It started when former closer Brian Wilson mentioned that he liked scooters to team chef Joe Day, who happened to build them as a hobby. Before long, Wilson, Tim Lincecum, Hunter Pence, Sergio Romo, and Brandon Belt were cruising to the ballpark from their nearby downtown homes on their own heavily modified two-wheel electric rides.
The project really kicked into gear after the 2010 World Series. With some free time on his hands during the offseason, Day started pushing his scooter-making skills to the next level at a shop called Rustworks in San Carlos.
A chef by trade, Day, 28, works well with his hands and can offer about as many modifications to his custom scooters as he does ingredients in his cuisine.
"He's just a solid asset to an organization that is caring and affectionate to everybody," Romo said of Day.
Romo's scooter has a custom orange paint job, a turbo button, three-inch speakers that are mounted to a custom plate featuring his number, 54; an iPod dock to crank out the tunes and his name is painted on the baseboard.
"Mine is up there, but I think Timmy's might take the cake a little bit," Romo said.
Lincecum's scooter has all the features of Romo's ride and a special carbon fiber trim.
During Giants telecasts you'll often see shots of Pence cruising around town on his 2 wheel electric scooter. While he gets most of the airtime, his ride is a bit less flashy.
"There are some other guys with some very expensive scooters compared to mine," Pence said. "I have a very low-cost scooter."
Mindful that former Warriors guard Monta Ellis severely injured his left ankle on a moped shortly after signing a six-year, $66 million contract, all of the scooters made by Chef Day include extra large brakes, as well as engines that don't go any faster than 25 mph for added safety. There hasn't been an incident with any of the Giants players.
Day made two scooters for Pence, two more for Belt, and is currently making two for Madison Bumgarner, who is soon to join the scooter-riding ranks. Having a second scooter is key because these guys don't just hum down the Embarcadero to the ballpark, they also take joy rides alongside their significant others. Day says the average cost of the modified scooters is $2,000.
"I found out from Pence, Lincecum and Romo because they all had one," Belt said. "I talked to them about it and they said that they had a blast on them. I thought it might be something cool, since I live in the city this year, that me and my wife could have and drive around on."
Belt's scooter features a larger motor -- because he says he is a "bigger dude" -- with special shocks. While his scooter is orange, his wife Haylee's scooter is powder blue.
Chef Day did some special paintwork on Belt's scooter and they added some decals with his nickname 'baby giraffe' and jersey number for a personalized touch.
Day, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, has been the team chef for the Giants since 2009. Every day he does his own grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooks up to three meals for about 50 people -- including Giants players, coaches, and clubhouse staff members.
"Every day he has grass-fed beef and kale salad for me ready to go for lunch," Pence said. "He's awesome."
Day is able to find time to work on his side projects when the team is on the road or during the baseball offseason.
His fine cuisine and scooters are currently only available to people inside the Giants organization, but he is willing to branch out. Day recently started a Twitter account: @RocketPed. He says he will make his scooters available to everybody if the interest level is there.
There are various brands and designs of electric scooters on the market today. Some of the most widely embraced and popular among these are the two-wheeled ones. When making a purchase for a 2 wheel electric scooter however, it is important to consider some factors. A number of the considerations you should make are mentioned below.
POWER OUTPUT
Being electric devices, one of the most important things that you should pay attention to is the power output. This is because the various designs have an equally diverse range of power outputs. It is important to select that which has an output that is powerful enough to provide the kind of drive you desire.
BATTERY LIFE
Just like the power output, the battery life varies from one model to another. The bottom line however, is that you should go for one that has the longest battery life. This is because the longer this is, the longer the time you can spend using it. This will ensure that you can make use of it for a longer period before you recharge it.
WEIGHT CAPACITY
The weight capacity refers to the maximum amount of weight a 2 wheel scooter can be capable to bear and run efficiently. Though this is relatively the same for most designs, you should identify the one that ids suited for you based on your weight. In doing this, you can be guaranteed of riding on one that would not bulge under your weight.
SPEED
This is definitely a no brainer. You should be very awake to the fact that all the different kinds of scooters have various maximum speeds that they can achieve. This means that it is imperative to go for one that has the speed that you feel most comfortable with. However, more is always better as it gives you the ability to go wherever you want fast.
PRICE
Finally, you should highly consider the amount it would cost you to purchase a 2 wheel electric scooter of your choice. The price also varies from one to another and should be a key factor in the selection process. As with the speed, you should go for one that suits your Pocket.
They aren't just speed fixes or ways to get around for teens or young adults, electric scooters are real transportation solutions for those who don't need a large vehicle just to do their daily errands or to get from A to B. Buying your first electric scooter can be an intimidating experience if you've never owned anything on two wheels before. Consider these tips before you get started on your search for purchasing your first electric scooter.
Popular Electric Scooters
First thing you should ask yourself is who will be potentially riding your electric scooter. If it's just yourself, then the rest of the decision-making will be easy. If you expect other passengers to ride it regularly, consider what type of build you want to have for your electric scooter. Lighter, easier to handle scooters will be made largely of plastic, but they will also be more susceptible to damage from accidental drops or minor accidents. Maybe you can consider about china electric scooter, it's nice for adults.
The build quality of your scooter is very important, as needing to take your scooter in for repairs can cost you a lot of money at specialized scooter repair shops. If you intend on buying a scooter for your teenager, you should be looking at electric scooters made specifically for kids, rather than beginner-level scooters at scooter shops.
Electric Scooter upkeep
To expand on the last point about buying scooters for kids and adults: electric scooters that are found in places like Toys'R'Us are often much easier to maintain and are made for casual usage, while regular full-size scooters require more attentiveness and responsibility.
The batteries that come with kid's scooters are not as strong and don't hold a charge as well, made for a few hours of usage and needing at least twice as long to charge them. Also, most toy scooters have built-in batteries that may not be swapped or upgraded, while adult scooters allow for more freedom, depending on the manufacturer.
Another way to also research the longevity of an electric scooter is by confirming if it has genuine chrome plating to prevent rust and increase durability on its most vulnerable areas. Scooters tend to fall down unexpectedly, whether you're careful or not, having that extra layer of protection helps.
If you have chosen a full-sized electric scooter, learn as much as possible about what you can do to maintain the engine, any moving parts, and especially the braking system. You'll probably have change the brake pads a lot less often than a car, but you never want to have your brakes fail on a vehicle that leaves you so exposed.
