Last Updated on September 25, 2021
Lovers of electric scooters know that these vehicles are great for moving around. They’re also portable, fun, and eco-friendly. Are you riding away on an off-road adventure? No problem, your electric scooter will do the job perfectly.
But just before you hop onto your bike, stop a moment and think, do you have the accessories that make it safer to ride? Of course, you may wonder precisely what to carry at first. Why? There are plenty of accessory items out there. Which ones are the most important? We need to find out about this.
Special Note:
Please note that you don’t always need to carry all the accessories we will mention here on every trip. The purpose of this work is to ensure you still have the essentials whenever you are out. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a full day journey or only a short tour. To help you decide, think about these factors: Are you traveling close to the road? In case of emergency, can anyone reach you quickly? Do you have a cellphone and cell service? These factors are crucial in deciding what accessories to carry or leave home. Make a wise decision.
14 Essential Electric Scooter Accessories That You Can’t Do without
Helmet
This is the first and, by far, the most crucial e-scooter accessory. Before you start riding for a day on the road or tracks, have your helmet securely worn on your head. This is what will help save your life during a nasty crash. Since there are many types of helmets, choose the best and most secure type.
Select a high-quality helmet. For a slower scooter that does less than 20 mp on smoother, safer pavements, you can go for a standard helmet. They’re usually small, light, and comfortable. For greater protection, go for a downhill helmet that has passed more impact tests. It’s even better if you pick a full-face helmet with a protective chin bar. Note that the regular, open-face types might leave you more vulnerable to nose, chin, and teeth injuries.
What, really, are some of the most important features of a helmet? This: Ensure the helmet fits right and protects your (full) face.
A Secure Lock
Whenever you are out with your e-scooter, you may often need to leave the machine outside the mall or other businesses that won’t allow you to bring it in. Hence, you must have a lock to prevent the scooter from being stolen. You can choose from the following three common types of locks:
- Cable lock (This is the most common type of e-scooter lock).
It’s light and portable. It’s also flexible and can secure your e-scooter at several angles. It’s, however, not suitable in high-risk areas since thieves can cut it easily.
- Chain lock
Chain locks are harder to cut. Since they’re heavier, they generally offer greater security than cable locks.
- U-Lock/D-Lock
This is primarily a big padlock. It’s wrapped around the wheel and fastens the scooter to a pole-like object. This is the most secure type of lock. Indeed, it’s also more affordable than a chain lock (if your bike is designed to work with it).
Front lights
The electric scooter headlight is an essential element of the protective and safety features on the bike. Although you’ll buy most e-scooters with their headlights fitted, you might find that these are not the best. If your scooper is relatively cheap, the headlights are likely of poor quality. Thus, it’s brilliant to go for extra front lights. These are usually made for bikes but can work well with scooters.
General brightness levels are usually measured in lumens. The front light lumens can start at about 30, but if you’re a rider, the lumens should be somewhere between 300-600. Stronger lumens (measuring 800) are usually best for unlit paths. You may have to tilt your lights slightly downwards if you’re on the road and the lumens are high. This will prevent the lights from blinding oncoming drivers. Also, consider important factors like weight, battery life, and lashing modes features when selecting a suitable front light for your e-scooter.
Taillights
Taillights make it possible for others to see you while on the road. These do not have to be as bright as your front lights. They, however, need to enhance visibility for other road-users and, therefore, increase safety. Yes, suitable taillights should make you visible to others.
Not only will you need these during nighttime, but you’ll also need them even if you never ride the scooter at night. You can have lights with 20 lumens, but it’s better if you can get a brighter one. Keep in mind that the lights must compete with sunlight during daytime. Get a tail light with different settings so that you can always vary the brightness as necessary. You can choose a tail light that can be attached to your backpack or clothing. Does it have a flash-mode? What about battery life? Always check this. Remember: A tail light’s advantage is that it’s more visible than an under-the –seat-mounted light.
A Wheel Pump
Note that there are several types of electric scooter wheels. This includes pumpable and non-pumpable wheels. Hence, it’s advisable to carry a small pump whenever you’re out on a ride. This will help you in case one or both of the wheels need to be pumped up.
Experienced riders know that one of the most typical mishaps on the road can be the discovery that your tire is flat. This can happen due to riding on sharp rocks, bumps, stumps, twigs, or sticks. Yes, with these items on the road, there’s always a chance that something nasty could happen. If it happens and you have no pump, you’re done!
Is it easy to choose the best pump? Not quite. This is because there’re pumps of different kinds and sizes. It may seem wise to select the smallest pump you can get-for portability reasons. But it has a disadvantage- it’ll take you a very long time to pump the tire. If you carried a bigger pump, you can pump your tire faster. Of course, a bigger pump will be heavier to carry on a ride. Well, there’s another option- a middle size pump. This is big enough for faster pumping and light enough to carry without a hassle.
Tire slime / sealant
A Tire slime or tire sealant is vital for repairing flat tires. Do you use pneumatic tires with your e-scooter? It would be best if you got a tire slime. Before beginning your ride on a new e-scooter, get some slime and apply it to the tires. Pump it through the valve, which is used for inflating the tire. It’s recommended to leave the sealant in the tires for a maximum of two years.
