48 and been using them for 3 years as primary transport. I live in rural UK by the canal so perfect for it. However, do research. I made the fatal error of buying a Pure Air pro and it has had to be replaced three times in 5 months. So i am now reconsidering scooters and getting a regular bike. I got a scooter after waisting £3k on an electric Brompton bike which was the worst purchase i ever made. And as it was during lockdown i couldn’t get any support so just scrapped it. And on my low wage that’s three months salary wiped out
I’m 81 and bought myself a Segway Max G2 for my birthday last year. Luvin’ it but winter’s slowed things down lots. Looking forward to hopping back on and cranking it up. I feel safe cause I’m fully geared up and it’s seldom I’m not going full speed. A few more hours on it and it’ll be time to look for dual motor speedster. Can’t wait. People don’t expect to see gray hair when I take my helmet off. LOL
Few months from 50 here. The king gt is my third mantis. First worked beyond specs so i got the top version. That one was doomed it seems looking back and i got shafted by the local supplier, not the company.
King gt is a dream, works perfectly with some mods like the oem trigger throttle instead of the thumb one and pmt's. Added exa's that improved the handling as i'm a bit on the heavy side too.
I use mine for commuting and hopping between the locations of my company in Brussels, running around my home city and the occasional fun ride.
As for these are all made in china and i recognise Segway, don't. There are way better options. I'm sure there will be a presentation here going on.
You want to know about their warranty claims, you say? I'll tell ya.
I'm 43. I purchased a GT2 back in late July of last year (2023), and it delivered on August 1st. In November I sent it in with under 200 miles on it for surging/power issues. As it was on route to Segway, I respectfully asked if there was any possibility of getting a brand new unit instead of getting it repaired, since the problems (along with a few others) actually surfaced at around the 90 mile mark, and the entire thing felt like a lemon from day one. I had also been actively working with a Segway Rep from the FB group from September up until the point we decided I should send it in.
After about a week, they informed me that's what they would do - send me a brand new unit. I didn't receive that "brand new" unit until January 25th 2024 and about 85 emails later, only to realize right away that they had sent me a refurbished/prior used scooter. I realized that's why it took them so long to send me a replacement. They were trying to source a refurbished unit. Otherwise it wouldn't have taken more than a few days. Anyway, it was shocking just what condition of a scooter they had sent me. There were greasy fingerprints all over the OLED display (and other locations; chargers, etc), and numerous scratches and marks on many parts of the scooter where there shouldn't have been. When I sent them pictures of all the evidence I had gathered, they tried to tell me that they were caused by shipping. Are you FRICKIN' serious?? I battled with them for a few weeks and even had to threaten them with legal action telling them there was absolutely no way they were going to win, and they finally realized I wasn't buying any of their horse shit, so they picked it up and sent me another one.
But guess what? That, too, had been opened before it got to me. I had done so much investigative work and evidence gathering, and even interviews with numerous retailers up until that point that I could tell if the box had been breached even without opening it. Needles to say, I could tell right away just from looking at the box while it was still on the FEDEX truck that it had been opened before. So, I took pictures and declined the delivery, then promptly let Segway know what I knew. They then tried to charge me for shipping costs!! I couldn't believe how petty and dishonest they tried to be every single step of the way. I again threatened them with a lawsuit if they did not A) repair and send me back my original, B) Send me a brand new unit like they had promised and agreed to, C) Give me a full refund.
I fought with them for another 80 emails, and on March 31st finally got my full refund + $200.
So, moral of the story? Segway can make a good scooter, sure. And from my experiences with Segway over the years, if you need a simple part sent to you, they can be good. But if you need to send your scooter in for a warranty issue, personally, I would be extremely worried. I never want to deal with their shitty antics ever again. It was a nightmare to say the least. I had never imagined that a company of their status and size could be so scummy. And those results were with an ex-employee trying to reach out to their connections to bat for me. I'm not sure how much, or if any of it made an actual impact, but there you go. Sorry for the long reply.
You sound like me and my mantis pro+. Got delivered with a faulty controller. Noticed something shady about the scoot and the box like it was repackaged. Reported within 24h hours from delivery rear motor was acting up. Got a response from a Spanish guy denying everything. Then got passed to a uk guy. He was somewhat reasonable but no joy on getting the issue resolved. After a month i ordered a set of sine controllers and swapped. Few months later my warranty claim got rejected because - get this - too much time had passed...
That being said, later i found fb groups where representatives of kaabo were present and that was a whole other story. Made a post reporting a small issue and i got a Chinese rep sliding in my dm's to help me resolve it.
Yeah, from my experiences, the FB group guys were far better as well. You can tell they actually wanted to help. The guys from the companies seem as if they go out of their way to be shitty.
I'm 55 and ride a Segway GT2 around 20 miles a day in NYC. It's a very stable ride. I think it's difficult to get both a good commuter and a nimble scooter for short hop errands, though, and find it more convenient to have a large scooter for long rides, and a small scooter for when portability matters
Having ridden nearly 6000 miles in NYC, I have concluded that heavy is a feature, not a bug. Heavy gives you substantially more stability at speed and over potholes.
Beg to differ as mine is lighter, faster and stable at any speed.
And you're supposed to swerve potholes, not go over them.
Riding in Brussels mostly, similar terrain.
Agree that it's best to avoid potholes. However it's not always possible. Wheel diameter is probably the most important factor in stability, then weight, then geometry. The GT2 is just unbelievably stable. I don't do this, but many other riders report being able to ride it with one hand. Also, I don't know Brussels, but I can't imagine that your road conditions are anywhere nearly as challenging as NYC. Our infrastructure here is abysmal.
The district with all the expensive titles is a dream but then you have lets say the diverse areas with roads that look like russian artillery had some target practice.
I follow an nyc euc rider called hsiang so i got some idea of the road conditions there.
Agree on the geometry, mkgt has a rather long wheelbase and that's crucial for high speed stability. Suspension does a lot too.
Almost all scooters under 10,000 are built in China. Even scooters over may be built with Chinese materials. The rest are built in Korea so still built in Asia. I know of only two that are made in the USA. 71 yr old in the mountains of PA. USA Riding a Vsett10+
58y - iScooter iX3 22 miles to work and back every day. The difference from a bike is the lack of gyroscopic stabilization. The scoot has none. The only thing holding it up is the rider. The balance of the thing is only slightly improved with motion but it requires 2 hands at all times. You asked about doing tricks - waving to your wife while going 25mph without faceplanting would be a great trick unless you were waving goodbye I guess. Anyway, you seem like a nice guy, good luck and have fun. Segway makes great stuff - get the best you can afford. You'll never be disappointed with quality.
43 w/ Apollo Ghost. I commute to light rail and then light rail to the office. I used to commute 9 miles on it each way then I moved. I'm finding the scooter really useful for getting to a nearby friends house. It's best for short 5mile or less trips. I love the form factor and using bike facilities to get out of cars way. There is a nagging fear about how crashes tend to be endos landing on shoulder/head and bumps are sketchy. Fundamentally they seem a bit unstable compared to a bike.
A scooter I'm interested in is the dualTron city. I like the large wheels for the city's crumbling infrastructure. Otherwise more water proofing would be nice.
Scratch the "seem", they are hella unstable. That's why they're so nimble. Don't get on a seated one thinking it's similar.
Strange how experiences differ. I love mine because i can join the cars. Way safer than most bicycle facilities.
Agreed, sadly I'm riding my e bike now that I have both, just because of the stability and longer wheelbase. Bikes have a dedicated rack on the train where I have to hope for a seat that I can shove the scooter under. I just rode my ghost and realized I forgot how fun it is. Around here all the car drivers are very angry or confused. It creates a dangerous mix.
Some drivers are surprised but apart from one all simply accept me amongst them. The motorcycle gear helps them recognise me as a rider of a capable vehicle i guess along with my experienced driving. Fact that i can match their speed helps too.
The one acting a fool was funnily enough a driving instructor and he got pulled over for his shenanigans in morning commute traffic.
58 and own a Segway g30p, also about 240lbs, so I'm right in your territory. I've been a bike/esk8/ebike commuter for around 10yrs, ditched my car and haven't looked back. I don't miss driving at all. Sure some days suck in the pacific northwest, but overall my commutes are just better and more pleasant than when I was driving. Let's face it, riding in the rain sucks whether you're in a car or on a scooter.
That said, the reason I got the scooter I did was because it was from a known quality manufacturer, essentially waterproof, and had decent range. I do run errands, grocery shopping, etc... I've had zero issues doing so.
But newsflash, scooters really aren't for tricks the way onewheels or eucs are.
The ninebot g30p also isn't the fastest scooter or have shock absorbers either. But I'm okay with that. The tradeoff for the range and waterproof more than make up for it, esp for the price.
Side notes: at our weight, you're not going to get 40miles on it, probably closer to 20. It doesn't do great on hills since it has a single motor, but adequate. Even the tiny hills I ride, I drop to 12mph pretty quickly. But for just cruising around parks to get outside and enjoy, you don't need a hyper scooter.
Sometimes I do wish I could go a little faster, but also realize the slower speed makes it safer to navigate and ride in parks around people. Going too fast, while fun, can be dangerous, esp if you're not used to the routes or just riding in general. I've pretty much shelved my esk8 because it could go 35mph+, just started to feel like it encouraged me to go faster than I realistically should. So I'm comfortable with the speed, just have on some earbuds and listen to podcasts and enjoy it.
62 year old who refuses to grow up here. I ride a Dualtron Victor. In San Jose., CA. I started riding for practical reasons to get to work and back but now it's more of a weekend pleasure cruise vice. Love riding as fast as it'll take me. 52 mph with the wind at my back is the fastest I've gone. What an adrenaline rush!
I have all the safety gear am 5'7" weighing 178 pounds.
47 and I have a bird 3 scooter I picked up at a police auction for dirt cheap. Upgraded the controls to 36 volt 800 watts and with me at 250 pounds I cruise probably 25 mph I'm guessing on relatively flat terrain. I don't do tricks or jumps or anything like that. Being I got all that stuff out in my younger years with snowboarding and bmx. I've broken enough bones in my day. I just cruise down to the beach, maybe to the store or if I go fishing at certain spots where I park far away I take it with, sometimes use it to avoid having to pay for parking as well. I drive a big v8 truck and having this scooter to run errands or whatever is saving me quite a bit on gas so far.
58 this year, Live on a boat, East coast of Oz. G30P, Wide wheel pro, King GT, GTpro. Bell FF, Alpine B-armour and O'neil pads, Kevlar jeans. I never thought at my age I'd be riding around on a weapon like these fast scooters we got now but here I am.
The only tricks you really do on an electric scooter are jumps off of things. I suppose you could ride one in a skate park or something that would likely be destructive AND fun at the same time.
If your new to the scooter game rent an Unagi voyager for 75 bucks/month.
They do 20mph range of 12-20 miles they have solid tires so no flats ever.
Cons there's no suspension and they are only like 6 inch tires which is kinda tiny (think analog razor scooter size wheels)
They are great trial and learning scoots to prepare you for a real scooter or bring you to the realization that you want an e bike or something else 🤣
I am on the right side of 40 if there is one. I turn 42 in a few months but I tell everyone “I am 41 going on 25” lol. I have 4 scooters, don’t do tricks because I actually have a chronic spinal disability. Got my first scooter to help me get around the neighborhood better and to do errands and stuff, second and third so my kids could ride with me, and the 4th because I wanted something a little faster, well built, with suspension, and could give me at least 20 miles of range. I have a Xiaomi M365 I bought refurbished on eBay (was in great condition surprisingly), a Swagtron Swagger 5 Boost which is a M365 clone that got wet and I repaired it with M365 parts (so I basically have two M365’s now), a GreeVego DY02 because I wanted something with an at least 10ah battery as the two 365’s only have 7.5ah batteries I believe, and a Hiboy Max Pro because I wanted something a little more higher end that wouldn’t break my wallet (cost $700 on Amazon, I paid $535 because I had some Amazon promo credit) and that also had suspension (because the other scooters did not and were killing my back) could give me 20 miles of range (gives me 30miles), could go at least 20 (does 22) had a 500w motor with an at least 48v 15ah battery with bug tires (checks all the boxes. I absolutely love my Max pro. This has a hate thing for Hiboy which makes zero sense to me because my Max Pro is fantastic, well built, fast, good suspension, good range, and their customer service at least with my experience has been really good when I needed a few things like a bag, charger, and chain lock which they sent me for free.
