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Segway?
Old 03-20-2017, 06:08 PM   #1
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Segway?

Anyone have one? I tested one a few times and it is a great idea, not a great price. I would like to know how useful it is after the newness wears off. And how is it navigating city sidewalks and around people. It is expensive and we would need two of them but if we used them enough t might be worth it.
Love to hear how it works for folks posting here.
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Old 03-20-2017, 06:23 PM   #2
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Most cities around here ban them on sidewalks, might be the same near you so hope you would like riding it in traffic.
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Old 03-20-2017, 06:27 PM   #3
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Around here the only people I see on them are mall cops, fat mall cops.
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Old 03-20-2017, 06:41 PM   #4
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We used to have a Segway rental place within walking distance from our house. We rented them once to ride up and down the beach path. They were a lot of fun but I don't see them being practical to own. They are very expensive, and I'm not sure where I would park them without worrying about them getting stolen.

I'm not really sure why they are so expensive. I would have thought they would come down in price after all these years.
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Old 03-21-2017, 07:21 AM   #5
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I always though the Segway was kind of ridiculous - expensive, impractical... E-bikes are starting to pick up in popularity and they seem like a better solution for Segway length trips to me. You can still get the exercise benefit of pedaling if you like but can get an assist for tough spots or a straight out ride if you are in a lazy mood. Easy to store in the garage or a side room. Use them anywhere you can use bikes (streets, bike paths). Can pedal on home if the battery gets depleted.
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Old 03-21-2017, 07:29 AM   #6
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I always though the Segway was kind of ridiculous - expensive, impractical...
Remember all the hype before the intro? Some big secret, supposedly Kamen showed it to Steve Jobs and others, and it was supposed to 'revolutionize' urban transportation. Right.

Ahh, my memory is still functional:

Inventions that were going to change the world – but didn’t - The Segway - CSMonitor.com

Quote:
Steve Jobs said it would be bigger than the PC. Venture capitalist John Doerr (who backed Netscape and Amazon) said it would be bigger than the Internet.

... Inventor Dean Kamen said it would be to the car what “the car was to the horse and buggy.” ...


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Old 03-21-2017, 07:33 AM   #7
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In Prague a few years ago, I remember being very inconvenienced by groups of tourists on Segways. They were basically taking over the sidewalks and being very inconsiderate of pedestrians.

It wasn't just me, because the city banned them last year from most parts where tourists would go. I think that's the trend in some other cities as well.

It's an interesting idea, but very limited in application. I've been in very large convention halls where the security guards rode them, and that made sense, just as it would in very large malls, but on a normal sidewalk I think they're a hazard.
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Old 03-21-2017, 07:38 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
Remember all the hype before the intro? Some big secret, supposedly Kamen showed it to Steve Jobs and others, and it was supposed to 'revolutionize' urban transportation. Right.

Ahh, my memory is still functional:

Inventions that were going to change the world – but didn’t - The Segway - CSMonitor.com



-ERD50
+1 I remember eagerly anticipating this new miracle device. At the time Kamen had developed a fantastic (albeit expensive) gyro enhanced wheelchair that could climb stairs, lift up to let users reach high cabinets, etc. so I figured maybe he really would have a paradigm breaker. Big letdown when the Segway was released.
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Old 03-21-2017, 07:49 AM   #9
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Most cities around here ban them on sidewalks, might be the same near you so hope you would like riding it in traffic.
Yes, that is one of the main reasons the company has been struggling all along
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Old 03-21-2017, 07:57 AM   #10
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In Prague a few years ago, I remember being very inconvenienced by groups of tourists on Segways. They were basically taking over the sidewalks and being very inconsiderate of pedestrians.

It wasn't just me, because the city banned them last year from most parts where tourists would go. I think that's the trend in some other cities as well.

It's an interesting idea, but very limited in application. I've been in very large convention halls where the security guards rode them, and that made sense, just as it would in very large malls, but on a normal sidewalk I think they're a hazard.
Prague, like many European cities, has cobbled sidewalks, curbs, and steps all over the place. It is not disabled friendly. I am surprised that anyone would think a Segway would be practical there.
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Old 03-21-2017, 08:05 AM   #11
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Have rarely seen a Segway in use, but mobility scooters are commoner than strollers these days. On a recent visit to Disney world we were astounded at the number of Rascal-riding couples. They also got the frontline "disability" seats at auditorium-style events. At the end of a long day on foot, we felt like renting Rascals ourselves.
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Old 03-21-2017, 08:46 AM   #12
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I think there are still Segway tours of the French Quarter here in New Orleans. It does sound strange since the streets down there are very rough. But, I suppose it is still fun for the tourists. I haven't ever seen any of the Segway groups.

Occasionally I see someone riding a Segway in our residential neighborhood, in order to get from their parking spot to the parade route during Mardi Gras.

I am not tempted to buy one because I think I would probably fall off of it.
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Old 03-21-2017, 09:16 AM   #13
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I've fallen off horses, bicycles, and motor scooters--I'm sure I'd do just fine on a Segway
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Old 03-21-2017, 09:30 AM   #14
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I've fallen off horses, bicycles, and motor scooters--I'm sure I'd do just fine on a Segway
You probably would!

I'm just a little timid about them, and about falling in general, I guess.
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Old 03-21-2017, 09:46 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
Remember all the hype before the intro? Some big secret, supposedly Kamen showed it to Steve Jobs and others, and it was supposed to 'revolutionize' urban transportation. Right.

Ahh, my memory is still functional:

Inventions that were going to change the world – but didn’t - The Segway - CSMonitor.com



-ERD50
+1

I remember all of that very clearly, and I also remember having a spirited debate about it with some friends shortly after the "big reveal". The debate boiled down to whether the Segway would prove to be revolutionary (like the Internet, or automobiles) or evolutionary (like Bluetooth, or microwave cooking). I was firmly on the side of evolutionary, while a couple of my friends were absolutely convinced the Segway was revolutionary and that we'd see entire cities developed around it within our lifetimes. Occasionally I think back on that and feel kind of smug about how right I was.
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Old 03-21-2017, 09:53 AM   #16
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You probably would!

I'm just a little timid about them, and about falling in general, I guess.
I have no doubt I'd be on the ground within moments of getting on a Segway

I think I'd rather keep walking, but I do see the Segway as useful in law enforcement, in the kinds of situations that mounted police are used.
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Old 03-21-2017, 04:36 PM   #17
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Most cities around here ban them on sidewalks, might be the same near you so hope you would like riding it in traffic.


I am trying to get them banned from urban sidewalks. I detest them, and am not too crazy about the people flying along the sidewalk on one.

Ha
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Old 03-21-2017, 05:54 PM   #18
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Interesting fact...
Jimi Heselden, the owner of Segway, fell 80 feet over a limestone cliff near his home while riding a Segway.
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Old 03-21-2017, 06:02 PM   #19
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Wow! If that doesn't kill off demand for the product I'm not sure what could. That's terrible press for the company, and very tragic for him. Very sad.
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Old 03-21-2017, 06:13 PM   #20
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I am not tempted to buy one because I think I would probably fall off of it.
Wow, how tragic! So sad.

I wasn't thinking of falling quite that far. Just a few inches, tripping in typical W2R clumsy fashion instead of catching myself, falling, and hitting my head on the pavement was what I was envisioning. The final result might be the same.
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