How to Ride and Electric Scooter - A Beginner's Guide
How do you ride an Electric Scooter?
You are ready to join millions of people worldwide that enjoy scooter riding! Welcome to the club! You might be wondering, “is it easy to ride an electric scooter”, or “how to turn on an electric scooter?”. Keep reading below where we will explore all that and more on riding electric scooters.
Prepare for your ride
We know how excited you are to get riding, but it’s important to take time to take some things in mind. Make sure that you are wearing appropriate protective gear. This should always include a helmet, no matter how short or long a trip you have planned.
If you have a long trip, with far speeds involved then we also recommend that you wear long sleeves, pants, and gloves. You can take this one step further and wear elbow pads and knee pads, but for most people, these may be too much. If you do want to wear a full riding suit, we won’t judge you.
Know your scooter
How to ride your scooter is something you can only master once you have become comfortable in how your scooter operates. Make sure to fully read the user manual that comes with your scooter and familiarize yourself with the unit. Knowing how to accelerate, and more importantly, break are the first things to get to know.
Lights and a horn are some other options that your scooter may have. Before you start on your first scooting adventure, find an open place such as a parking lot where you can practice on your scooter away from other vehicles.
Identify your dominant foot
When you get on your scooter for the first time, you may be unsure what foot you push with. You will want to identify your dominant foot. To do this, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lean forward until you're forced to put a foot forward and stop your fall. The foot you catch yourself with is the foot you will keep firmly planted towards the front of the scooter, using the opposite to push.
We recommend when you are not pushing to keep one foot in front of the other, rather than side by side. This will allow you to remain better balanced and react quicker.
Launch your scooter with a kickoff
Before kicking off, always make sure your kickstand is up. Do not rely on the battery to get going, you should always push it off. Many scooters require you to achieve a 5km/h speed for the motor to engage just for this reason. This is important to save the battery life in your scooter. This will also be a huge help in your balance, as going super slow on a scooter can cause you to lose your balance.
How to turn on an electric scooter
The technique of turning will vary depending on your speed. If you are going at a slow speed, you should be able to flex your feet and legs into the turn. Turning should use minimal force on the handlebars unless you are traveling at an extremely slow speed. Faster speeds will use this but add another layer to the technique.
To turn when you are moving quickly, you need to shift your body weight. If you have snowboarded, you are familiar with this. It can be helpful to crouch down slightly when doing this to remain balanced.
How to balance on an electric scooter
Balancing on an electric scooter is something that you will get better at with practice. Beginners will often find that they rely heavily on the handlebars to balance, and although this may help you learn it can create additional wear and tear on your scooter.
To improve your balance before jumping on your scooter, you may find it helpful to practice standing on one foot and leaning side to side. Balance is something each person needs to lean on their own and over time you will gradually get better at it.
How to brake on an electric scooter
You may be to this point asking yourself, “Can’t I just push the brake?”. Although technically you are correct, there are some best practices to maximize safety for you and the lifespan of your scooter. Many scooters have front brakes. This means if you were to suddenly stop, you may quite literally go head over handlebars. When braking hard, you need to shift your weight accordingly to avoid this from happening. You can do this by shifting your weight down and backward by bending your knees and leaning down like you are going to sit on a chair.
It is important to keep in mind that when braking during a curve, you raise your chance of a crash. Always try and straighten your path out before initiating a brake for your best shot at a safe slow down.
Maintain your stability and balance
Riding a scooter can be a thrilling experience and is becoming more and more popular in cities around the world. One of the most important tips to take away is to maintain your stability when riding. Having your feet in a comfortable position that feels balanced while riding is key. You should feel a balance and over time learn how to shift your weight with the scooter. Your balance and trusting your body in motion are both needed to be comfortable on a scooter.
If you are accelerating, you will find it helpful to shift your body weight forward to avoid the feeling of your handlebars lifting off the ground. Make sure to look out for big rocks or sticks on the path and crouch your weight down if you do need to roll over anything. If you are riding around people, be sure to warn pedestrians of your passing when needed.