I have been talking with my son about how I thought my scooter seat might be more comfortable if it was round. I sit on a round wheeled stool in my kitchen while cooking and doing pretty much everything in there. I have a round wheeled stool in my living room that I use to wheel on though out my house.
Well, good son that he is he swapped out my TravelScoot seat with the top of a round stool for me as one of my Christmas gifts. It is more comfortable and has increased the time I can spend on my TravelScoot without discomfort.
In case any of you wanted to try it (at your own peril!) I thought I would tell you how my son accomplished this.
Things you will need:
The seat off of a stool. Mine is a 16" top.
An electric staple gun and staples.
Spray adhesive.
Your TravelScoot tools.
1/4" T-nuts.
A hammer.
A drill & bits.
A screw driver or something to remove the staples from the stool upholstery.
A razor knife.
1. Disassemble stool seat.
Remove all the staples from the stool and remove all the upholstery and foam from the stool.
Be careful not to damage the foam it is glued to the wood base of the stool. You need to get the
wooden base out.
2. Remove the metal plate from the bottom of your existing TravelScoot seat and use it as a template to mark the position of the bolts on the round stool seat.
Drill the round seat and hammer in the T-nuts.
This is the round seat with the T-nuts in place (they are the small holes)
This is the other side of the round seat with T-nuts in place
3. Put the foam back on the seat.
You will need the spray adhesive to glue the foam back to the round wood seat. This is the brand we used.
Once the foam is in place you need to staple the foam and covering back into place.
Now you need to put the last trim piece from the bottom of the seat back on. You need to mark where the bolts that go back into the bottom of the seat go while you are doing this. We used a razor knife to cut out
holes for the bolts.
Once the trim piece is back in place we made sure the bolts would screw in nicely. My son bought bolts instead of using the ones on my original TravelScoot seat. Here they are in test position.
4. Bolt seat onto the TravelScoot seat mount.
Finished!
I do not use the seat back so we did not put that bracket back on. Having this round seat does make me have to swing my leg back further while getting on and off the scooter. I am not sure if you could step through between the handle bar upright and the seat to get on the scooter with the round seat in place because it does come forward further than the original TravelScoot seat. I have always got on my TravelScoot by swinging my leg over the seat like getting on a bike.
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This is a good idea. Thanks for sharing it so well. I'll show it to my husband. The TravelScoot seat is not a comfortable one for me either. What I did was buy a gel cushion, and that helps a lot.
ReplyDeleteAs for getting on and off, at first I found it a challenge. I have to step between the two pipes, where everyone else puts the red canvas carrier thingy. But I feel more stable stepping there.
Thanks Janet :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't ever been able to get on the TravelScoot by stepping through, I am not configured to slip through tight places :D
I was thinking of gel cushion or having my original seat modified with more layers of foam, but I think the real issue with the original TravelScoot seat for me is that it puts pressure on the backs of my legs in the "perfect place" to make them go numb.
Maybe that's part of what bothered me too. I found myself walking funny when I'd get off it. But my back would feel SO tired too. With the gel I guess the resistance is more doable for me.
DeleteWhen I need a new seat, I'm going to really consider what you've done here though. Thanks! Janet
Not anonymous ... from Daniel.
ReplyDelete.
Dear Cynth,
Thanks for posting all those great photos.
Having a travelscoot for a long time does make one think-up improvements; it is good to see photos of how its done.
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I've made a genuine sheepskin seat cover for my Travelscoot seat, much softer for the skin than just the original vinyl and foam seat covering.
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I have metal joint in me which 'nearly poked through the skin to the outside' from riding over road bumps; before my sheepskin seat cover days.
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When approaching known road bumps, I press down with my feet and pull myself up with the handle bars, 'mountain bike style' to ease the seat pressure on the body.
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One more thing, when you say that you 'go numb on the backs of your legs' I too, have that same feeling, I have to 'sit forward' on the seat to relieve pressure.
My calf muscles have grown very much bigger since I got the Travelscoot.
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In addition, sorry to be vulgar but I think for men there is more chance of greater numbness.
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Happy New Year to you Cynth and Janet and gracious host, Elizabeth.
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Cheers.
from,
daniel.
(in London)
o0o
Not vulgar at all Daniel, I am 100% against numb body parts of any kind :)
ReplyDeleteUpdate on my seat; I really am enjoying it. This weeks shopping was the most comfortable hour I have had on the scoot in quite some time. No seat issues to report at this time.