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Scooter Wheels
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009Scooters are steadily becoming one of the most sought after toys for children. Riders have become very skilled in using their tool to perform electrifying scooter tricks, and out of this passion has sprouted a new and exciting sport with a growing population of followers. Scooters come in a variety of styles, designs, and technologies, including gas scooters, the popular electric moped, and the infamous razor scooter. Because of the relatively basic design of popular scooters, users can easily change out the scooter wheels and other scooter parts. They are easy to maintain and have been reported to be reliable and generally long lasting (depending on use).
While there are many scooter parts that make up the overall design, the most popular part that is replaced are the scooter wheels. The wheels are almost identical to rollerblade wheels in terms of design and materials, and come in many different colors. The most popular colors among boys include blue, green, black, grey, amber, and clear, and most girls prefer different shades of pink or purple. This variety allows the user to add their own special touch to their favorite toy, and can be a fun way to keep them interested. Scooter wheels are usually the only part of the scooter that will need to be replaced, and can be done so at a relatively cheap cost (lower than $20 for a set of two).
If you or your child prefers to use an electric or gas scooter, the wheels are the part that will endure the most wear and tear. Unlike razor scooter wheels, these wheels are made of the same materials car tires are made out of, and are susceptible to wearing down, getting holes in them, and popping. These scooter wheels are unique in that they offer the option of different spokes (somewhere between bike tire spokes and car rims), which can be a basic color or chrome. Electric and gas scooters allow for more customization, but come with a significantly steeper price. This is true for each of the scooter parts, including the wheels. One fun design of gas scooter wheels is the off-road design, which allows the user to ride on many different terrains – not just flat pavement. The cost to replace a gas or electric scooter wheel is around $20 each.
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How to Do Scooter Tricks Safely
Friday, October 9th, 2009The rise of the X-games and the popularity of skateboarding and inline skating have made it possible for skate parks to be constructed all over the United States. Skateboarders have practiced their hearts out and learned new ways to do cool tricks with their boards and on their skates but sometime in the mid 1990’s a new invention hit the market: it was the scooter.
A scooter is basically a skateboard with a handle bar. You stand between two wheels of the scooter and hold on to the tall handle bars that twist and turn like a bicycle. Kids have really grown fond of the scooter and now everyone is looking to perform tricks with it similar to those of the skateboard variety.
Skateboarders know that doing tricks on these toys is often pretty dangerous. There isn’t much protection between your body and the ground should you do a jump on your skateboard and land improperly. People have been seriously injured trying to attempt the simplest tricks so it is important to be aware and practice your stunts safely. Scooters are a little bit easier to handle than most skateboards because of the handle bars, at least you know the scooter will never run out from under you, you’re always holding on to it.
Scooter tricks are performed using a manual scooter, not a gas scooter. If you were to try and perform some of the ollies and jumps using a gas scooter you could possibly burn yourself on the engine or seriously injure yourself or damage the scooter. Razor scooters are some of the most popular of the scooter brands and razor scooter tricks look the best because of the way the Razor scooters are constructed. You want to use just a regular old scooter or a Razor scooter for your tricks if you want to perform them safely.
The safest way to do scooter tricks is to wear full padding. We’re talking about elbow pads, knee pads, and a helmet especially. Padding will allow you to wipe out without hurting yourself or scraping up your skin. You’ll be attempting some high jumps on a really unforgiving cement surface so it is important to take precautions. Before you begin to perform a trick make sure that no one around you is going to skate past you. Once you are sure that no one is going to get in your way and you’ve got on all the necessary safety equipment, go ahead and practice until you get tired.
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Gas Scooters: Dangerous But Fun
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009Remember that feint noise you heard from your patio the other day? The one that grew louder and louder, sounded kind of like a lawn mower, and then slowly faded away? The sound you heard was a gas scooter driving by and you don’t hear them much these days. Many cities have banned the use of gas power scooters on neighborhood streets and public access ways because they can be pretty dangerous and disruptive.
Gas scooters are like motor powered skateboards with handles. These vehicles can get up to speeds of almost thirty miles an hour and all that stands between the rider and near disaster is a skinny foot board and a metal handle that comes up half way, just tall enough to grab at. The gas scooter is a favorite of teens because you can get around in it easily (if you can avoid the neighborhood watch security guys) and you can out maneuver bicyclists and slow moving cars.
There are safer gas powered scooters out there on the market now. The original one was just an open lawn mower engine strapped to a platform. Now they come in all different forms and some even have seats and safety belts on them. The original scooter wheels, back when the vehicle first became popular, were much like skateboard or roller blade wheels. They were plastic inline wheels that could grip the ground if the surface was smooth enough but once you got up onto gravel or grass you’d lose traction immediately. Today they make them to be more like all terrain vehicles. You can do scooter tricks out on the lawn or in the back yard if you’re not worried about chewing up the ground.
Gas scooters, when equipped with the proper scooter parts, can be faster and more powerful than an electric moped. Even though the moped is a safer vehicle, because you sit down in it like a bicycle, it is a lot more fun to ride along the streets in a gas scooter. If you are too lazy to use a self powered skateboard or too cheap to buy a Segway the next best thing is a gas powered scooter.
Before you purchase a gas scooter for yourself or for your children make sure that you check your cities rules and regulations on these vehicles. Often you will find that they have been outlawed and if you are found riding one you will be subject to a ticket or the scooter will be confiscated. Just be safe and have fun.