It’s electric! That’s the short answer the owners of Ride O’side, Ted and Crystal Dalsey, give to explain the fat tire electric scooters they are cruising on along The Strand.
“We have so many people asking about our scooters when we ride along,” Crystal Dalsey said. “Ted would tell me that we can’t stop and tell everyone what they are or we will never get where we’re going. Just say, ‘ it’s electric!’”
Ted and Crystal were introduced to the scooters by friends. They purchased the scooters at a big boy toy store in Arizona and brought them to Oceanside while they were on vacation. "They had us try them out and we absolutely fell in love with them,” Crystal said.
The colorful electric scooters they fell in love with are not the ride-share tiny-tire type you see littering the sidewalks in metropolitan areas. Although you can ride these standing up, these machines are sit down scooters equipped with front hydraulic shocks and fat tires, which provide stability and a smooth, comfortable ride. The large footprint of the tire, along with dual disc brakes, allows you to stop on a dime.
Equipped with a 20Ah battery, these scooters have plenty of power and speed to get you around town safely and quietly. The scooters have a range of approximately 50 miles, and the battery will last all day.
“We request our guests who rent for a full day return after four hours to swap out their scooter with a fresh one, just to be safe,” Crystal said.
A red three-position switch, on the right side of the handlebar, sets the scooter’s top speed, making it easy to stay at a safe speed for the location in which you are riding. Position one is for riding along The Strand (not the sand) with a top speed of 8 mph. Position two has a top speed of 13 mph while position three gives you a top speed of 20 mph for riding on the streets. Each rider must wear a helmet, which is provided, and gets a safety briefing and the do’s and don’ts of riding the scooters before they leave the lot.
“We tell the renters to remember that everyone here is on vacation so pay attention to your surroundings,” Ted said.
The scooters are equipped with a cupholder and Bluetooth so you can pair your device and play your favorite tunes while cruising.
“We love Oceanside. We love our ZIP code and we wanted to bring something fun to our town,” Crystal said. “The best part of this has been seeing when our guests come back. They look how we felt the first time we rode these. They have this big grin and say we wouldn’t believe how many looks they got while riding. We do believe, that’s why we started this.”
“It’s super green, clean fun,” Ted added.
Ride O’side offers group discounts and a 10 percent discount for rentals before 2 p.m. Riders must be a minimum of 15 years old with valid ID or permit and ride with a guardian. Those who are 18 and older can ride on their own.
You can purchase electric scooters from Ride O’side, which can be customized to carry golf clubs or surfboards.
Ride O’side, 306 N. Cleveland St., is open every day, except Tuesday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. To learn more about Ride O’side sales and rentals, visit www.rideoside.com or call 760-583-8737 for daily specials.