Scooter Buying Guide

Scooter Buying Guide

Whether you are on your street, at school, or at your local skatepark, you are almost guaranteed to find someone riding a scooter; they are absolutely everywhere these days!

You may see children so young that they can barely walk riding a 3-wheeled scooter. You may also see teenagers and young adults skillfully riding their scooters and working on tricks. Children of all ages are getting their hands on scooters, so it is very important that you know what to look for when purchase your own.

Below is a guide that we created to help find the perfect scooter for yourself or your child. Enjoy!

Choosing the right scooter

First and foremost, there’s no one right type of scooter; choosing the right scooter is all about what feels right for you!

You may still be very young/small and require a scooter that is light-weight and easy to maneuver. You may have a larger frame or physique, and require a wider deck, large wheels, and large T-bars.

Regardless of your size, ability, and budget, there is a complete scooter out there that is just right for you.

There are 2 main types of scooters:

• Traditional Scooter: takes you from one place to another with ease and convenience.

• Pro Scooters (aka Stunt Scooters or Trick Scooters): solidly built and designed to be able to handle use on jumps, ramps, rails, etc.

1) Traditional Scooters

Although we don’t carry these scooters at the Evolve Scooter Shop, a traditional scooter is the best choice for certain people as opposed to a pro scooter.

Traditional scooters are often made of very light-weight materials such as aluminum and plastic, which is good for a very small child that would struggle with the weight of a pro scooter.

Additionally, adults that commute to work by walking or riding a bicycle can benefit greatly from having a scooter. The scooter requires very little energy to travel great distances and unlike a bike, you can ride it while wearing your suit/dress clothes.

Benefits of the Traditional Scooter

Adjustable Height

The handlebar adjusts to be at just the right height for you.

Comfortable Deck

The deck is usually made from aluminum, wood, or fiberglass, to give you the right bounce for riding around the concrete roads or parks.

Wheels

The size of the wheels vary per type and model of these scooters. These days, there is a greater variety of scooters with large wheels; these enable you to go as fast as you like while maintaining a smooth ride.

2) Pro Scooters

If you are getting into scootering for real and have started doing tricks, jumps, and the like… don’t mess around with a traditional scooter any longer. Your scooter is not likely made to handle what you are putting it through and you are only asking for it to break and potentially injure you in the process.

As there is so much growing interest towards the scooter industry, there are more and more pro scooters available all the time. This makes it more and more difficult to choose the right scooter for you. Each scooter has distinct product features and strengths that may or may not be what you need.

Complete scooters are available in a wide price bracket, generally ranging from $100 to as much as $500.

Benefits of the Pro Scooter

Strong Deck

The stunt scooter has a much heavier and stronger deck, often made from solid steel to give you the best performance. It can bear a lot more weight and pressure and give you great maneuverability, which will help you in performing the most specialized stunts.

Wheel Size

The wheels of a stunt scooter are much smaller and made to give you the short bursts you need to perform great stunts and tricks.

Basic Components of a Pro Scooter

The Deck

Available in various colours, sizes, and design styles, this is the foundation of the scooter. Not just crucial for weight handling, it is the most important component as everything else connects to the deck. This component is responsible for giving you the best riding experience, by aiding you in overcoming the rough road conditions and riding around curves.

The Bars

Although some bars are made of aluminum or alloy, most bars are made from strong steel. The benchmark diameter for bars is 1 inch, however, many scooters use larger bars. In both cases, a superb compression system and a properly fitting clamp are requirements to make sure your bars fit securely. The size, type and design of the bar is all dependent on your personal preference.

Compression

The compression clamp keeps the fork, bars and the deck aligned and together. This way the stronger the compression, the lesser the chances of fall and injury. There are different types and levels of compressions available in the markets for these scooters.

Headset

A crucial element especially if you are into performing stunts and tricks with your scooter. It allows you to maneuver your scooter with ease due to the smooth bearings that are located inside this component.

The Fork

The fork is one critical factor of scooter assembly as it is the main connector of the deck, bars, and wheels. The fork size and type dictate which wheels that you can run; generally 100mm to 120mm for stunt scooters. While, if you want to go faster, you need one which lets you fix larger wheels.

Wheels

Not just for the looks of your scooter, these wheels are among the most crucial components of your scooter. Scooter wheels are made of 2 parts: the urethane and the core compound. For starters, you may choose the ones with the plastic cores. They may belong to the cheap pro scooters category but are good enough to serve the purpose. However, for the experts and advanced users, there are metal core wheels which give you the support required and they are much more durable than their plastic alternatives.

Clamp

This is basically the adhesive stuff or glue as you may call it. Secured between the bars and fork, it holds these components to make them work together in harmony. For a high-performing, durable pro scooter, you need to have a high-grade quality clamp to give your scooter the right support and functioning.

Brakes

A major feature of the pro scooter. Usually fixed at the bottom of the scooter, it may be either a spring brake or a flex brake. The flex brake suits stunt scooters best as they give the right support and the ability to just stop whenever you want.

Size

Most of these scooters are fine for any age and weight. However, that doesn’t guarantee fun and most importantly, that absolutely does not mean that the scooter suits your body type best. Too small is not good but too big is not good either as becomes much harder to handle and could lead to more chances of injuries.

Conclusion

Technology keeps going the notch up and all these inventions keep getting better and better. The same has happened to these pro scooters; the design, features, parts like the wheels, deck, etc. are constantly evolving and better options are made available!

The perfect scooter does exist for you; it doesn’t matter if you are an enthusiastic kid or an eager grandpa, a safe rider or a great stunt performer!

With all that is available at the Evolve Scooter Shop and other scooter retailers, nothing can keep you from having a great time on a pro scooter that is just right for you!