Hi, please could someone with knowledge of different makes/models help me select which folding electric scooter to buy under US$1,000 that optimizes both portability and smooth ride. Keep reading if you want more details, but those are the main points. I greatly appreciate your advice!!
I am a 115lb, 5′7″ not-very-sporty adult woman, and I need it to commute a 3mi distance twice a day - sounds very basic but there are a few caveats. I need to be able to carry it up the stairs to my apartment so under 30lb ideally (might be able to do up to 40lb if I really have to). Sounds easy and there are a hundred scooters meeting the above criteria. But it is steep up/downhill on terrible bumpy roads/sidewalks/paths with pebbles/sticks/etc. Off-road capability is ideal (but not my main goal) because then I can also use the trail shortcuts. I won’t be going in pouring rain but there might be a chance of occasional small puddle.
After much research, but no personal experience whatsoever (never even ridden an electric bike or a skateboard in my life!) I bought a beautiful blue Unagi 500. I took it to work and back and in summary, it was a terribly bumpy ride. So I returned it to the store and am back to the drawing board armed with newfound experience.
It handled the incline slope just fine, the battery power was sufficient (2 bars out of 5 remained when I arrived at work), the steering and braking and headlight were good enough, the fender was sufficient for blocking splashes from a few puddles, I rode pretty well at speeds of 7-14 mi/h (nearly zero on uphills though) using the beginner mode with single engine, and by the time I was done with work, it was fully charged and ready to go. It was very heavy for me (just under 30lb, a bit awkward to carry without any handle, I suppose I’ll develop one bulging bicep soon). I noticed the lack of perks some other scooters advertise (cruise control, removable battery, key, theft alarm, anchor for a lock, turn signal lights, deck light, kick start, phone app, USB phone charger, etc) but to be honest, I’m happy having a low price point in return, if I must. I’m not sure if I’m interested in having a seat or not and the three and four wheel scooters sound cool but again not sure if that’s the way to go. I’m not obsessed with what lights and horn it has since I can always add those later. I definitely want to avoid it breaking on me, especially while I’m commuting to work, like getting a flat tire or other failure (I won’t be carrying a tool kit everywhere I go!). It sounds like I need air tyres and/or hydraulic piston suspension to help me navigate the sidewalk/driveway/road junctions, cracks in the road, debris on the path (there was a lot of junk because of recent bad weather so I actually had to walk the scooter a lot of the way). But I never crashed, otherwise I wouldn’t be considering buying a replacement scooter!
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. The parking lot at my work place has been closed for construction so I’m needing a new way to get to work! Also better for the environment and the fresh air and scenery are a nice way to start the day. I’m looking forward to making this feasible with the right choice of investment!