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Friday 5th 56F, dark grey overcast, breezy with light rain. It stayed dry for my walk but with distant mist obscuring the furthest woods and views. Copenhagen is to have 200 electrified [children's] scooters, for hire, as a "Lime" pilot project despite their being presently illegal. DR: Danish National TV, Radio and news media:
New transport mode hits the capital: 200 electric [children's style] scooters are put on the roads.
Ny transportform rammer hovedstaden: 200 elektriske løbehjul bliver sat på gaden | Indland | DR
My feeling is that the very small wheels are a potential disaster on typically rough road and cycle path surfaces. On my full-sized, touring trike, I have to constantly alter my track to cope with sunken drains, rough surfaces, ramps, broken road edges, private drives, gravel moraines, fallen branches and potholes. The cycle paths and lanes are no better and normally heavily littered.
Then there are the endless, projecting, asphalt ramps to provide access to private houses. They don't believe in "dropped kerbs" in Denmark despite all the bicycles. Probably because no Dane has independently come up with the idea under strict Janteloven Rules. These 'tar' ramps must be totally avoided if survival is considered a priority. I doubt a mountain bike with full suspension could cope with a direct hit on many of these access ramps. Mind you, dropped kerbs would probably mean a lurch downwards for cyclists. So it's all a bit swings and roundabouts.
My own wheels are typically full sized 700c x 25mm. Or about 28" in diameter by an inch wide with normal pneumatic, bicycle tyres. The same size as the majority of adult cycles right across the globe. Can this widely accepted size be any coincidence?
The local village roads would be absolutely suicidal on a skateboard. Which is probably why you never see them. Nor roller blade skates which have only slightly larger wheels. It would require a national, major upgrade in road surfaces if these scooters catch on nationally.
Will the constantly cash-starved, local councils [kommuner] be paid extra billions from taxes for major road repairs? All for this [supposedly] new and completely idiotic form of <cough> adult transport? What happens when some pre-pubescent teen hacks these scooters just because they can? Or because it will lead to a massive salary and a Porsche in exchange for a job in iT once they mature into real, online criminals?
What about the ambulance services and police?
How will they cope with massed, fallen scooterists when they cannot manage their present workload? What
about the loss of fitness and ill health of all those who give up
walking or cycling to play overgrown children on a battery powered
scooter? Or sitting around for days on end in ER. While waiting for the endless queue of alcoholic and drug addicted scooterists to be treated first? Well, I can't sit here all day! I'm off to the supermarket on my jumbo-jet wingspan, human powered aeroplane. I really can't understand why these have never caught on for everyday commuting and shopping. They are just so incredibly convenient! 😏
The Danish police have announced that anyone caught riding a Lime, electric scooter on the road, before a law change, will pay a fine of 1000DKK. That's about £120GB or $150US. Lime has a lot of negativity publicity towards its business methods in ignoring local/national laws. A real bike shops has tried for years to have hire bikes parked in front of his premises but has always been refused permission. Now Lime has parked four of their electric scooters scooters in front of his shop. That's very likely to leave a bad taste in the cycle shopkeeper's mouth.
Analysts say that Denmark's stated plan to put a million electric cars on the roads will cost billions in lost taxes.
Saturday 6th 50F, very thick mist, grey and calm. The mist has almost lifted by 8.30am. A shopping ride is likely unless we are to go without the basics. I headed off for a hilly ride to another set of shops. Seemed to be going well enough though I was much too warm. The scull cap came off first. Soon followed by the windproof jacket. The GripGrab fingered gloves were wet with sweat despite it only maxing out at 57F. The trike was well laden by the time I headed home. 20 miles.
Sunday 7th 40F, bright and sunny start. Cloud expected later. A cool night.
Click on any image for an enlargement.
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