Originally Posted by
Smallwheels
Yesterday I rode my bike for the first time in months. I have been using my Xootr all of this time. My legs weren't accustomed to doing the pedaling motion. The bicycle felt heavy and each push on the pedals seemed like work when going up even the slightest of inclined streets.
The bicycle while going slowly was still going about as fast as I would move on the Xootr at regular speed, which is between seven and ten miles per hour. On the Xootr my average speed is just over eight miles per hour without a headwind. It takes me just about twenty-eight minutes to go four miles to the big grocery store I use. The trip is mostly uphill but the incline for most of the trip is very slight. Going home takes twenty-six minutes with much less pushing.
I'm now split between wanting to use the Xootr or the bicycle. I really prefer the physical motion of scooting. It took me a month to get into good enough shape to do it well. Each push requires a knee bend so that I can lower my opposite foot to the ground to do the push. Imagine doing a couple of hundred tiny squats on one leg at a time. In the beginning I would do four to five pushes to get up to speed. Now I usually do just three before I reach the best cruising speed.
I've owned the Xootr for over ten years but only used it for very short trips in the past. When I started using it to travel more than one mile at a time that is when it became more difficult. Though I'm in much better scooting shape there is room for improvement.
Scooting seem to be closer to the natural motion of walking. Maybe that is why I like it so much. I can move along at a quick jogging pace without having to feel the constant jarring of my body with each stroke of the leg.
I need to find a Kickbike or other brand of scooter owner to learn if they are faster than Xootrs. They weigh more than Xootrs but they have real bicycle wheels and tires. The ride should be smoother but with that extra weight I wonder if they are worth the expense.
Some people even tour on Kickbike style scooters.
If you're going 7 to 8 mph on a bicycle with lots of effort, you're doing something wrong. Either you didn't pump up the tires or the brakes are sticking, or some other major mechanical problem. Sorry, but a bike is just faster, easier, more comfortable--in a word, BETTER--than those kiddie toys.
EDIT: Upon rereading this post, it seems harsh and judgmental--not what I intended. I do get the main message of this thread that scooters are more than kiddie toys. I'm sure they can be useful tools for some carfree people. But I don't think they're as practical for most people as a good old fashioned bicycle.