A skateboard with handlebars, also known as a scooter skateboard, is a mix between a scooter and skateboard. It has the same narrow, oblong deck and four wheels as a skateboard. It also has the long-stemmed handle at the front like the traditional scooter. The most basic scooter skateboard retails for about $40, as of January 2011.
Kids
The scooter skateboard for kids is the most basic and generally consists of a skateboard with four small wheels and T-shaped, adjustable handlebars. Sometimes the handlebars are removable, but they are fixed in place and do not turn the wheels. Handlebars often have a cushioned grip and the deck can features comic book, cartoon or other colorful characters and designs. Kids older than age 7 are usually big enough for an adult scooter skateboard.
Adults
Scooter skateboards for adults are sometimes equally as colorful as the kids’ versions, but usually with bright, contrasting colors and designs devoid of things like Superman. The adult scooter skateboards generally have a mobile handle attached to the two front tires that lets the rider steer the front wheels as he zooms down the road. He has to use his body weight to make the back wheels follow. The T-shaped, metal handlebars are often adjustable but are not removable. What sets the adult scooter skateboards apart is the wheel size and a brake.
Wheels
The wheel setup on adult scooter skateboards also differs from the kids' version. The wheels are generally at the ends of the deck attached to a visible axle, rather than directly beneath the deck as found in traditional skateboards. The wheel size varies on the type of riding you want to do. Larger wheels offer more stability for asphalt and bumpier rides, while smaller wheels work better for turning, spinning and tricks. The trickster scooter skateboards also feature a bent stem at the bottom of the handlebars for greater turning power.
Brakes
Brakes have not traditionally been part of any scooter or skateboard, though they are now available. It is a shoe brake, which stops the unit when you press down with your foot. The brake is attached on the back end of the deck above the rear wheels. Scooter skateboards with a brake have the smaller wheels in the units meant for pavement and tricks.
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