This adorable electric skateboard is perfect for getting around cities

BY RAYMOND WONG From Mashable

Electric skateboards, like Boosted Boards, are all the rage these days for getting around and social influencers like Casey Neistat make riding them look incredibly cool.

But size and price remain top reasons why people like me haven’t bought one. Most electric skateboards are modeled after longboards and are just too big. They’re also kinda pricey, with most costing hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Enter the Kuickwheel Serpent-C, an 18-inch long, remote-controlled electric skateboard that’s smaller than a Penny Board and easily fits in most backpacks. The board’s also less than $220 during its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Electric skateboards basically have one job: to get you from one place to another. That’s it. But like a car, speed and range are also important, because you can’t just stop midway and charge up in the middle of the street.

A good electric skateboard needs to last long or it’s basically useless. I’ve been testing out the Serpent-C for the last few months, using it to cruise around the outer borough of Queens in New York and occasionally in Manhattan to cut across avenues, and make short trips from uptown to downtown (and vice-versa).

The board only weighs about six pounds and the sturdy Canadian maple and bamboo composite has held up quite well. I thought for sure it’d snap under my 130-pound body after daily use, but it didn’t. The edges got a little dirty and banged up, but it was nothing a simple clean up couldn’t fix.

The Serpent-C has a single hub-driven motor within one of its rear wheels. This gives it enough thrust to carry you at a top speed of about 11 mph and up to a 6.21-mile range on a single battery charge.

By most accounts, these are unimpressive figures especially when compared to a Boosted Board, which uses a belt-drive system to achieve faster acceleration (up to 20 mph with the Dual model and up to 22 mph with the Dual+) and a 7-mile range (up to 12 mile range with extended battery).

But you can’t compare the Serpent-C to the Boosted Board. They’re completely different animals, like cars in different classes. This mini electric skateboard is way less powerful, but it’s exactly the kind of board that’s perfect for getting around a city, especially short distances.

A plastic remote control is included with the electric skateboard that has a slider for accelerating and braking. There’s also a switch on the side for changing between Eco Mode and Sport Mode. The latter gives you more speed, but at the expense of battery life and range, so only use Sport Mode if you absolutely must go faster.

Don’t be an idiot. Wear a helmet and protective gear.
The skateboard is generally great for cruising on straight paths, but it’s not without its faults. Turning is a little tricky — you have to turn earlier and wider. The guys at Kuickwheel warned me that I would need some practice balancing on such a small board, but I had no real problems adjusting since I’m already adept at riding a Penny Board, which is just a few inches longer.

Rough roads and pot holes are the Serpent-C’s biggest enemies. Unlike a longboard-style electric skateboard which has some good flex and is designed to glide right over most bumps, the Serpent-C’s small rigid deck means even a twig or small rock could send you flying through the air. So definitely wear a helmet and any other protective gear. Don’t be an idiot.

A longer and heavier electric skateboard might not be a problem when you’re riding it on the street, but it’s kind of annoying when you need to bring it into establishments like stores or restaurants. Where do you leave it? Can you leave it up front, like an umbrella? Or do you lug it around the store? What if someone steals it?

These are actual concerns I have with most longer electric skateboards, and with the Serpent-C it’s not an issue. I just held it in my arms or tossed it in backpack — there’s also a hole on the back so you could strap it to a backpack with a carabiner if you want — when I was in a shop. And when I was in a restaurant, I easily threw it under my chair or table without bothering the other seated customers.

Range anxiety wasn’t ever really an issue in New York City — not for short distances at least. Besides, if your board dies (and it did a few times for me), you can always use it like a regular skateboard. Yeah, you have to kick it, but it’s good exercise!

If you’re looking for an electric skateboard as your main mode of transportation, the Serpent-C is not for you. A Boosted Board is probably the better buy.

The Serpent-C is not the fastest or longest-lasting electric skateboard around, but that’s fine by me. I’m willing to compromise on having less speed and range for something that’s actually portable. It also helps that the electric skateboard is only a few hundred bucks.

Kuickwheel Serpent-C

The Good
Super small • Super light • Fits in a backpack

The Bad
Not the fastest electric skateboard • Kinda cheapish remote

The Bottom Line
For short distances and cruising in cities, the tiny Serpent-C electric skateboard is perfect for the job.

IMAGES:
The Serpent-C is even smaller than a Penny Board IMAGE: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
These wheels are thick, but they won’t save you from a rock in the road IMAGE: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Slide up to accelerate and back to brake
IMAGE: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE
Buttons for controlling the direction of the board
IMAGE: RAYMOND WONG/MASHABLE

For more on this story and video go to: http://mashable.com/2017/09/06/kuickwheel-serpent-c-tiny-electric-skateboard-review/?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29&utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner-All-Partial&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed#BFUk88_jAmq7