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I have an electric scooter and it has significantly changed my life in London. True, it is a legal grey area in the UK and tarnished by those dangerous hoverboa

I have an electric scooter and it has significantly changed my life in London. True, it is a legal grey area in the UK and tarnished by those dangerous hoverboards of yesteryear but I find that as long as I keep to quiet roads and cycle lanes I can happily scoot past police with no problems. I've been riding mine for little under a year and clocked up 1100 miles already. Here are some points the article missed: - They don't work so well in winter because batteries don't work well in cold weather - so less range - They don't stop as fast as bikes but you can always hop off to avoid a collision. - You can squeeze through much tighter gaps than a bike. - Thankfully I have never hit anyone but I imagine that colliding with someone would be the same as running into them. This is very different to spearing them mid torso with a bicycle. A typical electric scooter weighs a little over 10kg and, like the article says, has a low center of gravity so it will unlikely be involved in the accident at all. A person's weight is a much larger factor. - I thought it was dorky to ride one but that's not the case at all. - You are higher up than on a bike (you sit on a bike but stand on a scooter) so you are more visible to cars in my opinion. - You can transport grocery shopping with ease

Fifer82 8y ago
Hi David, UK here. Do you mind if I ask what scooter you purchased? Also how is maintenance? Keep being a pioneer!
- Sholmesy 8y ago
  Not OP, but I ride this: https://inokimuk.com/products/mini/ https://inokimuk.com/products/mini/ Service/maintenance is done by the same guys, battery replacement like £100, new Tires are like £20-30. Cut my commute from 50 minute walk or 30 minute tube, to a 20 minute scoot, and much more fun.
- davidhyde 8y ago
  It's a ETWOW Booster S2. 500W. Full suspension. 30km range although Got it on Aliexpress. 10.5kg so very light for the power and range. I weigh 87kg so I need the extra power. Its rated at 30km on a charge but I get no more than 18km I would say. Depends on the wind and temperature. I bought an after market back gum wheel because the stock wheel had no grip in wet weather / leaves. The new wheel is great and the whole thing is silent now. Maintenance wise, I've oiled it twice in a year with bike chain oil. Just to stop the squeaks. Wipe it down with a wet cloth to clean it once a month.
leoedin 8y ago
I really want to get one in London, but I'm concerned about the legal situation. Particularly, what would happen if you were to hit someone. Is this a concern for you? Do you feel nervous going past police? What model do you ride and how have you found the range varies over winter? I'm considering getting an electric bike as they're clearly legal, but my preference would definitely be a scooter. So much more portable!
- davidhyde 8y ago
  Hi, yes its a concern for me and I don't feel comfortable scooting past the police. Still, I've never been stopped. As for hitting someone, when there is a crowd of people, you can go a lot slower than a bike. It's quite easy to scoot at walking speed. Like the article said, it is super easy to hop on and hop off a scooter, unlike a bike. So, when there are pedestrians around, I just hop off and walk for a bit. I have not had anyone step out in front of me yet. People tend to notice you because you are high up. I use back roads and cycle paths so I guess the risk is less. The model is ETWOW Booster S2 500W. The range is supposed to be 30km (top speed 30km/h) but I I weigh 87km and my top speed is more like 25km/h unless the wind is in my favor. I get 18km in summer and 6km in winter on a charge. I thought the battery was deteriorating but now that its warming up I get my long range back. It doesn't completely die when running low but goes into eco mode which is annoying because you might was well walk it is so slow. It also keeps disabling cruise control too. I would say that they could improve the firmware but overall the scooter is excellent.
  - wmertens 8y ago
    I have a twin model, the Stryder Zoom, and my experience is similar. I get 16 km out of a charge, which is exactly my daily commute, so I charge it at work too. On snow it was behaving quite ok, but indeed lower range. My main worry is that it squeaks a bit, I have to find a way to lubricate the rear spring.
abalone 8y ago
> You can transport grocery shopping with ease How exactly? Do you use a backpack? Or somehow stow them on the scooter?
- davidhyde 8y ago
  My scooter has a little hook on the vertical pole that usually keeps the scooter folded. It can also hold a heavy load of shopping.
walshemj 8y ago
Don't the tiny wheels make this very unsteady if it was me id bite the bullet and buy a Brompton - even better if your employer is in the tax free scheame. Also the impact on the head of falling off will be greater as you have further to fall from a standing position.
- peatmoss 8y ago
  That’s my worry as well if the non-electric analogs are in any way comparable. Lots of people have a knee-jerk aesthetic aversion to the self balancing seatless unicycle, but those always struck me as the most practical electric transportation device... once you get over the hurdle of learning to ride it.
- davidhyde 8y ago
  No, my scooter has full suspension. I can hit a one inch high obstruction without a problem. Makes a bang but I don't come off. I have fallen off twice in wet weather. Once whilst going round a corner and another on wet autumn leaves. You instinctively stick your left or right foot out, trip, and put your hands out to break your fall. You don't go over the handle bars or anything. You land on your hips or knees then hands, in that order. The scooter slides away. So now I wear gloves because I grazed my hands the first time. You also feel like an idiot for falling off a 'toy' I bought an after market gum wheel to replace the too-hard stock back wheel and the grip is a lot better in wet weather now.
  - walshemj 8y ago
    Two accidents in under a year! I have only had 2 accidents in my life on a bike.
    - davidhyde 8y ago
      I would say that you're more likely to have an accident on a scooter than a bike but it's less likely to be more serious. Kind of like the difference between being tripped while running and someone pushing you off a bike. Your body has a better chance at protecting itself in the former case.

