Tell me about electric scooters

[DeskJockey2028]

I'm moving offices next year and my commute will be changing a bit - I'll be taking less train but introducing more walk. Since I already walk a good deal for my job anyway, I'm toying with the idea of an adult electric scooter (those two wheel jobs with the headlights and a 15-20 mile range).  I'll now have a 3 mile hike between the train and my work and especially in the warmer weather, I think I'd rather scoot than walk.

Anyone here use them? Any recommendations on brands? 

Also, what should I stay away from, or gravitate towards in terms of gear, modding, etc.

Thanks!

[Chris @ Saturday Financial]

They are super fun!

I don't any advice for a purchase, as my experience has been limited to renting scooters occasionally through companies like Lime, etc. If there are any rental companies in your city, you could try it out for a week or so before deciding to purchase.

[Arbitrage]

Wear a helmet.

[nkt0]

Some early studies have shown them to be 7x more dangerous than motorcycles.

Ref: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/05/electric-scooters-safety-gear-head-injuries-helmet-cdc-data/588544/

[jeff191]

I own one, it is the original scooter used by Bird - the Mi. Have had it since August of last year and about 350 miles on it now. I take it to the train station a mile away on days I can't carpool with my wife (we work at same place). I also take it a few times a week to run errands and such.

I would say it's good for trips of 1-3 miles. Less and you might as well walk, more and it gets tiresome to ride. I've taken it as far as 6.5 miles home from work but it's tiring to ride for 35-40 minutes. My hands get tired from the constant vibration and bumps and so do my feet.

Most of the scooters have similar specs but I would recommend one with air filled tires. I've rented the ones that have solid tires and the vibration is bad. I personally would recommend one that folds as well, makes it easier to carry on trains and up/down stairs. The weight of most isn't too bad, mine is 26lbs.

[b.c.arms]

I take a train to the city but it's 2 miles to the office. I biked for a little while, but I would show up sweaty, so my wife got me a really nice scooter for Christmas. By April I was in a full arm cast due to a .5 inch curb - shattered my wrist and broke my arm. Almost 4 months in some sort of cast/solid splint.

I drove a Ninja for years in college and as one poster mentioned, the scooter never felt as safe as the bike did. 

*side note: I have a scooter for sale*

[Here4theGB]

*side note: I have a scooter for sale*

lol

[DeskJockey2028]

So what I'm seeing is that I should wear a helmet (already planning on that) and that I shouldn't fall off.

I'll be scooting 1.5 miles to a train, and then 1 mile after the train, plus doing that again in reverse on the way home.

[b.c.arms]

Honestly, my accident was a freak accident, my arm got caught in my rib cage area when I fell, my arm had no where to go....snap.

Having two little ones, it just isn't worth the risk of me hurting myself again.

I live in the bay area, so we could use dedicated bike lanes (I don't think bikers liked us), so I never had to worry too much about cars. If you live in an area where you will be migrated with cars during traveling, you'll have to keep your head on a swivel.

[patrickza]

Ridiculously fun, and dangerous when powerful
This is mine:

Given to me for free because it didn't work. I added Lithium batteries and a monster controller so it pushes out 5 horse power. If I open the throttle it'll wheelie.

Top speed of 25mph, but only gets about 10 miles on a charge. I just use it as a local runaround. The danger is that a crash would plant you head first into the ground. I wear a helmet and haven't crashed yet. I'm also used to powerful electrics, my electric bicycle does 55mph.

[DeskJockey2028]

Nice! The one I'm looking at does up to 15 MPH and a charge goes about 17 miles. Nothing too crazy. A helmet is still a must for me though.

[b.c.arms]

A good helmet too - after my crash, my helmet has some major scraps, I can't imagine what I would be dealing with if I didn't wear it.

[Arbitrage]

So what I'm seeing is that I should wear a helmet (already planning on that) and that I shouldn't fall off.

I'll be scooting 1.5 miles to a train, and then 1 mile after the train, plus doing that again in reverse on the way home.

For that use case it sounds like a great idea to me.  Yes, you can crash, but it's not as if walking is a risk-free activity either. 

[nkt0]

For that use case it sounds like a great idea to me.  Yes, you can crash, but it's not as if walking is a risk-free activity either.

Comparing walking to e-scooters in terms of safety is a false equivalence. Yes, there's some risk to walking, but the data show that e-scooters are extremely dangerous compared with even the most dangerous transportation activities.

I'm not advocating that the OP not get a scooter, just trying to share my 8+ years of transportation safety research expertise to help them make an informed decision for themselves.

[Arbitrage]

For that use case it sounds like a great idea to me.  Yes, you can crash, but it's not as if walking is a risk-free activity either.

Comparing walking to e-scooters in terms of safety is a false equivalence. Yes, there's some risk to walking, but the data show that e-scooters are extremely dangerous compared with even the most dangerous transportation activities.

I'm not advocating that the OP not get a scooter, just trying to share my 8+ years of transportation safety research expertise to help them make an informed decision for themselves.

