Winter Tips for Kick-Scooter Riders – Winter Proof Your Scooter

Using your scooter during the cold and dark winter months might evoke some mixed emotions. But the cold weather changes shouldn't stop you from riding outside!

Especially in the winter, it’s important to stay active and luckily for you, all Swifty models have been designed to be all-weather scooters! These aim to help you stay safe and warm on your winter kick scooter adventures!

Shop Our Big Wheel Adult Scooters

Stay Motivated

Finding the motivation to go outside in the cold to scoot can be tricky. Remember that even if it’s cold outside, exercising warms you up! Get moving and get your circulation flowing. Finding a kind of exercise that you enjoy helps you to remain motivated; just because the weather is colder the benefits of scooting don't change! Finding a buddy to exercise with might also be what you're needing to get you outside!

If you're a lone scoot-er one way to boost your motivation is to join our Strava Fitness club. On Strava, you can track your scooter journeys, share pictures with other members and motivate each other to stay active this winter. Find our Strava Scooter Club here. Unfortunately there isn't a 'scooter' category on Strava currently so most people seem to log the exercise as a bike ride!

Can't get outside but still want to improve you scooting technique? Try out top indoor scooter training exercises

Make Sure You're Visible

The days are slowly getting longer, but the mornings and evenings are still very dark. It’s important to be seen by pedestrians or cars when crossing the street, especially in the dark.

We'd recommend to scoot in areas that are well lit to make sure you're as visible as can be. However we know that often the quickest ways to get home are to head through some unlit paths and alleys.

To stay safe wherever you're riding make sure to fit a front light on your scooter and attach a rear light to your backpack.

You can shop our range of lights for both the front and rear of your scooter HERE

Our scooters already come with a reflective strip on the side of the tyre but if you’re out early in the morning or later at night, it’s also a good idea to add some sort of reflective clothing to your scooting outfit. This will maximise your visibility during the darker times of the day.

Adjust Your Scooter Riding Technique

The best to ride a kick scooter in the summer can be somewhat different to how you ride it in wet winter months. You'll obviously have to be cautious and pay close attention to the road

We suggest doing shorter pushes more often to make sure you're as grounded as can be. Keep swapping legs as normal to get a feeling for the ground either side of you.

We'd also recommend less time freewheeling with both your feet on the footplate. It's ideal to have a leg ready to stabilise you if you hit a particularly slippery patch!

Dress Up Warm 

Being weather conscious is another must for scooter riders. Before going out, always check the weather and dress appropriately. Even though your body will heat up by exercising it, your fingers, nose, chin and ears will stay cold in the icy winter wind so don't neglect your extremities!

Always wear a pair of gloves to keep your fingers warm, a scarf for neck coverage or a jacket that you can zip up to your chin and something to protect your ears (like a headband). Wear multiple thin layers of clothing to insulate your body and stay warm. 

BEST SHOES FOR KICK-SCOOTING FOR ALL TYPES OF WEATHER

Wet Weather Proof Your Scooter and Yourself

Just like you winter-proof your car by filling up the anti-freeze and changing your summer tyres to winter tyres, your scooter needs some winter loving too. Winter equals wet and cold weather.

The mud, dirt, and grit on the pavements come up from the rotating scooter tyres and can get on the scooter and onto the rider. That’s why it’s time to take out the mudguards again!

A mudguard protects you from all the debris, which is especially useful on wet and muddy roads. You can get mudguards for your folding SwiftyONE, fitness SwiftyZERO or adventure SwiftyAIR.

If you use your scooter for commuting and you take your scooter onto the train or tram with you, bring a rain cover. Fold your scooter as you’d normally fold it, put it into the rain cover and protect yourself and other commuters from the rain and dirt.

Because winter can also be quite wet, prepare yourself with an extra waterproof layer of clothing. Fit a lightweight, waterproof jacket into your bag in case the weather changes for the worse. One of our favourite brands for warm, waterproof clothing is Mountain Equipment. Make sure to be wearing a pair of shoes with enough grip and that is made for wet weather. Approach shoes or trail running shoes would be a good pick.

New to scooting and got a few queries about it? We've answered Google’s Top 10 Questions about Adult Scooters for you!

Safety Checks 

Before hitting the road, always make a basic check of your scooter. Check the tyre pressure, check if the brakes are working properly and check all quick-release levers are fully closed and tightened. You can always ask your local bike shop for advice or send us a message if you’re struggling. These checks are always recommended, but especially in the wet winter months, it’s a must!

Wet weather = dirt on the pavement = a dirty scooter. This time of year it’s extra important to clean your scooter regularly. This won’t only allow you to show off your scooter’s stylish features, it also prolongs the life of your scooter.

In winter, salt and grit are spread across the roads, but these can corrode the steel parts of the scooter if not looked after properly.

To clean your scooter, you can use soap and water and a non-abrasive sponge or plastic brush. Clean off the debris and keep your ride smooth.

Check Your Scooter's Tyres

Are your tyres still suitable for the weather? Your scooter wheels might have served you well in the drier months but as we head further into winter you could suddenly find yourself riding in the snow so it's worth making sure they can handle it!

If you’re a frequent scooter rider, you might notice that your tyres have worn down a bit. Check if the tyre treads depth is still okay and consider changing the tyres if you can see visible wear and tear to maximise your grip.

You can get new tyres for your adult scooter here.

Even though all Swifty tyres come with the highest level of puncture protection, being prepared is always better than being sorry. Because extra grit is being spread to give you extra grip on the wet pavements or in the snow, punctures are more likely to happen. Pop a lever patch kit in your bag, just in case.

Want to know more about what scooter tyre and tyre pressure is best for your needs? Learn all about it HERE

Do A Quick Warm Up

The first time hopping on your scooter in the morning can catch you off guard sometimes, we all need a bit of warming up before we hit our stride. Take a couple of moments to get yourself moving and activate your scooting muscles before setting off on your journey.

A warm up doesn't need to take a big chunk out of your day, even a minute beforehand of moving will prepare your body for activity and reduce and chances of injury.

To give you some guidance on what kind of movements can prepare yourself for a scoot watch Alex Lawson's warm up video below, it only takes a minute!

Let us know if there's anything you do to keep safe and motivated in Winter!