Making The KickPed Adult Kick Scooter

Posted on February 22, 2012 by bert

Goped sent us this cool video of our new KickPed scooters going into production. Check it out:

Result: A solid KickPed kick scooter frame

Result: A solid KickPed kick scooter frame

It’s pretty cool how the automated process, especially that first machine that bends the tubing. I love watching manufacturing videos and seeing how things are made. Imagine the programming that went into creating that machine that bends tubing for our kick scooter frame to exact specifications perfectly every time.

It’s also fun to see where our KickPed came from. It’s easy to pick up a solid adult kick scooter and take it for granted, but when you see what goes into making it you get a whole different perspective and a richer insight into the quality of the product.

If you want super high quality workmanship and a scooter that will last a life time order your own KickPed kick scooter.

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Kick scooting in Miami Beach, Florida

Posted on October 20, 2011 by bert

Kick scooting and sightseeing in South Pointe Park at Miami Beach, Florida

If you don’t stay at one of Miami Beach’s hotels near Lummus Park, you’ll need to drive into the area and secure a parking place before they are difficult to find. To do that, we arrived at a large public lot just north of South Pointe Park at 10AM. By 10:30AM, it was packed.

Miami Beach sidewalk with CityKickerThis location gave my husband, Phil, and me a wonderful starting point for exploring all things Miami Beach on our Xootr and KickPed. The area is lined with palm trees, has flat, smooth sidewalks and features plenty to see, making it a perfect place to explore. A simple round trip is just under a mile.

The far southern edge of South Pointe Park borders The Government Cut and Biscayne Bay. The Government Cut is a channel that makes way for the largest cruise ships in the industry and this edge of the park provides plenty of places to sit and enjoy boating traffic. It is also the location of a gracious Smith & Wollensky steak house. Even if you don't want to dine, stop in for drinks on its ground floor patio or terrace. Kick scooters tuck under its tables quite nicely.

To view the very first entrance to Miami Beach's soft, sandy beach, kick scoot to the southeastern point of the park. Here, you'll find that beach is similar to what you might see along the Atlantic coast of New Jersey and Long Island. What makes this area stand out is that it feels more natural than the portion of the beach that runs along Lummus Park and bathers get to enjoy the exciting sights related to passing, gigantic cruise ships.

Although I'm not crazy about seeing skyscrapers (I've have my fill of them in New York City), Phil and I admit that the skyscrapers to the immediate north of South Pointe Park are spectacular. Rather than dominating the area, they lend just the right decorative touch.

Check out a range of kick scooters, perfect for trips like this one.

To contact the author of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

 

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Should You Put Extra Weight Over Your kick scooter Front wheel?

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Karen Little

I carry a purse. And, yes, I’m a woman. No matter how hard I try to find ultra-lightweight handbags, with nylon being the most optimum “nothing there” handbag material, they all end up weighing between 3 and 4 pounds.

My primary handbag ballast includes a wallet without even a single picture in it, a cell phone, a camera, and keys. Together, those objects make up the bulk of the weight and I’ve given up trying to figure out how to make my purse lighter.

Under all conditions, I hate carrying a handbag except by necessity. Unfortunately, I always need my camera and cell (not to mention money and keys), so I very rarely leave home without it. When I kick scoot, however, I lash it to the base of the scooter’s handlebar, with the purse facing the scooter’s floorboard.

What I accidentally discovered is that my kick scooter rides better with my purse in that position, than it does without any extra weight over the front wheel. My kickscooter even rolls better when being walked!

The conclusion I’ve drawn is that although kick scooter manufacturers do their best to keep their products’ weight low, more weight is needed over the front wheel; at least 3 or 4 pounds more weight. This appears to be true for the KickPed, Citykicker, the Razor A5 Lux, and a Micro Black or White.

Is my insight wrong-sighted? Test it for yourself by securely strapping a weighted bag at the base of your kick scooter’s handlebar facing its floorboard, and let us know!

To contact the author of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

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Kick scooter trip to Florida’s St. Petersburg

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Karen Little

Roughly speaking, you’ll repeatedly kick scoot in and around St. Petersburg’s Tampa Bay area because it is unbelievably pretty and, possibly more important, its terrain is level and its sidewalks are in perfect shape.

Kick scooter in St. Petersburg

Kick scooter in St. Petersburg

To give you an idea of a 7- to 10-mile round trip route via kick scooter, start just north of the Albert Whitted Airport at St. Petersburg’s world-class Salvador Dali Museum in Demens Landing Park on Tampa Bay.

