Here we explain how to stand on a kick scooter, the most comfortable and stable posture and how to push and ride it. In this guide, we will assume the rider is already able to ride a bicycle.
Just like most people have master hand, we tend to balance better on one of our legs. The master leg is the one that you can balance better on. If you are not sure which it is, try hopping on one leg. Very quickly you will identify which is your master leg. The master leg (also called balance leg) is the one that stands on the deck. The other leg (called the action leg) is the one that pushes and brakes.
Stand with the scooter on the side of your body where your master leg is. Both you and your scooter should be facing the same direction. Grip the handle grips securely. Step on with your master leg (see balance leg in light red above) on the deck. The foot should be at the centre of the deck width-wise, and placed as close to the front of the deck as possible. The tip of your shoe should be very close to, or touching the front end of the deck.
The pushing feet, now still on the ground, should be as close to the deck as possible, almost touching the side of the scooter.
Make sure your eyes are looking forward (many new riders look down at their feet). Push off against the ground backward gently and continue pushing a few times until you achieve a comfortable speed that allows the scooter to glide without wobbling.
Now that the kick scooter is rolling, you want to glide. Lift your pushing leg off and quickly tiptoe it at the heel of the master foot (see leg in dark red above). The pushing leg should be resting and relaxing on the deck in this posture. It should not be stepping on the rear fender brake. This gliding posture keeps your action leg close to your balance leg and improves your overall balance. The feet is also kept in a position to quickly press down on the brake when necessary.
To keep the scooter moving, simply swing your action leg up and forward before bringing it down in a comfortable arc to contact the ground and push back in a smooth motion.
Once the push or pushes are over, quickly rest the pushing leg back in the gliding posture.
]]>Choosing a kick scooter for a child is more complicated than choosing a kick scooter for an adult. There are more things to consider.
This article answers the following questions
Most parents agree these are the main reasons for buying a kick scooter for their child:
These reasons will influence the choices made when choosing a kick scooter.
We have distilled the many questions and concerns from our customers who are parents buying a kick scooter for their children into the following points.
A parent usually goes through the following decisions in the buying process:
Is my child ready to ride a kick scooter?
Should I buy a two-wheeled or three-wheeled kick scooter
Should I buy a kick scooter with small wheels or large wheels (usually pertaining to two-wheeled scooters)
The decisions above are affected by these following considerations:
the physical size of the child (this is a more practical consideration than the age of the child)
the overall motor skill (or physical ability) of the child
Children differ in motor skills at any given age. So physical ability is a better predictor than age or physical size to determine if a child is ready. Generally, any child who can walk with a steady gait will be able to ride a kick scooter. That means they can usually start from 2 years old.
As any sports coach will tell you, it is generally an advantage to start any given sport as early as physically possible.
If your child is 7 years or older and still can't ride a kick scooter (or bicycle), they are probably slightly behind the curve in motor skill development. Remember that it is possible for many children to successfully ice skate or inline-skate from as 5 years or younger. Riding a kick scooter requires much less motor skill.
In short, most children older than 2 can usually start riding a kick scooter. Of course, a younger/smaller child will probably need to start on a kick scooter that is easier to handle compared to an older/larger child, but more on that later.
Above: it's all about the child's physical ability, not age or body size.
Beyond physical ability, this is the decision with the largest impact on whether the child can safely or successfully ride a kick scooter.
First, lets define what a three-wheel scooter is. There are 4 types
Two front wheel, one rear wheel, with lean-to-turn type steering
This is the most common type of three-wheel kick scooter, and will be the primary type of three-wheeled scooter for in this discussion.
This type of kick scooter is easier for very young riders like toddlers to ride because the scooter does half the work of balancing. When going forward, the scooter is self-balanced. When turning, as the description suggests, the rider leans in the direction of the turn in order to steer the scooter. If you still have trouble visualizing how lean-to-steer works, see this video.
To quickly identify whether a three-wheeled kick scooter is a lean-to-steer type, try to turn the handle bars in the same way you would on a bicycle. They do not turn. But tilt the handle bar laterally (with all the scooter wheels in contact with the ground) and you will see the front two wheels will rotate to steer the scooter.
This riding style helps toddlers to quickly and intuitively understand the dynamics between the position of the rider's centre-of-mass and the speed of the turn. It also builds the rider's confidence to lean off-centre, knowing that they can recover. This confidence makes it easier for them learn riding a 2-wheeled scooter or bicycle later on.
