Pocket bikes - say what?

[laura*]

Apparently electric pocket bikes are a current fad. These are basically little scooters powered by a battery. A few weeks ago, in the next county over, an eight year old boy died after riding a pocket bike with no lights nor helmet at night out onto a street into the path of a car.

This afternoon I heard a strange noise across the way. It seems as if a neighbor has bought her daughter one of these bikes. She was riding her pink bike back and forth about 50 feet. The motor seemed to have only two modes/speeds - on or off. It sounded horrible - there was a big clunk every time she turned the motor on. Plus it sounded like a cheap electric drill.

Whatever happened to pedal power, banana seats and sissy bars?

[malkin]

Sissy bar sticks up behind your seat in a loop or a shape. Motorcycles still have them sometimes.

Pocket bikes are remarkably invisible because they are so low to the ground. If they weren't so noisy you'd never know they were there. Even with the noise, I'm often looking the complete wrong direction for something I can't see.