Fifer82 8y ago

Hi David, UK here. Do you mind if I ask what scooter you purchased? Also how is maintenance? Keep being a pioneer!

Sholmesy 8y ago
Not OP, but I ride this: https://inokimuk.com/products/mini/ https://inokimuk.com/products/mini/ Service/maintenance is done by the same guys, battery replacement like £100, new Tires are like £20-30. Cut my commute from 50 minute walk or 30 minute tube, to a 20 minute scoot, and much more fun.
davidhyde 8y ago
It's a ETWOW Booster S2. 500W. Full suspension. 30km range although Got it on Aliexpress. 10.5kg so very light for the power and range. I weigh 87kg so I need the extra power. Its rated at 30km on a charge but I get no more than 18km I would say. Depends on the wind and temperature. I bought an after market back gum wheel because the stock wheel had no grip in wet weather / leaves. The new wheel is great and the whole thing is silent now. Maintenance wise, I've oiled it twice in a year with bike chain oil. Just to stop the squeaks. Wipe it down with a wet cloth to clean it once a month.

leoedin 8y ago

I really want to get one in London, but I'm concerned about the legal situation. Particularly, what would happen if you were to hit someone. Is this a concern for you? Do you feel nervous going past police? What model do you ride and how have you found the range varies over winter? I'm considering getting an electric bike as they're clearly legal, but my preference would definitely be a scooter. So much more portable!

davidhyde 8y ago
Hi, yes its a concern for me and I don't feel comfortable scooting past the police. Still, I've never been stopped. As for hitting someone, when there is a crowd of people, you can go a lot slower than a bike. It's quite easy to scoot at walking speed. Like the article said, it is super easy to hop on and hop off a scooter, unlike a bike. So, when there are pedestrians around, I just hop off and walk for a bit. I have not had anyone step out in front of me yet. People tend to notice you because you are high up. I use back roads and cycle paths so I guess the risk is less. The model is ETWOW Booster S2 500W. The range is supposed to be 30km (top speed 30km/h) but I I weigh 87km and my top speed is more like 25km/h unless the wind is in my favor. I get 18km in summer and 6km in winter on a charge. I thought the battery was deteriorating but now that its warming up I get my long range back. It doesn't completely die when running low but goes into eco mode which is annoying because you might was well walk it is so slow. It also keeps disabling cruise control too. I would say that they could improve the firmware but overall the scooter is excellent.
- wmertens 8y ago
  I have a twin model, the Stryder Zoom, and my experience is similar. I get 16 km out of a charge, which is exactly my daily commute, so I charge it at work too. On snow it was behaving quite ok, but indeed lower range. My main worry is that it squeaks a bit, I have to find a way to lubricate the rear spring.

abalone 8y ago

> You can transport grocery shopping with ease How exactly? Do you use a backpack? Or somehow stow them on the scooter?

davidhyde 8y ago
My scooter has a little hook on the vertical pole that usually keeps the scooter folded. It can also hold a heavy load of shopping.

walshemj 8y ago

Don't the tiny wheels make this very unsteady if it was me id bite the bullet and buy a Brompton - even better if your employer is in the tax free scheame. Also the impact on the head of falling off will be greater as you have further to fall from a standing position.

peatmoss 8y ago
That’s my worry as well if the non-electric analogs are in any way comparable. Lots of people have a knee-jerk aesthetic aversion to the self balancing seatless unicycle, but those always struck me as the most practical electric transportation device... once you get over the hurdle of learning to ride it.
davidhyde 8y ago
No, my scooter has full suspension. I can hit a one inch high obstruction without a problem. Makes a bang but I don't come off. I have fallen off twice in wet weather. Once whilst going round a corner and another on wet autumn leaves. You instinctively stick your left or right foot out, trip, and put your hands out to break your fall. You don't go over the handle bars or anything. You land on your hips or knees then hands, in that order. The scooter slides away. So now I wear gloves because I grazed my hands the first time. You also feel like an idiot for falling off a 'toy' I bought an after market gum wheel to replace the too-hard stock back wheel and the grip is a lot better in wet weather now.
- walshemj 8y ago
  Two accidents in under a year! I have only had 2 accidents in my life on a bike.
  - davidhyde 8y ago
    I would say that you're more likely to have an accident on a scooter than a bike but it's less likely to be more serious. Kind of like the difference between being tripped while running and someone pushing you off a bike. Your body has a better chance at protecting itself in the former case.