Winter Scooter Parts

The warm weather is fading away and now the cooler temperatures are right around the corner. It will soon come the time when many scooters, go-karts, dirt bikes, mini bikes, and other powersports equipment get returned to the garage to spend another winter season sleeping peacefully under their tarp. Well, that might be the case in other places, but here in central Colorado the return of winter doesn't slow people down. Perhaps it is because this area was settled by a curious mix of crusty gold prospectors (complete with donkey, pan, and pickaxe), and Bohemian non-conformists, but people here look at winter as just another excuse to have fun. It has been observed that a typical Coloradan's winter attire includes flip-flops, puffy down vests, baggy shorts, and a stocking cap.

Whether you put your scootin' machine to bed for the season or keep it running all year around, the colder weather means it's time to winterize. Just like on a car, you need to check the fluids and belts, inspect your batteries, and give it some protection from the elements whenever it's not in use. The same goes for mobility scooters and power chairs just as it is applicable to powersports machines.

Scooter Covers
If you park your machine in the garage for the season you can cover it with any old blue polypropylene tarp held down by mismatched bungee cords from the dollar store, or you can do it correctly with a dedicated scooter cover of the right size. We offer a number of excellent quality covers for mobility scooters and power chairs, convenient bike covers, and super-handy covers for street-legal motor scooters that you can store in a top case or saddlebag.

Weatherproof Cover for Maxi Scooters
If you have a big maxi scooter, here is how you keep it looking its very best. Our weatherproof cover for maxi scooters is made by Prima, so you know it's the top-quality cover for your machine. Far and away better than any ragged blue polypropylene tarp, this Prima cover was designed especially for today's larger (and pricier) 250cc and larger maxi scooters.

Heavy Duty Weatherproof Cover for Mobility Scooters
If weather or long term storage is an issue, protect your scooter from the dust, rain, and snow with one of our heavy duty weatherproof covers for mobility scooters. Think of these heavy duty scooter covers as a scooter's winter raincoat.

Kick Scooter Wheels
One scooter type that isn't much affected by the season is the humble kick scooter. Unless the sidewalks are covered in six inches of ice and snow, kick scooter fanatics are still out there freewheeling, barspinning, and tailwhipping along. The kick scooter has long had an honored place at Monster Scooter Parts. Beginning with the Razor Scooter of a few years ago and evolving into today's wide range of pro-style models, kick scooters have become larger and far more tailorable to the enthusiast who loves to customize their prized possession. With so many aftermarket kick scooter parts available, kick scooters can be thought of as LEGO sets for older kids (and adults). You can customize your scoot with your choice of headsets, scooter clamps, handlebar grips, and a whole lot more.

Of all our replacement kick scooter parts, kick scooter wheels have to head the list of the most popular parts category. We currently offer an absolute myriad of different sizes, styles, and colors to suit the rider. Whether you prefer a plain but sturdy wheel, or one that reeks of opulence, we probably have just the wheel you want. Kick scooter wheels are simple to install and remove, usually requiring nothing more than a pair of 5 mm Allen wrenches.

100 mm / 98 mm Replacement Light-Up Flashing Kick Scooter Wheel with Bearings
Put a set of these 100 mm / 98 mm replacement light up wheels on your kick scooter and watch the fireworks spin! Also known as flash or flashing polyurethane wheels, these are a great accessory to make your kick scooter truly stand out and be seen.

150 mm Scooter Caster Wheel with 608 Bearings
The 150 mm scooter caster wheel might very well be the right wheel for you to rebuild that peculiar kick scooter, or build your own custom design. Pre-installed with 608 size bearings and a spacer so they can be ready to roll out of the box.

110 mm 841 Enzo Pro Scooter Wheel
841 wheels and pro scooter rider Enzo Commeau have designed the 110 mm Enzo pro scooter wheel. These are the perfect wheels for riders looking to rise above the level of mere amateur and start scooting like the pros.

Many of our kick scooter wheels are sold by the single wheel. Some of you have asked us if they could just purchase one wheel at a time, and we listened to you. Now you can even get one green wheel and one red wheel so you too can be a Bohemian non-conformist just like all of your friends.

