Electric Scooter Winter Guide: Safe Riding in Snow & Ice

This guide offers crucial tips and knowledge for using electric scooters in winter, including safety advice and when to avoid riding.

We generally do not recommend riding electric scooters in snowy or icy conditions. However, if you're forced to ride in less-than-ideal conditions, this guide offers essential advice for challenging winter commutes.

Let's dive into some actionable tips to make your wintery ride as safe as possible.

• Jump to:
• Pre-Ride Tips
• Riding Tips
• Post-Ride Tips
• Recommended Models
• What to Look for

Pre-Ride Preparations

Part of staying safe in the winter chill on your electric scooter happens before you ride. To prepare for your ride, do the following:

Battery Management

Cold temperatures affect the performance of electric scooters, and it has a particularly strong effect on the battery. Batteries may experience deterioration in capacity, heightened safety risks, and reduced overall lifespan.

Luckily, there are several steps you can take to mitigate the adverse effects of freezing temperatures.

1. Warm Storage: Store your scooter in a warm and dry environment when not in use. This helps preserve battery health by preventing the cold from depleting its charge and reducing the risk of damage.
2. Pre-Heating: If permanent warm storage isn't an option, bring the scooter (or battery, if detachable) indoors for a few hours before use. A warm battery operates more efficiently, even in cold weather.
3. Limit Ride Duration: Start your trips with a warm battery and keep them short. A brief commute with a pre-heated battery ensures its temperature won't drop to a critical level.

Tire Check

Slippery surfaces call for an adequate tire setup. A pre-ride inspection goes a long way in ensuring a safe ride.

1. Inspect Tire Tread: Examine the tread depth on your tires. Deep tread is crucial for maintaining grip and stability in snow and ice. If the treads are worn out, consider replacing the tires.
2. Check for Damage: Look for any signs of visible damage, such as cuts, punctures, leaks, or abnormal wear. Damaged tires are more likely to fail, especially in harsh conditions.
3. Tire Pressure: Cold weather can cause a significant drop in tire pressure. Check the pressure and inflate the tires to the recommended level before riding for optimal performance.

Note: We strongly advise against riding on slippery roads with solid tires. Pneumatic tires are vastly superior for grip in these situations.

Brake Inspection

Braking distances increase when the road is wet or icy. It is crucial to ensure that your electric scooter's brakes are in top condition before riding.

1. Brake Lever Test: Squeeze the brake lever; it should feel firm and responsive. If there is little to no resistance, you need to tighten the brake.
2. Brake Pad Inspection: If you have a disc brake, ensure the brake pads aren't worn thin; replace them if necessary. If they're misaligned, do a brake pad calibration.
3. Clean Brakes: Regularly clean your brakes in winter to remove dirt, moisture, and corrosive road salt. This ensures optimal efficiency and prevents premature wear.

For those with hydraulic brakes (typically only found on high-performance models), check that they do not feel spongy. If they do, it's time to change the hydraulic oil.

Tighten Disc/Drum Brakes

1. Locate Barrel Adjuster: Find the barrel adjuster on the brake lever or near the brake caliper/drum mechanism.
2. Adjust Tension: Turn the barrel adjuster counterclockwise to extend it, increasing cable tension.
3. Additional Tightening (if needed): A barrel adjustment is great for quick, minor adjustments. If that isn't enough, loosen the cable clamp bolt on the brake mechanism, pull the cable tighter, and then retighten the bolt.
4. Test Brake: Spin the wheel to ensure it moves freely. If there's drag the brake is too tight. Loosen the cable clamp, release a bit of tension, and adjust until the wheel spins without drag but with minimal brake pad gap.

Lights and Visibility

Short winter days and foggy conditions necessitate proper lighting and visibility. Sadly, not all electric scooters are up for the job out of the box. If your scooter does not have the following, we recommend buying them.

