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Missed opportunity with the ABike II?

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Missed opportunity with the ABike II?

Postby RaleighTwenty on Mon May 19, 2008 9:12 am

The ABikeII should have been released in the Spring. Now is the time that people start buying bicycles (after the winter). To have to wait til well into summer is a missed opportunity. By the time the bike is released, many people would already have spent their money on a another bike.
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Postby Weakling on Mon May 19, 2008 1:51 pm

I tend to agree and I think they also need to find many who are long time
users of the original bike to test ride the new ones so they could say they
are so much better that they want to sell their old one on Ebay and to buy
these new ones. That could make people motivated to wait. Now they think
that it is too late to wait for something they have no report on how they are.

I need enthusiastic reports from trusted users of A-bike
that the new ones are much better than the old ones.
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Postby Raleigh20 on Mon May 19, 2008 2:13 pm

i don't think they spend much $$ marketing the bike, which is a shame is marketing is so important. sometimes, with the right marketing, even a so so product can be a success.
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Postby Sherlock Holmes on Tue May 20, 2008 4:27 am

I agree about the marketing. Especially with the price of gasoline and all the movements to be "green" I would think that a little more word out about the A-bike would do wonders for sales and popularity. I run into so many people when I am riding my A-bike that ask me where I got it, what it is, how much does it cost etc.

I actually wish that when you bought an A-bike that they sent you a stack of business cards. On the business cards could be all the basic specs for the A-bike, and the website. This way whenever someone sees someone riding the A-bike and ask them about it, riders could just pass the card along. I think that the pennies it would cost to print cards like this would boost sales dramatically (not to mention cut down on the time spent explaining the bike to people who stop you while riding, especially if you are running late).

Any chance that we could get any such cards from Sinclair?
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Postby Weakling on Tue May 20, 2008 11:34 pm

I like that suggestion. Maybe you should write them and propose it?
Most important maybe would be to let a trusted biker try both the old
and the new version and give a report on if the saddle is that much better.

People need to know it is a much better bike.
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Scooter

Postby Scooter on Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:02 pm

I was hoping to pick up an A-bike when I went back to the UK in April (I live in Japan), but they weren't ready by then. So I got a micro original scooter instead (cheaper, lighter, and probably nearly as good for my purposes. Probably stronger too). They missed the opportunity of my money...
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Postby Weakling on Thu Jun 05, 2008 7:56 pm

http://www.shoppingrightnow247.com/a/index.php?product=razor+a+kick+scooter

Key Features:
# Aircraft-grade aluminum construction
# Folding mechanism welded to the deck
# Double-stacked head clamp
# Full-deck grip tape
# Extra-thick foam grips
# 98 mm reinforced urethane wheels
# ABEC-5 high-speed bearings
# Rear fender brake
# 220-pound user weight capacity


Image

Kind of crazy that these are not on sales here in Sweden. :)
Only 59.99 USD Cheap indeed. Even I would consider one.
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Not that one, this one

Postby Scooter on Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:52 pm

I actually got the micro kickboard original which has 3 wheels and a knob instead of a handlebar.
It's not a brilliant ride, but it's a lot faster than walking, and you can take it on the train and wherever you have to go.

These are probably the a-bike's main competition rather than the bigger folding bikes...
Scooter
 

Postby Weakling on Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:36 am

Oups, my bad. Yes me found that one first but felt unsure of if that was really what you bought. Two of my young neighbours use Longboards and the way
they steer are maybe a bit similar? One only have to add something like how
the Micro have done it? Apart from that the wheels on Longboards are
different from a Micro Scooter Kickboard. I guess pneumatic wheels are better. But they take up more space in the Bus when it is totally packed with people and one have to squeeze oneself in. They would not accept my big four wheel Double Kickbike or even a big Rollator.

So that is a niche for A-bike. In a bag it is small enough to be kept close to body like a suspensoar :) or something Icehockey players have to protect their better parts from getting hurt.
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Postby alexko on Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:46 pm

Weakling wrote:I tend to agree and I think they also need to find many who are long time
users of the original bike to test ride the new ones so they could say they
are so much better that they want to sell their old one on Ebay and to buy
these new ones. That could make people motivated to wait. Now they think
that it is too late to wait for something they have no report on how they are.

