I want to talk to you about my Razor A5 Lux Scooter. I’ve been commuting with it for a year and I just wanted to share a few thoughts about what I learned from doing that.
Is it a toy? Yes. That’s what makes it so much fun. It’s one of the best adult kick scooters for commuting. You can do some serious commuting with this scooter.
How fast is it? I average about 9 to 10 miles per hour but it depends a lot on the quality of the road.
Which skills are important? To me changing feet and stop in. Because of my large feet, I find that the heel and toe method of changing feet works best.
To stop I dragged my foot like a skateboarder. This saves wear and tear in the rear wheel and works better in the rain.
Handlebars
The take-apart handlebars started feeling loose so I replaced them with a solid wooden dowel. I also made the handlebar a little bit narrower. They’re held in place with countersunk screws. The quick-release for the handlebar height adjustment works just fine. I’ve never had any problems with it.
The headset works fine too. You actually don’t need to turn the front wheel very much to turn the scooter. Even though the handlebar clamp only has one screw if you tighten it down everything stays aligned.
Wheels
Replacing the bearings will get you another mile-per-hour. I’ve had good results with Dragon fireball indoor bearings. These wheels are solid polyurethane but you can see that they get cut up by the glass and other debris. This makes the wheels noisy and I’ve already swapped out my first set of wheels. I’ve tried using superglue to repair some of the damage and that has helped reduce the noise.
The folding mechanism has held up well over a year of commuting. It pretty much works the same as it did on day one. As I mentioned before I don’t use the brakes. It’s mainly just there to keep my foot from touching the rear wheel. I took off the kickstand because it tended to snag on things and I really didn’t need it.
Safety
I always wear a high-visibility vest when I’m riding. The first excuse a driver uses is I didn’t see you. To ride through the wintertime you’re gonna need lights. I started out with handlebar-mounted lights and they got shook apart eventually. Helmet-mounted light is the way to go this particular model holds on with a velcro strap. I also use a rear headlight held on by silicone rubber bands. I fell one time riding in the night when I didn’t see a pothole.
You really need to watch out for hazards at all times. I avoid riding in the rain because it’s slippery, you need to go slower, and you need to give yourself long distances to stop.
Deck
Some people think that the deck on the A5 is too narrow. I believe for a serious commuter the deck needs to be narrow so you avoid kicking it by accident. I’ve done it before and it sucks.
Conclusion
What about more expensive models? I don’t know if they’re worth the extra money because you still have hard plastic wheels and you can upgrade the bearings.
How much faster or smoother can they be? The only one I would consider upgrading to would be the A6 with the larger wheels that might be a little safer around potholes. So in conclusion I’m really glad I started commuting with this. It’s been a lot of fun, good exercise, and just a nice way to start my day.