For additional information on kick scooter wheels, scooter covers, or any other scooter parts that you may need, just talk to the Scooter Parts Professionals (SPPs) at Monster Scooter Parts.

At Monster Scooter Parts we like to say that we have the parts and the smarts to keep you rolling.

Don't Overinflate That Inner Tube!

Earlier today, as I was holding forth and waxing philosophic with my web colleagues, one of my friends from over in the Customer Service Department came in and asked me if I could write something about inner tubes. Monster Scooter Parts sells a astonishing number of tubes in an almost unbelievably copious range of sizes. We have tubes for electric scooters and electric bikes, tubes for kick scooters and tubes for motor scooters. Our warehouse is stuffed chockablock with power chair tubes and dirt bike tubes... well, you get the picture; we sell a lot of inner tubes.

The Wonderful World of Tubery
On the scale of sheer production numbers, these rubber balloons may not be as common as they once were. Sometime between the Iron Age and the PVC Age, the tubeless tire concept caught on for automobiles, but what is now considered as technological obsolescence for cars is still going strong in downtown Scooterville. Many scooter enthusiasts and  cyclists still prefer the smooth ride that only a pneumatic tube can give. Maybe it is due to their dwindling numbers in the auto world, but it seems that the fine art of properly inflating an inner tube is being slowly forgotten as well.

When inflating your inner tube, please use your best judgment. The recommended inflation pressure is usually molded on the tire's sidewall, and it is sometimes printed on an inner tube as well. Here in the USA, this is usually given in pounds per square inch (PSI).The recommended inflation pressure is just that, a friendly suggestion by the tire or tube manufacturer that gives a general average pressure for the average rider on an average temperature day. The recommended PSI for an inner tube can vary depending on elevation, weather, and air pressure. Because a manufacturer might produce the same tube for a variety of applications, the pressure rating is often a bit optimistic.

To reiterate; these are mere recommendations and should not be taken as an absolute. As an example, an MTB cyclist at a 6200+ Colorado altitude needs a different tire/tube pressure than that which her cousin requires down in his sea level beach town. In addition, a few pounds less pressure on a rainy day will provide you with a lot better traction on wet pavement than you would have if your tubes were filled to the max.

The very best tire gauge is your own sense of touch. A bike or scooter inner tube is best inflated just to the point where it feels right to you, when it offers just the right amount of squeeze resistance -- something halfway between spongy and rock solid. There are still some things that technology just can't improve upon, and experience is always the best teacher.

When Air was Free
Back in the proverbial heyday of pneumatic tubery, you drove up to the gas station's (free) compressor pump, turned a hand-crank until it dialed in the requested air pressure, put brass fitting to your tire's Schrader valve and let it fill until the "ding-ding, ding-ding, ding-ding" ceased. If you needed 36 PSI, the compressor stopped ding-dinging at 36 PSI.

Not so these days. Today you first search around town for a station that actually still has a compressor, then you drop in your four quarters and wait for the pump to run for two or three minutes. Instead of the comforting "ding-ding-dinging" to announce the right pressure, today's pumps make you release a little button and inspect the square brass rod that pops out from the hose end. Hopefully you get all of your tires filled in record time or it's another four quarters into the slot.

The Solution
The answer to this of course is to have your own electric compressor at home or a portable pump like the exceedingly handy & useful Portland Design Works Shiny Object C02 Bike Tire Inflator. A good compressor or bicycle pump is a necessary piece of gear for anyone who rides on pneumatic tires. Today's lightweight pumps and inflators can make a real difference between having a great day and a "we were all having fun until I had a flat" kind of day.

For more information on inner tubes & tires, visit the experts at Monster Scooter Parts.

At Monster Scooter Parts we like to say that we have the parts and the smarts to keep you rolling.

www.monsterscooterparts.com/

Bike & Scooter Accessories - Get a Grip at Monster Scooter Parts

The world of bicycle technology has certainly changed over the years. Just about every part that goes into making a bike; everything from the seat (or "saddle" as it's now called) down to the pedals has been redesigned with lighter alloys, plastics, carbon fiber, and other weight-saving materials. Change is usually a Very Good Thing, but it seems that the essentials remain. The cranks and pedals and handlebars may have gotten themselves reconfigured into a more 21st century type of stuff, but they all still do the same job as before, and they do it in the very same old way. The fenders still keep the cold water and mud from splashing up your back and the handlebar grips still give you something to hang on to.