Oh, I don't doubt it, but I also suspect there's a large gap in accident rates/severity between what the OP is planning and what most people - especially rideshares - do with e-scooters that result in those statistics.

[nkt0]

Oh, I don't doubt it, but I also suspect there's a large gap in accident rates/severity between what the OP is planning and what most people - especially rideshares - do with e-scooters that result in those statistics.

Unfortunately this is nearly impossible to test given the way data are collected, so we'll probably never know. But what we know from all types of crashes is that speed is the most important factor with respect to severity and crash avoidance. So if you want to be safe on a scooter (or in any mode of transport), slow down and keep your undivided attention on the road at all times.

[DeskJockey2028]

Yup - I'm already super vigilant when I'm just walking. Frankly, most motorists don't even notice us pedestrians. I can't imagine that'll improve when I'm shifting from a brisk 3 MPH walk to a 10 MPH scoot.

Not to mention the local skunks I could encounter.

Oh, I don't doubt it, but I also suspect there's a large gap in accident rates/severity between what the OP is planning and what most people - especially rideshares - do with e-scooters that result in those statistics.

Unfortunately this is nearly impossible to test given the way data are collected, so we'll probably never know. But what we know from all types of crashes is that speed is the most important factor with respect to severity and crash avoidance. So if you want to be safe on a scooter (or in any mode of transport), slow down and keep your undivided attention on the road at all times.

[ice_beard]

I was cautiously skeptical of them, having been an ER nurse, however I think they are great. 

My wife used them on a trip to Austin, the Lime scooters are available for rent.  She went on and on about how great they were.  We were in LA and were out an about and realized renting some scooters would be really handy.  I cautiously got on one and within a few minutes, felt rather comfortable on it.  They were incredibly useful for short distances, like 0.5 -> 2 mile distances, quickly. 

I think the biggest factor for whether these are safe as transportation methods depends a lot on the city where it will be used.  Cities that have rental fleets strewn throughout them, the drivers are accustomed to seeing them and sharing the road with them much like bicycles.  Cities that do not, drivers aren't as accustomed to seeing them and will not be as comfortable driving around them.  Cities that have dedicated bicycle lanes (real ones, not BS ones that are essentially just lines painted on the road) will also be safer as these drivers are also more accustomed to sharing the road with other modes of transportation. 

My town does not have rental fleets, but I see people on them somewhat regularly commuting, so drivers are being exposed to them.  I would absolutely consider one of these if I needed to get a couple miles from my train stop. 

[DeskJockey2028]

Thanks for the reply! I'll be doing a bunch of my scooting in a city that's flush with scooters and bikes. My home town, not so much, but I'll be doing the majority of my travels then at a time when there's just not that much traffic as most folks are asleep.

I was cautiously skeptical of them, having been an ER nurse, however I think they are great. 

My wife used them on a trip to Austin, the Lime scooters are available for rent.  She went on and on about how great they were.  We were in LA and were out an about and realized renting some scooters would be really handy.  I cautiously got on one and within a few minutes, felt rather comfortable on it.  They were incredibly useful for short distances, like 0.5 -> 2 mile distances, quickly. 

I think the biggest factor for whether these are safe as transportation methods depends a lot on the city where it will be used.  Cities that have rental fleets strewn throughout them, the drivers are accustomed to seeing them and sharing the road with them much like bicycles.  Cities that do not, drivers aren't as accustomed to seeing them and will not be as comfortable driving around them.  Cities that have dedicated bicycle lanes (real ones, not BS ones that are essentially just lines painted on the road) will also be safer as these drivers are also more accustomed to sharing the road with other modes of transportation. 

My town does not have rental fleets, but I see people on them somewhat regularly commuting, so drivers are being exposed to them.  I would absolutely consider one of these if I needed to get a couple miles from my train stop.

[AccidentialMustache]

You would probably be better off with a folding e-bike. It'll cost a lot more though. But it'll probably also last years longer.

Bikes have racks to carry stuff, so you aren't carrying it (backpack = sweat, shoulder bag = messing with your balance, risk of entanglement at speed = crash).

They fold up small for getting carried on the train. Some come with bags you can stuff them in if you need to be stealthy about it.

You look like something "normal" on the road -- a bike, if a small one. You are going to be legal like a bike in situations a scooter/skateboard/etc may not be. Check your local laws about what a scooter is. In IL, unless a recent (this year) bill has passed, they currently fall in the same class as a car ("vehicle") but fail other tests of that class and so are in a weird legal grey area (that's bad if you are ever in court because of said scooter).

The 20" wheels you'll get on a small folding bike will not dump you over and break bones when you hit a 1" curb or a (small) pothole in a puddle you didn't see.

If you need to go longer distances, the bike is going to be way more comfortable.

[nkt0]

Here in Philly the scooters are illegal. Some people have them, but given the condition of local streets, i can't imagine safely navigating them without hitting a pothole and dumping over.