Continue heading north through Straub Park, making a point to spend several hours scooting up and down The Pier, a 1.2 mile roundtrip stretch of smooth, level sidewalk that juts into Tampa Bay. There you’ll find ample parking, stunning bay scenery (including Pelicans galore), entertainment, and, in The Pier’s end-point recreation center, dining, from casual to fine.

After returning from The Pier, continue heading north to the coastal areas of adjoining Vinoy Park, North Shore Park, and Flora Wylle Park, where you’ll find plenty of places to relax, including a beach. Note that this is one of the few stretches of heavily trafficked areas I’ve seen that is given over to an equal number of pedestrians and human-powered vehicles (kick scooters, inline skates, bikes, and multi-person surreys).

At the end of Flora Wylle Park is the beginning of Coffee Pot Boulevard, fronted to the southwest by mansions and lush gardens, and the northeast by a Tampa Bay inlet. After traveling a half-mile on this street, consult a map as you have an option of crossing over the Shell Isle Boulevard Bridge into a maze of beautiful, foliage-fringed neighborhoods, or head back through neighborhoods with older mansions and more lush foliage. No matter which way you go, you’ll appreciate staying in the shade on a hot Florida day.

My husband, Phil, and I toured the lower St. Petersburg mansion area on a Xootr MG and a KickPed, which is manufactured exclusively for NYCeWheels in New York City. If it hadn’t been for our kick scooters, I’m sure we wouldn’t have seen as much as we did. Even though the day was hot, kick scooting produced a welcome breeze, especially when cruising.

Because nearby Beach Drive runs at an angle to traditional east-west streets, it is easy to head in the wrong direction when you leave Coffee Pot Boulevard, especially if you want to see mansions and gardens. Always carry a real (not “tourist”) map of the area (or cell phone map app) and make a point of noting the places you like best.

Return to where you started by heading south on Beach Drive. It runs into a classy hotel, shopping, and dining district featuring outdoor patios that easily accommodate travelers on wheels. No matter how nice an establishment looks, if you are on a budget, you’ll be happy to know that food and drink prices appear to be far lower in St. Petersburg than in New York City (where I’m from). These reasonable prices, plus sunny skies, stunning scenery, great sidewalks, and flat terrain make St. Petersburg, FL, a kick scooter paradise.

To contact the author of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

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Kick scooting and sightseeing in Treasure Island, Florida

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Karen Little

Treasure Island is a wonderful barrier island easily traversed by kick scooter. Unlike Florida’s Honeymoon Island and neighboring Caladesi Island State Park (both feature naturally wild interiors), Treasure Island is loaded with cottages, hotels, resorts, and, of course, a very level terrain.

Kick Scooter over Treasure Island bridge to Johns Pass

Kick Scooter over Treasure Island bridge to Johns Pass

Treasure Island’s primary distinction over its neighboring barrier island communities is that its hotels and resorts are low-rise and do not crowd up against each other, thus hiding views of the coastline from the passerby. When kick scooting along the town’s main sidewalk, for example, you can actually see the Gulf of Mexico; something that is almost impossible elsewhere. Another distinction is that Treasure Island is directly linked to St. Petersburg via a bridge, has a long sidewalk that runs on the Gulf beach proper, features beautiful neighborhoods on its Bay side, and is next to popular John’s Pass Village, where, among many things, you can dine, shop, take cruises, or arrange for fishing charters.

The length of the city from where we kick scooted on our Xootr and KickPed between our lodging and John’s Pass Village was just under four miles, round-trip. The city has a large Walgreen’s, Publix Grocery Store, and Surf Style tee-shirt shop, which are not touristy, but are convenient by kick scooter from all quarters.

When you look at a map of Treasure Island, you’ll see what look like fingers of land that extend east into its bay side. If you kick scoot along its bay side Lagoon Lane (also called 1st Street East), you’ll enjoy a one mile round trip that features small parks and great views of water, boats, and resorts. Other routes throughout the “fingers” feature flat sidewalks, although water views are often hidden by apartments and resorts.

My favorite kick scooter trips, however, were between our lodging and John’s Pass. Although we did have to walk our scooter up a mounded bridge on Gulf Boulevard to reach it, its incline was short. Like other tourist hotspots, John’s Pass Village has light pedestrian traffic in the morning, then starts quickly filling up from noon onward. Once there, you’ll find a number of places to eat or snack, plus local (not chain!) merchants that offer everything from Florida fruit wines to magic tricks. (Purchase Rocco’s D’lite! You won’t be sorry!).

Should you visit John’s Pass in the evening and plan on scooting back to your lodging, make sure you have lights on your kick scooters. Perhaps better, just plan on walking.

