Yes! Here we give you some tips so that you can continue to enjoy the electric scooter during the cold season.
Walking is not the same as riding an electric scooter or bike when we are at temperatures close to 0 ° C. For example, the speed makes the wind go through our coats, between the buttons, without forgetting that it is riskier to use these methods of transport when there are wet roads or even patches of ice.
Perhaps you have already thought of more than one occasion: How cold to go on a scooter! or my fingers are freezing!
Winter may not be the best time to use the electric scooter unless you live in cities where winter is very benevolent. Still, we will not fall into the custom applied to bicycles: Thinking that electric scooters are only for the summer.
Not! Electric scooters are for the whole year! We must adapt our clothing to the weather and consider some extra safety tips to enjoy your scooter at any time.
Tips for driving your electric scooter in winter
Have the Kings left you an electric scooter? Perfect, welcome to the Skateboard generation! Now you are one of the thousands of fans of sustainable mobility and, without a doubt, one of the most efficient forms of transportation.
The ideal would be to start electric scootering in good weather. All the difficulties added for safety and comfort are not added to riding an electric scooter in adverse weather, but nothing that prevents you from enjoying your new scooter. We give you the following tips and see how difficulties are overcome without much difficulty or expense.
The most important points are:
- cold
- The rain
- Poor visibility
- longer time without sunlight *
- less space to react to other vehicles with which you share the road
Bundle up nicely so that the icy wind does not affect you. You also have to know how to place the clothes against the cold to work correctly. A scarf and a pair of gloves are your best friends when using your scooter in winter.
You also have to protect your electric scooter because the battery is affected by low temperatures. The tire pressure that goes down with the cold loses performance and efficiency and becomes less firm when driving.
Exposing your scooter for a long period to extreme cold could damage the batteries. These can lose a lot of capacity and even cause permanent damage due to freezing. So be careful where you park your scooter.
There is a silent danger for everyone who drives an electric scooter, and the cold exacerbates that! They are slippery areas, so when you see a sign or paint on the pavement, prepare to pass a very slippery area, slow down and focus on what you have in front and the sides. In cold and wet, always avoid going over sewers. They are very slippery and create black ice very easily.
1. Protect your body
Many accidents can’t be avoided even if you take precautions. That’s why wearing protective helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads is essential. Always wear elbow and knee pads to protect sensitive skin from scratches and scrapes in these areas. Gloves are also a better option to provide a good grip on the handlebars.
2. Check the tires
Never forget to check the tires before you set out on a ride. Specifically, it is mandatory to check the air pressure in the tires. Constantly check the treads for wear. Replace them if necessary.
3. Focus while you ride
It’s easy to lose focus on your surroundings when you’re driving. Pay attention to pedestrians, oncoming traffic, and other obstacles. It would help if you were very careful to avoid accidents. Follow the rules and regulations, follow people’s paths, and stay out of the way of infested areas.
4. Be aware of barriers
Barriers can be potholes, bumps, and crevices. These are some of the main reasons for e-bike accidents. Concentrate on riding or slow down and stop if necessary. Ideally, the key is to stay calm and slowly decrease your speed until you come to a complete stop. If stopping is not possible, immediately move to a less busy area or away from traffic. Also, watch out for puddles. Puddles may seem harmless, but they can be pretty dangerous. They can hide holes and other crevices that could lead to serious injury.
5. Avoid slippery surfaces
Be careful when riding an e-bike on slippery and wet surfaces such as marble tiles, metal surfaces, wet streets, and muddy sidewalks. Water makes it harder for the tires to hold your scooter, reduces friction between the tires and the road, and can potentially cause injury. Always keep your speed down when riding in wet conditions.
6. Don’t ride during thunderstorms
Rain and thunderstorms can make riding an electric scooter dangerous. However, stop riding immediately and rush to a shelter if an electrical storm occurs. Lightning is extremely dangerous, especially when riding an electric scooter.
7. RTM (Read the manual)
A lot of work is involved in ensuring that manuals are informative, concise, accurate, and easy to read. Manuals should contain information on assembly, operation, maintenance, and more. Reading the manual is the first and foremost step in becoming familiar with all the controls on your e-scooter.
8. Understand your state and local laws
Whether you can legally operate your electric scooter depends entirely on state and local laws. Your state may allow e-scooters, but your city may not. Ask yourself important questions to understand state and local laws regarding electric bikes. All of these issues are decided at the state or local level. It’s best to be aware of them all.
- Can you ride on the sidewalk?
- Can you ride in the bike lanes?
- Can you cross at intersections?
- Do you need a valid driver’s license?
9. Use hand signals
Be aware of your surroundings. The environmental awareness part also includes hand signals to passers-by. Turning left, turning right, or stopping are some of the electronic signals made by arm movements.
The signals vary from community to community or region to region. You can also signal a right turn by extending your left arm.
Hand signals to use when riding an electric scooter
Be sure to quickly glance behind you to see if there are any pedestrians before you make a turn. And also, be very careful because not you can ride every electric scooter with one hand.
10. Avoid adverse driving conditions
Unfavorable conditions may be natural, or it may be rough roads, low light, crowds, and uneven surfaces. Although most electric scooters are equipped with LED headlights, it is always best to avoid low light conditions whenever possible, as it becomes difficult to see what is in front of you, especially when traveling at more than 10, 11, and 12 mph. Also, electric scooters work best on flat, level pavement. Stay away from steep hills, grades, and uneven pavement.
Accessories To Have A Comfortable Scooter Ride In Winter
Gloves
The gloves must be well adapted to the scooter, well insulated and waterproof, allowing you to grip the handlebar firmly, do not slip (2), that they fit well in size so that your hands do not get tired or numb due to bad circulation,
The glove must overlap with your jacket, and you must leave out the skirt (3) of the glove, so the wind will continue long and will not try to force its entry into the sleeve of your jacket and the wrist
- 1. Raincoats and wear protection
- 2. Improved grip
- 3. Skirt to cover jacket sleeve
If you want to use your normal winter gloves, there are tricks to improve their operation. The first thing is to prevent them from getting wet. Wet gloves are unbearable in low temperatures. In case of emergency, you can use a pair of disposable gloves. So take some in your backpack for emergencies, and do not forget to put them in the appropriate recycling bin when you do not use them anymore.
Face protection
With the freezing wind, your face and neck will also be essential to protect, you may feel comfortable with a hat and your sweatshirt, but at 30 km/h, the cold wind will make them disappear, and you will feel naked in a few minutes. Therefore A good Balaclava is ideal for this function. They are inexpensive and allow comfortable wearing: the helmet and protective glasses.
- Good mouth and nose protection
- Long enough to overlap with the jacket
If not? Try covering your mouth with a scarf or buff, and wear something under the helmet.
Glasses
Glasses for industrial use or safety are cheap and work well in these cases.
Jacket
The ideal jacket should be a light windbreaker type. Remember to wear something reflective when it gets dark, such as road safety vests. There are regulations in cities that demand it all the time.
Lights
It is crucial to have lighting on your scooter to see and be seen. There are very cheap rechargeable lights that you can place on the helmet and the handlebar without neglecting your back. Use red lights at the back and sides forever to be easily recognized by other vehicles and pedestrians. And other tips to protect your scooter:
Avoid ice sheets, and avoid slipping:
If you live in very cold areas, you may have small ice sheets on the asphalt first thing in the morning. These slip and can cause you to fall, so you should learn to avoid them and not ride over them.
I hope that these tips have helped you, that you use your scooter in winter, and contribute to reducing the pollution of our planet. Remember, the electric scooter is a solution, do not make it a problem for yourself or others.