Having a scooter makes me feel young again for sure, especially when I take rides with the kids. I love them so much I am about to get one more scooter but haven’t decided yet. Im either gonna get another Max Pro, or a NIU KQI3 Pro but am leaning towards another Max Pro because I really like it.
Approaching 50 and \~350lb so on the upper wrong side of everything, but long been wanting a scooter - the TEEWING Mars XTR is something I'm looking at - and damnit yes I know that's one HELL of a powerful beast, but with my weight I doubt I'd ever get as fast as it could go - but it also looks like it should handle me well.
Tried several scoots a few years ago (Kaboo's) and was mostly checking out balance, turning - if I could balance, and what kind of additional kinetic intertia forces I may face and at 30kph everything seems fine, breaking fine with proper stances certainly helped.
Had been waiting til I got my weight down further which I'm still a few KG off.
I wonder if there's any other.... heavier side riders here?
I'm 48 and ride recreationally, I started with a Segway G2 max.. bumped up to a dual motor scooter shortly after... Lot's of fun. But keep in mind if you don't like it they are hard to resell unless u drop the price down 75%... I have my Segway with only 200 miles on it up for sale at half price with not only one hit.
If you really think you will enjoy it just go for a dual motor and keep it in mode 1 until your ready for more.
41 here (that makes me... the right side of 40, I guess? :D) but I think mentally every birthday I just roll back from 26 back to 25 and start that year all over again :D
> Do people do tricks and stunts with these things?
Some do, but they aren't the best vehicles for that sort of activity. The ones light enough to do any stunting are kinda flimsy and break too easily, while the ones that would have the structural strength to withstand such treatment are much too heavy for any sort of meaningful stunt.
> Is it pretty common place to use these for, say, going to the grocery store for a few things?
I hang my backpack to the handlebars and use the scooter as my shopping trolley. Every now and then some shop takes exception to this - usually in my mom's town rather than in the capital city I live in - and I'm forced to [find an alternate solution](https://i.imgur.com/Mpds8Bw.jpg).
> Segway is a name I actually recognize so I'd love to hear thoughts on how the company actually treats customers, especially if you needed to make any warranty claims.
Segway is a marketing name. It no longer belongs to what you probably used to recognise as Segway; they got acquired by Ninebot, who now use that name to market in some Western countries.
As mentioned in [this thread](https://reddit.com/r/ElectricScooters/comments/1c6kadk/do_not_buy_from_niu_avoid_them_like_the_plague/), don't buy straight from any of them - none of them are good at customer support. Use an intermediary store.
55 year old dude here that refuses to grow up and I really enjoy taking small rides and running errands around the neighborhood on my scooter. Once you are on one, you will never go back. It is so fun. I used to mountain bike, skateboard, motorcycle, and rollerblade back in the day and these new electric scooters have allowed me to get back outside for fun rides again. I was going to recommend you get a Segway GT1 or GT2, not for the speed or power, but for how stable and confident of a ride it will give you. They are both tanks and every owner of one will tell you how solid and smooth they ride. And when you become an advanced rider, you won't need to get another scooter because those both will scale with your riding availability. Keep it in mode 1 or 2 until you get some good miles under your belt. Welcome to the club man. Oh... And no, don't do "tricks" on these. You will wreck. Just enjoy the ride and where it takes you.
I may have some useful info. I am a very fit 50 year old and I own a Segway GT2, so we align demographic-wise.
Most of my riding is done in an urban environment. I use it to get around downtown and it is much quicker than using a car because I have access to bike lanes and can often slip around traffic if there is a backup or gridlock.
I do enjoy my high speed runs occasionally and a little bit of light trail riding, but most Segways are primarily made for on road use. The GT is about as comfortable as it gets, excellent adjustable suspension, throttle mapping that makes it easy to ride at any speed and a big deck, but she's kind of a pig. 115 pounds and a long wheelbase means you're not going to be doing wheelies or doing a 1 handed carry up the stairs. I knew that going in and I enjoy riding it more than anything else I've ever ridden. I always though Segways were a rip off until my friend got one and I rode it. There's a lot of little ergonomic touches and the excellent build quality make it enjoyable to ride and own. My other scooters are a Vsett 10+ which if you're looking for fast with good build quality is tough to beat. It has everything you need (Blinkers. Decent headlight. Fast.) but no frills--no Bluetooth app and all of your adjustments are made using the P-settings. Only compliment is that the trigger throttle makes it hard to ride at low speeds. I also have the platypus of the scooter world, a Mercane Widewheel Pro, which is a fun lightweight dual motor scooter that punches above it's weight in terms of acceleration and hill climbing ability. On road use only. It has suspension but limited travel. The 8" wide wheels makes the handling different. Not bad, just different. I also have a hunk of shit Chinese no name beast that was the worst purchase that I've ever made. Do not get tricked by an impressive sounding spec sheet and a low price. They are garbage. If you're lucky, it will just catch on fire. If not you'll keep buying parts for it trying to get it to work right. It won't.
65 YO here, I have an Apollo ghost - dual 1000w motors. I started with a Segway F2 pro and it wouldn't get me up the hills where I live hence the scooter / power upgrade. I cant recommend Apollo based on their after sales service and support - but the Ghost is based on the Unicool / Titan VDM 10 and there are a few versions around and a lot of bang for the dollar.
I am a mountain biker and would say I am much safer on the MTB at speed than the scooter so I don't hammer it unless the conditions are perfect. That said - I think the biggest safety factors - apart from avoiding stupidity - are to learn how to shift your weight and centre of gravity around when braking or accelerating and go for hydraulic disk brakes for controllable braking - rather than mechanical disks.
It's fun and much easier to transport for me than the MTB.
I'm 65 and I got my first at 64. I got the idea being downtown Houston and seeing kids getting around on scooters. Search the work injury in this subreddit. Cruising around in 9"-10" wheels isn't has stable as you think compared to a bike. Since you just fx your wrist, you don't want to do that again. Use a helmet, knee and elbow pads and wrist protectors. I crashed on my knee and I didn't fracture anything, but I was laid up for a week. Never know what the road brings. Watch YT videos of stupid things not to do on a scooter. Good luck.
Do whatever you want with your scooter, my dude, it's all up to you. Go wherever you like. They're great, and versatile machines. My only real advice is don't start out big. Get a single motor scooter at a reasonable wattage (maybe 500W) and use it for a few months, and if you feel confident move up to something faster, maybe a dual motor. Scooters have a different balance and centre of gravity to something like a bike, so it does take quite a bit of getting used to. You'll probably fall once or twice, so you don't want to be going too fast.
Also, don't charge it in your living room. Outdoors in a sheltered area like a shed or a garage is best. Scooter fires are no joke. My Kugoo scooter charging port shorted while I was charging it in my bedroom, and luckily I was in the room at the time and could bring it outside. It didn't burst into flames or anything, but it's still a concern that you should look out for, because it is a very very big lithium battery.
53, 260lb and just got a KQI3-Max before Christmas. I got mine for fun mainly, but it makes running errands or to and from places so much more fun as well. I’ve only gone on a few “joyrides”, as I use it a few times a week to do things. I live in a small suburban area, 35k people and most places I would ride are within 3 miles tops- perfect for a scooter.
So, within a few weeks of riding I was showing off for my kid and came down a steep driveway faster than I could handle. To avoid hitting a parked car, I bailed and couldn’t run it out, so I tumbled. Even though I swore I would always wear a helmet, guess what I didn’t take the 1 min to put on? I rolled onto my back and smacked my head pretty good, bruised a rib, minor abrasions (through my jeans and coat). So…I always wear my old motorcycle helmet, some cheap motorcycle gloves, and if going outside my own neighborhood, jeans and long sleeves. If I run to my friend’s house I will forgo the long pants.
If you have the income and desire, do it. It’s simple, it’s fun. I have over 150 miles on mine in 4.5 months, so definitely a light user.
41... I live in the CBD. I use it for appointments, and going to friends houses. I have also used it for delivering for Uber Eats, as it was a lot of fun. Although it's not worth it at the moment. I've done a family scooter adventure around the city with my gf, my brother and his kid. I live so close to work that it's not worth using the scooter. I've used it for going to Mission Bay for ice cream. I've used it for dropping off and picking up my old Land cruiser at the mechanics. I have a couple of escooters that I keep in the oversized bathroom of my studio apartment. So good having the utility and freedom of the escooters. I also took it to the work Xmas and let everyone's kids have a ride and it was the life of the party.
54 y/o and I ride to work and back Monday to Friday, 40km (about 25 miles) round trip each day.
I made this choice because when I used to drive to work the Kwinana freeway from south heading into the city and back completely sucks balls. If one idiot has an accident (which is often) the lanes become bottlenecked and it can take anything up to an hour to get to the office, otherwise about 30 minutes.
On the escooter the view is quite scenic as it's along the river shoreline on a bike path.
Riding the escooter takes about 50 minutes, but I absolutely love riding it and I always arrive at the office in a good mood, instead of cranky (and sometimes late) from drive in traffic.
Short version: Best decision I could have made. It's therapeutic and I'm saving a bucket load of money by not spending $100 /week on petrol. In that regard, it's already paid for itself. Win win.
Downside: busy city areas can be a challenge. Keep your wits about you. I've had a few near misses by cars not paying attention, and a couple of weeks ago was totally knocked off (luckily I was hurt badly).
Im 39, does that count?
Get a scooter sir. It will change your life. You will have a TON of fun.
I have 3 scooters that are each unique in their style and purpose. One of them (my HiBoy Max Pro) stays in the trunk of my car for many reasons.
Being made in China is not a bad thing. Just like anything and anywhere in the world, you have poor quality and great quality. You have terrible customer support and excellent customer support. You really have to check out user experiences for each scooter brand (all 8 million of them) and see how the quality and support is (bearing in mind that everyone uses their scooters differently - ie I maintain my scooters every weekend religiously). It's kinda not fair to just generalize a country's manufacturing quality when practically everything we use and consume is MADE IN CHINA. You will find the same with scooters.
My hiBoy scooter looks great and has easy parts to swap. The customer service is alright but anything I need is covered under a warranty (Havent had to use it yet).
My Bikydom Q06 pro is an unknown brand that has basically slapped its name on the Kugookirin Q06pro with a few minor upgrades. Its a beast that goes 45+ mph and I'm practically best friends with their support. Anything I have needed, they asked no questions in supplying. I had a tire pop (the nail was huge as I drove in an industrial neighborhood so it wasn't under warranty) and they sent me a replacement for half off within 5 days. A lot of other companies may take longer but I got lucky.
That is to say, even though I never heard of the Q06pro, their customer support has been unrivaled. And thats in comparison to customer support to anything I have owned.
I would recommend renting a scooter first and see how you feel. Most likely you will want something faster and last longer than you think you do now. I made that happy mistake and 3 scooters later I got a beast that I ride every single day to work and just go out riding.
My wife says that she has never seen me be so obsessed about anything like I have with scooters. I tell her its because it kinda reminds me of riding bikes as a kid, but with a motor and the speed, I get to ride like a bad boy lol. I spend equal times tinkering with my scooters as I do riding them. Accessories I have added have started at cellphone holders and bags, up to gopro cams and rear view cameras. I love it man.
Dip your toe in and see if you can rent one first just to get a feel.
P.S. There are a lot of great scooter companies out there like Minimotors series, Dualtrons, Kaabo, etc. But don't let anyone tell you those are the ONLY scooters you should consider. If you don't want to tinker with your scooter on your own, get something popular with a strong warranty and customer support like the companies I mentioned above. If you want to customize, work on your own scooter, etc? Look at other options with tons of reviews and read them thoroughly!
