With quite a few miles clocked up on both the Swifty Air and Swifty Zero, one part in particular is showing signs of wear and tear, the scooter deck, though more accurately the griptape on the scooter deck. Each deck has a smooth area corresponding to where the balls of the foot contact. They are not dangerously worn but I have noticed my foot slipping occasionally when wet or in muddle conditions, so time to replace them.
Spares were readily sourced from Swifty Scooters and after checked them for fit, I set about the job of installing them. First task was to completely remove the existing worn griptape. Having some experience of removing griptape – I have such tape on the pedals of my bicycles – the best way to do this is to warm up the tape first, using either a hairdryer or hot air paint stripped. Be careful with the latter as it will also remove paint from the frame if held in the same place too long.A good tip is to protect the frame with some old rags.
Gently heat the tape and once softened, it will peel away fairly easily, although the worn areas take the most effort. Once everything is removed, starting at the front of the scooter, remove the protective backing for about 50 mm and carefully line up with the scooter deck. You really only get once shot at this as it not easy to remove once stuck down. Gently and slowly, apply the griptape, peeling back the backing as you go. There are plenty of holes in the scooter deck to help you align the new griptape. Finally, press all areas firmly to ensure good adhesion.
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