08/18/2019
Over the weekend I read a Denver Post article about the state of electric scooters in Denver. Besides mentioning the possible adjustments in the laws on how scooters are operated, the article covered the cause of the accidents which occur weekly in the Denver metro area.
This spurred me to write: Five reasons a Halfbike is safer than a scooter.
1. Larger front wheel.
The front wheel size on a Halfbike3 is 18inches versus most scooter wheels are in the range of 8 to 10 in. The smaller wheels of a scooter don't handle the omnipresent potholes, cracks and breaks any city's pavement, with much forgiveness to the rider, resulting in more accidents. The injury rate for scooters is about 10 times higher than the rate reported for bicycles.
2. Built to last.
Halfbikes are well-built and will last for many years. The average scooter life in the city is about 30 days. Granted these scooters get used (and abused) multiple times a day, but I sincerely think a Halfbike could still be fully functional after several years with the same amount of usage.
3. Better braking system
The integrated braking system on a Halfbike3 is a far higher quality than any scooter on the market. As any one of us knows, stopping when we want to stop in any mode of transportation reduces risk of injury.
4. Ridden in the proper places
Halfbikes are designed to be ridden on the streets, designated bike lanes and open spaces because of their traditional bike-like nature. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. So much of the electric scooter culture has been around riding them on sidewalks, where the risk of injuring a pedestrian or the scooter riders increases dramatically. In many cities, the sidewalks can have more treacherous obstacles than city streets.
5. Stored in the proper places
Because a Halfbike is foldable, weighs about 20 pounds and easily fits in one's apartment or office, they are 'parked' in private areas where they are not impeding pedestrian walkways.
Full disclosure: I ride electric scooters in central Denver 4-6 times per week on average and I currently have five different scooter apps on my phone. I've been riding scooters weekly in Denver within the first month they were introduced in the city in May 2018. Frankly, it feels like they've been around longer, but I'll save that for a different post.
If you're in the Denver area and want to learn more about Halfbikes, check our Meetup group, Denver Halfbikes.https://www.meetup.com/DenverHalfbikes/
In Adventurous Spirit,
Dean
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