Owing to irreparable metatarsal joint injuries and attendant probs, I’ll never run in any keep-fit fashion if at all. Currently limited to cycling and swimming yet want to lose weight faster and improve core-strength and foot strength/mobility.

With the above in mind, any ideas if an adult kick scooter would be a good addition to the fitness fold? Any of you lot use one/have used one? Looks fun/frustrating (not sure which!)

you should definitely kick adults on scooters.

I see a guy commuting on one most days. Not sure if it’s any good for fitness, but he looks like he’s having a great time.

This type

Why stop there?

@mashr ever tried one of those? More of a workout than a bike, slower and less stable. A guy knew had one due to not being able to sit on the bike from back issues. Climbing hills were the slowest bit.

I’ve got one, it’s great fun. It is a different sort of exercise, more of an all body workout than cycling. I do quite a bit of running, so I think it’s good cross training, with less impact etc.
Takes a while to get used to it, can be hard work, especially uphill.

The Elliptigo looks interesting, but a lot bigger, heavier, more expensive and complicated etc. The kick scooter is great because it is simple, hardly any maintenance required.

I regularly use a decathlon scooter to get to the village shop, round town and between work buildings. It’s got 200mm wheels so bit of an effort uphill!!

I look like a bellend but I really don’t care. Saves trashing my car on short journeys and saves loads of time in town. Cheaper than my old shopping bike was and fits easily in the car boot.

I’m generally sporting an ear to ear grin too as it’s great fun!!

I look like a bellend but I really don’t care. Saves trashing my car on short journeys and saves loads of time in town.

I always think able-bodied ppl look like bell ends driving their cars everywhere locally, so no probs. We can trade contempt on the streets with theatrically derisive expressions

Thnks for responses, looks like it’s goer if can find one for the right price. Obv it may be a problem for select others seeing a grown man on a scooter, but there are more pressing things to concern self about* 👍🏼

*Unless Mr Large lives locally, in which case I may have to fit some protection or wear bigger boots.. 😬😉

This looks fun

Get an electric one so you can feel the hate from the human powered scooter community.

^ 😂🤣

Humans are broken. Official.

one of our customers has a swifty scooter, it is proper burly but she’s now stopped commuting on it as it was too much work uphill, she swapped to a bike instead

Malvern Rider, I had one vey much like that over 50 years ago. It came from Germany. Pneumatic tyres, front and rear brakes and even a luggage rack. The stamped tinplate jobs common in England at the time looked pathetic alongside it.

Santa and his elves are making my kids the one’s in Decathlon as well. I think they were about £70 for the intermediate distance ones. I’ll be using it for nipping to the shop as well.
They currently have the ones with solid wheels that all the kids tend to use – bit too wobbly for me.
See a fair few people in London using them, the Decathlon type.

^ Yeah had a look at Decathlon, I’m ideally looking for 16” with tubes, 150kg payload and pref goes offroad 👍🏼

I’m currently using my boy’s Madd Gear stunt scooter to get home after dropping him at school (and back in the afternoon). Much better on this nice scooter than his earlier decathlon one.
Hard work into a head wind or uphill so would be a good workout except it’s an assymetric effort so not sure I’d want to do too much of it for fear one leg ended up bigger than the other. Fun though!

You have to change legs regularly. I try to switch legs after about 10 kicks. There is a technique to doing a smooth change while moving.

For off road, I’d go for bigger wheels, ie 26″ on the front. Less likely to get stuck on a rock or mud. And less flex in the stem etc.

You have to change legs regularly.

Doh – obvious I suppose. Will try this tomorrow.

At first I thought you meant a treadmill bike and I was horrified. But you didn’t, so that’s good.

Kickbike FatMax is really what you’re looking for!

Stepshop.nl are based in the Netherlands and have a pretty comprehensive range

Decathlon do some good adult ones. My BIL has one.

https://sportypaws.co.uk/product/gravity-dh-core-air/?v=79cba1185463. Aint cheap though 😬

https://m.ebay.com/itm/New-RIPP-DirtBike-Rider-2-All-Terrain-Scooter-Stunt-outdoor-Scooter-4-Bolt-Clamp/193062103143? These are fun. Our little uns got something similar. We all use it 😁

I’ve got a cheap one (with a few parts box upgrades) for exercising the dog. I did want to run with him on a waist lead but he’s too quick for me and my feet/ankles are too fragile. In terms of a workout (HR), it’s harder than cycling (especially uphill, even with dog assist turned fully on) but easier than running for me.

Pretty good fun, but I do reckon I look a bit of a muppet as a not-quite-50-year-old scooting around the local fire roads.

Can see me getting a more expensive/capable one at some point…

Yes! I bagged a local used one that seemed suitable for rough use. It’s a steel-framed 20/16 job, ie one of these

except mine’s quite beaten-up in the paint dept. At home on the stand I discovered the front-fork dropouts are set alarmingly wide for the hub, ie need to spring the blades inwards by over-tightening the QR otherwise the axle doesn’t sit in the dropouts otherwise the wheels rest in the dropouts wholly or partially on the 5mm QR skewer not the axle-ends.

Grateful for suggestions anyone may have ie ideas to cure? Buyer says he will refund which is sound but these things are like rocking horse poop used and local, so if I can fix it cheaply that would be best

Went round the block 1/2 mile mixed-gradients mostly flattish to test it. woah. Discover I’m tight as a bowstring in legs,feet and back. Feel like I ran a hard 1/4 of a mile. r/achilles is tight as hell and hurts. It’s certainly not goimg to be a short journey back to fitness. Is it fun though?. Yes! Yes it is. It’s a fun thing. When I push it uo inclines my hand is looking for the saddle 😀

I reckon that the real ‘fun’ will be seeing and feeling progress, because right now I’m certainly not up to much, and certainly not this…

Steel fork? If so bend it back. Alu fork? Send it back

Steel fork? If so bend it back.

