This little thing looks extremely cool. I would love to ride one. But at $4000 what is the practicality of it? Anyone plan on getting one? What do the TM think?
It is a little pricey for my college student budget, but it would be so great. I live a four-five miles commute to the places where I need to go. It’s just long enough to not really be walkable, but parking is unavailible in these places (and I don’t drive) so I can’t really take a car. With Segway, however, I could get to these places without taking a bus or begging for a car ride. I’ve thought about buying a moped for these commutes, but a Segway would be cheaper and safer to operate, and far cooler. Might even be worth the money.
I think was the inventor trying to dumb-down the word “segue?”
I think, “Segway” makes me think of smegma.
- s.e.
It’s neato keeno. I want one. But not for $4000. Maybe a grand. Maybe.
I thought the “Segway” was, y’know, a cutesy play on words using “way” to emphasize on the transport. Shrug. I dunno.
I agree with you 100% but what do you do with it once you get there? How can you store it while in class? One thing is for sure, I’m not leaving it in the bike rack!
Well, for $4000, I at least expect some color and tire choices.
Do they honestly think these are gonna reinvent the way we get around? What about getting groceries? Where’s the soccer mom model? And what about those that can’t drive 55? Is there a souped up double-deuce muscle kit model down the pipe?
Novelty item at best.
I’d rather sink $24K on a Merlin.
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- I see it as basically a toy. Kind of a neat-looking toy, but nothing more. Batteries don’t last real long; battery-powered bicycles have never sold well. Businesses will not tolerate any use because of the increased liability. After a few grannys get run down on the sidewalks of your hometown, they will be banned from there too, and that’s that, there is no organized Segway lobby. You are exiled to toyland.
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If you still want one anyway, just be patient, there should be Chinese ones available for $99 in about six months or so, by Christmas at the latest.
- I see it as basically a toy. Kind of a neat-looking toy, but nothing more. Batteries don’t last real long; battery-powered bicycles have never sold well. Businesses will not tolerate any use because of the increased liability. After a few grannys get run down on the sidewalks of your hometown, they will be banned from there too, and that’s that, there is no organized Segway lobby. You are exiled to toyland.
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DougC, you do know that the Segway automatically stops itself if you bump into anything, right? The hosts of Good Morning America tried to use a Segway to knock each other down, but with no success – it was described as feeling no different than being nudged by a passer-by.
The Segway won’t replace the automobile, but for short- to medium-length trips, it’s an ecological alternative. Get the price down to $1,500 or so and it’d be great for those little errands near home.
I like to walk. And it’s healthy, unless you get hit by a car (don’t think Segway solves that problem, either)
I’m with DougC. I looks like it will be used mostly as a high-priced toy, by the same types of people who buy jet-skis and quad-bikes. The lack of any cargo space will be the big limiting factor, plus that fact that you can’t sit down while using it.
If that’s true, then it must not go any faster than a few miles per hour. You still have momentum and inertia to deal with. Are you sure that the hosts weren’t just using them at a low speed?
And I’ll second the theft concern. If I payed $4000 for that thing, I would be afraid to let it out of my sight. I’d be lugging it around with me wherever I went.
And consider this: do you want to ride four miles on that thing in the middle of a rainstorm?
Lastly, I’d be concerned about safety. You know those morons who ride bicycles on the road, with traffic racing past them at fifty miles an hour? Guess where half of the Segways are going to be driven?
I just cannot see myself zooming off to Albertson’s in one of those things. I’m LOLing just thinking about it.
Given more research into the engine and the practicality of using one, the possible flaws can be worked on.
It will be regarded as a toy until a buisness can work the segway into its everyday practises.
It will be useful, but it really needs backing and support.
And while it’s useful for those moments when you want to go faster or farther than you can easily walk, but don’t really want to drive for whatever reason, there is already an invention in existence that has solved that issue nicely for a long time. It’s called a ‘bicycle,’ and they usually cost a lot less than $4000.
Two weeks ago, I bought a bicycle with headlights, taillight, helmet, rear cargo rack, et al, for less than $150 American. I can travel faster, go farther, operate after dark (ain’t no lights on the “Ginger”), & I have a rack to carry stuff.
That Segway is useless. In terms of cost, performance, maintainence fees, reliability, & availability of facilities. Just useless.
Even scooters are better.
And I’m getting in shape.
And where exactly do you expect us to ride? Not only is it dangerous to ride a bike on the sidewalk (both to cyclists and pedestrians), but also illegal in most parts of the world including most states in the US. Statistics show that in terms of fatalities per hour, bicycles are as safe as automobiles. Which means they are somewhat more dangerous per mile, but helmets and sensible riding will reduce the dangers considerably.
Anyway, I hope some people who now use cars for short errands and commutes will switch to the Segway. If the government made them more attractive compared to cars (subsidy, lower taxes, building bike/segway lanes and parking, higher gasoline tax, etc.) they could go a long way towards reducing pollution. I’m not holding my breath though.
As for myself I use my bike most of the time, only using a car to carry large loads. I’ll have no use for a Segway.
I believe Amazon.com and UPS are already using Segways for their warehouse workers. Much faster than browsing the aisles on foot.
So I guess that means it’s not a toy any more, eh? 
I saw my first one today, ridden by a cop in downtown Atlanta (inside the food court, no less).
I think they look…odd, and not all that useful.