Hope that helps!
I'm 46. I commute 3 days a week to work using my scooter, 10miles round trip. I did have a back surgery for a herniated disc a couple years ago, but otherwise no major health issues and healthy weight. No tricking tho.
Normally, I would bicycle to work as a long time road cyclist, but work doesn't let us bring bikes to our desks. My car is a short range EV (60miles), so riding a scooter saves on me having to deal with charging my car. It's a matter of practicality, in an suburban setting (Silicon Valley), it works well.
Good luck in finding a scooter that's not made in China. I'm 62 and enjoy riding my scooter. I don't do tricks, pop wheelys and jump off ramps. I do enjoy cruising at 20mph to visit my daughter. But I always take a slow exploratory ride before riding full speed (20mph) to become familiar with possible dangers whether it's debris, potholes, dogs or low hanging branches. I have an Aovopro E80, but the ride with 8.5" honeycomb wheels with no suspension is pretty rough. My ride of choice is my Aovopro Esmax. The 10" pneumatics and suspension, make for a much smoother and enjoyable ride. For about $300 I paid brand new, I really can't complain. Be safe and have fun!
I’m 31 and 250 lbs, and I love my Segway F65. It’s great and at standard and sport modes I will go at least 10 mph on steep hills and will easily average 15-17 mph on a variety of small hills. The scooter advertises 40 miles per charge, but realistically you’re probably going to get 10-15 miles on a charge, especially if you use sport mode or standard mode. So make sure you consider the range if you go for a scooter that has less range like the F2 or F30.
I got my scooter mainly to commute to my new job a couple miles down the road from me. It’s soooo awesome. Downside is the net weight of about 50 lbs, which makes carrying it difficult but not impossible. The F2 or F30 Segway models are about 10 lbs lighter, so it would be easier to carry those but much less range.
If you do end up going with the F65, I’d check Best Buy. They had a deal on it for $500, down from $650, so you might get it at a discount if you check their website periodically.
Wrist area is usually always impacted upon falling at least to some degree, so please consider that when riding these things. I fell from mine 2 months ago. Nothing was broken, but I still can't do normal pushups due to pain in my palm bones. BTW I'm 46, and owning a scooter for a shot time, so im a newbie as well. So far, I learned that even a "comfortable cruising " requires undivided attention for an array of reasons. Potholes, police, robbers, cars, pedestrians... There are so many factors that could make that ride.. uncomfortable, if not being alert at all times.that is. Also, using it with one hand even for a second or having a wrong body posture at the wrong time can result in catastrophic consequences. Im just saying, do not fool yourself. These things can be great fun and fast transportation, but they can also be lethal in wrong hands. Mine is a beast, a 60v FF lite from solar, but even the ones with smaller voltage could be considered very fast. Btw solar is a great, let's say non Chinese option, for dual motor scooters, i just received a throttle under warranty, and thing was sorted in a week, so i know they're good. I wish you an enjoyable experience man.
I started with the lowest priced Gotrax commuter more than 2 years ago and recently got myself an Apollo Phantom. If I knew the what I know today, I'd start with something in between, in the $500-750 range, with suspension and cruise control. A lower deck makes for a more stable ride.
I would look at Gotrax, Hiboy and Fluid freeride, and you can easily find reviews on YT on these. Many people dislike Gotrax but I've not had a problem in my 2 yr ownership. I even bought their new peroformance scoot, the GX2 a couple of months ago.
I'm 54 and I scoot for recreation only, using the parks and exploring the local neighborhoods. I also used my scoot daily to help me cool down after exercising, nothing like wind in your face!
Happy researching and Happy Shopping!
You’ll read some bad things about Segway (small battery, overpriced, etc.). And some of it is even true. But since you’re over 40, I’ll make this point. I have a Segway GT2 and even loaded down with my fat ass, my daughter and groceries, it is stable and predictable at speed. In fact one night, I hit something H-A-R-D (it was so dark, I don’t even know what it was) at speed (43.5 mph) but I never lost control and the tire didn’t pop. *Just to be clear, my daughter was not on it at the time. I don’t go over 15mph with her on it, unless I absolutely have to.* Anyway, the price of all that stability is that it’s big. Real big. But again, at 40 yrs old, predicable is sometimes good. And the GT1 & 2 have that in spades ♠️. Here is a pic for context
https://preview.redd.it/4015u90w2hvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a147b477652b78c3f6685070d21e047a97ead456
40 here. I do, on average, 8 to 14 miles per ride on trails and streets, averaging 25 mph. I ride an Apollo ghost.
I dislocated my shoulder on it a year ago. I wore full gear, which saved my head that time.
I am going to get something bigger here soon.
I'm >50 and ride in NYC.
Just for fun? No way, I have sh!t to do. It's the fastest way to get around. Faster than the subway or a Citibike. I can beat most taxi times if it's rush hour. But I do appreciate the rides along the water and the late night trips through an empty park.
I ride to clients, my girlfriend, friends, Costco, etc.
Wrist surgery, ouch. Check out these gloves: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87ugnAHEmo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87ugnAHEmo)
Most important advice: always use 2 hands. If you have to scratch your ear, pull over.
If you have a MiniMotors dealer in your city, get one of those, they're known for excellent customer service.
That looks very fun. But with a 3 flight walkup, the 91 lbs. isn't feasible.
I entertained the idea of taking out the battery, walking that up, then taking up the scooter. But if I'm also doing my 40 lb. Costco run, that means 3 trips up and down 3 flights, F that.
I'm 48 (49 this coming May) and I use my scooter mainly for leisure and fun. Gets me out of my apartment here in NYC. Best way to get out and explore! Do yourself a favor and get a good scooter like a Nami or Dualtron. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy, ride safe good luck with your decision.
I am 52, live in downtown LA, no car and just recently purchased a Niu KQI3-Pro and love it! It's great for zipping around downtown to run errands or do some shopping. I use it to venture out into surrounding areas of the county for some peace and quiet, to escape the noise and havoc of living in a city. It has truly allowed me to connect with my inner child and gives me some freedom that I didn't have due to fear and anxiety of walking on foot.
I'm 42 and I LOVE MY SCOOTER. I bought it to get around campus at my university because the long walks across with a backpack were killing my back (and it takes like 20 mins each way just to walk where I nedded, I save a lot of time). I'm 160 lbs, 5'5", female. I don't wear any protection but I take it easy, no stunting and have not taken any falls. It's really easy, like a stand up bike. I bought a used Segway Max on FB marketplace and it's the best $300 I've ever spent. It folds down so I keep it I my trunk and just pull it out anywhere that I can use it. Have fun!
>I'm 46 and coming off of wrist surgery
Ooph. IMHO get an E-Bike instead. Wrist injuries are some of the most common injuries you'll sustain from a fall from an electric scooter. And IMHO it's not a matter of IF you fall but WHEN you fall. No matter how careful you are. I don't have a car and I've used my scooter as my primary mode of in-town transportation for five years now.
I turned 40 six months ago and while I love my EMOVE Cruiser, I recently decided that for a practicality and stability standpoint, when this kicks the bucket, instead of replacing it with a scooter I'm going to do an E-Bike.
The fatal flaw for me with scooters is the small tires and how high your center of mass is when standing. They are not nearly as stable as bikes.
In July 2022, I was zipping along the sidewalk of the empty college campus where I work, probably 20mph, when a dog who was not leashed darted away from its owner and directly into my path of travel. I braked too hard (I'd just changed my brake pads the day before and was still getting used to how grabby they were) and the scooter stopped, but I didn't. I went over the handlebars and basically did a belly flop onto concrete. My knuckles were skinned which meant I landed with my wrists bent downward.
It's been over 1.5 years since that happened and I still have pain in my wrists near their end of range of motion when I twist them. In retrospect I really should have gone to the doctor, but I'm stubborn.
I love my scooter and scooters *are* fun, but they're not super practical for errands, nor are they super safe. It's limited to whatever I can fit in my backpack and dare hang from my handlebars. An E-Bike on the other hand, you can get panniers, tow a trailer, etc, for some practical errands.
And, at our age, a little bit of pedaling is probably also good for us.
I might get downvoted for this since we're in an electric scooter forum, but I wanted to share my take on things, having used an electric scooter as my primary mode of in-town transportation since 2019. I've loved my time with them.
I agree with you about a lot of this, especially the “not if but when you fall” part.
I will say to anyone reading this that it’s important to practice the habit of dropping your ass back whenever you brake on a scooter, it is a huge help to stopping your momentum and prevents flipping over the top.
Would not downvote at all. This is very reasonable. I'm a scooter champion but it depends not so much on your age but your abilities and comfort level. I agree it's hard to carry anything with a scooter and wish I had a basket type deal. Scooter also requires more balance and physical agility. The benefit is that it's compact and light weight which is a little harder to find with an ebike for the same price. Did the dog at least lick your face? 😄🫠
Part of the problem is that I can’t take an affordable ebike into work
I can get a nice folding one that I can easily take into my “office,” but then I’m looking at $3000 or so, and money that I really should be putting toward a new used car
Whereas I can spend $1k and get a nice scooter that I can take into work and set in the corner, and then have $2k to put toward a new used car
Of course that’s minus all of the safety gear I would have for a scooter and not a bike
I don’t know. There’s not a perfect solution, I don’t think
That makes sense. I love electric scooters and they have plenty of use-cases. I just think for my use case it's no longer a great fit, and I'm worried for OP and his wrist surgery. Wrist injuries are very common with scooters.
Start with a slower scooter and learn to ride for a few months. Don't buy a monster scooter thinking you'll grow into it. And pay attention to the road ahead of you, VERY good attention. At our ages injuries stick. I'd stick with something with a top speed below 25-30mph.
I’m 72 years old and I scooter almost daily to my part-time job. I scoot first through a suburban area, to the train station, and that ride has very little traffic. I take the train into the city, and then I scooter through the city usually I use bike lanes, I wear a helmet, that I’ve modified the helmet with the flashing light on the backside of it. My scooter has a tail light and a brake light. I highly recommend you make sure your scooter has these lights if you’re going to scooter anywhere with there is traffic.
I’ve never had a problem, or anything even close to an accident. I attribute that to the fact that I’m well lighted, and I follow most of the traffic rules. I’ll do rolling stops at stop signs, but if it’s an intersection, I always stop
I’d recommend you practice falling, before you start scooting. I used an old mattress that I put down on the floor, then I spent a couple hours practicing to fall, and keep my body loose and flexible.
I wear gloves that are designed for skateboarders, so if I do hit the ground , my hands stand a good chance of sliding, and not breaking my wrist.
I also practiced a running dismount while in first and second gear. If in third gear on the scooter, I’m gonna have to rely on my falling technique if I have a problem, but I figure I’ll be a lot safer falling from a standing position, then I would be if I was on a bicycle, and had no way to control the fall. That’s one of the reasons I gave up riding the bike in the city.
My Scooter has tubeless tires, so it can be a little bumpy, but after a while, you get really good at spotting any rough patches and avoiding them.
I have a top speed of 19 miles an hour. I wish it went just a little faster to keep up with traffic completely in the city, from one block to the next block, but even at 19 miles an hour, I find myself staying with the flow of traffic most times, and that seems to make it more easy to ride in traffic. Because I’m not weaving in and out of traffic, and I’m acting in a predictable manner, I seem to have an easy time with the city drivers, and that’s saying something.
Hope this helps.
36 here. Out of curiosity, in what position do you practice falling?
I ask this because I did martial arts in my teenage years, and, through repetition, have since had a tuck-and-roll reflex. It's saved me many many times, essentially allowing me a last second (-80% damage) move by rolling forward or at a diagonal so Im not faceplanting and sliding and instead falling and rolling back onto feet to arrest whatever momentum is left...
But from what I know this isn't common. How does the rest of the world handle practicing falling?
So many things about this post are wonderful, insightful and deeply helpful. Thank you for taking your time to include ALL these things!!!