Choose this type if your child is around 2 to 5 years old, and are struggling with a two wheel kick scooter. Most of the three-wheeled scooters sold in the market for children belong to this type.
See our collection of 3-wheeled kick scooters.
One front wheel, two rear wheels, with bicycle type steering
Effectively a kick scooter version of a tricycle. Ergonomically, they are inferior to the former because the wider wheel base is at the rear, rather than the front of the scooter where most of the body weight is. Also, the rear wheels stick out sideways from the deck and can be struck by the child's heel when pushing.
Like type 3 above, this design does little to develop balance, but they are easier to ride for a very young toddler. Choose this type if your child struggles with the lean-to-steer type.
Most three-wheeled scooters with a plastic body can carry a rider of up to 35 to 50Kg. There are some aluminum bodied 3 wheel scooters which can carry up to 100Kg and can be ridden by both adults and children.
Two-wheeled scooters are require more balancing skill compared to three-wheeled scooters. Like bicycles, they require a certain minimum speed to remain balanced. Also, when turning, all two-wheel scooters require the rider to lean toward the centre of the turn to provide the centripetal force to stay on the curve.
See our collection of two-wheel kick scooters suitable for very young children.
Just like when learning to ride a bicycle, very small children need to overcome two challenges to successfully ride a two-wheeled scooter:
Three-wheeled kick scooters remove Challenge 1, since they can remain balanced even when stationary. This allows the child to work on Challenge 2. In time, the child will also learn how to ride pretty fast (as many parents who have to chase after them will know). By that time, Challenge 1 will be easier to overcome.
Here is how the types of scooter rank in terms of how easy they are to ride for a child:
3 Wheeled bicycle-steering type (easiest)
3-Wheeled lean-to-turn type
Consider the following to decide if your child should choose a two-wheeled or three-wheeled kick scooter:
If is easier for a child to start with a three-wheeled scooter if one or more of the following is true:
A child has a good chance of successfully riding a two wheeled scooter if one or more of the following is true:
For two-wheeled kick scooters, read on for more details about choosing a suitable size.
This decision is affected by the child's body size and physical ability. Let's first understand the difference between small and large kick scooters.
The overall size of a kick scooter is usually directly related to its wheel size. These are the common kick scooter wheel sizes in the market, and what we usually refer to as small or large:
small: 100mm, 120mm, 125mm
medium: 145mm, 180mm
large: 200mm, 205mm
very large: 230mm
Above: some common kick scooter wheel sizes.
Contrary to popular belief, not all small-wheeled kick scooters are meant for kids. Most if not all aluminum kick scooters can carry a rider of up to 100Kg, regardless of size. The only reason stopping an adult from riding a small wheeled kick scooter is if the handle bar so short that it causes the adult to stoop.
A small deck size is not deal-breaker because we really only need space for a single foot to actually ride a kick scooter (the other foot is pushing most of the time). See our post on how to ride a kick scooter. Many small wheeled kick scooters actually have full height handlebars (about 1m from the ground when fully extended) which allow adults to ride them. In fact, small-wheeled kick scooters are very practical as commuting tools because they are very portable.
Small wheeled kick scooters are very much lighter than large wheel scooters. They can be as much as half the size or weight of a full-sized kick scooter. This make small-wheeled kick scooters easier to ride, handle, steer and accelerate for children. They are also more agile. The downside is that small scooters can be ridden in a relatively more risky, ride-fast, brake-hard style of riding for kids with an aggressive riding style.
Large wheel kick scooters take more effort to push and steer, and take longer to brake to a stop. So they are more challenging for very small children to ride. However, large wheeled scooters are relatively more stable because of their longer wheel base and perform better over rough surfaces. Their relatively larger bulk and handling effort has a side effect of forcing kids to ride in a more moderated manner.
Large scooters also have the added advantage of a long usable life because the child will be less likely to outgrow it. An adult can also share the scooter with the child.
The child's ability aside, it is generally safer for a child to ride a kick scooter which handle bars are lower than the child's neck. If the handle bar is in front of the child's face or neck, there is an increased chance of the handle bar causing injury to the face or neck during a collision. If your child is riding a kick scooter with a height-adjustable handle bar, keep the handle bars below neck height as a precaution. A good guide for the handlebar height is around the height of the stomach to elbow. This applies to both kids and adults.
