The New York Kickscooter group published a piece back in 2007 which addressed the question: Why buy a footbike, push or kick scooter?
Why indeed...
Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Footbike, Push or Kick Scooter
- Simplicity: Fun and easy way of exercise and transportation.
- Portability: Kick scooters can easily be folded and carried, while footbikes are light and easy to carry.
- Ease of Use: You can hop off, walk or stop and browse shops any time you like.
- Clean: No messy chains to grease your clothing. You can wear your working clothes without having to worry about stains or snags.
- Low Maintenance: The absence of chains, derailleurs and fewer moving parts minimize the chances of disrepair.
- Painless: No pedals to hurt your shins and no more saddle injuries.
- Urban-friendly: Allowed on streets, sidewalks and footpaths.
- Environmentally-friendly: Foot-powered and does not require gasoline.
- Cheap Transportation Alternative: Avoid the rising cost of gas, because push scooters do not need a motor to run.
- Pleasurable Commute: An easy ride on a Kickbike takes about 5 to 8 minutes per mile. On a Xootr you can also go fast and cover ground, because its wheels are three times as large as skate wheels.
Is there anything else that needs to be said? Is some updating required?
Since then the big wheel scooter -- the much faster 'kickbike' -- has taken footage and today fewer scooters fold. If you want small wheels my view is that the Xootr is the smallest you should go for commute use; but really you won't experience scooter touring on micro wheels.
The table published by Xootr (above) however may be a bit misleading as it compares the 200 mm/8 inch pneumatic wheel to other low kickboard vehicles.
Personally I'd not get on anything smaller than 12.5 inches and preferably with pneumatic tires under me primarily because the terrain and surfaces you'll scoot can be unforgiving. If your mindset is skateboard you are going to miss the big picture.
The problem is that never region between really small wheels and the really big ones, at least in the front. If you check out some of the videos I have shared here on kickbiking, you may get a feel for a very different scooter culture -- one that is not held hostage to a competitive athleticism akin to the Tour de France or the rather oppressive gillet and jersey bike culture that seems to be descending across urban Australia.
Anyone can scoot. Anyone should scoot at any time if fancy takes them. No formalities of dress or style or 'fitness' are required.
When you consider the Dutch Steprace or the way the Czech scooter culture is Slav pervasive, you need to consider the 10 good reasons to scoot on their own very tangible merits.