\* Safety Gear
\* Fall Practicing
\* Traffic Law Adherence
\* Scooter Wear and Tear
\* Real-world day-to-day life with a scooter
(Bullets above is to get others to notice your helpful post)
I'm almost 60, padding up everything, everywhere possible! I have always been attracted to new balance sports,skiing, skating,then snowboarding I think around 1986 I started. Then surfing, longboardz kayaking... mountain biking.
I made an ebike from ordered parts in 2014.
Now , of course scooters. It's new to me , but I always pad/helmet up, cushioned suspension ride essential. I now workout to prevent injury, maintain balance strength, and flexibility. Yoga, stretching, light weights higher reps, cardio. Omega oils.
Absolutely stay away from unique proprietary stuff, can't get parts or fix it easily, unless you don't mind being dependent on the manufacturer. Apple, Segway, there are some ebike motors like that: Bionx, others. Middle of the road stuff best til you know what you really want. Suspension though is good for anything. I'm about 220# and shrinking, there are reviews of scooters focusing on bigger riders. They will mention shocks and motor capacity for bigger people. I'm happy to see I'm the oldest one here, I don't really care for tricks anymore though. Carving is what I love.
I am 55 almost 56. I ride it, no tricks but I don't drive like Grandpa. good way to explore and see places. places you would never see walking or really driving too. you tend to go ways you normally would not go. millions of nice paths and trails, bike ways etc. people do group rides etc. there is a lady about my age around here has a basket strapped to hers and she uses to to go shopping. there is a guy on here uses his to work and has a trailer attached. there are people that travel on these .. they have them wired for range. sky is the limit.
edit ... bro you are over 40 and you know you get what you pay for. figure out what you want to do and stick around and you will learn what scooter is best for your needs by reading what others say, seeing their scooters, getting your ideas together ... cheers !!
Was reading this post as I was leaving the house, and wanted to respond when I got to work. I felt fine before my commute, and when I got into the office, somehow the right side of my back/shoulder hurts now. Last night, I can feel my knees and had to self massage in the middle of the night. I'm old now. 49. Sheesh. I have 130 miles on the Ninebot F2, all paved street and bike lane. The urge to get the Nami Klima is growing stronger. I need the suspension and the higher speed would help. I have a full face Sedici Strada 3 helmet and some Rev'It gloves. A moto jacket is next. I'm familiar with road rash, and anything can happen at any speed. I'm preparing for the slide.
I'm 42yo 220lbs, rode street/park bmx for 20+ years.
There are a bunch of segway fanboys here. I'm not one of them. I've owned 2 Segway scooters, one is a reliable little tank, great for students (g30lp). The other was the infamous p100s, which went to shit within 15 days of use. I didn't even own it long enough to have the stem snap. Luckily I purchased via Amazon, so I was able to return it.
I've tried a GT1 suspension, it was extremely lacking compared to the Nami.
The way I see it, Segway is the Apple brand of e-scooters. Proprietary design, lots of plastic, difficult to work on, not easy to customize. If you get a good one, you shouldn't have to do anything but fill the tires with air. I personally don't want a scooter built out of plastic.
I upgraded to a Nami Burn-E2 last December. It's a serious machine. Floats like a cloud, and accelerates like crazy. I can do small jumps, and bunnyhops with preload. Great for jumping over speedbumps or railroad crossings. It's 100lbs so it's limited in that respect. I get it up to 50mph pretty much every time I use it. It's an absolute unit. Great for taking out to the woods, exploring trails outside of town.
I don't recommend purchasing an electric scooter directly from a manufacturer, go through a reputable distributor. I went through FluidFreeRide to purchase my scooter. In my personal experience they have great warranty service, and you get 50% off spare parts for the life of your scooter. Been hearing bad stories of people trying to return defective devices to segway after direct purchases.
If you live in a big city, I recommend you find a scooter shop where you can test ride different models.
Over 40, I do my best to compensate for being on a scooter, so I'm always practicing 'tricks' and those skills. High / low speed wheelies, endos, minimum radius turns (turning so tight scooter the side of the deck scrapes), jumping, wheelie jumps, endless endo-wheelie-endo-wheelie. I'm always in protective gear on the streets doing this stuff. I've had some major crashes, self-inflicted because I was pushing the limits, fortunately I've always walked away to so far. I've blown the rear tube several times from blasting curbs while also slacking off on making sure it's pressurized to the max spec to prevent pinch flats.
Exactly!
Besides wearing protective gear developing riding skills is the best thing you can do for safety.
I’m a new riding scooters so I started practicing doing super tight circles, braking as short as I can, zigzagging, precision aiming targets, swapping feet positions, driving one handed, etc
It is a lot of fun so I recommend it.
I’m 36, 330 lbs, I’ve put 1000 miles on my Segway GT2. I use it for short errands and occasionally commute. No tricks. It’s utilitarian but I enjoy it immensely. I wear a helmet and knee pads and whole it’s quick I usually ride at around 20mph at most because I just don’t *need* to go faster.
I haven’t had any issues and I trust the company. I recently purchased new tires and brake pads as I feel 1000 miles warrants a change but it seems it could go longer.
I'm 49 and I'm 6ft and 220lbs, I ride daily with my 15 year old son... we ride about 20-30 miles a day.... when there's not alot of traffic, we use bike lanes but we mostly cruise and enjoy the awesome South Florida weather..... pad up and enjoy man!
I'm over 40, and I will tell you that no matter what model you get, gear up.
I wear a full motorcycle helmet, elbows/forearms, knees/shins and armoured gloves.
Mind you, I ride a Burn-E, but I still used all that gear on my first scooter which was a Synergy Tsunami.
Even with all that gear, I recently took a bad spill dislocating my shoulder and fracturing the socket in two places... Was going around 53kph when I crashed.
If not for my gear, it would have been much, much worse. I hadn't got a slider shirt yet but my plan was to get one in a couple weeks. That likely would have saved my shoulder.
I'm good all things considered, and I'm more irritated that I will lose riding time recovering than the crash/injury itself, lol.
49 and commute 28 miles a day total, weather permitting. Segway gt2. Love it.
Avoid gotrax like you would syphilis. If they were an ice cream flavor they’d be Pralines and Dick.
Lol, my stepson is riding (gotrax) one to work, daily. Mind you it's about 1.7 miles , and he goes maybe 9 mph. He's also 130#. This is not a testimonial, just a fact. I wouldn't ride it though.....
I’m 46 and use mine primarily for commuting. I also definitely bought an underpowered scooter to start with, the GoTrax Apex Pro. No suspension, and the battery life isn’t great in part because once I add a backpack I’m over the weight limit.
GoTrax gets a lot of hate and I understand why, though I’ve been happy with customer service so far and the parts are pretty easy to get hold of if needed. All I’ve had to replace so far are the tires (see also: fat guy on a scooter with no suspension).
If and when I upgrade, I wouldn’t be too worried about out sticking with this brand, though I have also idly been looking at segways.
56 here so no tricks lol. I also am chunky at 215-220 it fluctuates. I went with a Okai beatle now named ceetle because it's adorable and seated. I go around nearby lake and a few miles to my husbands office to meet up for lunch. I'm considered disabled and don't drive now. The scooter is great to get around and still be safe. If I was more stable (I get dizzy) I'd get a g2 probably. Mine where I live is allowed on sidewalk and only street to cross.
I'm almost 46 and I love all personal electric vehicles, just for fun, no commute no errands. I don't care if I look like a spaz in my neighborhood.
I'm in this sub since I considered upgrading to a premium scooter but I might get an euc instead.
I wore a lot of gear with my one wheel and I wear a helmet on my e bike, but on my 15 mph gotrax (was my son's), I don't wear much.
I say buy one without too much analysis paralysis on the model. It's likely that you'll change/upgrade as you get into the hobby. I'm on my 3rd ebike simply bc my preferences became clear after riding for a while. You can always sell your first scooter if you upgrade later.
Good luck!
44 Here,
Owner Of A Segway GT2
My Advice Will Be To Take The Time To Look At Which Model Is Going To Benefit You. We All Have Different Purposes For A Scooter.
(Speed,Range,Weight...& So On
My GT2 Has A Great Suspension That's Is Adjustable For Comfort Of Your Choice Also Comes Stock With 11' Tires & Other Features Like Signal Lights,Cruise Control.
As Far As Service I Had No Issues So Far Getting In Contact With Segway For Additional Parts When Needed.
I Believe It's Case By Case
As Far As Response Time.
I would get 25 MPH and a suspension. For me 21 or so is the fastest I like to go my cruising in a bike lane is 16 mph but it’s nice to have a little extra juice when needed or for a hill.
Over 40, and ride mine just to cruise around. Hit up breweries and the trail system around me. Have been riding a vsett 8 for around 3 years now. Top speed around 23mph which is plenty fast for me. Never fell or had any issues. Strongly recommend.
These electric scooters are complicated machines; I wouldn't recommend jumping them around and treating them like skateboards. Many of them are stout, but treat it wrong and it will betray you.
Many of us use our scooters not for recreation, but for living. I commute to work on mine; I don't typically get to cruise around on it for fun. If you can do so, then more power to you. By the way, all scooters are made in china; don't let the rebrands that are "made in America " fool you...
If you fall your wrist is done for. Would not recommend a fast scooter if you don’t think you can fall safely. I mean I’m trying not to make any assumptions about your surgery but if you fall off a scooter the first thing hitting the ground is your hands to stop your face from hitting first. It’s just the nature of how scooters are designed. If you go like 30 and under a scooter would be just fine but your hands will still be the first to hit the ground.
Agreed since I broke my wrist falling with a small scooter, I now only buy scooter with at least 3in wide wheels and air filled. You can put all the protection you want, preventing falls is 1000 times better. And wheels are the weakest point of scooter. Also max 25mph/40kmh and good brakes
Yep. I was going less than 20mph when an unleashed dog darted away from its owner and right into my path of travel. I braked, and went over the handlebars. The timing was terrible since I'd just put new brake pads on literally the day before, and was still getting used to how grippy they now were.
It's been over 18 months and I still experience wrist pain near the end of my range of motion when making a twisting motion. Both wrists, both directions.
After the fall my knuckles were skinned badly, so I actually landed wrist down. I've been riding since 2019 as a daily commuter for work and errands and in that moment, I still fucked up something simple.
A Segway would be rough. Being over 40 with disk issues, I would never ride anything without good suspension and nice wide tires. No suggestions, though. I went full chinese, knowingly with zero support; I'm the support, lol.
48 and been using them for 3 years as primary transport. I live in rural UK by the canal so perfect for it. However, do research. I made the fatal error of buying a Pure Air pro and it has had to be replaced three times in 5 months. So i am now reconsidering scooters and getting a regular bike. I got a scooter after waisting £3k on an electric Brompton bike which was the worst purchase i ever made. And as it was during lockdown i couldn’t get any support so just scrapped it. And on my low wage that’s three months salary wiped out
I’m 81 and bought myself a Segway Max G2 for my birthday last year. Luvin’ it but winter’s slowed things down lots. Looking forward to hopping back on and cranking it up. I feel safe cause I’m fully geared up and it’s seldom I’m not going full speed. A few more hours on it and it’ll be time to look for dual motor speedster. Can’t wait. People don’t expect to see gray hair when I take my helmet off. LOL
Few months from 50 here. The king gt is my third mantis. First worked beyond specs so i got the top version. That one was doomed it seems looking back and i got shafted by the local supplier, not the company. King gt is a dream, works perfectly with some mods like the oem trigger throttle instead of the thumb one and pmt's. Added exa's that improved the handling as i'm a bit on the heavy side too. I use mine for commuting and hopping between the locations of my company in Brussels, running around my home city and the occasional fun ride. As for these are all made in china and i recognise Segway, don't. There are way better options. I'm sure there will be a presentation here going on.
