Deck material
The weight of the scooter, its strength and resistance to stress depend on the material of the deck. In modern models, the following options can be used:
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Plastic. In scooters, this material belongs to the entry-level. The strength of plastic is low, it is not designed for heavy weight and serious loads — and, therefore, it is found mainly in models of the younger age group and the classic type (see above). On the other hand, in this category, plastic shows itself at its best: it can have almost any colour and pattern, it weighs a little, and it is inexpensive.
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Aluminium. Aluminium-based alloys combine strength, resistance to stress and low weight, due to which they are quite popular as a material among all types of scooters (see above).
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Steel. The main advantage of steel is its high strength, exceeding even aluminium, not to mention plastic. On the other hand, this material has a large weight and therefore is used less often than others, mainly in bicycle scooters (see "Type") of the older age group.
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Magnesium alloy. A fairly advanced material that combines very low weight with high strength and elasticity. At the same time, its cost is also quite high. Therefore, magnesium frames can be found mainly in expensive premium models.
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Carbon. Thi
...s term usually refers to carbon fibre — carbon fibre in combination with a polymer filler. Carbon is considered a premium material: its strength is comparable to steel, and its weight is much less. However, such material is sensitive to point impacts — cracks may appear from them. However, in general, such a “trouble” requires a rather unfortunate set of circumstances. But one of the unequivocal disadvantages of carbon can be called a high cost. In addition, we note that this material is used mainly in electric scooters (see "Type") — for other varieties, for several reasons, it is easier to use more affordable materials, even if we are talking about an expensive and high-quality model.Clamp
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2 bolts. 2-bolt clamp — such clamps are typical for entry-class scooters. A 2-bolt clamp usually connects steering elements in city scooters. M8 threaded fasteners are most often used as bolts. The 2-bolt connection is ill-suited to resist loose fasteners.
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3 bolts. Clamp for 3 bolts — this clamp allows you to more or less securely fix the steering elements. Scooters with a 3-bolt clamp are usually considered stunt scooters but belong to the entry-level class. The 3-bolt fastening allows the clamp to prevent loosening in the connection.
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4 bolts. 4 bolt clamp — this category of clamps is typical for good stunt scooters. Such a connection allows you to securely fix the steering elements. The presence of 4 fixation points allows the connection to resist loosening well, and the bolts in such clamps are slightly subject to self-loosening.
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5 bolts. The 5-bolt clamp is a quality clamping solution found on advanced stunt scooters. The presence of 5 fixation points allows you to securely fix the steering wheel in the desired position. The 5-bolt clamp will not allow play to appear in the connection. Such clamps can maintain the degree of tightening of fasteners even under high-vibration loads.
Bearing
Bearings that the scooter is equipped with. This paragraph usually indicates not the model/brand, but the class of bearings according to the ABEC standard. Standard options for modern scooters are
ABEC 5,
ABEC 7, and
ABEC 9 ; the higher the number, the higher the quality and accuracy of the part.
There is an opinion that better bearings allow you to accelerate better and go faster. This is partly true, but acceleration and speed are highly dependent on a number of other points — the size and material of the wheels, the weight of the scooter, etc. So models with bearings of the same class can differ markedly in speed characteristics. But what this indicator unambiguously affects is durability and price: high accuracy affects the cost, but such bearings last longer and carry loads better.
Also note that for relatively simple use, ABEC 5 class bearings are quite enough. It makes sense to specifically look for a model with ABEC 7 or ABEC 9 only if you need a scooter for advanced stunts or professional high-speed riding. However, if the selected model has high-quality bearings, it will not be worse from them anyway.
Max. height
The maximum height to which the height-adjustable handlebar can be set (or just the height of the handlebar in the working position, if height adjustment is not provided).
The height of the handlebars should be such that the rider can stand on the deck straight, without bending his back, and hold on to the handles with slightly bent arms. At the same time, there is no unambiguous relationship between this parameter and the height of the rider. So the perfect option to determine the optimal height is to try it yourself, and then choose a scooter based on the result.
Footspace
This term refers to the useful area of the deck on which you can put your foot. It is size without taking into account the folding mechanism, wheel fastening and other elements that are not intended for the leg.