Winter may be coming, but that doesn’t mean your scooter riding days are over. Whether you’re commuting to work or taking a trip on the weekend, riding in winter can be challenging, no thanks to the cold, snowy, wet and sometimes windy weather conditions.
Aside from being exhilarating, it also comes with its own set of risks and dangers. But not to worry, as long as you take the necessary safety precautions and prepare yourself as well as your scooter for the harsh weather, there’s no reason why you can’t still enjoy your electric scooter during the winter months. Here’s what to know and do before hitting the slopes or streets with that scooter during the cold, snowy and dark winter days.
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How to Ensure Your Protection During the Winter
First of all, make sure that you have your protective gear on before venturing out to the roads or streets. Riding an electric scooter during the winter can be especially dangerous if you don’t wear the proper safety gear for extra protection - you never know what might happen. The first thing that you should do is get a properly-fitting helmet for head protection in case of a terrible fall. You need your safety gloves as well because frozen fingers are not only painful but also tricky for steering and braking.
It’s also important to wear reflective clothing while riding in order to be as visible as possible. Also, remember to wear your knee pads, elbow pads and other items that will give you an extra layer of protection. The reason for this emphasis is that falls, and non-fatal crashes are pretty common during the winter. And although you’ll be applying extra riding precautions to avoid those, it’s better to always be extra-protected.
It seems like common sense, but wearing the wrong clothes can make your ride uncomfortable and it’ll also take a negative toll on your health. So wear at least two thin layers of clothing and then a super thick one for extra protection. Wool is an excellent choice for inner wear because it absorbs more moisture than synthetic fabrics do.
You can also wear arm warmers, neck gaiter, and the likes. The essence of wearing warm clothing when riding is to offer you warmth against the harsh and intense cold that would surely come your way during the ride.
Riding an electric scooter during the winter requires complete awareness of your path and surroundings. Since it gets pretty dark during the winter, you would need to pay great attention to the road and your surroundings while riding. For instance, other vehicles might lose control, which is pretty common during this period, and head towards you. You should be aware of the situation fast enough to act and avoid a collision. You should also be on the lookout for slippery or solid ice that can make you lose control.
While riding on sidewalks and streets, you also need to be sure that your path is clear; you don’t want to collide with other road users just because it’s dark. Also, look out for reflectors to be sure that pedestrians aren’t on your path. This is especially important if you are in a populated area.
It’s also crucial that you ride slower than you would when the ground is all dry and firm. With the roads being wet and slippery, you don’t want to ride at crazy high speeds only to have a terrible fall or collide with pedestrians/other motorists. The faster you go, the harder it is to stop or gain control. That’s why you need to ride at a slow pace. At all times, your speed should be within reasonable limits so you can hit the brakes without much ado when need be.
Yes, you should also avoid sharp turns, even if you are an expert rider. When riding your scooter during the winter, you should avoid sharp manoeuvres and sudden movements that may lead to losing control. With the road being icy/wet, steering is much more challenging.
Going riding with the roads all covered in snow can seem fun, but you need to think it through because it can be challenging trying to manoeuvre the scooter tires on snow. The snow can easily make your tires lose their grip, and of course, that results in a fall.
Although off-roading scooters can easily overcome all terrains, including snowed-in routes, it is not recommended that you ride on heavy snow. You should follow bike or car trails that have pushed the snow out of the way. And after heavy snowfalls, your best bet is to ride on paths and roads that have been gritted (spread with salt) or ploughed.
Additional Tips for Your Scooter
The importance of bright scooter lights cannot be overemphasized, especially during the dark winter days. The ideal lights for the winter should be bright enough to get the attention of oncoming traffic and pedestrians while also performing the function of illuminating your path. Even if your scooter’s lights are bright, you can still consider installing additional ones to give you enough visibility.
The cold weather can take a massive toll on your electric scooter’s battery, so be sure to check its functionality status before you leave the house. The last thing you want is to be stranded out in the cold because your scooter battery stopped working abruptly. You should never forget to keep it charged even when not in use. Be sure it never completely drains out.
To prevent mud and snow from being sprayed on your clothes during rides, you should consider installing fenders on your electric scooter.
You might not need to clean your scooter often during other seasons, but this is crucial during the winter. It is better to clean the scooter after every use during the winter to avoid debris getting stuck in and damaging your scooter’s components.
