Bike, Scooter or Skateboard. Which is Better?

Hmm, what should I buy, a bike, a scooter or perhaps a skateboard? If your asking this question, what you should be asking yourself is what do I need it for. What type of activities to I want to perform. We get that you want something to get you around but for what?

The Scooter or skateboard

If your just looking for something to get you to pub or bottle shop and back, say within a couple of blocks, the scooter or skateboard will do just fine.

Pros

It's light, hassle free, easy to carry and take into the shops and on public transport, compact and convenient and doesn't require much to get the hang of it. Maintenance is also very low, (no flat tires to worry about).

Cons

If there are hills involved they can be quite a challenge. It's also not a good solution for long distance, you can't really ride it on the road, and it's a pain in the bum if you have to carry groceries or any kind of excess baggage.

 

 

The Bicycle

If you need to commute to work, do a fairly significant grocery shop, travel a decent distance, meet your friends for coffee or a beer a few suburbs over, then the road bike is for you.

 

Pros

You can ride on the road, travel greater distances and its much faster than a scooter. It's easier to carry a larger load (you can attach a basket to the bike etc). Bikes often have gears which makes hills, well, not a pleasure but a hell of a lot easier.

 

Cons

High maintenance (flat tires, break pads, the list goes on), bulky for storage, can't get it on all forms of public transport or take it into shops and one always has to risk chaining it up outside. Bikes are are also generally the more expensive option. 

One form of carbon free transport that we have not covered is the roller blade. This almost seems to be the perfect form of transport. Low maintenance, compact, great for distances long and short. The only drawbacks are the dreaded hills and the need to carry an extra pair of shoes with you when you reach your destination. Of course, you also have to lug around your heavy blades if your shopping etc. Another consideration is the learning curve. This can be drawn out and dangerous with roller-blades even if your a natural!

In the end, all of these forms of transport have some great things in common. They have a low impact on the environment, an exhilarating exercise component and low comparable costs to cars and even public transport. Who would have thought fun and health could go hand in hand!