If a test ride is possible, observe your child as they test ride kick scooters of different sizes to see which ones they can handle more effectively. Be sure to ask for their opinion. After all this, your decision will lie somewhere between your willingness to allow your child to take risks and your desire for your child to fully develop his or her motor skills. If in doubt, choose the smaller scooter because they are generally easier to handle, and accept that you may need to buy a larger one later on. Which ever way you choose, remember a kick scooter is supposed to be fun, so don't fret too much over it. []
See our collection of kick scooters for children
Spot a mistake, have an opinion or question about this article? We'd love to hear from you. Contact Us!
]]>Decks & Scooters is a specialist in kick scooters. We sell directly to customers, as well as distribute kick scooters to bicycle and sports stores. We have been asked very often about how to choose a kick scooter. We have gathered all the questions and answers and put them into this detailed article to help you answer the most common questions.
This article attempts to answer questions like:
We will examine the technical aspects of kick scooters that have an impact on your purchase considerations. This article is written in the context or riding an adult kick scooter in Singapore, but will apply to most urban environments around the world.
Above: Swiss maker Micro's most iconic commuting scooter, the Micro Black and Micro White. Image: Micro.ms
Most adults buy a kick scooter for one or both of these main purposes:
Based on the two main purposes above, we have distilled the many purchase considerations down to three main ones:
The three main purchase considerations above are affected directly by the technical features of the kick scooter. The major features of adult kick scooters are:
Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of the parameters in these features will help you decide which features to choose in the context of the daily commute versus a cruise in the park.
Here is the detailed explanation of how the major technical features affect the performance, comfort and practicality of a kick scooter.
The wheel size is the most obvious distinguishing feature on a kick scooter.
Most kick scooters have wheels made of plastic core embedded into polyyurethane (PU) thread. PU is a very effective material for wheels used on urban surfaces. It has been used in skateboard, inline-skate and roller-skate (quad) wheels for decades. It is light, wear-resistant, has a reasonable amount of grip (when dry), and rebound (the abililty to return to its original shape after momentary compression due to weight or pressure).
Large wheels
(180, 200 or 230mm diameter)
Advantages
- Longer glide distance per push (Better rolling efficiency)
- Better shock absorption
- More chances of rolling safely over objects on the ground (like twigs, pebbles) or cracks
- Usually matched with larger deck for comfort
Disadvantages
- Heavier to carry around (typically 4 to 6.5kg)
- Physically larger and more cumbersom. A possible problem in crowded public transport.
- Takes more effort to speed up and slow down (lower rate of acceleration)
- Less agile with a larger turning radius
Conclusion
Larger wheels are good for performance (faster) and comfort (less vibrations) but make the scooter less convenient to lug around.
Small wheels
(100, 120, 125 or 145mm diameter)
Advantages
- Lightweight (usually below 4kg)
- Easier to speed up and slow down
- More agile and nimble with a smaller turning radiu
Disadvantages
- Lower rolling efficiency: shorter glide distance with each push
- Transmits more vibration from the ground
- Relatively higher chance of wheels catching on random objects or cracks
Conclusion
Smaller wheels are good for convenience (portable) but score lower on performance (slower) and comfort (more vibrations).
Above: a carry strap like the one found on the Glideco Cruiser helps make a scooter portable.
Kick scooter wheels use the same type of bearings that have been used in skateboards and inline skate wheels for decades: the 608 bearing. Each kick scooter wheel has two bearings, they are mounted in the centre of each wheel (called the wheel-hub).
This one is easy. Generally, the higher the bearing rating, the higher the performance. There is no downside to a higher bearing rating.
But what is bearing rating? The rating recognised in engineering is the ABEC standard, short for Annular Bearing Engineering Committee, named after the body that established the standard.
The ABEC ratings are (from lowest precision to highest precision) 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. Most kick scooters in the market use bearings rated ABEC 5 to 7.
The higher the precision, the lower the rolling resistance/friction. Lower friction translates into a longer glide distance for every push. This can be readily experienced when riding a scooter, and is often what makes you feel or judge if a scooter is 'fast' or 'slow'.
However, not all bearings are created equal. In practice, the quality of the bearing has a more perceptible impact than the rating of the bearing. In other words, a well made ABEC 5 bearing will spin better than a poorly made ABEC 7. In general, higher priced, more well-known kick scooter brands tend to use higher quality bearings (rating aside).
