Ever rode a Segway

[trainman]

The wife and I rode one today and it was quite different then I expected. First it was easy to ride and second we went off road and to my surprise it was much different then I thought it would be. Now it will never be a motorcycle, but you still can have fun on it. Anyone else ride one and what was your experience with it. We even went through a shallow creek crossing, up and down hills, and even through some mud, pretty cool but still not a bike for sure.

John

[Texas T]

Only ridden one in a mall. I'd buy one if I had the disposable income for it.

[kurt]

Segway brought two of them to us to demo several years ago. We thought about using them in the downtown entertainment district, but they didn't work so well with curbs and other challenges. They were fun to ride in a geeky sort of way.

[MotorcycleBelle]

A&M university parking nazis use them on campus so they can terrorize people more efficiently. They will run over you with those things. Apparently they haven't mastered the brakes yet. More than one student or visitor to campus has been mowed down by them.

In an awfully ironic turn of events, the owner of Segway was killed while riding one on his property after he veered off a 30 ft cliff in 2010.

I think they have since been redesigned. Article below:

September 27, 2010, 4:10 PM19 Comments
Segway Owner Dies in Segway Crash
By STEPHEN WILLIAMS
Call it irony, fate or simply an accident: in Britain, the owner of Segway died over the weekend when he apparently drove one of the devices off a cliff near his home, The Associated Press reported.


Reuters
Jimi Heselden, who owned Segway, Inc. until his death on Sunday.
In West Yorkshire, police reported that James W. Heselden, 62, who took control of the company this year, accidentally steered the Segway off a 30-foot cliff and into a river while riding on his estate, about 140 miles from London. The exact cause of death is not yet established, the police said.

The Segway Human Transporter came to market in 2002 as the invention of Dean Kamen, an entrepreneur from New Hampshire who made his fortune after he created the first insulin pump for treatment of diabetes. At the time, Mr. Kamen said that the Segway would have an impact on society similar to that of the personal computer.

The person-mover, priced at about $5,000, uses sophisticated gyroscopic technology as well as electronics and some software controls.


A Segway.
The rider essentially steers one by leaning fore and aft, and aiming to the left or right by pulling the handlebars; the company calls this “LeanSteer” technology. The Segway’s top speed is about 12 miles per hour, the company says.

In Britain, the Segway can used only on private property. But they are legal in several European countries. In the United States, Segways are approved for limited use in many states, The Telegraph reports.

Celebrities including Jackie Chan adopted the Segway as an alternative transportation device for a time, although the Segway image took a hit in 2003 when George W. Bush fell off one.

[kurt]

I still smile every time I see a Segway tour in progress downtown. They remind me of of a bunch of baby ducks following the momma.

[gixxerjasen]

Our company owner bought one when they first came out. He let everybody at the office try it out. I showed up with my motorcycle helmet. Apparently I was the only one to see the humor. Rode it around, it was fun, I can see it's uses but wouldn't own one unless I had money coming out the wazoo.

[Desert Skies]

I wear my feet out going between my shop and the house on the weekends. We have often discussed a Segway would be a great way to save future trips to podiatrist.

[dukey33]

Wife and I did the SA river walk Seg tour a few years back. It was fun. They can get a full steam of boogie going. It can get a bit unnerving at full gallop if you have to change directions quickly or run over uneven terrain since the model we rode did not have any suspension to it (maybe none of them do).
I live close enough to work I could use it for that. Be good for getting around the center too. Cheap to operate until the batteries need replacing or the gyros go out.

[Annhl8rX]

I suppose they serve a legitimate purpose for some people, but if I were ever to have one it would be simply as a toy. I'd also need to be darn near a millionaire before I'd spend the kind of money they bring for one.

[Tattoogunman]

I remember when these came out, they were touting them as the next huge innovation in human transportation Everyone was going to have one in the back of their cars, etc. - absolute rubbish. I've never seen anyone outside of a government agency or business that used them. I'm honestly surprised that, given the cost of the things, the company has stayed in business.

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by Desert Skies

I wear my feet out going between my shop and the house on the weekends. We have often discussed a Segway would be a great way to save future trips to podiatrist.

You can get a used golf cart for half the price and you have the skills to repair it should it ever need it. Not so much with a Segway.

[Morgan Buchanan]

The chairman of our company has two. He's a millionaire. Lol. They are fun to drive around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk because Tapatalk is cool.

[DFW_Warrior]

Originally Posted by DaveC

You can get a used golf cart for half the price and you have the skills to repair it should it ever need it. Not so much with a Segway.

My Dad has 15 acres where he lives, and his golf cart is probably the most used piece of equipment that he owns. Everything from just getting around between the barns, to towing a weed spraying trailer, to hauling fence supplies around; that thing is always being used somewhere. For the heavier hauling he does have a Kubota side by side, but for a quick out and back, nothing beats the golf cart.

Just look for one with a little tilt bed on the back instead of a four-person. They are way more practical IMO.