To contact the author of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

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Kick scooting and sightseeing in the art deco area at Miami Beach, Florida

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Karen Little

Miami Beach’s colorful art deco area has everything a kick scooter enthusiast could possibly want. Beautiful architecture, ample food, an expansive park, plenty of sidewalks, restrooms, the beach, and wash-off areas for use after you’ve spent time in the sand.

Phil kick-scooting by art deco hotels in Miami Beach

Phil kick-scooting by art deco hotels in Miami Beach

The colorful art deco hotels and apartments, built between 1923 and 1943, run along the west side of Ocean Drive. Unfortunately, kick scooting on this side of the street is impossible. The reason is because almost every historic building features a restaurant, each with multiple rows of tables placed on either side of the sidewalk itself.

Fortunately, across the street from the art deco buildings is Lummus Park, which borders Ocean Drive and the beach itself. Between 5th street and 15th Street, in fact, its sidewalk is continuous, with no curbs or stops for intersecting streets, providing ten blocks of kick scooting-friendly sidewalk that can’t be beat, but there’s more . . .

There are also palm tree-shaded sidewalks within Lummus Park itself, plus plenty of places to relax and tan, either on the lawn or on lawn chairs. Want to enjoy the beach itself? These sidewalks lead you right up to it.

If you choose to ride as close to the Atlantic Ocean as possible (which we did on our Xootr and KickPed), you’ll discover the entrance to a beautifully landscaped trail at the northern end of Lummus Park that runs between Miami Beach’s skyscraper hotels and the beach itself. This trail ends at 47th Street, making it an easy five-mile, kick scooting round trip back to Lummus Park again.

Need to sit down and catch your breath? Well, hopefully, your kick scooting was not all that strenuous, but if you do want to rest and enjoy the scenery, you might find the Starbucks on the corner of 15th Street and Ocean Drive the perfect spot. It is housed in the base of a stunning Marriott Hotel and features an expansive outside veranda immediately next to the park.

To contact the author of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

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Kick scooting and sightseeing – Clearwater Beach, Florida

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Karen Little
Sunset with our kicks scooters on Pier 60

Sunset with our kicks scooters on Pier 60

Famous Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach is where you head on a beautiful Florida evening to enjoy sunsets with like-minded people. Mornings and early afternoons on Pier 60 (a half mile round trip) are the best times for uninterrupted kick scooting. During the evening, however, you have to partially walk your kick scooter because pre-sunset finds it crowded with pedestrians, vendors, and entertainers.

Just past the eastern end of Pier 60, you can venture across the street to another long pier where cruise and fishing-for-hire vessels are tied up and pelicans waddle around waiting for free handouts of fish. Another beautiful kick scoot takes you south of Pier 60 along the Gulf View Boulevard sidewalk. This sidewalk border’s Clearwater Beach’s ultra-fine, snow white sand and the Gulf of Mexico. Collectively, all three of these areas add up to a comfortable 4 to 5 mile ride on level ground.

Obviously, we were able to kick scoot on our Xootr and KickPed over a far greater distance and see more of the area’s beautiful sights than we would have if we had explored it on foot. That said, sidewalks are loaded with bikes and skateboarders, so kick scooting blends right in.

Jack the Pirate on the Xootr kick scooter

Jack the Pirate on the Xootr kick scooter

Possibly the most fun we had during our visit was meeting the imaginative, Clearwater Beach’s Captain Jack, an energetic street entertainer who not only enjoyed trying out our scooters, he tried to pirate one away.

Jack’s vehicle of choice is the Xootr scooter.

To contact the author of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

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Razor A5 Lux vs. Micro Black/White Kick Scooter Comparison

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Mikey-K

Recently, I was given the opportunity to ride the Micro black Kick Scooter for several weeks. The Micro Kickit (available in Micro Black and Micro White versions) is a folding adult kick scooter that is a blast to ride. The first thing that I noticed is that this kick scooter is very similar to the Razor A5 Lux Adult Kick Scooter. There were so many similarities that I just had to write this comparison review. In fact, they are so similar that you wouldn’t be able to tell which scooter you’re riding if you closed your eyes, but seriously, it’s really not a good idea to close your eyes when riding a kick scooter!

Rat race on Micro black and white kick scooters

Rat race on Micro black and white kick scooters

There are numerous similarities to each design. They both have virtually identical wheels, both in diameter, manufacture and performance. The only real difference is cosmetic. The Micro kick scooter wheels comes in black or white, to match the Micro’s color schemes, whereas the Razor wheels come only in a bright red to match the red grips and fenders of the rest of the scooter.

