Xootr Buying Guide

WHO IS IT FOR?

When buying a kick scooter, a primary consideration is who will be riding and for what purpose. Is it for adults who are counting on it to commute to work daily or riding with family? Is it for kids who are riding around with friends for fun? No because:

KID'S priorities are:

  1. Need something built for small frames
  2. Price is more important than durability
  3. Weight: Plastic can be lighter than metal
  4. Fun colors may appeal more to children looking to play with friends
  5. Tricks: Kids may be more interested in scooters they can practice tricks on

 ADULT'S priorities are:

  1. High durability and smooth roll 
  2. Ability to handle heavier / taller riders
  3. Speed for efficiency of commute, particularly if wearing business clothing
  4. Ability to easily fold and unfold for portability in public transport
  5. Comfort: can take  2 adult feet side-by-side

DECK WIDTH

Riding a kick scooter wide enough to allow both feet to stand side by side can be more comfortable for many people, particularly if riding for longer times and distances.

A wider deck also allows easier alternation of the kicking foot so that one gets an even workout.

Image courtesy of letskickscoot.com

DECK LENGTH

For ride comfort, you might also ensure that the deck is long enough for your shoe size. To ride on a short deck, you either execute a fancy foot exchange, or physically hop back and forth so that only one leg at a time rests on the deck.

Keep in mind that if you choose to hop, the force on the deck significantly increases so if your weight is close to the scooter’s maximum limit, you will quickly wear it out and have to buy a replacement.

DECK WEIGHT

Durability and weight are important and relevant to how the scooter will be used. A sturdier deck is ideal for larger riders, those looking for a solid feel, and longer rides.

Conversely, a lighter deck will be easier to transport and carry around. Some people choose to have different kick scooters for different purposes, saving the light model for use cases like travel.

SMALLER AND LIGHTER VS. LARGER AND STURDIER?

Practice standing on 1 foot for a solid 10 minutes. Are your hips still comfortable? If so, perhaps a smaller/lighter scooter can meet your needs. If not, perhaps think about a sturdier model for optimum comfort.
Graphic of 7 inch wide deck
Image courtesy of letskickscoot.com

FRAME RIGIDITY

The more rigid the kick scooter frame, the stronger the feel of the ride and the more stable the steering. More rigidity means less energy needed in order to power the scooter, resulting in more efficient kicks.

Additionally, the more rigid the setup, the less rattling will occur.  Looser setups will have more give, which may be useful for trick scootering.

WHEEL ROLL RESISTANCE

Wheel roll resistance is one of the largest factors in determining ride speed and quality. Of course, less wheel resistance means the kick scooter travels faster.

Nearly all energy from the kick goes to overcoming wheel resistance, which is why it is important to ensure high quality wheels for scooters that are being used for longer distances or times.

A factor to keep in mind along with wheel roll resistance is size of wheel. Larger wheels are less likely to get caught in sidewalk and road cracks, decreasing the chance of accidents and spills. Durability of wheels is also an important consideration as to avoid excessive maintenance costs and time.

Why should you care about rolling resistance? In a human-powered vehicle traveling at speeds of about 16 km/h on level ground, nearly all of your effort goes into overcoming rolling resistance. Rolling resistance is pure dissipation of your energy...the less resistance, the less effort you have to apply to get where you're going. See the chart below for a quantitative assessment of what this means to you.

XOOTR SCOOTERS

The "Razor" scooter and the various other "in-line skate" scooters are quite popular and can be fun to play around on. We feel that they make nice toys for kids. The primary weakness of the adult Razor scooter as compared to the Xootr is that it allows only one adult-sized foot on the deck.

The Xootr is a high-performance vehicle for adults and young adults. Unlike toy scooters or other adult sized scooters, the Xootr has ultra-fast urethane wheels and bearings, a rugged solid aluminum structure, and high levels of craftsmanship applied throughout.

Xootr kick scooter wheels are the key to our kick scooters' high performance. Our kick scooter wheels are custom made for the Xootr scooter and are not available on any other product. These wheels are made by molding polyurethane onto aluminum centers. Countless hours were spent on the polyurethane blend and testing to get just the right combination of speed and durability. Our wheels offer the lowest rolling resistance of any small-wheeled vehicle and the larger size (180 mm) keeps them from getting hung-up in cracks and other imperfections in the riding surface.

Frankly, after riding the Xootr, skateboards, in-line skates, and other competitive adult scooters feel like they are rolling through mud...the Xootr is that fast.

Check out the range of Xootr Scooters.