Scooter pegs: what are they for and how to put them?
Sports scooters are gaining more and more popularity, transforming from a child's mode of transport into an adult vehicle. Stunt scooters, which have a variety of functions, are gaining special popularity. To perform stunt performances, special structural elements are needed, which help to make them efficiently and without risk to health. Pegs or "sliders" are one of the key components.
Features and characteristics
Pegs are special scooter bushings that are placed on the outside of the axle of the front or rear wheel. They can be used for a variety of purposes, but in most cases riders use them as an aid to glide support and for better balance. These are tubes that are used as support for trick manipulations. Perhaps, in the future, the scope of their application will be wider, because the technical features of this device are constantly being improved. For this reason, even experienced riders are constantly looking for new solutions to master the newfound elements.
It is worth starting with the easiest exercises, and over time, more complex ones will be performed automatically. Pegs should be used by riders who have considerable experience in riding scooters; for beginners, this can result in injuries.
When attaching the pegs to the rear wheel, be careful not to injure your legs, because unlike the additional front elements, they are less visible.
Using pegs, the normal length to the deck is somewhat transformed, so if you jerk or collide, you can fall and get damaged. To avoid this, it is worth taking your leg a little further.
Although this structural element helps in performing tricks, it is easy to catch on to it. Often times, athletes are injured by tilting the handlebars too much, as the peg then hits the asphalt. You need to be careful when twisting the scooter, you can easily hook the sleeve with your foot, damaging your limb or shoes. In a word, trying to learn tricks, you must first get used to the presence of additional elements.
Many people also find riding with pegs less comfortable, but at the same time they are much easier to perform a variety of jumps and a series of tricks, and they also give a personal style to the ride. In addition, such elements have original design solutions, which also serves as a decoration for the appearance of the scooter. The quality and effectiveness of the performance of tricks on a scooter is influenced by all the characteristics of pegs, which should be taken into account when installing and using them: parameters, the material from which they are made, as well as the surface finish.
Design and types
The classic parameters of pegs include a length of 11 cm and a diameter of 4 cm, but each rider can modify them to suit individual needs. The cost, like the main characteristics, depends on the material from which the pegs are made. To select bushings, you must first take into account their properties.
- Titanium They are durable, but have poor sliding on rocky surfaces.
- Aluminum and steel are among the most popular and demanded elements and are installed on most professional stunt scooters. But these elements tend to make unpleasant sounds. To avoid this, they are lubricated with paraffin. The optimal combination is considered to be a structure made of an aluminum core and a steel shell.
- Plastic - a budget option, which, moreover, has a fairly good durability. Does not emit unnecessary grinding and squeaking. It is used mainly by novice athletes.
Scooter component manufacturers are constantly making changes and improving the quality of their products by using materials that are stronger and more versatile. Pegs don't just put wheels on the axle, but also fixed with a special anti-spin bolt... It prevents accidental jumping off of additional elements and strengthens them under load.
How to install correctly?
Having decided and chosen pegs, you need to know how to properly place them on the scooter. Self-installation is not very laborious and time-consuming, as it might seem at first. There are several ways to place pegs, depending on the deck of the scooter. To simplify the task, quite often the kit also includes wide washers - spacers. Some scooter models cannot be equipped with pegs without them. Installation is carried out in such a way that all parts are motionless. As auxiliary tools, it is worth using a hexagon and a tubular wrench with a wrench.
Before installing, you also need to make sure that the bolt is long enough to attach the elements (one or both sides, according to the rider's preference).
Before installation, it is worth trying on. If the hub rests not on the fork, but on the wheel frame, you need to use spacers. These washers fill in excess space and ensure a secure fit. If the size is suitable, do the following:
- pegs are inserted into the bolt;
- a washer is inserted into the key;
- on the reverse side, the location is fixed with a hexagon;
- the spacer is screwed onto a bolt;
- using a wrench, fix the tubular key in the required position;
- it is worth screwing the bolt all the way with a hexagon.
With a one-sided mount, the bolt should only stick out on one side, otherwise the ride will be uncomfortable or dangerous.
It is very important to check the quality of the peg attachment before using the stunt scooter.
Wherever the stunt scooter ride takes place, in the park or on the street, you always need to remember about safety - both your own and others. Therefore, the health of the vehicle should be in the first place.
See below for how to attach pegs to your stunt scooter.