Excellent mood, slim figure, vigor and energy - all this is the result of balanced physical activity. Harmonious development and strengthening of all muscles of the body can be easily achieved with the help of expanders
Expanders are a product made of elastic material and designed primarily to resist human efforts.
But in addition to expanders, do not forget about active sports, such as a scooter.
This article tries to answer questions such as:
- How to choose scooters?
- Which scooter is best for me?
- Should I get one with suspension (shock absorbers) or without?
- Are big wheels or small wheels better?
We'll look at the technical aspects of scooters that will impact your buying considerations. This article is written in the context of adult scooter riding in Singapore, but is applicable to most urban environments around the world.
Scooter purpose
Most adults buy a scooter for one or both of the following primary purposes:
- transport or daily trips
- Weekend sport or recreation
Buying Considerations
Based on the two main goals above, we've distilled the many purchasing considerations down to three main ones:
- Practicality/convenience
how easy or difficult it is to carry a scooter and use it every day - Performance
how fast or far the scooter can glide with each push - Comfort/ride quality
How comfortable is it to push the scooter and what kind of vibration does the scooter transmit from the ground?
Technical features
The three main purchasing considerations above are directly influenced by the scooter's specifications. Main characteristics of scooters for adults:
- Wheel size
- Quality and class of bearings
- Deck size
- Deck height (distance from ground)
- Folding mechanism
- Suspension (shock absorbers)
- Bicycle-type handles (or lack thereof)
- Other devices (stand, carrying strap)
- Overall build quality
Knowing the pros and cons of these feature options will help you decide which features to choose in the context of your daily commute versus cruising around the park.
Here's a detailed explanation of how the main technical characteristics affect the performance, comfort and practicality of a scooter.
Wheel size
The wheel size is the most obvious distinguishing feature of a scooter.
Most scooters have wheels made of a plastic core embedded in polyurethane (PU) thread. Polyurethane is a very effective material for wheels used on urban roads. It has been used for decades in wheels for skateboards, roller skates, and inline skates (quads). It is lightweight, wear-resistant, and has reasonable grip (when dry) and rebound (the ability to return to its original shape after being momentarily compressed due to weight or pressure).
Big wheels
(diameter 180, 200 or 230 mm)
Advantages
- Increased sliding distance per stroke (better rolling efficiency)
- Better shock absorption
- You are more likely to roll safely over objects on the ground (eg branches, pebbles) or cracks.
- Typically paired with a larger deck for comfort
Disadvantages
- Heavier to carry (typically 4 to 6,5 kg)
- Physically larger and bulkier. Possible problem in crowded public transport.
- Requires more effort to accelerate and decelerate (slower acceleration rate)
- Less maneuverable with a larger turning radius
Conclusion
Large wheels are good for performance (faster) and comfort (less vibration), but make the scooter less comfortable to ride.
Small wheels
(diameter 100, 120, 125 or 145 mm)
Advantages
- Lightweight (usually less than 4 kg)
- Easier to speed up and slow down
- More maneuverable and agile with a smaller turning radius
Disadvantages
- Less rolling efficiency: less sliding distance with each push
- Transmits more vibration from the ground
- Relatively higher chance of wheels getting caught on random objects or cracks
Conclusion
Smaller wheels are good for convenience (portable) but have lower performance (slower) and comfort (more vibration).
Bearing quality and rating
Scooter wheels use the same type of bearings that have been used in skateboards and roller skate wheels for decades: the 608 bearing. Each scooter wheel has two bearings, these are mounted in the center of each wheel (called the wheel hub).
It's easy. Generally, the higher the bearing rating, the better the performance. There is no shortage of higher bearing ratings.
But what is the bearing rating? A rating recognized in the mechanical engineering field is the ABEC standard, short for Ring Bearing Technical Committee, named after the body that set the standard.
ABEC ratings (lowest to highest accuracy) are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Most scooters on the market use bearings with an ABEC rating of 5 to 7.
The higher the accuracy, the lower the rolling resistance/friction. Less friction results in a longer sliding distance with each push. This can easily be experienced when riding a scooter, and is often what makes you feel or judge whether the scooter is "fast" or "slow".
However, not all bearings are created equal. In practice, bearing quality has a more significant impact than bearing rating. In other words, a well made ABEC 5 bearing will spin better than a poorly made ABEC 7. In general, the more expensive, better known brands of scooters tend to use better bearings (ratings aside).
Fortunately, bearings can be easily replaced. These can be found at skateboard or roller skate shops.
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