I’ll never forget the time after I was leaving an event from a fancy hotel in NYC to find my electric scooter gone. I left it locked outside near the hotel’s entrance, but the U-lock I had on it was cut using an electric saw. I was pissed, and I vowed to never let it happen ever again.
From that point on, I made sure to never lock up my electric scooter outside in New York City — choosing instead to carry it around with me indoors. My replacement e-scooter ended up being the Fluid Mosquito, which I still use today because it perfectly blends speed and portability. It’s one of the lightest electric scooters around at 29 pounds, with a range and top speed of 25 mph and 22 miles respectively.
For a good long while (almost a year), I was able to fold it up and roll it into venues and places throughout New York, including the indoor shopping mall at Hudson Yards. However, that soon changed in late September when I attended another event there when the security guard at the mall’s entrance stopped me. He said that I couldn’t bring my electric scooter inside, even though it was folded up and I was carrying it by its handle.
Needless to say, I was annoyed because I didn’t have this problem the last time I was there. But this issue was short lived because I happened to cross paths with a folding electric scooter that fits in my backpack — the Dynamic Scooter Model B — which gets into places in NYC where most e-scooters are banned.
Folding design makes it the most compact scooter for adults
One of the compelling reasons why I like the Model B is because of its compact, folding design. This thing puts most other e-scooters I’ve tested to shame with its 22 pound weight and unique folding design. Yes it’s crazy light and makes for the perfect commuter e-scooter, but it’s the folding mechanism that truly distinguishes it from other “folding” scooters.
That’s because of how the board can fold to make it more compact than simply folding down the handles to make it parallel to the board. This effectively cuts its size in half over the traditional folding designs of other e-scooters, allowing me to stuff it in my backpack (or duffel bag) in those situations when I can’t simply roll it into places or carry it in my arms.
It’s essentially hidden away from prying eyes, but I always have to make sure to not overstuff my backpack with other gear — which is why I ended up buying a duffel bag on Amazon that folds down to a compact size. Since I refuse to lock up my electric scooter outside, I never have to worry about it getting stolen.
Great commuter e-scooter
I frequently rely on my electric scooter to commute into the office, saving me time and the heartache of dealing with New York’s notorious gridlock traffic. When I get on my train in the morning, I’m able to easily stow it underneath my seat — something you can’t do with most other e-scooters I’ve seen on the train.
Its top speed of 15 mph is ideal for NYC’s unpredictable traffic, but it’s slow compared to the 25 mph top speed I can get with my Fluid Mosquito. Despite that, it’s a reliable commuter scooter with its 12-mile range with a full charge. Albeit, with my weight and added gear, it’s realistically more like 8 to 10 miles — more than enough to get me to and from the office from Penn Station. There’s also its built-in cruise control function that retains the Model B’s top speed without me constantly holding down the throttle, along with an option to remove the battery from the scooter.
These are all the reasons why it’s a good electric scooter for commuters. So far, I typically need to recharge it every three days, but at least the charging adapter is equally compact and doesn’t take much room in my backpack.
It’s affordably priced — with some compromises
Many of the best electric scooters can easily cost over $1,000+. However, they’re usually much faster and offer greater range than the Model B. That’s why if you’re on a budget, the Dynamic Scooter Model B’s early bird price of $339 on Kickstarter is hard to overlook. By comparison, my Fluid Mosquito fetches for $999. I really hope that the Model B’s retail price doesn’t exceed more than $500, which would give it more value as a commuter scooter.
However, there are still some trade-offs you may have to accept in using one of the most compact electric scooters around. For starters, there are no shocks or a suspension system of any kind — so you’ll feel every small bump that you hit with its 5.5-inch honeycomb wheels. I suppose that’s why it has a much slower top speed, mainly because I’m always on the lookout for any debris or Kraktoas hidden in the road.
Whenever I have an upcoming event to attend, I make sure to bring the Dynamic Scooter Model B on my commute because I’ll never have to worry about it being stolen.
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