FREESTYLE SCOOTERS FOR BEGINNERS
WHO IS A BEGINNER?
Freestyle scooters for beginners are intended for riders who meet the following criteria:
Age: 6 to 12 years
Rider weight: up to 40 kg
It is important to realize that damage to beginner scooters occurs primarily as a result of performing tricks incorrectly or performing tricks for which the scooter is not intended.
For beginners, by the nature of things, performing tricks incorrectly is a common occurrence. Therefore, it is important to perform or learn only those tricks for which the scooter is designed.
PROPER USE OF BEGINNER SCOOTERS
1. Beginner scooters are designed for practicing basic tricks such as bunny hops, tailwhips, 180s, and barspins, as well as for practicing basic movements in a skatepark and, last but not least, for practicing basic street tricks such as grinds & slides.
2. Furthermore, these scooters are intended for riding in a skatepark where the rider follows the surface of obstacles, i.e., radii, fun boxes, pyramids, bowls, etc.
3. And finally, beginner scooters are intended for normal riding outside of skateparks. However, it is desirable for beginners to ride on a smooth and clean surface (remember that stones, glass, and other debris damage the wheels).
IMPROPER USE OF BEGINNER SCOOTERS
1. Jumping from heights greater than 20 cm
2. Frequent grinding
3. Lending the scooter to older friends
4. Long and continuous braking
5. Riding with a scooter that has loose parts (loose wheels, loose headset).
6. Riding in water, in the rain, or in wet conditions
CHOOSING A BEGINNER SCOOTER
You will not find "beginner" scooters in the Gizmania e-shop. Do not be misled, however. This is because we only offer quality products and assume that our customer will be actively involved in freestyle scootering for some time. Therefore, we have our freestyle scooters divided according to their primary usage. Of course, you can also choose a scooter based on the "Rider Skill" parameter, i.e., "intermediate" or "advanced" rider. In this case, use the filter and select the desired skill level. If your child is a complete beginner, choose a scooter from the "universal scooters" category and then select the "intermediate" value in the filter.
Freestyle scootering is no different from other sports. Approximately one in five beginners stays with the sport and pursues freestyle scootering for a longer period. Many children stop after their first scooter and do not continue with the sport.
Important note: If your child is athletic, already participates in a sport regularly, and it is assumed they will take up freestyle scootering, then the question arises: is it worth buying a basic scooter at all?
An athletic child who practices freestyle scootering several times a week, perhaps as a secondary sport, will soon reach the limits of the cheapest scooters. Motivated children learn quickly.
Transitioning from a basic scooter to a higher-quality one is a chapter of its own. We do not sell these cheap, basic scooters in the Gizmania e-shop; however, they are available in many stores, especially in retail chains selling sporting goods. These basic, cheap scooters often use a different compression system than all other scooters. Upgrading a cheap scooter to a higher-quality one is relatively expensive and basically not economically justified.
WE VERY OFTEN ENCOUNTER THE FOLLOWING SITUATION:
Basic scooters mostly use a threaded & non-integrated headset, 100 mm diameter wheels, and a fork that is only compatible with 100 mm diameter wheels.
Parents ask:
“My child destroyed the plastic wheels in a few months and now wants 110 mm wheels with an aluminum core.”
Our answer:
“It’s not worth it. The upgrade will be very expensive and will exceed the value of your current scooter many times over. In addition to the wheels, you would also need a new threadless fork. The cost of the upgrade will be at least 2,500 CZK. What are the solutions? Either get 100 mm wheels again or sell your current scooter and buy one that meets your new requirements.”