I need enthusiastic reports from trusted users of A-bike
that the new ones are much better than the old ones.

Hi Weakling,

I have bought a Xootr scooter this spring. After testing I have made certain that it is lighter, faster and it is easy folds than my old A-bike. I use only the Xootr to get my work now. The distance is 4,3 km. It takes 11-12 minutes ( I cross 3 streets with traffic lights and more 3 without). I have grained my experience for two weeks and now I get easy the speed 6-7 meters per seconds on a smooth horizontal road (I am 54 years old). I guess that a trained man can roll faster than 8-9 m/sec.
Only one thing is not quite convenient. The Xootr has a hard ultra-low-resistance polyurethane tire 180mm, 25 mm width. This kind of the tire demands a good quality asphalt. If a surface is bumpy you feel discomfort.
I think if the resistance polyurethane tire to replace with pneumatic one it will be ideal for Moscow’s roads. I am looking for a suitable wheel however I could not find one yet.
Weakling, you always find many interesting things, have you seen the requested pneumatic wheel anywhere?

Thanks
alexko
 

Postby Weakling on Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:23 pm

Hi Alexko,

wish I knew a good one easy to get in Moscow. Here in Sweden we have
http://www.tellus.se/kataloger/rehab/shots/sid3k.jpg

but they are only good for 75 kg. but they have drum brakes so that is good.
Made of plastic in the rim but the tyre is rubber. Not high pressure though.
So they are smooth over gravel and small stones but not fast due to rolling resistance. maybe 40 psi instead of 90psi which is typical for A-bike wheels.

Finland have Nokia wheels for the ESLA kickbike and they are very well
tested having been used on thousands of the ESLA double kickbike.
http://www.esla.fi/eng/kickcycle.html

I guess only the 300 Millimeters wheels have drum brakes.
I have an ESLA but they weight much. So buy the wheels and make
your own two wheeler with Alu or Magnesium or Plywood board.

Longboards have good such that maybe could be used to make a copy of Xootr?

Didn't you have experience of the Magic Wheel from Hungary? Me not sure?

1.23 in morning now so me go to bed. :)
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Re: Missed opportunity with the ABike II?

Postby Scooter on Wed Jul 09, 2008 8:16 am

After trying to ride my Micro Original Kickboard for 3 months, I found it more or less unusable for the simple reason that it won't turn reliably. I concluded that 3 wheels are no improvement on 2. After considerable unpleasantness with the UK supplier, the manufacturer offered to refund my money without returning the product. So now I have a kickboard that I don't want, and I'm in the market for a new scooter.

The Xootr may be a good choice, but the hard tyres may be a problem.

Alexko, have you seen the JD Scooter Offroad? It has pneumatic tyres, but I read a Japanese review that said it was slower than a solid tyre. The Micro 2-wheeler with a flexi deck might be a good compromise. I wish I had got one of those now...
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Re: Missed opportunity with the ABike II?

Postby Weakling on Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:26 am

Yes, when we opt for something very small and light weighted the compromise
in how it handle itself and the feel and stability when one go sharp turns and
such are near the limits.

I want to combine low weight with ability to use it as a chair when one go by commuter
train for one hour. Not that they like one do it but sometimes they accept one do it.

The Rollator has much more acceptance cause it is an aid to the elderly and those
with balance challenge. Not sure if they accept that I use it cause I have no certification
that I am challenged I'm just bad at balance. But I plan to rebuild a cheap Rollator so it
could function as a fourwheel kickbike but with low speed and a bit bumpy due to solid
tire in the small wheels. They are 8" so it is rather similar to two xootr welded together
with foldable seat and carrybag. http://www.humancare.se/Page/Product/9/Parade.aspx

Most likely me fail to rebuild it. I am not experienced and have too ambigious plans
related to my capacity for workmanship. I guess it is a funny hobby though :)
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