Fortunately, bearings can be easily replaced. They can be found in skateboard stores or inline-skate stores.
Conclusion
The higher rating, the better, Bearings in well known brands tend to be of higher quality than bearings from unbranded kick scooters.
The deck of the scooter is where the rider stands. Some people call it the foot-board. Before talking about the deck size you have to first understand the correct riding posture.
The correct riding posture is described as follows:
Stand with your master leg (balance leg) on the deck. The foot should be at the centre of the deck width-wise, and placed as forward on the deck as it allows. The tip of your shoe should be very close to, or touching the front end of the deck. The foot of the pushing leg (action leg), when not pushing, should be tiptoed at the heel of the master foot.
Larger Deck Size
Advantages
- Easier to step on and off the scooter
- Generally more comfortable as you can shift your weight, or change foot position more easily as you ride
- A larger deck results in a longer wheel base. Longer wheel bases are more efficient for long rides because it is easier for the scooter to maintain a straight line as it rolls. Each time you push the scooter, it 'wiggles' a little bit, resulting in a slighly serpentine line of movement. The less this happens, the more efficient the scooter is.
Disadvantages
- The scooter tends to be larger and heavier
- It takes more effort to speed up and slow down a larger and heavier scooter
Smaller Deck Size: Generally the opposite of the above.
For portability, choose a small deck size. For comfort, choose a large deck size.
Deck height refers to the distance between the surface of the deck (i.e. the bottom of your feet) to the ground.
It is one of the biggest, but least known factors influencing the comfort of a kick scooter.
Generally, the lower the deck, the more comfortable it will be to push the kick scooter. With a low deck, you don't have to bend the knee of the leg that is standing on the deck much to be able to push the other feet against the ground. A lower deck on a kick scooter often makes you prefer it because it is more comfortable to push.
Kick scooter makers have adopted the "deep drop" deck design of top-mounted skateboards to lower the deck.
Below: a longboard with a "deep drop" shape to lower the deck height
Because it is more expensive, and technically difficult to manufacture a deep drop deck, low decks tend to be found only on high-end kick scooters.
Low Deck Height
Advantages
- Makes the kick scooter very comfortable to push, allowing you to ride in a very relaxed manner
- Increased stability with lower centre of gravity
Disadvantages
- Higher chance of the bottom of the kick scooter scraping raised ground like a hump
Choose a kick scooter with as low a deck height as possible.
Above: front suspension (ribbed section) in a kick scooter. Below: a typical kick scooter rear suspension system.
Suspension refers to a shock absorption mechanism. In kick scooters, these are usually spring-based. Suspension may be installed only at the front of the kick scooter, or at both front AND rear.
As of 2016, most kick scooters models in the market from major international brands DO NOT feature suspension. However, suspension is a popular feature in low priced OEM or on kick scooters found in sports sections of department stores. This is probably because customers feel they get more value for money with scooters with suspension.
Between Europe and North America, more European kick scooter brands feature models with suspension. This may have to do with the higher likelihood of European cities having very old historical quarters that may have unpredictable sidewalk surfaces.
The main purpose of suspension is to absorb the micro-shocks that come from rolling over rough surfaces at speed.
Advantages
- More comfortable on rough or uneven surfaces
Disadvantages
- Suspension add lots of weight to a kick scooter (total scooter weight is typically 4.5 to 6kg)
- More moving parts means more squeaks and rattle during riding.
- More moving parts means higher chances of parts wearing out or breaking
- Scooters with tend to be less responsive because some of the energy from your push is lost to the up-down oscillation of the scooter body as it rolls.
Conclusion
Suspension is good for comfort, but performance and convenience suffers (the scooter is bigger and heavier). So it is a personal choice.
If you always ride the same route and you know for a fact it is rough, go for the suspension. Inline-skaters and skateboarders have been riding tiny wheels on all kinds of rough surfaces for decades without complaining, so most people are happy without suspension.
If suspension is important to you, there are also lighter weight alternatives to spring based suspension:
- skateboard style cambered wood decks instead of the standard aluminum decks (Swiss maker Micro)
- air filled pneumatic wheels (American maker Fuzion, Swiss maker Micro, German maker Hudora)
- solid synthetic tyres (American maker GoPed)
- special wheel designs with shock absorbing mechanisms in wheel hubs (Swiss maker Micro)
With the exception of all-terrain scooters (for off-road riding) and freestyle 'pro-scooters' (for stunts and tricks), most kick scooters in the market can be folded down.
