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The Rise of the Electric Scooter

blog.codinghorror.com

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Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#211

Post by rhizome »

ProfessorLayton wrote: post #164
afterburner wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Some people say walk, but it's too slow and a 1/2 mile "walk" section on a complicated transport route would be impractical on foot. Wait, are you being serious? That's less than a 10 minute walk, and you probably need the exercise anyways... And SF has fantastic walking weather compared to most of the world.

Right, but that .5mi "10 minute walk" tuns into 20 minutes both ways, adding tons of time (as a % of commute) to the door-to-door travel times.

If you need to shave 20 specific minutes off your daily activities, I suggest finding a new job.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#212

Post by derefr »

Symbiote wrote: post #190
eldenbishop wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This exactly: bikes require planning and strategy and are not good for improvisational day-to-day things like you described. Bikes make walking easier but all other forms of travel like bus, train or taxi/uber/cars more difficult or impossible.

In Copenhagen it's often the opposite: the rest of the group came by bike, they're within 20m of the current bar, the person on foot will have to turn up later. Or we all walk. (Also, the suburban trains and taxis carry bikes for free.)

> Also, the suburban trains and taxis carry bikes for free.

Sure, but how many will fit on one train/taxi? Here in Vancouver we have two bike-slots per bus and ~4 per train (which is actually just general accessibility-device space, for e.g. powered-wheelchairs, and is almost always taken already.)

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#213

Post by mikestew »

realdlee wrote: post #197
mikestew wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Depends on the scooter. On the Xiaomi in question, yes, I've found it to be problematic. The solution is the Masterlock handcuff lock. One end around the tube between deck and bars, the other end around a post. The Boosted Rev I have now has exposed frame rails so you can use your favorite bike lock.

how do you like the Rev?

The only disappointment is the range. If I hammer it in "ludicrous mode" on the eight mile ride to work, with at least one significant hill, I arrive at work at 10% remaining. OTOH, toning it down a bit could just about get me round trip. If I lived somewhere flat (I'm in the Seattle area) I'd come a lot closer to advertised. Hills kill my Leaf's range, too. I just keep a spare charger at work, and don't worry about it.

As for the rest, it's an iPhone/Pixel compared to the 2nd-tier-Android-like Xiamois. It's over-provisioned as far as motors, so whereas a Xiamoi is barely moving at its rated 14% grade, the Boosted is still pulling. The Boosted could easily exceed its 24mph limitation, so I assume that's a legal limitation. It's nice not to run at redline all the time like I do with the Xiaomi. Regen brakes are amazing. I rarely use the mechanical brake because the Boosted's regen will pull you down to a dead stop. In contrast, the Xiaomi's regen braking will haul you down if you're not in a hurry to stop, and you'll still need the disk brake for those last few feet.

In summary, if you plan to use a scooter as a vehicle, the Boosted is worth it. Not so much if you just want to go down the trail with your kids on the weekend. For that, or other occasional use, the Xiaomi is a bargain.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#214

Post by derefr »

DanBC wrote: post #178
ProfessorLayton wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, but that .5mi "10 minute walk" tuns into 20 minutes both ways, adding tons of time (as a % of commute) to the door-to-door travel times.

That's not wasted time though, is it? It's a chance for a bit of exercise, a bit of shopping, to see your local communities.

I live in a nice part of town; I work in a nice part of town; but the straight-line walking connection I have to make in the middle is in the bad part of town. I'd rather not.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#215

Post by mips_avatar »

Steltek wrote: post #62
mips_avatar wrote: post #39

I recently bought a Boosted rev and have been using it for my 1.8 miles commute. I strongly disagree with the author's 15mph limit. I think 25 mph is a more reasonable limit, otherwise you have cars aggressively trying to pass you on roads. At 24 mph (my scooters max speed), the cars on my commute (25mph speed limit), still try to pass me sometimes but it's a lot safer.

