Deck for stunt scooter: what happens and how to choose?

Adrenaline lovers often prefer a stunt scooter as a means of transportation around the city, because you can not only ride it, but also master extreme jumps with turns, conquer borders and parapets.

Not every scooter is called a stunt. These vehicles have a special design, and they have certain requirements. Consider one of the main parts of a stunt scooter, without which it is impossible to assemble and imagine, - the deck.

This is a stationary platform on which the rider is kicking. In most models, it is combined with the frame, and the wheel and brake are fixed to the rear. A skin is glued over the outer part of the deck, preventing the legs from slipping during riding. Sometimes the skin is replaced with a rubber layer or textured elements.

If the scooter is intended for children who are less than 3 years old, the foot platform is made of shockproof plastic. In the case of "heavyweights" and off-road riding, it is made of steel, iron, designed for high loads.

Light alloys (magnesium, aluminum, duralumin) are an excellent solution for creating the perfect stunt scooter. The lightest deck is made of aluminum without lining. And the most expensive variation is from magnesium alloy.

In the production of some decks, materials are combined by placing an aluminum, plastic or wooden platform on a steel frame. The last option is called a flexible deck with cushioning properties. Suitable for movement on poor-quality road surface, but the user is required to have certain experience.

Type of fastener

1. The metal platform and frame are a single element. This mount is found in most scooter designs.
2. Platform on an iron frame. In this embodiment, the deck can be replaced with decorative analogues of various materials.
3. The location of the wooden deck between the iron bases. With this mount, the scooter springs up while driving and dampens vibrations on imperfect road sections. The downside is the decrease in the effectiveness of the repulsion produced.

When the steering column is connected to the deck by a folding mechanism, this allows you to fold the scooter in half. Such a vehicle is convenient to store and carry.

Experienced riders prefer riding a short and narrow deck. It is easier to maneuver on it, while, accordingly, it is less stable, and it will be uncomfortable for beginners to ride it.

With insufficient experience riding a scooter, it is recommended to choose vehicles with a medium deck. Its width for beginners should be equal to or slightly less than the width of the foot, in order to be able to completely fit the foot on it.

The height of the deck, known as clearance, primarily determines the size of the ride height, which affects the patency of scooters. It is also worth noting that the higher the clearance, the deeper the squat on the supporting leg will be each time to push off. When choosing a deck in height, take into account the quality of the roads to be conquered, and select it in accordance with your height. The higher it is, the higher the deck is needed, and the better the road surface, the lower the platform is allowed.

Ground clearance is most of all for those who purchase a scooter for the first time. The guilty prejudice is that while riding a scooter, two feet should be placed together, fitting on the platform from toe to heel.

With a passive form of riding (rolls when pushing away), the feet, indeed, turn out to be near, but not the entire width of the feet or at an angle. Soon after the start of mastering the scooter, the legs will intuitively take up the correct position on the platform. About how to arrange them, the novice rider will stop and think.

It is worth noting that with a high deck, you have to squat deeper, pushing off, which quickly leads to fatigue. On models with low clearance, you can ride for a long time and easily go into a quiet phase, in which speed is supported by pushing back with almost no squats. But when driving on city streets with a low deck, you need to be vigilant, for example, on curbs.

The minus of the wide deck is a slight deterioration in the maneuverability of the scooter. There is a chance to hurt someone or something in its path. But for performing stunts, a wide scooter platform is what you need. Since the decks are made of high quality aluminum - the wider they are, the more expensive the model.

For a stunt deck, short lengths are important. This parameter affects the control and is responsible for the stability of the scooter at the time of landing. The greater the length of the platform, the more difficult it is to master rotation, although stability is noticeably increased. The short length of this part of the scooter is a guarantee of virtuoso rotation and lightweight construction.

To learn how to do tricks on a scooter for beginners, see further.