What size scooter do you need?

Before we get into the finer details, let's go over a few rules of thumb to get ya started. 

First thing we like to tell people is that when you are standing over (not on) your scooter, you want the handle bars to line up somewhere between your waistband and belly button. For people who ride street style (more grinding - less acrobatics) we typically recommend slightly taller bars that are closer to your belly button. This is because a lot of these tricks can be done in a more vertical position which is a little easier on your beck (less slouching)  When it comes to people who are more interested in park style riding (acrobatic style flips and whips) we like to recommend sizes closer to the waistband height. This is because park riders tend to prefer smaller and lighter scooters so that they can have more control of them in the air while they do their tricks.

We promise to tie this all together and simplify it at the end, but there are lots of scooter sizing factors to consider. The last one we will point out here is deck length. Deck length is far less important than scooter height or deck width, but still very important. Luckily, if you figured out those other two sizes, this one should be easy. Proportions are huge when it comes to actually operating your scooter - A really wide and short scooter would feel awkward to ride; just like a really long skinny scooter. We’ve found that 19.5” - 21” is optimal for a deck that is 4.5” - 5” wide. For scooter decks that are 5”-5.5” wide; we recommend a length of 20.5”-22” for best proportions. Like we said earlier, this is a less significant issue, so these size ranges should keep you right where you need to be.

Scooter Size Chart

How do you measure scooter height?

There are two different scooter height sizes - handlebar length and scooter height. Scooter height is the actual full vertical standing size of a complete and built scooter. Handlebar length is just the length of the handlebars, keep reading to see how to calculate your actual scooter height from your handlebar height.

Scooter handlebar heights

So… to figure out your actual scooter height add about 10 inches to the handlebar length if you are running a 2 bolt clamp (IHC) and add about 11 inches to handlebar length if you are running a 4 bolt clamp (SCS). This equation will give you the true scooter height solely based on handlebar length. This will come in handy if you ever build a custom scooter or just want to purchase a different length of handlebar to adjust your total scooter height.

For a 2 bolt clamp (IHC)

Scooter Height = Handlebar length + 10 inches

For a 4 bolt clamp (SCS)

Scooter Height = Handlebar length + 11 inches

Scooter deck sizes

The other big size factor we want to account for is the deck. Scooter decks are generally in the 4.5”-7” width range with lots of between sizes. For younger and smaller riders, we recommend staying in the 4.5” - 5.5” width range. Anything larger than 5.5” wide can be very difficult to navigate when you're first starting out. So how do you choose between smaller size and larger size decks? Earlier we stated that park style riders prefer smaller and lighter scooters… Well, that philosophy translates into deck sizing too. When a newer rider is looking to learn park style tricks we like to find them a scooter deck in the 4.5” - 5” width range depending on the size of the rider. Street riders on the other hand, want a wider scooter deck to assist with their ability to grind. A larger scooter deck gives you more surface area to balance on while you’re grinding - so 5”-5.5” wide would be perfect for a young street rider starting out.

Scooter wheel sizes  

We’re doing a whole entire blog for wheel sizes. There are subtle differences between each one, but we wanted to give you a general idea of what size wheels are available and what they do. This gets much more complicated when you’re buying wheels that are a different size than what came on your scooter. For now, let's focus on wheels that come with complete scooters and what these different size wheels actually do. For entry level scooters you will typically find wheels that are 100mm or 110mm in diameter and 24mm in width. These smaller wheels keep the rider closer to the ground - giving them a better opportunity to learn balance. Mid level scooters are much more likely to have wheels between 110mm and 120mm in diameter and 24mm in width. The benefit of slightly larger wheels is the speed they can achieve. This could turn into a whole physics lesson; but, simply put, the bearing of the wheel is the same size on all scooters and that's the part that actually moves. By having a larger wheel with the same size bearing you are traveling a further distance per rotation, making these size wheels great for intermediate riders who are beginning to care about performance. Advanced scooters can come with the same size scooters as the mid level for park, but for street riders something a little larger is preferred. There are two different large wheels you will see - 120mm diameter with 30mm width is super common in the U.S. In Europe on the other hand, there is a special size called the twelve standard. Twelve standard is 125mm diameter with 30mm width and a larger bearing. With twelve standard you will see a small decrease in wheel speed due to the large bearings, but the durability of travel is unrivaled. With these large wide wheels you are able to go over all the bumps and cracks in the road and on the sidewalk much easier, that’s why they are perfect for street riders.