Both kick scooters employ a durable and reliable upright locking mechanism. The Micro kick scooter requires a locking cam to be released, then two buttons have to be pushed in simultaneously and once the upright is pivoted into position, the locking cam must be secured. The Razor A5 only requires a one-handed operation to slide a single pin, which releases the pivot mechanism and once the upright is pivoted into position, the mechanism secures automatically. What a very simple and efficient design!

Razor A5 kick scooter

Razor A5 Lux scooter

Once the uprights are in position, both have handle bar uprights that extend and have locking pins that maintain the handlebar perpendicular to the front wheel along with the familiar over-center cam lock to keep them extended. Both of the designs use handle bar grips that slide into place and have similar lock pins to hold them secure. The handle bar grips on the Micro black scooter have a very snug fit, but the Razor A5 Lux grips wobble when inserted into the upright. The end result is that when riding the scooter, the rider has to constantly correct when steering, whereas the Micro scooter affords a much more precise steering experience.

The decks of both Kick Scooters are similar in length, but the Razor deck is a consistent 4 inches in width, but the Micro black is over5 inches wide in the front and tapers down to just over 3 inches at the back of the deck. When riding either kick scooter, you have to switch feet using the heel/toe swap technique or just kick with one foot all the time. Unfortunately, the tapered deck of the Micro results in a very minimal foot support area. After a long ride, my rear foot arches were sore because most of my foot overhung from the deck and was not supported.

Both scooter designs used a simple fender/brake design to bring the scooter to a stop quickly and efficiently. However, when riding the Micro black scooter, the rear brake pedal/fender is too easily stepped on when trying to scoot quickly. When switching feet, for only a very fractional contact with the brake, the brakes are partially applied and the scooter starts to slow down . A small complaint about the Micro’s brakes is that it rattles a bit when riding.

In summary, I liked riding both scooters but each had their pluses and minuses. I admired the simple design of the Razor upright locking mechanism and liked only having to use one hand to operate it. I was also impressed with the robust design of the Micro upright locking mechanism, but did not relish having to perform multiple operations to secure the upright.  I felt that the precision fit of the handle grips of the Micro black allowed me to ride with greater confidence and was superior to the Razor A5 scooter, which was a less expensive construction.

On the subject of deck length and width, the Razor deck, while simpler to manufacture, ironically provided a more reliable platform to stand on. The tapering deck of the Micro black kick scooter, while aesthetically pleasing, detracted from it’s usefulness by not being able to ride for long distances comfortably. Please note that my regular scooter is a Xootr adult kick scooter and I have grown accustomed to being able to stand and glide with both feet on the deck, so I felt somewhat cheated that I could not rest my feet on either the Micro or the Razor. However, whether you’re riding to school or work or you just like to ride for fun, both kick scooter designs are excellent choices for beginner or experienced kick scooter riders.

Micro White kickstand

Micro White kickstand

Throughout this review, I’ve omitted the cost of either model because I felt that the features, performance and quality outweighed the mere cost. But for the price of one Micro black or Micro white scooter, you can buy two Razors, so the buyer has to consider if the Micro’s benefits justify the higher price. Finally, the Micro black kick scooter has a real cool kickstand!

Update; another Micro Black / Razor A5 review

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Selecting an Adult Kick Scooter Over the Internet

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Karen Little

If you do not live in a city where you can test ride adult kick scooters, such as a KickPed or one of Xootr’s multiple styles, you might have to order one through the Internet and hope for the best. No matter whether you can or cannot test drive an adult kick scooter before you buy, base your decision on five personal characteristics:

Your Height: A single scooter type will not satisfy all adult heights. The handlebar of a well balanced scoot should reach at least 3 inches above your natural waistline, if not higher. What is comfortable for a 5’10″ person, however, might be way to short for someone who’s over 6’3″. If the out-of-the-box handlebar height is too short, but everything else is OK, find out whether you can have a custom (longer) handlebar made.

Uma Thurman on a Xootr

Uma Thurman on a Xootr

Your Shoe Size: Scooter floorboards are various lengths, with some being only long enough for one shoe (without having to stand at an angle), and other’s long enough and/or possibly wide enough for the easy placement of two feet. If you plan on scooting for several miles, having a floorboard that easily allows alternate leg pushing as well as a place to rest both legs is a big plus.

Your Weight: Don’t exceed a scooters’ maximum weight limit! Not only might you crack the kick scooter, you definitely will throw it off balance.

