Well, doesn’t time fly when you are having fun and having fun is certainly something I’ve experienced over the past 3 months since I purchasing the Swifty Zero (and 30 days since I bought the Swifty Air). To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a Swifty scooter but any expectations I might have had, have been well and truly exceeded, with flying colours. A Swifty kick scooter is one of the best kept secrets around. And I’ll try my best to tell you why. Though I’m very tempted to keep it all to myself.
The first thing I want to talk about is the simplicity of a Swifty scooter. It’s just so neat, simple and tidy. You have a frame, something to stand on, something to hang onto and a couple of wheels to go round. You do the rest, using your legs to kick along and there’s some brakes to help you stop. No gears to adjust, fiddle with or fail at the worst moment, no pedals to pedal or catch your shins and no seat to give you a sore bottom. About as minimalist as you can get.
I also want to try to convey the overall experience of riding a Swifty scooter. First of all its so smooth that it could almost be akin to flying. A few strong kicks and the scooter seems to roll on forever and it’s almost silent as well, with only a slight swish of the tyres on tarmac. There is also the freedom to ride just about anywhere within reason. Unlike bicycles, which are not allowed on the pavement, kick scooters are not prohibited from pavements, though I would always suggest you ride with some common sense and give way to other pavement users.
With both my Swifty scooters, the build quality is there. The frame and forks are strong, perhaps over-engineered a little, but that’s not a bad thing. The component parts are not top of the range but do what is required of them. In all everything works well, nothing has failed to date and I don’t expect anything to fail anytime soon. It’s a really nice bit of kit, the Swifty scooter.
The next subject I want to look at is exercise. Kick scooting is a great way to get fit. It looks easy and is easy on the flat or when going downhill. Going uphill is another matter entirely. Not only do your legs get a workout but so does your entire upper body as well. Arms, shoulders, stomach and back all come into play. And it’s not just the leg doing the kicking that takes the strain, the other leg also gets a workout, even when not doing the kicking. Of course, you can put as little effort or a much effort as you like into kick scooting, and that’s fine, but to get the most out of your ride put some effort in and you will gain the rewards. Kick scooting is a very underrated form of exercise.
About a month ago I bought my second scooter, a Swifty Air solely for off-road use. I was sceptical at first but you can scoot effectively off-road. Yes, it’s not as good as a mountain bike, can take a lot of effort and the small wheels don’t soak up the bumps like a bicycle does, but somehow it does not seem to matter. You will find yourself carrying the thing at times but the amazing downhills runs later make it well worth the effort.
When you are out and about in a Swifty scooter, there are a few things to should know. Firstly, you will attract both welcome and unwelcome attention, ranging from stunned silence to a wide range of comments, mostly from teenagers whose brains have yet to fully develop. People will come to you and ask all manner of questions. Some dogs will try to chase your wheels, while other dogs with cringe in fear and strain at their leads to get away. Some people will laugh out loud and others will stare at you with a look of anger or annoyance, I’m not sure which or why. Best thing though, and I’m a bloke fast approaching 60 years, is that most women, of all ages, will smile. And that always makes my day, even if they are probable only laughing at me.
Copyright ©2020 Gary Buckham. All rights reserved.
