I tried Denver South's $1 electric scooters
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The things I do for readers. Photo: Robert Sanchez/Axios
Did you spot an impossibly handsome man riding an electric scooter through Greenwood Village in an ill-fitting helmet recently?
- Me too. The jerk blew past me at 15 mph.
🛴 The big picture: Like that good-looking rider, I tried Denver South's $1-per-ride electric scooter pilot program, which debuted this month in Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
- And you can, too.
State of play: Colorado's first regional scooter corridor links previously separate Spin scooter networks along parts of I-25, iincluding Centennial and Greenwood Village.
- The fleet of 210 scooters cover roughly 8.7 square miles, connecting riders to light rail, jobs, venues and businesses.
Denver South — a regional economic development organization — and five metro districts expect to spend roughly $500,000 on scooters, maintenance and staffing through next September.
- They're hoping for 76,650 trips throughout the pilot.
How it works: I downloaded Spin's app, entered my information and credit card number — a two-minute project.
- I found a ride on the app's map, scanned the QR code near the scooter's handlebars and was ready to roll.
Confession: I'd never ridden an electric scooter before.
- A YouTube video helped me figure out how to start the thing.
- ➡️ I traveled from Lincoln Avenue and Oswego Street — in Douglas County — to Fiddler's Green.
- I started at 10–12 mph and slowly gained confidence.
✈️ Dear readers, if you've never done this, 12 mph feels like the Concorde.
Pro tip: Plan your route. Spin's app shows where you can ride, but constantly stopping and starting to check your phone gets old.
Reality check: Navigating Inverness is more confusing than Buffalo Bill's blacked-out basement in "The Silence of the Lambs."
🤬 My scooter also lost power several times near parks and golf courses, where riding is off-limits. That prompted some unexpected pushing and four-letter words.
- Did you spot the day's second-most-handsome rider dragging a powerless scooter near Arapahoe Road?
- I was a mile behind him, juice-less on a hill.
I eventually made it to Fiddler's Green before enjoying (enduring) the return trip.
- At one point, I made "vroom-vroom" noises.
By the numbers: 14.7 miles, 138 minutes.
- $1.05 — $1 ride, 5-cent tax.
😘 The bottom line: It took a while to regain feeling in my jostled hands, but I did it for you.