7 ms·
I’m very greatful for what Segway did for the “micro-mobility” industry. But personally I think electric scooters are the future rather than e-bikes. They are
by opportune 6y ago
I’m very greatful for what Segway did for the “micro-mobility” industry.
But personally I think electric scooters are the future rather than e-bikes. They are simpler to maintain and cheaper to produce. I think eventually (in the next 5 years) they will get significantly cheaper as well, owing to improvements in competition, volume, and battery tech - imagine if the current M365 cost only $100 new. They’re fast enough for the bike lane or streets, and they’re small enough that it’s less scary encountering them on a sidewalk. And you can bring them on public transportation more easily.
Even now you can get that M365 for less than $400 (think I paid 350), amortized over a year that’s about $1/day and all you need to do is keep the tires pumped/replaced and charge it. It’s perfect for me for “last mile” to and form public transportation
- kccqzy 6y agoElectric scooters have the same problem with segways in that they are too fast for sidewalks but too slow for bike lanes. And when you want to make a left turn, the scooter just can't go fast enough for you to safely merge onto the left-turn lane for cars like a bike can, so you end up waiting for two traffic lights like a pedestrian.
- opportune 6y agoI use my scooter a lot in San Francisco and I’ve found that I’m normally going faster than many of the bikers in the bike lane (>15mph). I also don’t have that problem turning, although sometimes I cheat and kick-scoot at sidewalk crossings. It would definitely depend on the environment though - I’m sure in more heavily suburban areas with faster speed limits, more lanes, and less stop-and-go they would not feel safe to ride around cars. But I do think they’re pretty compatible with biking infrastructure
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- datavirtue 6y agoAgreed. Scooters are an abyssmal city transport machine. Anyone can ride a bike while signalling and negotiating uneven terrain. Try that on a scooter without being an athlete. My first ride on a scooter was down Broadway in Nashville. Can't believe I made it out alive. Never again, and I have thousands of hours in the saddle on city streets and single track. Handing these off to the inexperienced? Stupid.
- Sharlin 6y agoAt least where I live scooters have a max speed of 25 km/h, and very few cyclists go faster than that in a city environment.
- EugeneOZ 6y agoAfter 6 months of practice only few bikes were faster than my scooter (25 km/h), I never experienced issues with turns. Only issue is the rough roads - when I want to ride on the rough roads I use bike. In every other aspect e-scooter is better: doesn't require special outfit; I don't sweat; it's compact enough to take it to the shop or cafe (without bending); less details I need to care about - pedals, brakes, speed switches, saddle - I just use what I've bought and it works fine. My bikes usually worth ~$500 (same as e-scooter) and they requiere some fixes/replacements from time to time. Scooter had just one flat tire replacement, that's all.
- TulliusCicero 6y agoNo they don't. Electric scooters are definitely fast enough for bike lanes. Most cyclists in urban areas are only going like 12-15 mph, well within electric scooter speeds.
- ponker 6y agoWhat’s the solution for the safety problem of scooters, where a small obstacle can send the rider flying forwards into a broken jaw?
- rangibaby 6y agoDon’t ride a scooter?
- visarga 6y agoLimiting speed. E = m*v^2
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- tonyedgecombe 6y agoBigger wheels.
- missosoup 6y agoLike... Like a bike?
- fragmede 6y agoYeah! But without the ridiculous pedaling nonsense. So... not like a bike.
- esperent 6y agoLike an e-bike then?
- saberdancer 6y agoLike the bicycles from 19th century, bigger front wheel.
- EugeneOZ 6y agoHappens with bikes as well. People wear helmets for a reason.
- tonyedgecombe 6y agoThey look interesting but are illegal in the UK.
- mattlondon 6y agoThey are illegal to use on the street and the pavement/sidewalk at the moment - you can legally use one on private land (with permission etc). However this is likely to change very soon since COVID-19 - there is "urgent legislation" on e-scooter rental trials going on: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/legalising-rental-e-scooter-trials-defining-e-scooters-and-rules-for-their-use/legalising-rental-e-scooter-trials https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/legalising-renta... Infuriatingly, privately owned e-scooters will remain illegal even if rental fleets are legal. I do not understand why it would be legal to drive a rented e-scooter, but illegal to drive a privately owned e-scooter :-/
- opportune 6y agoMaximum speed of 12.5 mph, that's not great. Why do they not simply let electric scooters be treated the same as bikes?
- andylynch 6y agoThe law is out of date. e-bikes are just cycles under the road transport act, electric scooters are 'mechanically propelled vehicles' - i.e. just like cars and trucks. In theory a scooter would be legal on roads if you could convince the DfT you met the safety regs, had a type certificate, license plate, VIN etc - it would still be illegal to use on a bike lane and I don't know that anyone has managed to do this!
- mattlondon 6y agoOr 15.5 potentially. I believe that the popular Xiaomi m365 does 15.5mph I agree it is not super-fast, but for use in urban environments 15mph would be pretty usable I reckon. My pre-lockdown commute in london on the tube would take about 35 minutes door to door. Walking it is 4.2 miles, cycling 4.9 miles. lets call it 5 miles for sake of argument. So for a 12.5mph scooter it would be 24 minutes. For a 15.5mph scooter it would be 20 minutes. That is pretty good I reckon - it takes me 10 minutes to walk to the tube station, so to be half-way/almost half-way to work before I would have even got to the station would be pretty decent I think. Only thing is, this all makes sense when it is glorious sunshine and warm outside. It might be less appealing in December :-)