How to choose a freestyle scooter 

Stunt scooters are fast becoming a popular sight at skate parks and on the street; within the last half decade in particular they have had a real boom in interest from young and adult riders alike. If you’re thinking about picking up this fast growing action sport then choosing a stunt scooter that fits your requirements can be a challenge especially if you’re someone without any previous experience of action sports like skateboarding.

What is a Stunt Scooter? A stunt scooter is designed specifically to do jumps, tricks and stunts on it, and use it at a skate park.

Extreme scooters generally don’t feature a folding mechanism or adjustable handlebar height (as seen on some models for young kids) as it weakens the strength of the setup. Instead, they generally have a one-piece handlebar which is much stronger. There are some models with a 3 parts handlebar but Sportmania will not recommend them to be used as freestyle scooter.

Freestyle scooter usually need to be assembled by placing the handlebars onto the stem of the fork and tightening the clamp which holds both parts together. Extreme scooters also tend to be heavier than a folding scooter. This is because parts are reinforced for strength, or more parts are present to strengthen the entire build. You can upgrade most stunt scooter components, but customers should check that parts will fit before purchasing. Extreme scooters are frequently more expensive than a recreational scooter. Prices can vary from 100chf to 450chf +, but it's not money for nothing. You're paying for a scooter that's more robust than the norm! 

Which freestyle scooter is the best? Which one is better for me?

There are a wide range of stunt scooters available, here are some important things to keep in mind when choosing yours.

• Skill Level - Practically all freestyle models are suitable for beginners, but those who are experienced in extreme scootering may wish to opt for a higher-end model that's likely to last them longer. 
  
  
• Money - You don't want to spend more than is necessary, however the quality of  a product can be discerned by the cost. Normally the higher the cost, the better quality you are likely to get. 

• Weight Capacity – Scooters aren’t just for kids anymore! Many have a wider deck and stronger reinforcements for teens and adults. Most models can support anywhere from 50Kgs – 100Kgs, which is more than enough for your average big brother or parent.

• Handlebars – Most freestyle scooters will have a fixed one piece handlebar, which provides greater durability and strength when thrashing at the skate park. It is important to purchase the appropriate fixed height. Nearest to mid torso is ideal so that you’re not bending over too much while riding. Your back should be relatively straight. If you like one particular model which is too big you can also cut the handlebar to better fit your size.

• Scooter Weight - Most of today's scooters are made from lightweight aluminium, for maximum air at the skatepark. 

• Compression System - A good compression system is also key in choosing your scooter. Here y a list of compressions systems used today: 

 

 

Standard Compression System (SCS)

- scs clamp, compression bolt, starnut, headset cap, shim (use with thin bar)

The SCS system resembles an oversized clamp but internally works much like a bicycle stem. There are two slots to fit the bars and fork, the smaller of which is located on the bottom and is for the fork. A starnut is installed into the fork and the SCS clamp is placed over the fork tube. The compression bolt is screwed into the headset cap and then into the starnut. The cap is caught on the lip that is located internally in the SCS. The bars are placed into the top slot and bolts externally located on the SCS are tightened to act as a clamp.

Main manufacturers include: Proto, Tilt, Phoenix, Apex, Lucky, Chilli.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inverted Compression System (ICS)

- compression bolt, starnut, headset cap

ICS Compression consists of a starnut which is installed into the bars. A compression bolt is screwed into the headset cap and is placed into the fork tube from below. It is then screwed into the starnut located in the bars. The headset cap is larger than the inner diameter of the fork tube so it catches and compresses the system to create a rattle-free scooter.

Main manufacturers include: District, Ethic.

 

 

 

 

Hidden Internal Compression system (HIC)

- compression bolt, headset cap, starnut, compression shim

It seems that Hidden Internal Compression (HIC) systems are becoming more and more popular among freestyle scooter riders. This is because they are simple, cheap, and light compared to SCS systems.

A starnut is installed into the fork tube. A compression shim is placed over/around the fork tube and the compression bolt is screwed into the top of the fork tube through the headset cap and into the starnut. The shim is the component that causes the compression. As the headset cap is pushing down on the shim, the shim pushes down on the headset. Using HIC normally requires oversized bars and a larger diameter (34.9mm) clamp. The customized series C5 and Beast are provided with HIC. All components are avaiable separately.

Main manufacturers include: Grit, Blunt, Chilli, Dominator scooters and perhaps most notably, Madd Gear.

There is a new system developed by CHILLI PRO SCOOTER. The Hidden system has been further developed to the new patented SPIDER HIC system by the TECK-Scooter team. With this new SPIDER HIC development, it is not needed to have special or over measure components (Fork-shim or oversized T-bar), because it is provided with the standard dimensions. Beyond that, a starnut is not a necessity anymore: the thread is integrated in the fork. Consequently the stunt scooter driver can modify the SPIDER from HIC to SCS and vice versa. both system are compatible with each othe. All tests have showsn and proven its perfect ride and turn capabilities. The new Chilli C1 are provided with SPIDRE HIC.

 

 

 

 

Thread Lock Compression (TLC)