Hey guys, so I'm thinking of getting a scooter so instead of 25min walks to and from work I can make it 10 minutes and it seems like Xootrs are the way to go, compared to Razors.
Does anyone have and use one, and what is it like? To and from work for me is fairly level, which means I'm not carrying it up hills or having heart attacks going down hills. The CBD for Sydney also takes me about 30-35minutes to walk to - how good are the carry straps etc for walking around with on the street/in shops?
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EshTending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles.Portland, ORRegistered Userregular
edited February 2010
$200+ dollars? Buy a bicycle. It's infinitely more useful for when you do need to tackle hills and you can carry things on it. Think about the big picture. Also, 100% less getting laughed at.
Though I suppose if you're looking for maximum portability this would be a way to go. The reviews look solid, it just seems really impractical for anything beyond a level trip.
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Seguerof the VoidSydney, AustraliaRegistered Userregular
edited February 2010
Yeah I'm really looking at portability - if I ride a bike into the city, where do I lock it up? I also have nowhere to store it in my building/unit, which is really what makes a scooter so appealing.
Yeah I'm really looking at portability - if I ride a bike into the city, where do I lock it up? I also have nowhere to store it in my building/unit, which is really what makes a scooter so appealing.
I have no idea about Sydney but a lot of cities in the US are getting pretty good for accommodating bicycles. City buses have bike racks on them and there are back racks all over cities, if you can't find one I don't think it is illegal to lock it up on a sign/bench/whatever immobile object you can find within reason.
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Seguerof the VoidSydney, AustraliaRegistered Userregular
edited February 2010
Eh, Sydney's not too bad - it's mainly that there aren't that many bike racks around, and I'm pretty sure we can lock them to whatever (never seen a ticket on a bike :P)
The thing with bikes though, is I think I'd have to ride on the road, and that would be an experience in itself.. oO. Scooters we're allowed on the footpaths.
Have you looked into folding bikes? A bicycle shop I used to frequent had some that some and they were very fun to ride around. They look a little dorky, but if you were going to buy a scooter, clearly you don't care about that. The best part is they'll ft in a backpack.
Yeah I'm really looking at portability - if I ride a bike into the city, where do I lock it up? I also have nowhere to store it in my building/unit, which is really what makes a scooter so appealing.
I have no idea about Sydney but a lot of cities in the US are getting pretty good for accommodating bicycles. City buses have bike racks on them and there are back racks all over cities, if you can't find one I don't think it is illegal to lock it up on a sign/bench/whatever immobile object you can find within reason.
Parking signs, stop signs and the like are the worst thing in the world to lock a bike to. It takes less than five minutes of determined work to wiggle one out of its hole in the ground.
Lock to parking meters, benches, the sort of stuff that doesn't wiggle about when you yank on it.
Sorry, just had to point out how useless most signs are for securing a bike.
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Since your looking for portability, how about a set of roller blades? I think they would get you there faster and be easier to store at home or school.
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Seguerof the VoidSydney, AustraliaRegistered Userregular
edited February 2010
Folding Bike: interesting but about double the weight of the scooter, and I live up many flights of stairs
Roller Blades: I'd have to carry another pair of shoes everywhere and keep changing shoes basically. Not very convenient if I'm going into the CBD to do some shopping etc...
it's about 20lbs (8-9Kg?) so you can easily carry it on your back if you need to, and it folds into the size of a scooter basically
this particular one is pretty expensive (compared to a scooter, not a bike), but there are other interesting designs out there... i've even seen one that's primarily designed for office workers, and to avoid getting grease on their suits (or skirts, or whatever) it has a rubber belt drive instead of a lubricated chain drive
Another vote for some kind of bicycle here. A folding bike would probably be perfect for you.
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Seguerof the VoidSydney, AustraliaRegistered Userregular
edited February 2010
Yeah but even a folding bike is about 2x heavier than a scooter and costs more anyway, neither of which are attractive regardless of how well it folds :P
Seguerof the VoidSydney, AustraliaRegistered Userregular
edited February 2010
I have terrible balance on skateboards, are longboards any better? I'm hoping that a scooter, due to having a handlebar, will help me with the balance :P
Normally I have excellent balance, but skateboards take me down a peg.
Folding Bike: interesting but about double the weight of the scooter, and I live up many flights of stairs
Roller Blades: I'd have to carry another pair of shoes everywhere and keep changing shoes basically. Not very convenient if I'm going into the CBD to do some shopping etc...
As opposed to having to find a place to lock up a bike or a scooter? To each their own i suppose.
You will be mocked, but this is coming from a guy who owns a pair of heelys so i'm just speaking from experience here. Why not check into a know ped too, just so you have the full scooter options.
Folding Bike: interesting but about double the weight of the scooter, and I live up many flights of stairs
Roller Blades: I'd have to carry another pair of shoes everywhere and keep changing shoes basically. Not very convenient if I'm going into the CBD to do some shopping etc...
As opposed to having to find a place to lock up a bike or a scooter? To each their own i suppose.
The scooter folds up and can have a carry strap to carry it on your back.
Know Ped: looks interesting, didn't find this at all in my earlier searches for kick scooters. Also cheaper..!