The vast majority of kick scooter folding mechanisms involves a hinge between the deck and the steering column that allow them to be folded together.
The most common folding mechanism is probably the three-action folding mechanism (see image below). It consists of a simple spring-loaded locking pin which can be shifted between two positions which fold or unfold the scooter.
To fold or unfold the kick scooter, the user (1)uncompresses the joint with the quick-release clamp, (2)lift the locking pin up from the notch and shift it into the other notch, and then (3)re-compresses the clamp.
Most of the kick scooters in existence use a variation of this mechanism. However, some brands have made the folding easier, often by removing steps (1) and (3), resulting in a single-action mechanism.
Some examples are
Conclusion
The biggest impact the folding mechanism have is on practicality and convenience.
If you are using a kick scooter for the daily commute, it is more important for the kick scooter to be quick and easy to fold. The single-action systems are recommended, because they typically allow you to fold or unfold a kick scooter in about one second.
If the kick scooter is intended for weekend or occasional leisure use, you probably only need to fold or unfold it to put it into a car boot, or when taking it in or out of storage. In such cases, it does not really matter which system it is.
In terms of performance, the folding mechanism has little effect on the performance of a kick scooter. However, a low quality kick scooter generally suffers from more unnecessary looseness or 'play' in the folding mechanism compared to one with a high build quality. This is usually a result of lower precision parts or poor quality control during assembly. The folding joint also tends to be the first place to break in a low quality kick scooter because of the stresses it is subjected to, as well as the moving parts in it.
Above: kick scooters with bicycle-style handbrake (first and second from right).
Most kick scooters in the market do not have handbrakes installed. Most scooters are slowed or stopped by stepping down on the rear fender, which doubles as a friction brake on the rear wheel. The rear fender brake is a simple and effective system.
Below: a typical kick scooter rear fender friction brake
Advantages (of handbrake)
- a familiar braking system that everyone can use
- can brake with a shorter reaction time compared to the kick scooter friction brake
Disadvantages
- only available on a limited number of brands and models of kick scooters. It may limit your purchase options.
- adds weight and complexity to your kick scooter
Conclusion
Bicycle-style handbrakes are nice to have, but are generally considered non-essential on kick scooters. It takes only a very short time to get accustomed to using the standard rear fender friction brake. Insist on it only if you really face difficulty using the fender brake.
Technical specifications aside, the overall quality of a kick scooter has a big impact on all the performance and ride quality of a kick scooter.
Because well-known brands have a reputation to keep, so they tend to ensure their kick scooters are well-made and durable. Unbranded kick scooters or shopping mall sports department house brands tend to attract using low prices and so quality is not a priority.
These are some common problems on scooters with low build quality:
Conclusion
For an enjoyable leisure ride in the weekend, or if you need to use the scooter on a daily basis, be prepared to spend a little bit more for the ride quality and durabilty.
What kind of scooter is best for you depends on the context of your use. Among the 3 key purchase consideration of convenience, performance and comfort, it is most likely you can satisfy only two and have to compromise on one. So you have to decide what is most important to you.
If convenience is the priority - for example, if you use the kick scooter for the daily commute - favour light-weight and portable kick scooters with high build-quality and small wheels. This is particularly important if your riding journey is short and if you have to carry the scooter onto public transportation.
If ride comfort and enjoyment is the priority, go for a kick scooter with a large and low deck, large wheels and possibly with suspension.
If performance and speed are important, choose a kick scooter with large wheels, low deck, light overall weight and high-quality bearings, preferably with no suspension.
Across all three considerations, try to get as high a build quality as your budget allows. Remember you get what you pay for. If possible, test ride a kick scooter before you buy it.
If test riding is not possible - for example if you are making an online purchase - it will always be a better bet to choose a well known international brand. If possible, purchase from the appointed local distributor, or an authorized dealer who can extend warranty coverage for the product.
And finally, accept that the scooter you choose doesn't have to be your only one. Many riders only discover their favourite kick scooters after owning a few different ones. Do your homework, then trust your judgement and go for it! After all, it is supposed to be fun! []
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