Read the instructions carefully. Learn about the recommendations on what you should do when reflating the tires with slime. Consider factors like toxicity. Try to find manufacturers who use non-toxic substances or ingredients.
Reflective clothing
One of the best tips to remain safe while riding your scooter is to wear a protective vest. It may not seem like the safest accessory on offer. Regardless, many have found this item to be indispensable. And it’s super easy to use; why, all you have to do is slip it over you and-voila! You are done. Once you do this, you’ll be more visible to other road users, including drivers, riders, and pedestrians.
If you often ride in busy areas, protective gear can very well be life-saving. You can also get pretty fashionable options for reflective cycling jackets. You’ll, however, find that most of these are way too costly. Usually, the prices vary according to the features offered- for instance, some can change flashes or color. It would help if you got an LED armband since it’s usually affordable and effective. Moreover, you can get LED bands in several sizes and colors.
Protective Gloves
If you enjoy chilly rides early in the morning or during autumn or winter, then you need the best protective gloves. In fact, such gloves are always useful regardless of the time or season. Moreover, they can protect you in case of a crash. If a rider without such gloves fell at high speeds while riding, this can do terrible damage to his hands.
Thus, as a rider, you should always wear the best arm protection (including wrist guards). Unfortunately, these are often awkward on an e-scooter. If you find this uncomfortable or a hindrance to controlling your scooter, it means they aren’t really helping you. In such a case, you should get flexible, lightweight, and well-fitting gloves that are designed for use with e-scooters.
When choosing, keep in mind that the selected gloves’ thickness may determine your scooter’s speed. Standard gloves designed for the e-scooter should usually offer excellent protection to the rider. For those who are susceptible to falling, they should get gloves that are used for electric skateboarding. You’ll find them sturdier.
In case your e- scooter rides really fast, consider having motorcycle gloves or thicker mountain biking gloves. Ensure that whatever you choose fits well. Pick something that will fit so well that you can snugly move your fingers without a hassle while riding. One of the most useful materials to choose from when selecting the best gloves is leather. This is because it works perfectly in all weather conditions. But desirable things don’t come cheaply; hence you might find these to be quite expensive. As an alternative, you can go for the more affordable synthetic materials. Some will cost you as little as $15 or a maximum of $100.
Phone holder
It’s advisable to always have your phone every time you’re going out. Why? This can turn out to be your savior during an emergency. Some use the phone to find directions or enjoy music while riding. Because of this, a phone holder is a useful accessory.
Such holders are usually mounted on the handlebar and work well to keep your phone safe. When choosing the holder, consider other factors- including the size. Keep in mind that all types of holders will not work. The size of the handlebar is especially important. Get a waterproof phone holder since it can protect your phone from the rain.
A Suitable Bell
You should have a suitable bell when riding your e-scooter. This will alert other riders and pedestrians whenever you’re approaching. Although there are no unique bells specifically made to work with e-scooters, you can buy and use a bike bell. You can choose from horns, modern and electric bells. How does your bell sound? This is most important. Make sure the selected bell is loud enough and clear. But beware! Don’t use a bell that is so loud it startles people!
Also, check the diameter of your handlebar. Although you can get a one-size-fits-all type of bell, it’s best to choose one that you can mount correctly on your e-scooter.
Cycling Sunglasses
Your helmet can only protect your eyes if it’s a full face. Keep in mind that the bright sunlight can affect your vision and hamper your safety when riding. It can also be difficult to see clearly with the wind, rain, and bugs. To deal with this, use cycling sunglasses.
The lens size of your sunglasses is the most crucial factor to consider. The tint also determines the conditions under which they’ll work. For cloudy days, use a yellow tint; this enhances contrast and filters out the blue light. For the bright sun, select green, brown, gray, or black lenses. If you often ride under the rain, choose hydrophobic coating. Check the frame fit. Loose frames can fly off. To enhance protection, some riders go for prescription sunglasses.
Small portable Maintenance Tools
These include multi-tool with pliers.
Multi-tool with pliers (Designed for E-Scooter)
Even if you are an expert with screwdrivers, you’ll find that you cannot deal with the multiple bolts and nuts on a regular e-scooter. Thus, you’ll need accessories that are specifically suitable for use with your e-scooter. This is what we refer to as the multi-tool kit. E-scooter riders must carry this while out on a ride since anything can happen while you’re riding.
Essentially, a multi-tool refers to the standard backcountry tools that you cannot do without. Such devices range from a knife to a pair of pliers. These are useful whenever you find yourself deep in the wilderness. You should also have a Leatherman. This standard accessory is fantastic for outdoor use. It folds really nicely and can be kept safely away until you need to use it.
Final Thoughts
It’s essential to have these 14 important accessories for your beloved electric scooter. These will make your ride out there more adventurous, convenient, and safer; what’s more, getting the most appropriate accessories can protect you from sustaining an injury.
Even though it isn’t necessary to carry everything on each riding trip, make sure you have such have essential accessories to care for you and your favorite scooter-just in case.
Table of Contents
0 Comments