The start of FO2W
Crazy really, that what started with an impulsive Swifty Scooter purchase, has ended up an exciting and slightly ‘blind leading the blind’ business venture. Fear not, we’re learning quickly and it’s our business knowledge having to catch up - our scooter knowledge is bang on, you’re in safe hands!
A friend, David, sparked our interest in scooters. Honestly, we thought he was mad using a scooter to get to work - a grown man on a scooter was an unusual sight in a small Norfolk market town! Unusual maybe, but not for long if our prediction is right.
After a few weeks of a raised eyebrow at David’s chosen mode of transport, throwing caution to the wind and with much laughter I jumped on one of his scooters in my local park - the feelings of pure nostalgia he promised would hit me, hit me. The sense of freedom and fun that as an adult you seldom feel, had me hooked from that very first ride. Why were the other adults in the park sat watching their children play instead of letting off a bit of steam themselves, and actually, why should children have all the fun?!
Partner of Fun On 2 Wheels, Nikki, visited a well known holiday park where her 9 year old son, Charlie, was too young to ride the hire bikes. A throwaway comment a few weeks prior to this, having mentioned our thought that scooters would be the next biggest mode of transport in the UK, she immediately thought she wanted to spread the joy of scootering far and wide, and we started playing around with names of a business one Sunday night. Before we knew what was happening, we had jumped in with both feet, buying an email address and compiling a list of manufacturers to contact!
So, David is to thank for his interest in (currently) unusual and different hobbies, and the foresight to say how popular scooters are becoming. His knowledge and technical brain will certainly be put to good use. Nikki is the only one to blame for giving us the huge push to invest in something we love, and I am at the root of all the rambling blogs which are sure to appear. We’d love you to get to know us, follow us on our two wheeled adventures, and we hope to spread the fun in scooting!
Sarah, FO2W
PAR002_123 • May 5, 2019
Some information and pictures from our ride from High Peak Junction in the Peak District, with the Yedoo Trexx and MIBO Alltrack.
Carsington Water in The Peaks makes a great 8 mile loop for all abilities (even with the hills!). Click to see pictures of our trip.
Come with us on our kick scooter ride on the High Peak Trail! The Yedoo Trexx and MIBO Alltrack were perfect for this ride and it is certainly scooter friendly.
We started our 3 day adventure at Bennerley Viaduct, an impressive former railway structure which is known as ‘The Iron Giant’. A fun and easy destination, pretty canals and ideal for kick scooters.
The Monsal Trail was a big highlight of our Peak District trip! Incredible scenery, exciting tunnels and great surface - perfect for kick scooters.
We spent a wonderful 3 days exploring the Peaks with our kick scooters. Read this blog to hear all about our adventures on the Monsal Trail, High Peak Trail, Carsington Water and Bennerley Viaduct!
After just completing his fourth century ride on a kick scooter and now having finished around 10 charity cycle sportives over the last 2 years, again on a scooter, I thought it was time to catch up with David and find out how he became a kick scooter fanatic, what his motivation is to keep on kicking and what the future may have in store for him and his ever growing scooter fleet.
We have a designated group for kick scooter riders to share the rides and routes they have found to have especially good scooting facilities with other scooter enthusiasts - let's get the UK kick scooting! Routes could be your local route from home, or ones you have found on your travels that you think people may like to try if they are in the area. The search box at the top can be used to find routes in an area you are researching, so be sure to tag the county in your post for easy finding! We would love for this group to be well used and form a really good directory of routes and rides, or places which are perfect for exploring on kick scooters. Simply search 'Kick Scooter Rides & Routes in the UK', or copy and paste this link - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1760077990783585/
An easy guide to adult kick scooters best suited for commuting. Glide through the city and avoid public transport. Kick scooters are a great alternative way commute - arrive with a smile of your face and the wind in your hair.
Everyone has heard the term ‘you can’t teach old dogs new tricks’, but here at #FO2W we think otherwise! Have you heard the term mushing? Mushing is a term many people in the UK won’t be familiar with, but it’s a popular and ever-growing sport here, and we hope you’ll see why! Let’s take you through what mushing is – mushing simply means ‘a sport or transport powered by dogs’. The practice of using dogs to pull sleds dates back to 2000BC, and when someone mentions dogs pulling something, you will probably think of Huskies pulling a snow sled. Well, how things have evolved! Urban, or Dryland Mushing, originally came about to keep winter sled dogs fit during the off season – so this is done on dry land. A dog can be attached to you (Canicross), or be attached to and pull a bike (Bikejoring), cart, sled, rig – or what we’re talking about, your best four legged friend, hooked up to the scooter you’re riding and going for a blast round the countryside! This is known as Scootering, or commonly Mushing. If you’ve ridden a scooter, you’ll know how cool it is and how much fun you can have exploring on your scooter. Well, throw your pooch in to the mix and you’ve got yourself a new sport you can both enjoy! It’s a great way to keep you and your dog fit, stimulated and exercised and gives you another way to spend time together in the great outdoors. ‘What equipment do I need to get started?’ Dog scootering (or mushing) requires very little equipment, aside from the obvious scooter. You’re looking at sourcing a racing harness, a long line and a lead adapter. We suggest avoiding some cheap harnesses, opting for a professional grade piece of kit instead. These are adjustable to your dog to utilise correct pulling points while keeping their airways clear. A long running line (like a lead) is used to keep your dog a safe distance away from the scooter – keeping everyone safe; in case of a sudden stop you will have time to stop the scooter and avoid your four-legged-friend! Lastly, the lead adapter attaches to the front of your scooter (via the handlebar stem) for the running line to be fed through. This takes the line away from the scooter tyre to prevent it getting tangled. Some will feature a spring or built in shock absorber to absorb movement, encouraging a smoother and safe ride. ‘What types of dogs can be used in mushing?’ In fact there are no breed of dog that wouldn’t take to mushing! You don’t have to worry about being competitive (unless you want to!), but if you’re just looking for another fun activity to do with your dog, any breed can be put in front of a scooter. Large, athletic breeds that have an instinctive desire to pull, like Huskies or Malamutes are a common choice for competitive Mushing, but really, any dog weighing upwards of 30lb would be an ideal size. If you put a small breed in harness, just be aware you may not ask them to pull the weight of you and the scooter, but as a fun activity to enjoy together, your dog in harness with you kicking behind, no breed need miss out. ‘What type of scooter do I need?’ Many types of scooters can be used for mushing and there are different sized lead adapters for various scooter models. You might find your current scooter would suit you for an entry in to mushing, but ideally, scooters should be large, off-road types, geared up for terrain. Check out our designated mushing page for our range of ideal scooters - https://www.funon2wheels.co.uk/store1/Dog-Mushing-c50654840. ‘Where can I find more information?’ The British Sled Dog Sports Association features 5 main disciplines in sled dog sports, and scootering is one of them! Did you know the UK has a number of international champions? Something new to set your sights on maybe. Their website is a great place to start researching in to the sport of Mushing; https://www.thebssf.org.uk/. This page shows you your local scootering clubs https://www.thebssf.org.uk/get-started/find-a-club-near-you, though the community is much bigger than you realise and there is lots of advice on hand for newcomers to the sport. While of course a Husky is not essential for mushing, The British Siberian Husky Racing Association is a great resource – it was founded at the end of the 1995/6 season, so these guys know what they’re talking about!