Pretty sure it’s steel. The whole thing has a hi ten ‘kerrang’ about it. So, just whack the forks with a lump-hammer then?

colournoise, that’s a big one. Looks ace.

Thinks: Should I have wheel-diameter envy*? Should I put suspension forks (mini-Bombers) on? Do they (front sussers) suddenly lower the deck and imperil the rider with imminent rock-strike? Is it mad hard work offroad (dog-free version)? And what’s your getoffandpush vs kick ratio on gravel paths like that? How long does the initial pain last?

So many Qs…

Big update, and thanks everyone for advice. The seller took the faulty one back and got it fixed, said he missed it so was happier keeping it anyway! So we’re both happy on that score as I wanted something to use straight away. It was a lardy/draggy thing too tbh, I suppose great for mushing and long downhill fire-roads, but turns out I also needed something more suitable for urban keep-fit.

Anyway, managed to find a belter, ie a lighter and faster replacement for intended purpose. It’s also much, much better made than the other. Now in touring foot-bike territory.

It’s a 26:20 wheel setup. Word of caution to buyers of all used two wheeled objects – when I removed the included cheapo burred steel bell -bracket to clean and inspect – it had obviously rotated over the years and cut deeply into the alu bars, much like a plumber’s pipecutter. Second deathtrap purchase in one week! An auspicious start but undeterred. Bars had to be changed before riding, luckily I had some carbon flats + stem that will have to suffice until the replacement high-risers arrive.

First trials (2-4 miles) had me grinning from ear to ear and collapsing on return. My heart and lungs banging out like a chest rave

Really like the simplicity of it. And the narrow hubs, ceramic bearings, comparatively lightweight steel frame with slight spring, Marathon Supremes at 75psi, XT Vs, smooth-stopping, ingenious side-stand. Nice attention to detail and build-quality all-round. Well done Kostka.

The scoot:

It’s a very exhilarating slightly surreal travelator-sensation when descending hilly tarmac at 40mph+ while standing up, feet merely two inches off the ground.

Curiously safe and natural-feeling though. On the flat it glides along and I manage about 6 kicks with each leg, averaging what feels like 10mph. As soon as you hit any incline speed drops massively and the workout proper begins until the inevitable get off and push. Whilst kicking, the way your body is unseated and free to move as it will means that you can focus on different muscle-groups by kicking off higher, kicking off lower, pulling on bars, pushing on bars etc. Suprising.

I have high hopes that this will strengthen and help repair a long standing ab/groin injury which has frustrated (effectively stopped) my cycling these last four years. Early days with this, but initial loops are giving me less pain and setbacks than the same journey via bike, yet a harder workout (cardio/aerobic) by quite some margin for the same distance traveled.

Also, a great way to ‘run’ without the stress on joints. It’s like a run/walk/core/pull-up combo with some nice rest intervals if you have some hill-coasting thrown in. The ultimate Nm+1. It’s also IME the ultimate ‘grab and go‘ from the front door, doesn’t whack doorframes or ankles, and also fits straight in the car just by folding down the 1/3 rear seat – so I have some cycle-path trips planned such as Peregrine Trail, Strawberry Line etc. Onwards…

@mashr ever tried one of those? More of a workout than a bike, slower and less stable. A guy knew had one due to not being able to sit on the bike from back issues. Climbing hills were the slowest bit.

I’ve a friend in our running club that has one, he bloody loves it, climbed Ventoux and Tourmalet on it. Mad!.

the response you require is do not get one.

Sounds awesome. And now I want one too!
In urban areas do you ride this on the pavement? It can’t be far off the size of a bike with those wheels.
I live in a smallish market town with little to no cycling infastructure and some narrow pavements and roads. It’d be perfect for nipping to the shops/pub in town but I’d feel a bit big/fast to be riding on the pavement with other people around and would never consider it on a bike. But then on the flip side I’d feel more vulnerable on the road as I imagine it’s not as stable as a bike when you have to dip down/sideways to push off all the time.

the response you require is do not get one.

Doh!

A little too late. What would you have recommended in place of?

In urban areas do you ride this on the pavement? It can’t be far off the size of a bike with those wheels.

So far only used in town/urban areas and then only at night. Therein let the state of play dictate whether to use road, pavement, cycle path, shared use etc.

1. I don’t use narrow residential pavements (where someone may step out of a gate, house etc)
2. I do use wide pavements where there aren’t houses
3. I use backstreets almost exclusively

You do feel a little more vulnerable when cars pass, esp going uphill (harder to keep straight) so will usually pull up kerbside and wait for them to pass. On a typical local night run this is about 2 cars per 1hr journey so no biggie. On the level it’s as straight as your technique and in a short time I’m getting quite the line with it. Jere are more experienced riders to give an idea of tracking

Kerb-hopping is out because of my weight springing the frame. I find the deck grounds easily on certain ramps and larger transitions. I’m always looking for smooth transitions, shallow kerb-ramps etc. Keeps things interesting.

I’ll stick to night scoots except for dedicated shared/cycle paths, as this way I encounter barely a soul either peds or drivers, especially around industrial estates etc. Nearly everyone is inside after 9pm around here, and then I am swiftly abroad in a silent, solitary world. A phantom of the hopera where sweet darkness shrouds my deformed bike and body from the jeering, angry, confused normalfolk and their pitchforks. If they ever learn how to make torches then I’m rumbled.

*Add: Unexpected benefit is that it’s warmer than cycling. Slower speed plus extra entire-body effort means that I heat up fast which is a boon in the winter. Again, more akin to running IIRC. Last night was out in tee and arm-warmers, and still had to pull the warmers off on the return leg/uphill home.