A good commuter scooter or bike can be described as something that’s reliable and makes you excited whenever you use it for work or running an errand. Of course, many people use it for fun rides, but others rely on electric commuter scooters to conveniently get past heavy traffic, especially in busy cities. So how do you figure out which scooter is best for you?
Well, there are three main characteristics that every good commuter scooter has. Let’s take a look.
Comfort
It’s not easy to ride a scooter that you do not find comfortable. And comfort here means two things. First of all, it needs to be a suitable size. You cannot ride something too big or small for you. It will cause pains, aches, and discomfort, and you will not enjoy it long term. So find a scooter with the right stem height and footboard width to ensure comfort.
Secondly, comfort also means choosing a scooter that suits your daily commute. For example, if you ride along uneven surfaces, you need something which could withstand rough riding. It should have good quality suspension as well as wider tires. Otherwise, you can ride a normal e-scooter for regular use. There’s a variety of commuter scooters to choose from for riding in the city.
So the bottom line is that comfort triumphs over looks and speed. If you’re looking to buy a commuter scooter, get yourself a comfortable one from the nearest scooter shop.
Practicality
Secondly, your commuter scooter needs to have a decent level of practicality. It should be able to cater to your specific needs without much struggle. If you live in a wet and muddy area, you need fenders or mudguards. If you want to commute with panniers, you need a rear rack. If the roads are pretty bad, then you need thicker tires.
So you’re going to have to put some thought into personalising and optimising your commuter scooter for your ride to make it as comfortable and practical as possible.
Low maintenance
Lastly, be sure to choose a scooter that’s low maintenance. If you buy something that requires frequent maintenance, you’re not going to want to ride it after a few weeks. Two types of scooters fall into this high-maintenance category.
First, try to avoid cheap options available at department stores. You may encounter frequent problems such as loose wheels and broken bearings in the rear hub. You may also find that the bottom bracket gets loose often, a flimsy footboard, etc. Also, if you commute through areas with steep climbs, cheap scooters won’t be able to handle such climbs as they generally have with weak motors. So, if you are looking for something reliable, then the cheapest scooter in the store is not the way to go.
The other end of the spectrum (ultra-expensive ones) is also usually known to be high maintenance. Once you get into the several thousand dollar territories, such scooters tend to have sophisticated parts and systems. The more sophisticated things are, the more they’re prone to damage or malfunction.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t maintain your scooter at all. Of course, you need to clean and lube the bearings every now and then. And you sometimes have to replace the belts or tighten bolts. By all means, do that. It is important. But if your commuter scooter requires attention several times a week, it might just end up frustrating you.
To Conclude
The most common reason people opt for commuter scooters is convenience. They use these compact and efficient machines to get past traffic, without worrying about parking. But there are many options in the market that could end up causing more hassle than a convenience. So be sure to carefully browse through options and choose the right one that’s comfortable, practical, and low maintenance.
Last Updated on by Sathi
