Friday, January 11, 2008

Kick Scooter VS. Bicycle




To the basics of a kick scooter, a bicycle adds a seat and drive train. These complications bring more speed, cost, weight and bulk. At the end of a journey a folding scooter can be more easily folded and carried indoors than a folding bicycle or even a portable bicycle. Even a non folding scooter is easier to bring into crowded places, since it lacks pedals jutting out and snagging. Thus the transport advantages of a bicycle apply more to longer journeys and open spaces, and those of a kick scooter more to shorter and more crowded ones. Kickers seldom have a luggage rack, so the rider usually carries any cargo by backpack or other bag. At minimal speeds a bicycle is difficult to control while pedalling, which is why bicyclers may sometimes be seen kicking their way through dense traffic or other conditions where they cannot take advantage of the speed of their machine. Thanks to the superior low-speed stability of a kicker, it is allowed on many footpaths where riding a bicycle is forbidden. The feet being lower to the ground, it is easier to step on and off a scooter than even a step-through frame bicycle, hence the rider can alternate walking and pushing as energy and route dictate. Large wheel scooters --such as the Kickbike -- are a more effective cross training workout than standard bicycles as the whole body is engaged in the effort of kicking. Pushing or kicking a large wheel scooter places less stress on the knee joint than does pedalling a bicycle. Although the bicycle is a very effective long distance machine especially as it is ridden while seated, in 2001 Jim Delzer pushed a kick bike across the United States.

To the basics of a kick scooter, a bicycle adds a seat and drive train. These complications bring more speed, cost, weight and bulk. At the end of a journey a folding scooter can be more easily folded and carried indoors than a folding bicycle or even a portable bicycle. Even a non folding scooter is easier to bring into crowded places, since it lacks pedals jutting out and snagging. Thus the transport advantages of a bicycle apply more to longer journeys and open spaces, and those of a kick scooter more to shorter and more crowded ones. Kickers seldom have a luggage rack, so the rider usually carries any cargo by backpack or other bag.

At minimal speeds a bicycle is difficult to control while pedalling, which is why bicyclers may sometimes be seen kicking their way through dense traffic or other conditions where they cannot take advantage of the speed of their machine. Thanks to the superior low-speed stability of a kicker, it is allowed on many footpaths where riding a bicycle is forbidden.

The feet being lower to the ground, it is easier to step on and off a scooter than even a step-through frame bicycle, hence the rider can alternate walking and pushing as energy and route dictate. Large wheel scooters --such as the Kickbike -- are a more effective cross training workout than standard bicycles as the whole body is engaged in the effort of kicking. Pushing or kicking a large wheel scooter places less stress on the knee joint than does pedalling a bicycle. Although the bicycle is a very effective long distance machine especially as it is ridden while seated, in 2001 Jim Delzer pushed a kick bike across the United States.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Scooters are fine for going a block or two; however, I'd opt for riding a lightweight folding bike like the 22 lb Superlite. Why? I can carry more on a bike and get there faster.