• A bright, high-mounted headlight with a downward angle to illuminate the road optimally and not blind other road users. Look for the following:
  • Easy to mount
  • Wide angle
  • At least 700 lumens
  • Visible from at least 150 meters (500 ft) away
  • High weather resistance rating (IP67 or IP77)
  • We recommend: CECO-USA 1,000 Lumen USB Light
• A low-mounted, red taillight that can easily be mounted on your e-scooter. Also, look for:
  • At least 200 lumens
  • Visible from at least 150 meters (500 ft) away
  • High weather resistance rating (IP67 or IP77)
  • We recommend: Cygolite Hypershot 250
• White and yellow reflectors for the side of the wheels and the stem.
  • Mountable plastic reflectors are more durable
  • Stickers are cheaper and easier to mount/remove
• Reflective apparel
  • Jacket or vest
  • Helmet with reflective strips
  • Reflective arm/leg bands
  • Backpack reflective stickers

Riding in Snow & Ice

With snow and ice on the road, you must adjust your riding style to stay safe. This section covers practical tips and techniques for riding your electric scooter in winter weather.

1. Adjust Your Speed

We highly recommend reducing your overall speed in snowy conditions. Snow and ice can decrease your scooter's traction, making it harder to control.

By riding slower, you give yourself more time to react and adapt, reducing the risk of accidents. Maintaining a lower speed will allow you to more easily steer clear of potential hazards like icy patches and snow buildup.

Remember, the key in winter conditions is control, not speed. Take it easy and stay alert.

2. Brake Carefully

To safely stop on slippery surfaces, it is crucial you apply the brakes gently and progressively. With the electric scooter's reduced grip, there's an increased risk of skidding.

To avoid hydroplaning, begin braking earlier than you usually would. Also, avoid braking while turning, as your tires are at an increased risk of skidding here. Instead, reduce your speed before entering a turn and gently accelerate again after.

3. Maintain Good Posture

Posture is key to maintaining stability on snowy or icy surfaces.

Bend your knees slightly to absorb shocks, and take a wider stance to lower your center of gravity. A low center of gravity improves handling, and bent knees allow you to shift your weight when necessary more easily.

Avoid making sudden or sharp movements; instead, lean gently into turns and distribute your weight evenly.

4. Ride on Clear Paths

Only ride on paths that have been cleared and avoid areas with deep, loose snow or patches of ice, especially the treacherous black ice. Cleared paths are more predictable and safe.

5. Handling Skids

If your scooter starts to skid, it's important to stay calm. Instead of abruptly turning the handlebars or harshly applying the brakes, gently ease off the throttle and slowly steer in the direction you want to go.

This technique, called "steering into a skid, " can help you regain control. Remember, sudden movements can worsen the skid.

Practice makes perfect, so if you can practice this maneuver in a controlled environment, it may help you react more effectively in an actual skid situation.

Post-Ride Maintenance

You've successfully braved the winter elements, but the work doesn't end there. These post-ride practices will maintain your scooter's longevity and ensure it is safe for your next ride.

1. Clean Your Scooter

Immediately clean your electric scooter after a winter ride. Remove any snow, ice, or road salt. When snow or ice melts and combines with road salt, it accelerates the rusting process of metal parts.

Over time, corrosion can weaken your scooter's frame and affect the motor's efficiency. In the short term, its most immediate impact is on the braking system, particularly the brake pads and rotor.

Start with a soft bristle car brush wherever you can. It's gentle enough to use on the scooter's body and painted surfaces without scratching.

Use a stiff bristle car brush for tougher grime and dirt on the tires. This brush is effective for scrubbing away salt and road debris. However, it may scratch painted parts, so stay away from those.

Use a smaller brush for the brakes. Disc brakes have many moving metal parts, so using a smaller brush will allow you to clean those hard-to-reach spots better.

2. Wipe Down Your Scooter

You've cleaned your scooter; now it is time to wipe it dry.

Start with a clean cloth and wipe off any visible moisture. Be particularly thorough around electronic components and metal parts. It is crucial you use a clean cloth as you don't want to add more dirt to the scooter. Any cloth (or even a towel) will do; just ensure it absorbs water well.

Dab electronic parts to avoid pushing moisture into the components. This holds true for motors, switches, and the display.

We recommend using a disc brake cleaner if you find disc brakes hard to dry. Make sure it is acetone-free.

3. Let Your Scooter Air Dry

Finally, come full circle by letting your electric scooter air dry in a warm, well-ventilated, and dry area before storing it.

Getting 100% rid of all moisture with cloths and swabs is almost impossible, but a warm, dry place will allow the residual water to evaporate.

Best Electric Scooters for Winter

Based on years of extensive testing of more than 50 electric scooter models, we've picked three reliable electric scooters geared for the winter season.

What to Look for in an Electric Scooter for Winter?

We've ridden countless electric scooters through challenging weather and assessed the four most important features that make them winter-approved.