My husband and I recently had a date night. We had gone out to dinner and were looking for something fun to do afterwards. On a whim, we decided to take a ride on the new Scoobi scooters that are reinventing the way Pittsburghers travel around the city. What is Scoobi? If you haven’t heard of it yet, here’s a blurb from their Facebook page:
“Our goal is to reinvent the way Pittsburghers travel, providing an affordable, environmentally conscious way to experience the City,” said Scoobi CEO Mike Moran. “Scooters allow people to skip the cramped city bus or expensive rideshare car and enjoy a low-cost way to get around town. It’s about fun, efficiency and freedom-of-movement.” – @scoobi.official
I was intrigued. So, we downloaded the Scoobi app from the Google Play store on our phones and located some bikes. We had to look for an area that would have alot of bikes so we could find two close to each other. It wasn’t hard to do that in Squirrel Hill. As we were driving there we saw 3 bikes next to each other, with a woman getting ready for a ride on one. After a quick registration and orientation about the bikes, we were ready to reserve one and ride.
What I loved:
- The scooters are a lot easier to maneuver than I expected. The bikes are a good weight (not too heavy) and very stable when making turns, etc.
- The helmets were comfortable and had two different sizes in the storage compartment.
- There is a great little holder for your phone to rest while you’re riding so you can track your time on the bike or to use Google Maps for directions.
- Scoobi is paving the way for green transportation in Pittsburgh. These are electric bikes – which means cleaner Pittsburgh air with one less car on the road! Also, the bikes are almost completely recyclable.
Ready to try it? Here are some tips:
- For quick start up, download the app prior to your night out (or in the car). There are a couple short videos that help show you how to properly handle the bike. Watch these beforehand and you’ll be ready to go in no time! We didn’t do this but it took only a few minutes while we were standing at the bikes. Once you are #ScoobiCertified, you are golden!
- Now you can locate a bike and reserve – if you’re planning a date, go to a place that has a high concentration of bikes so you’re more likely to find two together. This was very easy to do in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The reserve time on the bikes is 10 minutes. Currently, there are 100 bikes in Pittsburgh.
- Renting a Scoobi costs $5.00 for the first 15 minutes, and $0.25 per minute after.
- The scooters are single rider only – but your friend/date can rent one too and start a #scoobisquad.
- Put your phone in the holder, suit up in your helmet and you’re ready to go!
- I didn’t know that I could ride the bike in the middle of the road like a car – but that’s exactly what you do. The bikes go up to 30 miles per hour. They are not highway bikes but made for commuting and travel around cities. Hence, why you don’t need a motorcycle license to drive one.
- You must be 18 and have a valid drivers license to operate. The app will request this information when you register.
- The hours of operation for the bikes are 5am-Midnight daily.
- Once you are finished with your ride, you can back it in any legal street parking space.
We loved riding these around Squirrel Hill with the cool evening breeze on me. There are nice big open streets that are perfect for the beginner rider. We met a guy who was renting one and he said his roommate uses one to commute to work daily! Its so neat to see how they are taking Pittsburgh by storm – paving the way to a greener city.
Now you are ready to get out and ride! Don’t forget to share your experiences with @scoobi.official!
xo,
Jamie