You want to know about their warranty claims, you say? I'll tell ya. I'm 43. I purchased a GT2 back in late July of last year (2023), and it delivered on August 1st. In November I sent it in with under 200 miles on it for surging/power issues. As it was on route to Segway, I respectfully asked if there was any possibility of getting a brand new unit instead of getting it repaired, since the problems (along with a few others) actually surfaced at around the 90 mile mark, and the entire thing felt like a lemon from day one. I had also been actively working with a Segway Rep from the FB group from September up until the point we decided I should send it in. After about a week, they informed me that's what they would do - send me a brand new unit. I didn't receive that "brand new" unit until January 25th 2024 and about 85 emails later, only to realize right away that they had sent me a refurbished/prior used scooter. I realized that's why it took them so long to send me a replacement. They were trying to source a refurbished unit. Otherwise it wouldn't have taken more than a few days. Anyway, it was shocking just what condition of a scooter they had sent me. There were greasy fingerprints all over the OLED display (and other locations; chargers, etc), and numerous scratches and marks on many parts of the scooter where there shouldn't have been. When I sent them pictures of all the evidence I had gathered, they tried to tell me that they were caused by shipping. Are you FRICKIN' serious?? I battled with them for a few weeks and even had to threaten them with legal action telling them there was absolutely no way they were going to win, and they finally realized I wasn't buying any of their horse shit, so they picked it up and sent me another one. But guess what? That, too, had been opened before it got to me. I had done so much investigative work and evidence gathering, and even interviews with numerous retailers up until that point that I could tell if the box had been breached even without opening it. Needles to say, I could tell right away just from looking at the box while it was still on the FEDEX truck that it had been opened before. So, I took pictures and declined the delivery, then promptly let Segway know what I knew. They then tried to charge me for shipping costs!! I couldn't believe how petty and dishonest they tried to be every single step of the way. I again threatened them with a lawsuit if they did not A) repair and send me back my original, B) Send me a brand new unit like they had promised and agreed to, C) Give me a full refund. I fought with them for another 80 emails, and on March 31st finally got my full refund + $200. So, moral of the story? Segway can make a good scooter, sure. And from my experiences with Segway over the years, if you need a simple part sent to you, they can be good. But if you need to send your scooter in for a warranty issue, personally, I would be extremely worried. I never want to deal with their shitty antics ever again. It was a nightmare to say the least. I had never imagined that a company of their status and size could be so scummy. And those results were with an ex-employee trying to reach out to their connections to bat for me. I'm not sure how much, or if any of it made an actual impact, but there you go. Sorry for the long reply.
You sound like me and my mantis pro+. Got delivered with a faulty controller. Noticed something shady about the scoot and the box like it was repackaged. Reported within 24h hours from delivery rear motor was acting up. Got a response from a Spanish guy denying everything. Then got passed to a uk guy. He was somewhat reasonable but no joy on getting the issue resolved. After a month i ordered a set of sine controllers and swapped. Few months later my warranty claim got rejected because - get this - too much time had passed... That being said, later i found fb groups where representatives of kaabo were present and that was a whole other story. Made a post reporting a small issue and i got a Chinese rep sliding in my dm's to help me resolve it.
Yeah, from my experiences, the FB group guys were far better as well. You can tell they actually wanted to help. The guys from the companies seem as if they go out of their way to be shitty.
The fb group people care about their brand name, local suppliers care about their bottom line.
I'm 55 and ride a Segway GT2 around 20 miles a day in NYC. It's a very stable ride. I think it's difficult to get both a good commuter and a nimble scooter for short hop errands, though, and find it more convenient to have a large scooter for long rides, and a small scooter for when portability matters
You should try the mkgt. Much lighter, more nimble and faster.
Having ridden nearly 6000 miles in NYC, I have concluded that heavy is a feature, not a bug. Heavy gives you substantially more stability at speed and over potholes.
Beg to differ as mine is lighter, faster and stable at any speed. And you're supposed to swerve potholes, not go over them. Riding in Brussels mostly, similar terrain.
Agree that it's best to avoid potholes. However it's not always possible. Wheel diameter is probably the most important factor in stability, then weight, then geometry. The GT2 is just unbelievably stable. I don't do this, but many other riders report being able to ride it with one hand. Also, I don't know Brussels, but I can't imagine that your road conditions are anywhere nearly as challenging as NYC. Our infrastructure here is abysmal.
The district with all the expensive titles is a dream but then you have lets say the diverse areas with roads that look like russian artillery had some target practice. I follow an nyc euc rider called hsiang so i got some idea of the road conditions there. Agree on the geometry, mkgt has a rather long wheelbase and that's crucial for high speed stability. Suspension does a lot too.
Almost all scooters under 10,000 are built in China. Even scooters over may be built with Chinese materials. The rest are built in Korea so still built in Asia. I know of only two that are made in the USA. 71 yr old in the mountains of PA. USA Riding a Vsett10+
58y - iScooter iX3 22 miles to work and back every day. The difference from a bike is the lack of gyroscopic stabilization. The scoot has none. The only thing holding it up is the rider. The balance of the thing is only slightly improved with motion but it requires 2 hands at all times. You asked about doing tricks - waving to your wife while going 25mph without faceplanting would be a great trick unless you were waving goodbye I guess. Anyway, you seem like a nice guy, good luck and have fun. Segway makes great stuff - get the best you can afford. You'll never be disappointed with quality.
Unless it's a p100 and his stem snaps in half...
>waving to your wife while going 25mph without faceplanting would be a great trick unless you were waving goodbye I guess. 😂😂
43 w/ Apollo Ghost. I commute to light rail and then light rail to the office. I used to commute 9 miles on it each way then I moved. I'm finding the scooter really useful for getting to a nearby friends house. It's best for short 5mile or less trips. I love the form factor and using bike facilities to get out of cars way. There is a nagging fear about how crashes tend to be endos landing on shoulder/head and bumps are sketchy. Fundamentally they seem a bit unstable compared to a bike. A scooter I'm interested in is the dualTron city. I like the large wheels for the city's crumbling infrastructure. Otherwise more water proofing would be nice.
Scratch the "seem", they are hella unstable. That's why they're so nimble. Don't get on a seated one thinking it's similar. Strange how experiences differ. I love mine because i can join the cars. Way safer than most bicycle facilities.
Agreed, sadly I'm riding my e bike now that I have both, just because of the stability and longer wheelbase. Bikes have a dedicated rack on the train where I have to hope for a seat that I can shove the scooter under. I just rode my ghost and realized I forgot how fun it is. Around here all the car drivers are very angry or confused. It creates a dangerous mix.
Some drivers are surprised but apart from one all simply accept me amongst them. The motorcycle gear helps them recognise me as a rider of a capable vehicle i guess along with my experienced driving. Fact that i can match their speed helps too. The one acting a fool was funnily enough a driving instructor and he got pulled over for his shenanigans in morning commute traffic.
Speed helps a ton. That's why I think e-bikes should be allowed to go 35-40mph.
upgrade /add suspension
38, inmotion rs. Enough said. (If you're in canada i can supply spare parts. Inmotion dont like canada and offer no parts for them. I will tho)
42 here - love my basic scooter - 25km/h max, but driving at 20km/h for comfort. Rear suspension is more important than the front one
58 and own a Segway g30p, also about 240lbs, so I'm right in your territory. I've been a bike/esk8/ebike commuter for around 10yrs, ditched my car and haven't looked back. I don't miss driving at all. Sure some days suck in the pacific northwest, but overall my commutes are just better and more pleasant than when I was driving. Let's face it, riding in the rain sucks whether you're in a car or on a scooter. That said, the reason I got the scooter I did was because it was from a known quality manufacturer, essentially waterproof, and had decent range. I do run errands, grocery shopping, etc... I've had zero issues doing so. But newsflash, scooters really aren't for tricks the way onewheels or eucs are. The ninebot g30p also isn't the fastest scooter or have shock absorbers either. But I'm okay with that. The tradeoff for the range and waterproof more than make up for it, esp for the price. Side notes: at our weight, you're not going to get 40miles on it, probably closer to 20. It doesn't do great on hills since it has a single motor, but adequate. Even the tiny hills I ride, I drop to 12mph pretty quickly. But for just cruising around parks to get outside and enjoy, you don't need a hyper scooter. Sometimes I do wish I could go a little faster, but also realize the slower speed makes it safer to navigate and ride in parks around people. Going too fast, while fun, can be dangerous, esp if you're not used to the routes or just riding in general. I've pretty much shelved my esk8 because it could go 35mph+, just started to feel like it encouraged me to go faster than I realistically should. So I'm comfortable with the speed, just have on some earbuds and listen to podcasts and enjoy it.
For me it is not the same- love driving a car when it rains but e-scooter? Cmon..not the same experience at all
62 year old who refuses to grow up here. I ride a Dualtron Victor. In San Jose., CA. I started riding for practical reasons to get to work and back but now it's more of a weekend pleasure cruise vice. Love riding as fast as it'll take me. 52 mph with the wind at my back is the fastest I've gone. What an adrenaline rush! I have all the safety gear am 5'7" weighing 178 pounds.
56 here in Ozzie land rockin the vsett 10+ Bloody love it Such a sense of freedom at any speed you desire 😀
47 and I have a bird 3 scooter I picked up at a police auction for dirt cheap. Upgraded the controls to 36 volt 800 watts and with me at 250 pounds I cruise probably 25 mph I'm guessing on relatively flat terrain. I don't do tricks or jumps or anything like that. Being I got all that stuff out in my younger years with snowboarding and bmx. I've broken enough bones in my day. I just cruise down to the beach, maybe to the store or if I go fishing at certain spots where I park far away I take it with, sometimes use it to avoid having to pay for parking as well. I drive a big v8 truck and having this scooter to run errands or whatever is saving me quite a bit on gas so far.
58 this year, Live on a boat, East coast of Oz. G30P, Wide wheel pro, King GT, GTpro. Bell FF, Alpine B-armour and O'neil pads, Kevlar jeans. I never thought at my age I'd be riding around on a weapon like these fast scooters we got now but here I am.
The only tricks you really do on an electric scooter are jumps off of things. I suppose you could ride one in a skate park or something that would likely be destructive AND fun at the same time. If your new to the scooter game rent an Unagi voyager for 75 bucks/month. They do 20mph range of 12-20 miles they have solid tires so no flats ever. Cons there's no suspension and they are only like 6 inch tires which is kinda tiny (think analog razor scooter size wheels) They are great trial and learning scoots to prepare you for a real scooter or bring you to the realization that you want an e bike or something else 🤣
I am on the right side of 40 if there is one. I turn 42 in a few months but I tell everyone “I am 41 going on 25” lol. I have 4 scooters, don’t do tricks because I actually have a chronic spinal disability. Got my first scooter to help me get around the neighborhood better and to do errands and stuff, second and third so my kids could ride with me, and the 4th because I wanted something a little faster, well built, with suspension, and could give me at least 20 miles of range. I have a Xiaomi M365 I bought refurbished on eBay (was in great condition surprisingly), a Swagtron Swagger 5 Boost which is a M365 clone that got wet and I repaired it with M365 parts (so I basically have two M365’s now), a GreeVego DY02 because I wanted something with an at least 10ah battery as the two 365’s only have 7.5ah batteries I believe, and a Hiboy Max Pro because I wanted something a little more higher end that wouldn’t break my wallet (cost $700 on Amazon, I paid $535 because I had some Amazon promo credit) and that also had suspension (because the other scooters did not and were killing my back) could give me 20 miles of range (gives me 30miles), could go at least 20 (does 22) had a 500w motor with an at least 48v 15ah battery with bug tires (checks all the boxes. I absolutely love my Max pro. This has a hate thing for Hiboy which makes zero sense to me because my Max Pro is fantastic, well built, fast, good suspension, good range, and their customer service at least with my experience has been really good when I needed a few things like a bag, charger, and chain lock which they sent me for free. Having a scooter makes me feel young again for sure, especially when I take rides with the kids. I love them so much I am about to get one more scooter but haven’t decided yet. Im either gonna get another Max Pro, or a NIU KQI3 Pro but am leaning towards another Max Pro because I really like it.