Or maybe cars should obey the speed limit, pass at a safe and reasonable distance, and not road rage at people? I mean, why does every new alternative travel mode need to work around the unacceptable and lawless US driver behavior? That all said, 25mph on scooter wheels sounds terrifying. I've seen some escooters with tiny adorable disc brakes. What's your stopping distance at that speed?

Drivers will pass if you’re going slow, and some of them will do it dangerously so faster scooters are a safe move. I can stop as fast as the cars do.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#216

Post by eldenbishop »

umvi wrote: post #176
eldenbishop wrote: post #38

I rode a non-electric kick scooter (Xootr) for three years working in downtown SF. It is by far the best form of transitional transport there is and superior to bikes for 99% of actual real world travel. It was easily 4-5 times faster than walking and more importantly suddenly made the entire city open due to how insanely efficient it was for "glueing" together various forms of public transport. I could hop from tran…

> It was easily 4-5 times faster than walking I can walk a mile in 20 minutes which is 3 mph. This implies these scooters can maintain 12-15 mph? Am I just underestimating how fast you can get going on these things? That seems kind of fast unless you are going downhill both ways.

Your right. Electrics can do that kind of speed but I was on a kick scooter and probably in more of a 3-4 x range and probably averaged 9mph after lights, pedestrians and the like are taken into account.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#217

Post by reneherse »

chdhchd wrote: post #192
reneherse wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For people who are REALLY into bikes, a "rinko bike" helps with this. For general use however, I'm convinced about using a scooter as described above by the GGP.

Have you done much travel with a rinko-style dismantled bike in the US? I'm curious how trains and buses feel about the (still big and unwieldy) bag.

I haven't personally, but there was recently a discussion of that very topic on the i-bob list.

[1] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/internet-bob/bWwsR-J...

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#218

Post by eldenbishop »

mikepurvis wrote: post #113
abakker wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

rejoinder to the helmet point: if the speed is the same, and the places traveled are the same, the need for the helmet is the same.

I commute on a Boosted Board and after three summers of doing so, I'm a very confident rider of it. But I wouldn't ever dream of going without a helmet, even for short trips around the neighbourhood.

I rode a skateboard every day for 8 years, from high school through college and thought helmets where stupid. I got a Boosted board last year and after one ride bought my first helmet. Would never use it without one now.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#219

Post by WillPostForFood »

com2kid wrote: post #87

I am amused this is still a topic of discussion in America. Visit China sometime, electric motor scooters (larger than the kids versions we have here[1]) and motorbikes are everywhere, the large majority of small vehicles on the road there are now electric. It is super nice, the streets are far cleaner and quieter than just a few years ago. One huge benefit China has is an existing infrastructure for smaller vehicles…

the large majority of small vehicles on the road there are now electric.

Maybe in some parts of China like Shenzhen that are mandating it, but gas powered cars are still outselling electric cars 25 to 1 in China, so it will be a long time before electric cars make up a majority.

Re: The Rise of the Electric Scooter

#220

Post by e40 »

molodec wrote: post #180

Ok, I understand that there is a lot of benefits to electric scooters. They are fun, convenient, and allow to navigate quickly, and great for the environment, or at least better than cars. Why not driving regular bicycles? Obesity is a growing problem, because people don't exercise enough. Mechanical bicycle is a great low impact activity for modern life. Also, bicycles aren't generally allowed on a sidewalk, but I h…

The author of the article, who is by the way the indoor enthusiasts, feels that scooters shouldn't be disallowed on the sidewalks.

Pedestrians do not have lanes. Pedestrians are unpredictable. Pedestrians often step around things, like dogshit.

I cannot count on my hands and toes the number of times someone > 150 LBS has whipped around me on the sidewalk.

The damage they can do, should they collide with me, is great. The max is death. People fall in the bathtub and die all the time, from head injuries.

This idea that scooters can coexist with pedestrians is BS and needs to die.

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