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Comment by burlesona | Hacker News Reader

I base this on the experience of my wife and young kids trying them out. I love biking and do it all the time, but they don’t. To me biking feels glued to the road. To them it feels like sitting on a wobbly rail. When they tried the scooters the first time it was like a revelation, “wow this is so easy!”

So, anecdotal, but I’ve heard this from others as well.

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Sure, it's easier to just jump on and go, but there are huge limitations compared to bicycles. In addition to what I mentioned, you just can't go very fast nor very far. When the battery runs out, it's a really crap form of locomotion. At least when an e-bike runs out, you've still got a (somewhat heavy) bike :-)

sure but when the e-scooter runs out, you just leave it on the sidewalk and you still have your LEGS. With a bike you still have the bike.

And the GP is right, many people have real issues with bikes, they're harder to do right. Scooters are easier because of their limitations for many. I feel the safety (frequent crashes) is because people underestimate their safety and ease of use at speed. They're great when you're going at running speed or less for obvious reasons. People super mis-estimate how fast they can run tho, and if you get off one at the wrong speed you're taking a header. Bikes are easier to control in a run-away, but only if you know how to do it.

You won't just leave your own scooter behind on the sidewalk. Conversely, you could just as well leave a dockless rental bike behind.

Or you continue riding the bike, without e-assist.

The folding scooters(which do come in e-form) strike a good balance between transportation and transportable: You can take them on transit, and carry them inside. Folding and unfolding - on well designed examples, with a bit of practice - can be accomplished in seconds. Walking a bike really doesn't compare. I see non-folding e-scooters as a category restricted to "stunt users" (who need the extra structural integrity) and "rental companies" - who, as we know, are going to encourage leaving them on the sidewalk.

Electric skateboards and roller skates can boast being even lighter, but most folks will gravitate away from them as a commute device since maintaining control is much more difficult.

I'm not opposed to scooters, they're quite fun. However, from a practicality point of view of everyday transport, shopping etc., a bike is simply superior.

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