Swifty in America

Kent and the Swifty in front of G and O Family Cyclery in Greenwood. Photo by Madi Carlson.

Long-time cyclist Kent Peterson has imported a Swifty scooter to the Seattle area. Kent, who recently and enthusiastically discovered the KickPed, has upped his game to the point of buying a Swifty scooter. While he’s learning about it, here’s a collection of pictures he’s taken of the immigrant. More will follow at Kent’s ‘blog.

Another Miboite heard from

Jeffrey’s Mibo Gepard

Although the mighty Mibo scooter’s not easy to buy in the States, they continue to generate lots of cyber-ink. The-vu’s Jeffrey the Barak weighs in on his recent purchase.

I was not perfectly happy racing around hunched over my large wheeled Kickbike during the mid to late Naughties, but have fond memories of standing up straighter and cruising around on an old 12.5 inch scooter back in the late Eighties. It is not completely impossible to buy such a scooter in the USA but a really efficient ride with a low to the ground deck, which is of vital importance, currently requires an importation.

Read The Mibo Gepard Kick Scooter Review at the-vu »

Kickped feedback is favorable

These things are really catching on!

People are enjoying NYCEWheels’ customized KnowPed, a little scooter that IMO is superior to the snooty Xootr, although just by a smidge.

I bike, I hoop, I kayak, I Nordic-Track, and now I Kickped. I am turning 60 this year, and wanted a new, fun, human-powered, and useful activity. My Kickped came in one day (NY to IL), assembly was a 1 minute affair, and riding the thing is a hoot. I smile, those who see me smile back; those who try it smile even bigger.

Read the rest at Electric bikes & folding bikes | NYC »

Bob Dymond on an American original

Footbiking form follows function forever!

I think they’re just beautiful. Built mostly of steel, with an elegant form-follows-function ethos, by craftsmen who use them, Amish scooters to me represent a sort of pinnacle of the footbiking art. And Bob Dymond owns one.

It’s not too easy to see some of the details in the pictures on the Internet from the Pennsylvania and Ohio merchants that sell these beautiful bikes, so for one who is going to pull the trigger sooner or later on buying one, it’s nice to have some fine details about what’s in store. Here’s Bob’s review:

Bob’s ‘Yodercycle’

I’m currently “involved” with an Amish-built scooter, by the Groffdale Machine Co. If you’ve seen them on websites, most of them have an odd stem design, where the gooseneck points aft, toward the rider. The quill and stem are all one piece and can’t be reversed, which effects a somewhat vertical riding posture. This is probably deemed quite proper by the folks that use these scooters. It wasn’t long before I was looking around for a more conventional arrangement. I had several stems already in my inventory. I found that they were all the wrong diameter for the headset/steerer tube. It takes a 21.1 mm quill, found in older, ’60s vintage bikes like Schwinn and Columbia. I did manage to find one, and matched it up with a set of Avenir “North Road” handlebars that came on Raleigh 3-speeds. Man – what a difference!

My Amish “yodercycle” is now one of my favorite rides. The 20-in. (451×1-3/8) wheels are built up on hubs that roll with exceptional smoothness. I’ve never before seen them; like the stem, they might been made for bikes that have long disappeared from the market. No quick-release anything. The fork dropouts are cut into the flatted fork ends for the solid-axle hubs. If you remove the front fender, it’s not a chore to loosen up the axle nuts and pull the front wheel for transport. Though the fenders add a lot of weight to the unit, they are very effective in watery conditions. My feet stay much drier than on my Kickbike; I’ll ignore the added weight in favor of dry feet. The wheel rims are alloy. Everything else is heavy-gauge steel – including the full-size fenders. The front brake is a Weinmann knockoff from Vietnam, a single-bolt side-pull, and a spoon brake is on the rear tire. I ditched the front brake shoes for some Shimano Deore numbers that slow the rig down nicely.

It’s a sturdy little beast, weighing in at about 25 lbs. The thing rolls so well the added weight is almost an asset. Deck height is super-low, which is alarming at first glance. But when you look at the steel that they made the frame out of, you’re not too concerned about scrape damage. The foot plate is just that: a plate tack-welded on top of the two horizontal frame members. It forms a box, in effect. Ground clearance inside this “box” is substantial, so you may not scrape on every high obstacle you go over.

If anyone decides to spring for oneof these scooters, the hub bearings should be checked and adjusted. The bearings on mine were a tad too tight. When these hubs are set up right, they roll like old Campag NR – honest!

If it weren’t for the necessary stem replacement, these scooters really could compete with the European jobs. I think they are the only really roadworthy American foot scooter. They aren’t in the same category as Xootr or KickPed, but if you want an air-tire road scooter that’s a true American original, the Amish scooter is a very solid value. ~Bob Dymond

Dave Riley bags his Mibo

Around here, the smallest scooters we generally regard have wheels of twelve inches or larger. (Though this is still rather cool.)

Dave Riley has documented his Mibo experience: Uncrating it, getting to know its quirks, and comparing it to his Kickbike.

So, has he gotten rid of it (“bagged it”)? On the contrary, he’s found the key to traveling with it (as opposed to on it):

At 8 kgm it isn’t especially light but that’s not the primary issue in way of cartage. Unfortunately, the Mibo isn’t a balanced carry and after a distance discomfort can set in.

{snip}

Outside, out and about, the scooter is better riden rather than carried but when folded and ‘ported’ between scoots I find that it is preferable to bag the scooter rather than let it travel naked.

Read “The Mibo Folding Scooter: gets around, folded and bagged” »

Electric vehicle company notices footbikes

This review of the Footbike™ has appeared on The Electric Cyclist | E-Motion Blog. It’s nice when our sport is noticed by those whom we might write off as uninterested.

My first ride, apart from the small 1.3mile push back from the shop was a 14 mile loop. I felt like I’d been using a Footbike for months after this ride out, I didn’t feel lethargic or out of breath like a normal cycle or run routine but quite the opposite and ready to go out again. The FootBike is certainly a great exercise alternative for someone who doesn’t want to use a gym or isn’t keen on running or cycling.

Turns out the E-Motion company also sells Footbikes™. Well, that’s nice, too.