Luggage-mounted scooter: Kick Smarter?

Don’t laugh – after a few days of Eurobike it will seem like a good idea…

What happens when you combine a scooter with hard- or soft-sided luggage?  Ridicule, yes, but those less sensitive to others’ opinions also get what may be the perfect trade show or airport terminal runabout. Don’t forget – we all laughed at wheeled luggage when that first arrived… (did we? – Ed)

Designed, manufactured, and assembled in the EU, Olaf’s two models “[blur] the boundaries between a backpack/suitcase and a kick scooter… enhancing your commuting experience.”  They’re not the first of their kind – but the inventors reckon that their version will be the best available.

The Olaf Business combines a carry-on sized suitcase with a compact scooter board.  For settings in which scooting is inappropriate (airport security queues come to mind), the front wheels act like those on normal rolling luggage.  A scooter-style friction brake is included because, well, skid-stops aren’t terribly dignified.

The Olaf Urban (sounds like a Swedish Death Metaller – Ed) replaces the hard-sided luggage with a soft backpack and the mini scoot board with a locally-sourced wooden skateboard deck.  Wheel-covering pockets (not shown) keep the wheels from staining the wearer’s trousers.  The deck and wheels are removable, making for a low-slung skateboard trike – but the company warns that it’s “a much faster skateboard than what you may be used to, so you will need to use the brake.”

The project’s Kickstarter (was there ever a more appropriate project?) goal has already been met, though some earlybird specials remain.  Regular price for the Urban (including backpack) will be $310 CAD (£172), the Business costs $360 CAD (£200), and both figures include shipping to the US or EU.

[The worst part about writing this is realising that we’ll all be wishing we had one when trade show season rolls around again.]

 olaf-scooter.com