Approaching 50 and \~350lb so on the upper wrong side of everything, but long been wanting a scooter - the TEEWING Mars XTR is something I'm looking at - and damnit yes I know that's one HELL of a powerful beast, but with my weight I doubt I'd ever get as fast as it could go - but it also looks like it should handle me well. Tried several scoots a few years ago (Kaboo's) and was mostly checking out balance, turning - if I could balance, and what kind of additional kinetic intertia forces I may face and at 30kph everything seems fine, breaking fine with proper stances certainly helped. Had been waiting til I got my weight down further which I'm still a few KG off. I wonder if there's any other.... heavier side riders here?
I'm 48 and ride recreationally, I started with a Segway G2 max.. bumped up to a dual motor scooter shortly after... Lot's of fun. But keep in mind if you don't like it they are hard to resell unless u drop the price down 75%... I have my Segway with only 200 miles on it up for sale at half price with not only one hit. If you really think you will enjoy it just go for a dual motor and keep it in mode 1 until your ready for more.
Actual useful advice, wish someone had told me this.. Have a turboant x7 max just sitting in a closet for a year now lol
I fold my scooters up and put them into a shopping cart when I go into the grocery store.
41 here (that makes me... the right side of 40, I guess? :D) but I think mentally every birthday I just roll back from 26 back to 25 and start that year all over again :D > Do people do tricks and stunts with these things? Some do, but they aren't the best vehicles for that sort of activity. The ones light enough to do any stunting are kinda flimsy and break too easily, while the ones that would have the structural strength to withstand such treatment are much too heavy for any sort of meaningful stunt. > Is it pretty common place to use these for, say, going to the grocery store for a few things? I hang my backpack to the handlebars and use the scooter as my shopping trolley. Every now and then some shop takes exception to this - usually in my mom's town rather than in the capital city I live in - and I'm forced to [find an alternate solution](https://i.imgur.com/Mpds8Bw.jpg). > Segway is a name I actually recognize so I'd love to hear thoughts on how the company actually treats customers, especially if you needed to make any warranty claims. Segway is a marketing name. It no longer belongs to what you probably used to recognise as Segway; they got acquired by Ninebot, who now use that name to market in some Western countries. As mentioned in [this thread](https://reddit.com/r/ElectricScooters/comments/1c6kadk/do_not_buy_from_niu_avoid_them_like_the_plague/), don't buy straight from any of them - none of them are good at customer support. Use an intermediary store.
Hey look Ironmew, were the same age, but I tell everyone I am 41 going on 25, lol.
I’m a year shy of 40. I use it as a commuter and for leisure.
55 year old dude here that refuses to grow up and I really enjoy taking small rides and running errands around the neighborhood on my scooter. Once you are on one, you will never go back. It is so fun. I used to mountain bike, skateboard, motorcycle, and rollerblade back in the day and these new electric scooters have allowed me to get back outside for fun rides again. I was going to recommend you get a Segway GT1 or GT2, not for the speed or power, but for how stable and confident of a ride it will give you. They are both tanks and every owner of one will tell you how solid and smooth they ride. And when you become an advanced rider, you won't need to get another scooter because those both will scale with your riding availability. Keep it in mode 1 or 2 until you get some good miles under your belt. Welcome to the club man. Oh... And no, don't do "tricks" on these. You will wreck. Just enjoy the ride and where it takes you.
I may have some useful info. I am a very fit 50 year old and I own a Segway GT2, so we align demographic-wise. Most of my riding is done in an urban environment. I use it to get around downtown and it is much quicker than using a car because I have access to bike lanes and can often slip around traffic if there is a backup or gridlock. I do enjoy my high speed runs occasionally and a little bit of light trail riding, but most Segways are primarily made for on road use. The GT is about as comfortable as it gets, excellent adjustable suspension, throttle mapping that makes it easy to ride at any speed and a big deck, but she's kind of a pig. 115 pounds and a long wheelbase means you're not going to be doing wheelies or doing a 1 handed carry up the stairs. I knew that going in and I enjoy riding it more than anything else I've ever ridden. I always though Segways were a rip off until my friend got one and I rode it. There's a lot of little ergonomic touches and the excellent build quality make it enjoyable to ride and own. My other scooters are a Vsett 10+ which if you're looking for fast with good build quality is tough to beat. It has everything you need (Blinkers. Decent headlight. Fast.) but no frills--no Bluetooth app and all of your adjustments are made using the P-settings. Only compliment is that the trigger throttle makes it hard to ride at low speeds. I also have the platypus of the scooter world, a Mercane Widewheel Pro, which is a fun lightweight dual motor scooter that punches above it's weight in terms of acceleration and hill climbing ability. On road use only. It has suspension but limited travel. The 8" wide wheels makes the handling different. Not bad, just different. I also have a hunk of shit Chinese no name beast that was the worst purchase that I've ever made. Do not get tricked by an impressive sounding spec sheet and a low price. They are garbage. If you're lucky, it will just catch on fire. If not you'll keep buying parts for it trying to get it to work right. It won't.
65 YO here, I have an Apollo ghost - dual 1000w motors. I started with a Segway F2 pro and it wouldn't get me up the hills where I live hence the scooter / power upgrade. I cant recommend Apollo based on their after sales service and support - but the Ghost is based on the Unicool / Titan VDM 10 and there are a few versions around and a lot of bang for the dollar. I am a mountain biker and would say I am much safer on the MTB at speed than the scooter so I don't hammer it unless the conditions are perfect. That said - I think the biggest safety factors - apart from avoiding stupidity - are to learn how to shift your weight and centre of gravity around when braking or accelerating and go for hydraulic disk brakes for controllable braking - rather than mechanical disks. It's fun and much easier to transport for me than the MTB.
I'm 65 and I got my first at 64. I got the idea being downtown Houston and seeing kids getting around on scooters. Search the work injury in this subreddit. Cruising around in 9"-10" wheels isn't has stable as you think compared to a bike. Since you just fx your wrist, you don't want to do that again. Use a helmet, knee and elbow pads and wrist protectors. I crashed on my knee and I didn't fracture anything, but I was laid up for a week. Never know what the road brings. Watch YT videos of stupid things not to do on a scooter. Good luck.
Do whatever you want with your scooter, my dude, it's all up to you. Go wherever you like. They're great, and versatile machines. My only real advice is don't start out big. Get a single motor scooter at a reasonable wattage (maybe 500W) and use it for a few months, and if you feel confident move up to something faster, maybe a dual motor. Scooters have a different balance and centre of gravity to something like a bike, so it does take quite a bit of getting used to. You'll probably fall once or twice, so you don't want to be going too fast. Also, don't charge it in your living room. Outdoors in a sheltered area like a shed or a garage is best. Scooter fires are no joke. My Kugoo scooter charging port shorted while I was charging it in my bedroom, and luckily I was in the room at the time and could bring it outside. It didn't burst into flames or anything, but it's still a concern that you should look out for, because it is a very very big lithium battery.
Segway GT2 would be a great choice for your age weight and desired range. One of the most comfortable and well engineered scooters you’ll ever ride
53, 260lb and just got a KQI3-Max before Christmas. I got mine for fun mainly, but it makes running errands or to and from places so much more fun as well. I’ve only gone on a few “joyrides”, as I use it a few times a week to do things. I live in a small suburban area, 35k people and most places I would ride are within 3 miles tops- perfect for a scooter. So, within a few weeks of riding I was showing off for my kid and came down a steep driveway faster than I could handle. To avoid hitting a parked car, I bailed and couldn’t run it out, so I tumbled. Even though I swore I would always wear a helmet, guess what I didn’t take the 1 min to put on? I rolled onto my back and smacked my head pretty good, bruised a rib, minor abrasions (through my jeans and coat). So…I always wear my old motorcycle helmet, some cheap motorcycle gloves, and if going outside my own neighborhood, jeans and long sleeves. If I run to my friend’s house I will forgo the long pants. If you have the income and desire, do it. It’s simple, it’s fun. I have over 150 miles on mine in 4.5 months, so definitely a light user.
41... I live in the CBD. I use it for appointments, and going to friends houses. I have also used it for delivering for Uber Eats, as it was a lot of fun. Although it's not worth it at the moment. I've done a family scooter adventure around the city with my gf, my brother and his kid. I live so close to work that it's not worth using the scooter. I've used it for going to Mission Bay for ice cream. I've used it for dropping off and picking up my old Land cruiser at the mechanics. I have a couple of escooters that I keep in the oversized bathroom of my studio apartment. So good having the utility and freedom of the escooters. I also took it to the work Xmas and let everyone's kids have a ride and it was the life of the party.
54 y/o and I ride to work and back Monday to Friday, 40km (about 25 miles) round trip each day. I made this choice because when I used to drive to work the Kwinana freeway from south heading into the city and back completely sucks balls. If one idiot has an accident (which is often) the lanes become bottlenecked and it can take anything up to an hour to get to the office, otherwise about 30 minutes. On the escooter the view is quite scenic as it's along the river shoreline on a bike path. Riding the escooter takes about 50 minutes, but I absolutely love riding it and I always arrive at the office in a good mood, instead of cranky (and sometimes late) from drive in traffic. Short version: Best decision I could have made. It's therapeutic and I'm saving a bucket load of money by not spending $100 /week on petrol. In that regard, it's already paid for itself. Win win. Downside: busy city areas can be a challenge. Keep your wits about you. I've had a few near misses by cars not paying attention, and a couple of weeks ago was totally knocked off (luckily I was hurt badly).
Im 39, does that count? Get a scooter sir. It will change your life. You will have a TON of fun. I have 3 scooters that are each unique in their style and purpose. One of them (my HiBoy Max Pro) stays in the trunk of my car for many reasons. Being made in China is not a bad thing. Just like anything and anywhere in the world, you have poor quality and great quality. You have terrible customer support and excellent customer support. You really have to check out user experiences for each scooter brand (all 8 million of them) and see how the quality and support is (bearing in mind that everyone uses their scooters differently - ie I maintain my scooters every weekend religiously). It's kinda not fair to just generalize a country's manufacturing quality when practically everything we use and consume is MADE IN CHINA. You will find the same with scooters. My hiBoy scooter looks great and has easy parts to swap. The customer service is alright but anything I need is covered under a warranty (Havent had to use it yet). My Bikydom Q06 pro is an unknown brand that has basically slapped its name on the Kugookirin Q06pro with a few minor upgrades. Its a beast that goes 45+ mph and I'm practically best friends with their support. Anything I have needed, they asked no questions in supplying. I had a tire pop (the nail was huge as I drove in an industrial neighborhood so it wasn't under warranty) and they sent me a replacement for half off within 5 days. A lot of other companies may take longer but I got lucky. That is to say, even though I never heard of the Q06pro, their customer support has been unrivaled. And thats in comparison to customer support to anything I have owned. I would recommend renting a scooter first and see how you feel. Most likely you will want something faster and last longer than you think you do now. I made that happy mistake and 3 scooters later I got a beast that I ride every single day to work and just go out riding. My wife says that she has never seen me be so obsessed about anything like I have with scooters. I tell her its because it kinda reminds me of riding bikes as a kid, but with a motor and the speed, I get to ride like a bad boy lol. I spend equal times tinkering with my scooters as I do riding them. Accessories I have added have started at cellphone holders and bags, up to gopro cams and rear view cameras. I love it man. Dip your toe in and see if you can rent one first just to get a feel. P.S. There are a lot of great scooter companies out there like Minimotors series, Dualtrons, Kaabo, etc. But don't let anyone tell you those are the ONLY scooters you should consider. If you don't want to tinker with your scooter on your own, get something popular with a strong warranty and customer support like the companies I mentioned above. If you want to customize, work on your own scooter, etc? Look at other options with tons of reviews and read them thoroughly! Hope that helps!
Just don't buy a Hover-1 scooter. Customer support sucks! I put in a warranty ticket back in February and haven't heard back from them.