The Inflator
Here for example is an item that totally represents a new way of fixing an old problem. The Portland Design Works Ninja C02 bicycle pump (or "inflator" as they're now called) can be used as a traditional hand pump, or the rider can make use of the ultra fast CO2 cartridge and pop the air back into that pneumatic doughnut faster than it takes to write about it.

Taking a retro full step backwards, every kid once had an Inner Tube Patch & Repair Kit but such handy & useful items as these aren't as ubiquitous as they once were. Years later I can remember using the little metal rasp to roughen up the surface of the tube to take the patch, and the sharp aroma of rubber adhesive.  

The Cup Holder
Maintaining proper hydration is essential to every cyclist, and a good bike water bottle and water bottle holder are must-have items for the MTB rider or in-town street cyclist. Monster Scooter Parts offers an incredibly diverse range of bottles and carrier cages to suit just about anyone's tastes. We also offer a selection of the hydropacks that seem to be the current fashion in bike accessories.

Speaking of fashions that come and go, the humble beach cruiser is a category of bikes that I hope never goes out of style. Fat tires and single speed coaster brakes were part of my life growing up in a beach town and whenever I see a cruiser style bike it immediately takes me back to my greener days growing up on the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Here's a cute and clever little item that will help turn just about anything with a handlebar into a bone fide beach cruiser; the Cruiser Candy Coconut Cup Holder, a unique drink holder made from real coconut husks. We sell a number of distinctive Cruiser Candy holders in a variety of models, so if you want to really dress up your handlebar in genuine beach town style just mount one on your bar and be the envy of the boardwalk.

The Trailer
As cycling becomes a family affair like no time before, bike trailers and trailer bikes become a great way to introduce the youngest cyclists to longer trips away from home. Child carriers & baby seats are certainly popular as well to keep the smallest kiddoes close at hand.

How is this for the ultimate bike accessory? You might not have needed one in the past, but sooner or later every cyclist wishes that they had a magnificent Cargo Trailer for their bike. Think of this as a bicycle-to-pickup-truck conversion kit. Once you attach the trailer your bike becomes a real pedal-powered hauling machine.

The Grip
Handlebar grips are one of the most economical upgrades that a rider can make to their bike or scooter. A good set of grips do two primary and necessary jobs as part of your steering system; they give your hands a good holding place to grab onto that isn't affected by sweat and moisture, and they provide your palms and fingers with a cushioned barrier against stress and vibration. Oh, and they improve your bike's good looks as well. OK, that makes three essential things that a set of handlebar grips do for you. Monster Scooter Parts carries a huge selection of grips for just about any cycling style. We have MTB grips and kids' grips. We offer flangeless foam grips and colorful flanged grips. And we have some of the most elegant leather grips that can ever go onto a bar.

Behold the utterly superlative Portland Design Works Whiskey Leather Handlebar Grips, the acme of grip design and luxury. The durable Whiskey Grips are crafted from the best full grain Italian leather. They are then vegetable tanned and conditioned with natural oils and waxes. Even the inside part is thoughtfully designed with sturdy machined aluminum alloy lockrings to prevent the grips from shifting while you ride. All in all, Portland's amazing Whiskey Leather Handlebar Grips are a real treat for yourself, or perhaps as a birthday or Father's Day gift for the favorite cyclist in your life.

A Very Good Thing
A bike or scooter is really an extension of the self. More than just a 2-wheeled leg-powered auxiliary vehicle, your personal machine says a lot about you and is a way that defines you as a whole person. Technology changes and everyone but the most lackadaisical or lollygagging cyclist or scooterist embraces the change for the Very Good Thing that it is. Embrace it and celebrate it.

For more information on bike parts & accessories, visit the experts at Monster Scooter Parts.