheel/Trotter/VESC route is a much more open platform.
Final Thoughts – Worth It?
For $195 used, this MagWheel T3 is an absolute steal for me:
The frame and hub are beefy and very solid
The 1500W motor has more than enough power
The range is better than expected, even on an older battery
With a VESC controller and maybe a better battery, this thing could easily become my budget “GT alternative”
Is it perfect out of the box? No.
It’s jerkier and less predictable than a OneWheel
It requires more skill and patience to ride confidently
You have to learn not to overreact when it bucks or rocks
But for someone like me who enjoys tinkering and doesn’t mind a learning curve, this MagWheel T3 is a fun project board and a very capable ride once you relax into it.
If you come across one of these used at a good price – and the motor and frame are solid – it may be worth grabbing, upgrading the controller, and, if needed, the battery. You’ll end up with something that can hang with the OneWheel GT in many ways, for a fraction of the price, and you’ll actually be able to work on it yourself.
And hey – it got me outside, moving, balancing, and having fun for over an hour. That’s what GetFitOver40 is all about: staying active in ways you actually enjoy.
Friday, January 2, 2026 at 3:47PM ;)
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