At Swifty, we love getting feedback from our customers. It's invaluable for us to hear how people are utilising our adult scooters in their daily lives. Our HQ in Salford UK is a world away from the high rise megacity that is New York, but it doesn't mean the benefits of kick scooting are any different.
Allyson lives in New York and got in contact with us a few months ago about our push scooters. She soon joined the Swifty community with a purchase of a SwiftyONE Marine. Unsurprisingly adding a scooter to her daily routine has changed her commute in the Bronx entirely.
While e-scooters remain a hot topic in micromobility, this story shows how not all scooters need an electric motor. Swifty's kick scooters not only provide mobility but they help keep you fit too. Allyson's story is a great example of someone who tried adult kick scooters and hasn't looked back.
Read her full review of her SwiftyONE Marine experience below:
Hi, I'm Allyson, a college English professor and a traditional shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) musician. I'm a New Yorker and originally from The Bahamas. I first learned about Swifty's kick scooters when I happened upon the NYCEWheels SwiftyONE review on YouTube. I was intrigued by the Swifty but initially sceptical about the convenience of the folding/unfolding process. However, the idea that riding a Swifty would involve less kicking was too appealing to ignore. I contacted the Swifty care team members several times for help with making a decision about which one to buy, and the customer service was outstanding: Responses were timely, and the thoughtful replies helped me to recognize what I really need in a kick bike. I decided to purchase a SwiftyONE Marine.
After it arrived (in 5 days), I still wasn’t sold on the convenience of the folding/unfolding process, and I initially carried my Swifty from my apartment to my bus stop every morning. But after a week, I decided to embrace the scoot-commute and ride it. I surprised myself by being able to fold my Swifty, pay for a bus ticket and board my morning bus faster than another commuter who only had to purchase a ticket before boarding.
Because the SwiftyONE is a foldable scooter, I keep it stashed in a corner while I teach. I also have peace of mind regarding bike policies when on the NYC MetroNorth train. And it's convenient on New York City subways on weekends if it's not too crowded. Bus rides have been a bit more problematic in the morning, but I've been riding my Swifty for the last 3 miles to work. I haven’t attempted to take it even partway home by bus after work because the buses have been jam-packed. However, this has been an advantage because it has motivated me to ride the entire 5.4 miles home every day after work since I got it.
Find out more about the benefits of adopting the scoot-commute in our blog HERE
Because of the many differences between a Swifty and my kick scooter with PU wheels, I adjusted to some aspects of my Swifty unexpectedly faster than others. At first, I had reservations about using the handlebar brake because I was accustomed to the back brake on my kick scooter, but I quickly adapted: I found it just as convenient to use. I unconsciously treated my Swifty like my other kick scooter, and it took a few days for me to realize that kicking requires a much lighter touch. The Swifty is faster and does glide for much, much longer distances. Unlike my other push scooter, it takes far less effort to go downhill: I typically just have to slightly push off and hold on until it picks up speed. For about 2 weeks the Swifty seemed like almost more scooter than I could handle (perhaps because I'm 5ft tall). But at the beginning of week 3, riding it suddenly felt natural.
I've been riding my Swifty 5 - 6 days a week since it arrived 6 weeks ago, and wherever I go, it generates a great deal of interest. The smoothness of the ride has exceeded my expectations. Riding over a severely neglected section of a bike path for the first time was somewhat like an out of body experience: I was shocked that the ride was so easy and stable and that the tires could more than handle the broken, pitted and gravely surface.
The Swifty is such a stable kick scooter that within 2 weeks I overcame my initial rejection of switching feet for kicking and gliding. The traction on the deck is fantastic, and I love that the deck has small holes spaced throughout it: At first, I'd only been using them as a guide for determining where to place my non-dominant foot whenever I stopped to switch feet, but now I'm also using the holes as a guide for determining where to place my dominant foot. Because they've been so helpful for consistent and accurate foot placement, I'm much better at keeping both feet next to each other on the deck when I glide.
Last Mile to Work: Bronx NY
Throughout my life, I've engaged in high impact activities like tennis, judo, and aerobics and low impact ones like power walking. In my mid-50s, I was sidelined by an ankle injury and after 4 years of searching for another form of exercise, I decided to try active scooting; however, after 9 weeks I was becoming discouraged: My previous kick scooter wasn’t comfortable for long distances, and it wasn’t suitable for the variable weather conditions and terrain of my commute. Thankfully, the Swifty easily handles neglected New York City sidewalks and bike paths in dry and wet conditions, and I'm securely on track to returning to my previous level of fitness.
I do find riding an active scooter to be quite challenging, but I’m so encouraged by my Swifty experiences: I sing as I ride it to work. And I've been riding on the Hudson River Greenway bike path in Manhattan on weekends for longer distances and exploring New York City to a much greater extent. Riding on my Swifty is such a pleasure.
I’m determined to continue increasing my level of fitness so that I can commute both to and from work entirely on my Swifty, complete the total length of the Hudson River Greenway bike path, and become fit enough to take advantage of the beautiful bike trails in upstate New York.
Hudson River Greenway
Many thanks to Allyson for this lovely review, it's great for us to learn about our customers and hear the ways our adult scooters are positively affecting their lives, it's why we do what we do!
You can more about what our customers have to say about their Swifty Scooters on Trustpilot, Google Reviews.
Hello. I just read this incredible journal entry by Allyson. I too live in NYC and recently I was riding my own kick scooter past the Christmas trees lined up in front of my neighborhood grocery store in Inwood. I blinked and there it was, a Swifty One Marine in front of my eyes. It glimmered and shined like a present from Santa. This was my lucky day and I seized the opportunity to talk to the person riding it and that person was none other than… Allyson from the Bronx. Let me just say that Allyson was just lovely but being a wise and wary New Yorker when I pleaded with Allyson to let me try it she reluctantly agreed to let me have a push on it, that’s right, one push. To the Christmas trees and back. As soon as I pushed off I flew like Santa’s sleigh and a second later Allyson called me to come back. When I turned around I got a second push on the Swifty so that was more than I had hoped for. Though the ride was short it was enough to convince me that Swifty makes the best scooters in the world. I want to say thank you to Swifty and most of all I want to say thank you to Allyson for trusting me with her treasure and for making my Miracle at 207th Street come true. Now on to the Swifty One Graphene.
David Hunter on