It is reasonable, but why would you want to arrive to work sweaty if it's not necessary? It's easy to forget that the average person doesn't have access to a shower at work. Also, a kick scooter is significantly safer and more maneuverable than a bike in my experience riding a road bike. An inch clearance off the ground makes it pretty safe.

I have the same scooter as the parent comment and I have to say I feel significantly safer on my bike. I like the scooter and it's fun and useful for quick errands where I don't want to get sweaty. However, the breaks are not nearly as instantaneous (I'm sure there are scooters with better breaks though) and I can't maneuver it nearly as quickly as I can my bike in the event of an emergency (or even just general travel).

My experience may be a bit biased though, considering I'm both a pretty experienced cyclist and I have to deal with the crazy San Francisco hills.

EDIT: Also, I do a fairly regular 12 mile round trip bike commute. Have only done it a couple times on the scooter for fun and it was terrifying compared to my bike.

It's not just you, a bicycle will always have much more responsive handling. Mopeds have small wheels so they need a long rake and wide tires compared to a bike, to make the steering stable and the contact patch larger.

Higher rake means the bike pitches in response to the wheel turning, because the contact patch is less in line with the handlebars. Wide tires multiply that even more. That gives stability at high speed but when you try to turn the whole vehicle moves the wrong way, making steering lag. It also makes it harder to stay up.

Ah, in your case a scooter would definitely be more dangerous. I doubt any scooter could stop on a dime down the kind of hills you're encountering. Even cars have trouble stopping quickly.

I'd actually say all forms of transportation are significantly more dangerous in the bay area, haha.

If you ride slow enough, or don't wear too warm clothes, you won't sweat. Here in Copenhagen 40% or so commute on bikes, including all classes of society from homeless and gypsies to lawyers and managers. 99% of them do it in their work clothes.

Kick bikes are incredibly unstable compared to bikes at their typical low operating speeds, and positively unusable at anything approaching biking speed.

Unfortunately, if you live somewhere where it gets legitimately hot outside or your commute involves a substantial hill, sweating is non-optional. I work in San Francisco so the weather is good for biking, but my apartment is at the top of a big hill. I do bike to work, but on the way home I often work up a sweat and have to change. However, I did recently order an e-bike which I'm very excited about to avoid that issue!

Copenhagen has the fairly unique advantage of never really getting warm or humid and being basically completely flat.

Copenhagen never getting really warm?!? Last time I was there, it was like 25°!

Exactly, and we get at least 10 of those days every single year.

I can't tell if I am missing the sarcasm in this thread, but 25°C would be considered a cool day in the summer where I live. Today is cool and overcast, and the high is still 28°. Last week it was even hotter.

And that is not even considering humidity. There are some days you can just open your front door and you are immediately sweating.

I never get sweaty when I ride, unless I'd get sweaty walking in the same conditions. It's not a race for me. No need for showers, stretchy clothes, etc.

Not sure about the safety. The fall to the ground isn't what gets you as a vulnerable road user: it's the car.

Not everyone wants to exercise during their commute (for varying reasons, including that some of use are more prone to sweating) – in fact, seeing as cycling has always been an option for many, it would really seem that perhaps only a minority want to exercise during their commute.

I certainly don't, although I also readily admit that any option that leaves me exposed to the elements would be a major step down for vast portions of the year. But for many days an e-moped might be a reasonable option.

While I tend to agree with you, it could be much nicer if it's very hilly. 15 miles on a flat course is pretty nice, 15 miles on a hilly course is pretty taxing.

I don't think bicycles are allowed on sidewalks.

A scooter is more space efficient, both in your apartment and at the office.

Neither are scooters, if bikes aren't.

I'll grant you the second point, for sure. You could always do a folding bike, but that's a whole new set of issues.