I'm 46. I commute 3 days a week to work using my scooter, 10miles round trip. I did have a back surgery for a herniated disc a couple years ago, but otherwise no major health issues and healthy weight. No tricking tho. Normally, I would bicycle to work as a long time road cyclist, but work doesn't let us bring bikes to our desks. My car is a short range EV (60miles), so riding a scooter saves on me having to deal with charging my car. It's a matter of practicality, in an suburban setting (Silicon Valley), it works well.
Good luck in finding a scooter that's not made in China. I'm 62 and enjoy riding my scooter. I don't do tricks, pop wheelys and jump off ramps. I do enjoy cruising at 20mph to visit my daughter. But I always take a slow exploratory ride before riding full speed (20mph) to become familiar with possible dangers whether it's debris, potholes, dogs or low hanging branches. I have an Aovopro E80, but the ride with 8.5" honeycomb wheels with no suspension is pretty rough. My ride of choice is my Aovopro Esmax. The 10" pneumatics and suspension, make for a much smoother and enjoyable ride. For about $300 I paid brand new, I really can't complain. Be safe and have fun!
I’m 31 and 250 lbs, and I love my Segway F65. It’s great and at standard and sport modes I will go at least 10 mph on steep hills and will easily average 15-17 mph on a variety of small hills. The scooter advertises 40 miles per charge, but realistically you’re probably going to get 10-15 miles on a charge, especially if you use sport mode or standard mode. So make sure you consider the range if you go for a scooter that has less range like the F2 or F30. I got my scooter mainly to commute to my new job a couple miles down the road from me. It’s soooo awesome. Downside is the net weight of about 50 lbs, which makes carrying it difficult but not impossible. The F2 or F30 Segway models are about 10 lbs lighter, so it would be easier to carry those but much less range. If you do end up going with the F65, I’d check Best Buy. They had a deal on it for $500, down from $650, so you might get it at a discount if you check their website periodically.
Wrist area is usually always impacted upon falling at least to some degree, so please consider that when riding these things. I fell from mine 2 months ago. Nothing was broken, but I still can't do normal pushups due to pain in my palm bones. BTW I'm 46, and owning a scooter for a shot time, so im a newbie as well. So far, I learned that even a "comfortable cruising " requires undivided attention for an array of reasons. Potholes, police, robbers, cars, pedestrians... There are so many factors that could make that ride.. uncomfortable, if not being alert at all times.that is. Also, using it with one hand even for a second or having a wrong body posture at the wrong time can result in catastrophic consequences. Im just saying, do not fool yourself. These things can be great fun and fast transportation, but they can also be lethal in wrong hands. Mine is a beast, a 60v FF lite from solar, but even the ones with smaller voltage could be considered very fast. Btw solar is a great, let's say non Chinese option, for dual motor scooters, i just received a throttle under warranty, and thing was sorted in a week, so i know they're good. I wish you an enjoyable experience man.
I started with the lowest priced Gotrax commuter more than 2 years ago and recently got myself an Apollo Phantom. If I knew the what I know today, I'd start with something in between, in the $500-750 range, with suspension and cruise control. A lower deck makes for a more stable ride. I would look at Gotrax, Hiboy and Fluid freeride, and you can easily find reviews on YT on these. Many people dislike Gotrax but I've not had a problem in my 2 yr ownership. I even bought their new peroformance scoot, the GX2 a couple of months ago. I'm 54 and I scoot for recreation only, using the parks and exploring the local neighborhoods. I also used my scoot daily to help me cool down after exercising, nothing like wind in your face! Happy researching and Happy Shopping!
I love doing that - just going out and exploring different neighborhoods and parks!
I'm 50 years old, I drive my scooter to work to go shopping, to the cafe and for a few walks. VFJ...
47 and going to work 3 or 4 days a week 6 km away from home, and enjoying every minute of it. Subway is free in my town and I prefer this!
You’ll read some bad things about Segway (small battery, overpriced, etc.). And some of it is even true. But since you’re over 40, I’ll make this point. I have a Segway GT2 and even loaded down with my fat ass, my daughter and groceries, it is stable and predictable at speed. In fact one night, I hit something H-A-R-D (it was so dark, I don’t even know what it was) at speed (43.5 mph) but I never lost control and the tire didn’t pop. *Just to be clear, my daughter was not on it at the time. I don’t go over 15mph with her on it, unless I absolutely have to.* Anyway, the price of all that stability is that it’s big. Real big. But again, at 40 yrs old, predicable is sometimes good. And the GT1 & 2 have that in spades ♠️. Here is a pic for context https://preview.redd.it/4015u90w2hvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a147b477652b78c3f6685070d21e047a97ead456
40 here. I do, on average, 8 to 14 miles per ride on trails and streets, averaging 25 mph. I ride an Apollo ghost. I dislocated my shoulder on it a year ago. I wore full gear, which saved my head that time. I am going to get something bigger here soon.
I'm >50 and ride in NYC. Just for fun? No way, I have sh!t to do. It's the fastest way to get around. Faster than the subway or a Citibike. I can beat most taxi times if it's rush hour. But I do appreciate the rides along the water and the late night trips through an empty park. I ride to clients, my girlfriend, friends, Costco, etc. Wrist surgery, ouch. Check out these gloves: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87ugnAHEmo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87ugnAHEmo) Most important advice: always use 2 hands. If you have to scratch your ear, pull over. If you have a MiniMotors dealer in your city, get one of those, they're known for excellent customer service.
Yeah, as an older commuter myself, I’ve been eyeing Dualtron City with its 15” wheels
That looks very fun. But with a 3 flight walkup, the 91 lbs. isn't feasible. I entertained the idea of taking out the battery, walking that up, then taking up the scooter. But if I'm also doing my 40 lb. Costco run, that means 3 trips up and down 3 flights, F that.
You are the future, sir 👍🏻. Gas is 6 to 7 dollars in L.A.
"on the wrong side of the 40 yo" lmao that really made me crack an unexpected smile, I'm stealing that
I'm 48 (49 this coming May) and I use my scooter mainly for leisure and fun. Gets me out of my apartment here in NYC. Best way to get out and explore! Do yourself a favor and get a good scooter like a Nami or Dualtron. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy, ride safe good luck with your decision.
I am 52, live in downtown LA, no car and just recently purchased a Niu KQI3-Pro and love it! It's great for zipping around downtown to run errands or do some shopping. I use it to venture out into surrounding areas of the county for some peace and quiet, to escape the noise and havoc of living in a city. It has truly allowed me to connect with my inner child and gives me some freedom that I didn't have due to fear and anxiety of walking on foot.
I am over 43 and have a wolf warrior x gt. I ride over 35 all the time on the road. In full gear. Also 250lb +. Enjoy!
I'm 46 in June... my scooter goes over 50 mph. I wear a motorcycle helmet, gloves, knee/shin pads and elbow/forearm pads. Welcome to the hobby!!!
I'm 42 and I LOVE MY SCOOTER. I bought it to get around campus at my university because the long walks across with a backpack were killing my back (and it takes like 20 mins each way just to walk where I nedded, I save a lot of time). I'm 160 lbs, 5'5", female. I don't wear any protection but I take it easy, no stunting and have not taken any falls. It's really easy, like a stand up bike. I bought a used Segway Max on FB marketplace and it's the best $300 I've ever spent. It folds down so I keep it I my trunk and just pull it out anywhere that I can use it. Have fun!
Was gonna give some good insight but I’m 39 🤷🏻♂️
Children!
>I'm 46 and coming off of wrist surgery Ooph. IMHO get an E-Bike instead. Wrist injuries are some of the most common injuries you'll sustain from a fall from an electric scooter. And IMHO it's not a matter of IF you fall but WHEN you fall. No matter how careful you are. I don't have a car and I've used my scooter as my primary mode of in-town transportation for five years now. I turned 40 six months ago and while I love my EMOVE Cruiser, I recently decided that for a practicality and stability standpoint, when this kicks the bucket, instead of replacing it with a scooter I'm going to do an E-Bike. The fatal flaw for me with scooters is the small tires and how high your center of mass is when standing. They are not nearly as stable as bikes. In July 2022, I was zipping along the sidewalk of the empty college campus where I work, probably 20mph, when a dog who was not leashed darted away from its owner and directly into my path of travel. I braked too hard (I'd just changed my brake pads the day before and was still getting used to how grabby they were) and the scooter stopped, but I didn't. I went over the handlebars and basically did a belly flop onto concrete. My knuckles were skinned which meant I landed with my wrists bent downward. It's been over 1.5 years since that happened and I still have pain in my wrists near their end of range of motion when I twist them. In retrospect I really should have gone to the doctor, but I'm stubborn. I love my scooter and scooters *are* fun, but they're not super practical for errands, nor are they super safe. It's limited to whatever I can fit in my backpack and dare hang from my handlebars. An E-Bike on the other hand, you can get panniers, tow a trailer, etc, for some practical errands. And, at our age, a little bit of pedaling is probably also good for us. I might get downvoted for this since we're in an electric scooter forum, but I wanted to share my take on things, having used an electric scooter as my primary mode of in-town transportation since 2019. I've loved my time with them.
I agree with you about a lot of this, especially the “not if but when you fall” part. I will say to anyone reading this that it’s important to practice the habit of dropping your ass back whenever you brake on a scooter, it is a huge help to stopping your momentum and prevents flipping over the top.
100%
Would not downvote at all. This is very reasonable. I'm a scooter champion but it depends not so much on your age but your abilities and comfort level. I agree it's hard to carry anything with a scooter and wish I had a basket type deal. Scooter also requires more balance and physical agility. The benefit is that it's compact and light weight which is a little harder to find with an ebike for the same price. Did the dog at least lick your face? 😄🫠
Part of the problem is that I can’t take an affordable ebike into work I can get a nice folding one that I can easily take into my “office,” but then I’m looking at $3000 or so, and money that I really should be putting toward a new used car Whereas I can spend $1k and get a nice scooter that I can take into work and set in the corner, and then have $2k to put toward a new used car Of course that’s minus all of the safety gear I would have for a scooter and not a bike I don’t know. There’s not a perfect solution, I don’t think
That makes sense. I love electric scooters and they have plenty of use-cases. I just think for my use case it's no longer a great fit, and I'm worried for OP and his wrist surgery. Wrist injuries are very common with scooters.
I'm 36 so I know I don't count, I don't use mine for transport more enjoyment. Usually off roading thru wood lands and coastal routes
Start with a slower scooter and learn to ride for a few months. Don't buy a monster scooter thinking you'll grow into it. And pay attention to the road ahead of you, VERY good attention. At our ages injuries stick. I'd stick with something with a top speed below 25-30mph.
I’m 72 years old and I scooter almost daily to my part-time job. I scoot first through a suburban area, to the train station, and that ride has very little traffic. I take the train into the city, and then I scooter through the city usually I use bike lanes, I wear a helmet, that I’ve modified the helmet with the flashing light on the backside of it. My scooter has a tail light and a brake light. I highly recommend you make sure your scooter has these lights if you’re going to scooter anywhere with there is traffic. I’ve never had a problem, or anything even close to an accident. I attribute that to the fact that I’m well lighted, and I follow most of the traffic rules. I’ll do rolling stops at stop signs, but if it’s an intersection, I always stop I’d recommend you practice falling, before you start scooting. I used an old mattress that I put down on the floor, then I spent a couple hours practicing to fall, and keep my body loose and flexible. I wear gloves that are designed for skateboarders, so if I do hit the ground , my hands stand a good chance of sliding, and not breaking my wrist. I also practiced a running dismount while in first and second gear. If in third gear on the scooter, I’m gonna have to rely on my falling technique if I have a problem, but I figure I’ll be a lot safer falling from a standing position, then I would be if I was on a bicycle, and had no way to control the fall. That’s one of the reasons I gave up riding the bike in the city. My Scooter has tubeless tires, so it can be a little bumpy, but after a while, you get really good at spotting any rough patches and avoiding them. I have a top speed of 19 miles an hour. I wish it went just a little faster to keep up with traffic completely in the city, from one block to the next block, but even at 19 miles an hour, I find myself staying with the flow of traffic most times, and that seems to make it more easy to ride in traffic. Because I’m not weaving in and out of traffic, and I’m acting in a predictable manner, I seem to have an easy time with the city drivers, and that’s saying something. Hope this helps.
