Zippy and reliable
I bought my Cityrider in September of 2020, and have had it for more than four years now. I've covered about 2500km (as the app says), so more than 1500 miles now.
I wouldn't have expected to use it so much. It hasn't missed a beat. I use it on a regular basis for short trips in the neighborhood, where it's not practical or feasible to drive. And it is just magical to glide along. You can't help but have a smile on your face. It comes in handy on a regular basis, making it effortless to make short trips that would take awhile in walking (or be silly to drive), or when you just want to be whisked along without much sweat and exertion (so helpful in the summer).
After four years: I can tell that the battery life is not as strong as it was new. It doesn't hold a charge as long. The battery life in general goes down in cold weather, but this is to be expected for the technology.
Mine has suffered some wear over gravel and ruts in the pavement, and the motor seems like it has some resistance or is otherwise not running super well, keeping it from accelerating at full speed. Some maintenance needs are to be expected after so long, but right now, I'm not sure where to take it for service. Also, the ability to purchase replacement tires would be much appreciated. Nonetheless, I'm still satisfied with the quality thus far for having held up well.
The major drawback would be the design of the upright stem/shaft running from the handlebars down to the footboard and wheels. Unless the design has been modified in the time since, this area at the hinge is not well designed and is loose, allowing a lot of back and forth play.
Also, the brakes are very grabby and hard to modulate finely. Perhaps I haven't set mine up properly (after much fiddling), but it's very off-and-on. Also, I find that you don't want to trail gently off of the brake as the braking power rather gives up (can be a safety issue). It likes a lot of braking, or none at all - not spending time in between.
Finally, while I think 18.6 mph (30 kph) is fast enough to feel satisfied while keeping the risk of serious injury tamped down, I wouldn't mind having some extra power to get up steep hills. That's outside the mission of this scooter, but when I have a heavy backpack on, I have to push and push myself up a moderately steep hill. My bodyweight is 150lb, and any extra pounds notably tax the scooter. Ditto if the battery is drained. Still, everything is a tradeoff, and this has worked well for me. Something to consider depending on how you plan to use it.
Overall, I'm very satisfied and consider it one of my favorite purchases the last few years. It looks great, folds up into the (small) trunk of my car, has put a smile on my face countless times, and opened up new avenues of effortless, lower-emission travel. A more solid hinge mechanism and refined brakes would polish up the weak areas, if not already revised. Glad to have purchased.