Your Purpose: Do you plan on using your scooter for commuting (a task similar to non-stop bicycling), or for sightseeing (a task that combines kick scooting and walking). In the first case, you might look for speed, while in the second case, you might look for more stability (especially for going slow, and/or negotiating rougher surfaces).

Your Typical Distance Covered: Short distances, such as 1 to 3 miles, does not require the longest rolling capability, or the easiest kick propulsion, whereas regularly traveling long distances (say 5 to 9+ miles) might require better rolling and the easiest kick propulsion. In general, larger diameter wheels roll further, although the largest wheels might require more effort to kick.

Should you buy a scooter over the Internet? If you can’t find a dealer near you, buy your scooter from a company like NYCeWheels, which has a good reputation in the city it serves and a knowledgeable staff. Rather than pre-select the model you want, discuss your issues with a sales clerk, then let him or her make suggestions. If you call a dealer who has an uninterested or non-informed clerk, or only clerks who’ve never used scooters, find another store!

Here’s an example of what to say once you make contact: “I am a 5’11″ man, weighing 235 pounds, with size 13 shoes, who wants to buy a scooter to commute 1.5 miles to work over well-kept sidewalks.”

To contact the editor of this story, email Karen Little
Karen Little is the publisher of Littleviews.com

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A Loop of Central Park on a Xootr MG Kick Scooter

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Harrison-L

For anyone not familiar with the Xootr kick scooters, their defining feature is definitely the ultra low-resistance polyurethane tires mounted on lightweight but rugged die-cast aluminum rims, a real difference from, say, a KickPed which features a much beefier but slower-rolling rubber wheel.

Harrison on the Xootr MG

Harrison on the Xootr MG (got snow the day after the Central Park ride)

Because of these Xootr wheels – and the sealed bearings within them – the Xootr is pretty much the fastest kick scooter available (before you start getting into Kick Bikes, with their full-size pneumatic tires, truly the liger of the kick scooter/bicycle world).

The Xootr’s fast-rolling wheels, however, also come with a few tradeoffs. Somewhat less stability on uneven surfaces, for one. More road vibration, another. Neither of which are a real problem under ideal kick scooter conditions – on a dry summer day, for instance, when the roads are clear and you have 14+ hours of dazzling sunlight. But on a dark winter night, the road peppered with chunks of ice and dustings of salt and sand, one is best advised to use caution.

So when I grabbed a Xootr MG kick scooter after work last Wednesday – snowbound again and feeling more than just a little antsy – I thought it best to do my scooting in Central Park. Here the roads were clear and smooth, the streetlights bright, the traffic minimal. In other words the conditions were ideal for a little winter scooting on a Xootr kick scooter.

Entering at 90th Street on the east side I built up my momentum on the long, flat straightaway which runs alongside the old reservoir. Whizzing by the snow-blanketed woods and fields on the Xootr kick scooter, I only slowed when I reached the big hill at the north end of the park. Here a slight incline leads to what feels (on a kick scooter anyway) like a genuine precipice – a drop from a rocky overlook all the way down to the swimming pool-cum-hockey rink. Approaching that hill felt a little like disembarking a chairlift at the summit of a ski mountain – the surroundings suddenly altered and eerily calm, the challenging descent to come both thrilling and a touch nerve wracking. I had never gone down anything so steep on a kick scooter.

But the Xootr handled the downhill – more than handled it. This was like running a luge, or a slalom course. This was a lot of fun. Coming around the first bend I rode my brake (both of them), as for safety and splash protection I’d grabbed a Xootr with a fender brake attached) but soon I found a better way to moderate my speed, by doing a slight snowboard-like weave on the kick scooter.

Except for those occasional exhilarating downhills of course, riding a kick scooter really is less like downhill and more like cross country skiing. This is an endurance sport. What thrills you get you really work for. And on the back side of the park – the west side heading south, with its rolling hills one after another – I certainly found this to be true. What keeps you going up each hill on the kick scooter is the thought of a downhill of an equal length and steepness lying somewhere just over the crest.

When I reached the bottom of the park, at Columbus Circle, I had pretty much had it. This part of town – with its jam-packed sidewalks and streets full of jockeying cabs – is no place for a kick scooter, not during rush hour. Plus I was tired. I had just ridden the Xootr kick scooter approximately 5 miles. I had earned a metro-card swipe and a lift home.

Fortunately the Xootr MG had a carrying strap attached. I opened the quick-release and dropped the handlebars, then pulled the pin on the bottom of the kick scooter and folded it down. That was it, the fold complete, simple and easy. I slung the Xootr carrying strap over my shoulder and the whole thing was no more burdensome than a messenger bag, even on a packed rush hour E-Train.

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