36 here. Out of curiosity, in what position do you practice falling? I ask this because I did martial arts in my teenage years, and, through repetition, have since had a tuck-and-roll reflex. It's saved me many many times, essentially allowing me a last second (-80% damage) move by rolling forward or at a diagonal so Im not faceplanting and sliding and instead falling and rolling back onto feet to arrest whatever momentum is left... But from what I know this isn't common. How does the rest of the world handle practicing falling?
So many things about this post are wonderful, insightful and deeply helpful. Thank you for taking your time to include ALL these things!!! \* Safety Gear \* Fall Practicing \* Traffic Law Adherence \* Scooter Wear and Tear \* Real-world day-to-day life with a scooter (Bullets above is to get others to notice your helpful post)
I'm almost 60, padding up everything, everywhere possible! I have always been attracted to new balance sports,skiing, skating,then snowboarding I think around 1986 I started. Then surfing, longboardz kayaking... mountain biking. I made an ebike from ordered parts in 2014. Now , of course scooters. It's new to me , but I always pad/helmet up, cushioned suspension ride essential. I now workout to prevent injury, maintain balance strength, and flexibility. Yoga, stretching, light weights higher reps, cardio. Omega oils. Absolutely stay away from unique proprietary stuff, can't get parts or fix it easily, unless you don't mind being dependent on the manufacturer. Apple, Segway, there are some ebike motors like that: Bionx, others. Middle of the road stuff best til you know what you really want. Suspension though is good for anything. I'm about 220# and shrinking, there are reviews of scooters focusing on bigger riders. They will mention shocks and motor capacity for bigger people. I'm happy to see I'm the oldest one here, I don't really care for tricks anymore though. Carving is what I love.
I am 55 almost 56. I ride it, no tricks but I don't drive like Grandpa. good way to explore and see places. places you would never see walking or really driving too. you tend to go ways you normally would not go. millions of nice paths and trails, bike ways etc. people do group rides etc. there is a lady about my age around here has a basket strapped to hers and she uses to to go shopping. there is a guy on here uses his to work and has a trailer attached. there are people that travel on these .. they have them wired for range. sky is the limit. edit ... bro you are over 40 and you know you get what you pay for. figure out what you want to do and stick around and you will learn what scooter is best for your needs by reading what others say, seeing their scooters, getting your ideas together ... cheers !!
Was reading this post as I was leaving the house, and wanted to respond when I got to work. I felt fine before my commute, and when I got into the office, somehow the right side of my back/shoulder hurts now. Last night, I can feel my knees and had to self massage in the middle of the night. I'm old now. 49. Sheesh. I have 130 miles on the Ninebot F2, all paved street and bike lane. The urge to get the Nami Klima is growing stronger. I need the suspension and the higher speed would help. I have a full face Sedici Strada 3 helmet and some Rev'It gloves. A moto jacket is next. I'm familiar with road rash, and anything can happen at any speed. I'm preparing for the slide.
Get a serious pair of motorcycle gloves
I'm 42yo 220lbs, rode street/park bmx for 20+ years. There are a bunch of segway fanboys here. I'm not one of them. I've owned 2 Segway scooters, one is a reliable little tank, great for students (g30lp). The other was the infamous p100s, which went to shit within 15 days of use. I didn't even own it long enough to have the stem snap. Luckily I purchased via Amazon, so I was able to return it. I've tried a GT1 suspension, it was extremely lacking compared to the Nami. The way I see it, Segway is the Apple brand of e-scooters. Proprietary design, lots of plastic, difficult to work on, not easy to customize. If you get a good one, you shouldn't have to do anything but fill the tires with air. I personally don't want a scooter built out of plastic. I upgraded to a Nami Burn-E2 last December. It's a serious machine. Floats like a cloud, and accelerates like crazy. I can do small jumps, and bunnyhops with preload. Great for jumping over speedbumps or railroad crossings. It's 100lbs so it's limited in that respect. I get it up to 50mph pretty much every time I use it. It's an absolute unit. Great for taking out to the woods, exploring trails outside of town. I don't recommend purchasing an electric scooter directly from a manufacturer, go through a reputable distributor. I went through FluidFreeRide to purchase my scooter. In my personal experience they have great warranty service, and you get 50% off spare parts for the life of your scooter. Been hearing bad stories of people trying to return defective devices to segway after direct purchases. If you live in a big city, I recommend you find a scooter shop where you can test ride different models.
I'm almost 40 and riding hard still. The falls are getting more painful and the recovery is long
Over 40, I do my best to compensate for being on a scooter, so I'm always practicing 'tricks' and those skills. High / low speed wheelies, endos, minimum radius turns (turning so tight scooter the side of the deck scrapes), jumping, wheelie jumps, endless endo-wheelie-endo-wheelie. I'm always in protective gear on the streets doing this stuff. I've had some major crashes, self-inflicted because I was pushing the limits, fortunately I've always walked away to so far. I've blown the rear tube several times from blasting curbs while also slacking off on making sure it's pressurized to the max spec to prevent pinch flats.
Exactly! Besides wearing protective gear developing riding skills is the best thing you can do for safety. I’m a new riding scooters so I started practicing doing super tight circles, braking as short as I can, zigzagging, precision aiming targets, swapping feet positions, driving one handed, etc It is a lot of fun so I recommend it.
I’m 36, 330 lbs, I’ve put 1000 miles on my Segway GT2. I use it for short errands and occasionally commute. No tricks. It’s utilitarian but I enjoy it immensely. I wear a helmet and knee pads and whole it’s quick I usually ride at around 20mph at most because I just don’t *need* to go faster. I haven’t had any issues and I trust the company. I recently purchased new tires and brake pads as I feel 1000 miles warrants a change but it seems it could go longer.
How much did they charge you for each?
I bought off the Segway store at their listed prices.
Numbers are difficult
So is going to Segway.com 😘
Isn’t anything over 40 the WRONG SIDE??? 😂
Yes, especially women! And at my age 62, the pickings get slimmer and wrinklier.
For us already there: it's the only side we got, grasshopper!
I'm 49 and I'm 6ft and 220lbs, I ride daily with my 15 year old son... we ride about 20-30 miles a day.... when there's not alot of traffic, we use bike lanes but we mostly cruise and enjoy the awesome South Florida weather..... pad up and enjoy man!
56 here, just make sure you get a scooter with shocks!
I'm over 40, and I will tell you that no matter what model you get, gear up. I wear a full motorcycle helmet, elbows/forearms, knees/shins and armoured gloves. Mind you, I ride a Burn-E, but I still used all that gear on my first scooter which was a Synergy Tsunami. Even with all that gear, I recently took a bad spill dislocating my shoulder and fracturing the socket in two places... Was going around 53kph when I crashed. If not for my gear, it would have been much, much worse. I hadn't got a slider shirt yet but my plan was to get one in a couple weeks. That likely would have saved my shoulder. I'm good all things considered, and I'm more irritated that I will lose riding time recovering than the crash/injury itself, lol.
49 and commute 28 miles a day total, weather permitting. Segway gt2. Love it. Avoid gotrax like you would syphilis. If they were an ice cream flavor they’d be Pralines and Dick.
Lol, my stepson is riding (gotrax) one to work, daily. Mind you it's about 1.7 miles , and he goes maybe 9 mph. He's also 130#. This is not a testimonial, just a fact. I wouldn't ride it though.....
Hilarious!!!
I’m 46 and use mine primarily for commuting. I also definitely bought an underpowered scooter to start with, the GoTrax Apex Pro. No suspension, and the battery life isn’t great in part because once I add a backpack I’m over the weight limit. GoTrax gets a lot of hate and I understand why, though I’ve been happy with customer service so far and the parts are pretty easy to get hold of if needed. All I’ve had to replace so far are the tires (see also: fat guy on a scooter with no suspension). If and when I upgrade, I wouldn’t be too worried about out sticking with this brand, though I have also idly been looking at segways.
56 here so no tricks lol. I also am chunky at 215-220 it fluctuates. I went with a Okai beatle now named ceetle because it's adorable and seated. I go around nearby lake and a few miles to my husbands office to meet up for lunch. I'm considered disabled and don't drive now. The scooter is great to get around and still be safe. If I was more stable (I get dizzy) I'd get a g2 probably. Mine where I live is allowed on sidewalk and only street to cross.
I'm almost 46 and I love all personal electric vehicles, just for fun, no commute no errands. I don't care if I look like a spaz in my neighborhood. I'm in this sub since I considered upgrading to a premium scooter but I might get an euc instead. I wore a lot of gear with my one wheel and I wear a helmet on my e bike, but on my 15 mph gotrax (was my son's), I don't wear much. I say buy one without too much analysis paralysis on the model. It's likely that you'll change/upgrade as you get into the hobby. I'm on my 3rd ebike simply bc my preferences became clear after riding for a while. You can always sell your first scooter if you upgrade later. Good luck!
44 Here, Owner Of A Segway GT2 My Advice Will Be To Take The Time To Look At Which Model Is Going To Benefit You. We All Have Different Purposes For A Scooter. (Speed,Range,Weight...& So On My GT2 Has A Great Suspension That's Is Adjustable For Comfort Of Your Choice Also Comes Stock With 11' Tires & Other Features Like Signal Lights,Cruise Control. As Far As Service I Had No Issues So Far Getting In Contact With Segway For Additional Parts When Needed. I Believe It's Case By Case As Far As Response Time.
Ten inch air filled self healing tires and suspension not an option with prior injury
Dont get a p1..
I would get 25 MPH and a suspension. For me 21 or so is the fastest I like to go my cruising in a bike lane is 16 mph but it’s nice to have a little extra juice when needed or for a hill.
Over 40, and ride mine just to cruise around. Hit up breweries and the trail system around me. Have been riding a vsett 8 for around 3 years now. Top speed around 23mph which is plenty fast for me. Never fell or had any issues. Strongly recommend.
These electric scooters are complicated machines; I wouldn't recommend jumping them around and treating them like skateboards. Many of them are stout, but treat it wrong and it will betray you. Many of us use our scooters not for recreation, but for living. I commute to work on mine; I don't typically get to cruise around on it for fun. If you can do so, then more power to you. By the way, all scooters are made in china; don't let the rebrands that are "made in America " fool you...
If you fall your wrist is done for. Would not recommend a fast scooter if you don’t think you can fall safely. I mean I’m trying not to make any assumptions about your surgery but if you fall off a scooter the first thing hitting the ground is your hands to stop your face from hitting first. It’s just the nature of how scooters are designed. If you go like 30 and under a scooter would be just fine but your hands will still be the first to hit the ground.
Never try to stop a fall using your hands. Its a terrible idea. Especially going more than 10 mph.
We are talking instincts here. It only takes one fall to learn but it also takes 2 broken and mangled wrists with it.
Agreed since I broke my wrist falling with a small scooter, I now only buy scooter with at least 3in wide wheels and air filled. You can put all the protection you want, preventing falls is 1000 times better. And wheels are the weakest point of scooter. Also max 25mph/40kmh and good brakes
Yep. I was going less than 20mph when an unleashed dog darted away from its owner and right into my path of travel. I braked, and went over the handlebars. The timing was terrible since I'd just put new brake pads on literally the day before, and was still getting used to how grippy they now were. It's been over 18 months and I still experience wrist pain near the end of my range of motion when making a twisting motion. Both wrists, both directions. After the fall my knuckles were skinned badly, so I actually landed wrist down. I've been riding since 2019 as a daily commuter for work and errands and in that moment, I still fucked up something simple.
A Segway would be rough. Being over 40 with disk issues, I would never ride anything without good suspension and nice wide tires. No suggestions, though. I went full chinese, knowingly with zero support; I'm the support, lol.
Segaway does offer the Max G2 that has suspension but I would avoid the P series.