I have terrible balance on skateboards, are longboards any better? I'm hoping that a scooter, due to having a handlebar, will help me with the balance :P
Normally I have excellent balance, but skateboards take me down a peg.
well, longboards are bigger (they come in a variety of size) and thus are more stable, for sure
Folding Bike: interesting but about double the weight of the scooter, and I live up many flights of stairs
Roller Blades: I'd have to carry another pair of shoes everywhere and keep changing shoes basically. Not very convenient if I'm going into the CBD to do some shopping etc...
As opposed to having to find a place to lock up a bike or a scooter? To each their own i suppose.
The scooter folds up and can have a carry strap to carry it on your back.
Know Ped: looks interesting, didn't find this at all in my earlier searches for kick scooters. Also cheaper..!
Know ped are nice, plus there are alot of aftermarket options if you're into that sort of thing. I was going to buy one but i decided to spend my money on a lowrider bike instead.
I used to pedal a bike... until I got my first kick scooter. That was ten years and over 20,000 km ago.
When the US Consumer Products Safety Commision studied kick scooters (hospital admission statistics) what they found was the kids on kick scooters were having half as many injuries as their classmates on pedal bikes and that the scooter injuries were less severe. They also concluded that kick scooters and pedal bikes are both far safer than skateboards and inline skates...
And good design and quality materials (Xootr, Knowped, as noted) also make a huge difference to scooter safety, as many "scooter" injuries are only due to the cheapest toy scooters having too small wheels and sharp edges and parts that snap.
The Europeans call kick scooters "foot bikes" and you can look at the popular Kickbike brand to see what these look like.
The kick scooters I am familiar with also have a "power-assist"... a motor and battery pack, so they are human-electric hybrids, which transforms the vehicle really.
If you are interested in what power-assist foot bikes are all about you can google the forums at Endless-Sphere and hook up with the folks in the "Stand-up E-scooters" sub-forum...
Cheers
L0cK
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ShogunHair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get alongRegistered Userregular
edited May 2010
The more you skate the better your balance will improve. I am recommending a skateboard though and not a longboard.
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Though I suppose if you're looking for maximum portability this would be a way to go. The reviews look solid, it just seems really impractical for anything beyond a level trip.
I have no idea about Sydney but a lot of cities in the US are getting pretty good for accommodating bicycles. City buses have bike racks on them and there are back racks all over cities, if you can't find one I don't think it is illegal to lock it up on a sign/bench/whatever immobile object you can find within reason.
The thing with bikes though, is I think I'd have to ride on the road, and that would be an experience in itself.. oO. Scooters we're allowed on the footpaths.
http://ridethisbike.com/products/Kent/compact-Nexus-3-speed-folding-bike.htm
Parking signs, stop signs and the like are the worst thing in the world to lock a bike to. It takes less than five minutes of determined work to wiggle one out of its hole in the ground.
Lock to parking meters, benches, the sort of stuff that doesn't wiggle about when you yank on it.
Sorry, just had to point out how useless most signs are for securing a bike.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Roller Blades: I'd have to carry another pair of shoes everywhere and keep changing shoes basically. Not very convenient if I'm going into the CBD to do some shopping etc...
check out the Strida bike:
http://www.myfoldingbike.com/
it's about 20lbs (8-9Kg?) so you can easily carry it on your back if you need to, and it folds into the size of a scooter basically
this particular one is pretty expensive (compared to a scooter, not a bike), but there are other interesting designs out there... i've even seen one that's primarily designed for office workers, and to avoid getting grease on their suits (or skirts, or whatever) it has a rubber belt drive instead of a lubricated chain drive
Normally I have excellent balance, but skateboards take me down a peg.
As opposed to having to find a place to lock up a bike or a scooter? To each their own i suppose.
http://www.goped.com/products/knowped/default.asp
The scooter folds up and can have a carry strap to carry it on your back.
Know Ped: looks interesting, didn't find this at all in my earlier searches for kick scooters. Also cheaper..!
well, longboards are bigger (they come in a variety of size) and thus are more stable, for sure
Know ped are nice, plus there are alot of aftermarket options if you're into that sort of thing. I was going to buy one but i decided to spend my money on a lowrider bike instead.
Hi Seguer
I used to pedal a bike... until I got my first kick scooter. That was ten years and over 20,000 km ago.
When the US Consumer Products Safety Commision studied kick scooters (hospital admission statistics) what they found was the kids on kick scooters were having half as many injuries as their classmates on pedal bikes and that the scooter injuries were less severe. They also concluded that kick scooters and pedal bikes are both far safer than skateboards and inline skates...
And good design and quality materials (Xootr, Knowped, as noted) also make a huge difference to scooter safety, as many "scooter" injuries are only due to the cheapest toy scooters having too small wheels and sharp edges and parts that snap.
The Europeans call kick scooters "foot bikes" and you can look at the popular Kickbike brand to see what these look like.
The kick scooters I am familiar with also have a "power-assist"... a motor and battery pack, so they are human-electric hybrids, which transforms the vehicle really.
If you are interested in what power-assist foot bikes are all about you can google the forums at Endless-Sphere and hook up with the folks in the "Stand-up E-scooters" sub-forum...
Cheers
L0cK
Shogun Streams Vidya
longboards are better for travel