Scooters the Terminology

Settembre 7, 2020 admin 0 commenti

I thought a kids’ scooter was just that, a kids’ scooter; you went out choose your model and bingo, you have a great scooter, but according to my kids this is not the case. Once we have the chosen one we then have to customise it to get it the best it can be. I was pretty lost at first when my kids started talking about clamps, decks and pegs to go on the scooter, but now I can almost talk to them about the latest wheels or new deck tape. So for newbies to the scooter world or us mums out there who need to be in the know below is a breakdown of the more common scooter terms.

ABEC Bearings

Are you confused about what an ABEC rating means? ABEC is an acronym for Annular Bearing Engineering Committee of the AFBMA (Anti-Friction Bearing Manufacturers Association Inc). The ABEC grades of bearings, is a set of standards for the manufacturing tolerances of bearings. All quality manufacturers around the world manufacture to at least ABEC 1 standard. You will get ABEC ratings of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. The higher the rating the better the bearings, that said as these bearing standards also apply to anything with bearings in them, like cars, unless you are able to scoot faster than a racing car anything above ABEC1 will not affect your speed. What will affect your speed is how you look after your wheels and bearings. Regularly oil or grease the bearings to maintain life and keep you scooting as fast as you can.

PU wheels and Urethane wheels.

PU stands for Polyurethane. Polyurethane is a high-grade thermoplastic elastomer, bridging the gap between rubber and traditional thermoplastic wheels. They are often used on scooters because they are stronger and smoother. Urethane wheels will give a very long service life as urethane has good abrasion resistance, with brilliant grip with the ground, but will glide when you push, so although they are solid you are still able to get some speed behind you. If you are seeking a high performance wheel a clear wheel will be best as it has had no dyes or pigments added that can affect the properties of urethane.

The Deck and Grip Tape

This is the part of the scooter that the rider stands on, called the deck, deck plate or foot plate. You can buy new decks from most brands of scooters. Grip tape is cut to fit the deck of the scooter to give better grip to the rider and comes in a wide variety of colours and patterns.

Collar Clamps and Pegs

Collar Clamps sit at the base of the scooter bars and give a scooter extra strength in this area which is especially important when performing tricks and stunts. Clamps come in different levels from a single to a quad clamp, depending on the extra strength required. Clamps come in various colours, brands and sizes. Some kids make a statement and stack several clamps on their scooter bar. Before purchasing new clamps make sure they will fit the scooter bar, as scooters bars and clamps come in different sizes. Scooter pegs are also referred to as stunt pegs they are positioned on the front or rear of the scooter by being threaded onto the wheels. They help the rider perform difficult or new stunts and tricks.

Electric Scooters

These are a range of scooters that are powered by a motor, with a thumb throttle to start it up. Most of the electric scooters for kids around today are eco-friendly and best of all quite. They can travel at speeds of up to 15 miles per hour and can last around 40 minutes of continuous use when fully charged. Some brands even offer folding handlebars for easy storage. They are great fun for kids and adults alike but will not let you perform the tricks or stunts of a push scooter.

Source by Claire Haley