Prius and Segway anyone?

All this Segway-bicycle confrontation sounds pretty ridiculous to me, especially on this forum. The Prius is winning the battle in favor of hybrids against those who don't appreciate their advantages, because it's a new concept. The Segway is battling the prejudices of those who don't appreciate its advantages, because it's a new concept. The argument of lack of exercise simply is not valid -- if you make exercise the priority, then sell your cars and walk. I am amazed that anyone who rides a bike would try to argue against another form of transportation, given the antagonism that bicyclists engender among automobile drivers. And the cost will go down if and when enough people buy them -- how much did you pay for the computer you are reading this on, compared to what you paid 10 years ago?

 

I find the Segway to be an interesting mode of transport. Living in the UK I have only ever seen one, at a sports stadium being used by a cameraman (filming a cycle race), but it looked to be very clever. Diversity is good and I think anything that gives an alternative to those short car journeys is a good thing. OK the price is high with $4000 being quoted but this is being measured against the Prius and not the bicycle, and maybe those avoided journeys will make up the difference over time. I cycle commute two or three times each week and really enjoy cycling, but the temperatures here rarely get above 25C and New Mexico sounds seriously hot to me. Give the Prius a day of rest anyway you can.

 

The high cost of Segways and the low adoption rate are a chicken and egg sort of thing, which has been made worse by local laws restricting where they can be used. When Dean designed the Segway, he intended it to be used in pedestrian areas, but local regulations have mostly outlawed this. This leaves the Segway in an awkward spot: it can't be ridden on sidewalks, but it's not fast enough for streets. Without changes in the laws, I can't see the Segway being widely adopted, and without increased sales, the price can't come down.

As for recalls and safety, the Segway is a complex device conceptually. It's a bit like our beloved Prius. The Prius is simple mechanically (for a car), but complex from a control standpoint. So is the Segway.

The poster bashing the Segway draws a contrast between the Segway and bicycles, but fails to point out that bicycles are easily as dangerous as Segways; probably more so due to higher speeds. The truth is that both are pretty safe if you can keep from being run over by a car.

Several arguments have been posted on this thread relating to exercise. It's true that walking and biking provide exercise. It's also true that they are both better for the environment than riding a Segway. No one is telling you to ditch your bike or walking shoes and take a Segway instead. The Segway is targeted at people who otherwise would drive a car. The comparason shoud be between a single rider car trip and a Segway, in which case the Segway wins easily from an environmental standpoint.

This crowd gets a little holier-than-thou on occation. I feel another cloud of smugness descending on our community.

Tom

 

I agree. There seems to be no groundswell of support for the Segway, which I see as a good alternative transportation. I thought Disney would open up rentals as a revenue stream and make it more popular, but apparently safety was a strong factor limiting its use in the parks. I would think enviro-friendly communities such as San Francisco, Ashland, Ore., and Boulder, Colo., might encourage its use.

I like your reference to smugness on this site. Seems as if people take a stand for what they like and reject anything different -- sort of an electro-mechanical racism mindset.

 

the market has spoken on the segway which has had several years of being available...
my personal opinion is just that, personal. i did not say to anyone, "don't own a segway
if you think it is right for you". I also said it was a neat toy.

i am just not seeing the "pro segway" people give any type of convincing argument for
it except,

1. it is hot in some places and i do not like to sweat. i will ride a segway.
2. it is new and different, thus you need to give it a chance.
3. since you dislike it you are smug and holier then thou. relax and consider it an option.

come on supporters, you must be able to do better then this?

how can you say "sort of an electro-mechanical racism mindset" to people on this
forum who have chosen a hybrid over a traditional car? please....

It seems that the huge majority of Americans and people worldwide have better things
to do then blow 4000+ dollars on one. One would think the company could have sold
a million units by now if it had the slightest chance of succeeding?

but that is enough about this toy. i said my bit and just wanted to share my personal
opinion that should not determine how you live YOUR life.

 

The market has spoken, for the present, but the wonderful thing about thinking is that minds can change. The Prius was not the hot item until a couple of years ago, and not really hot till gas prices skyrocketed.
The Segway is a feasible method of transportation and should not be dismissed as a toy. It may not work in all venues, but it could prove advantageous in others.

The point on racism mindset was designed to bring home that people who indeed have chosen a non-traditional mode of transportation seem to be rejecting another mode of non-traditional transportation., and that in a forum which encourages non-traditional opinions.

Yes, the Segway is expensive if you don't want it or can't write the check. Our Prius just cost us twice what our first house did, and the payments are more than half that of our present house. But the price is immaterial to us for the value received. If a Segway is something you can't live without, it's worth the price to you.

 

If you think the Segway is expensive, have you looked at ebikes such as the Optibike lately?
Optibike - High Performance Electric Bikes, Finest Electrical Motorized Bike, Fastest Electric Powered Bicycle

 

Whoa.. if you can hold 35mph on the flats for more than a few minutes you should look into signing up with a pro team.

Keeping 30mph in a nicely rotating paceline for 1/2 hour is already a pretty huge accomplishment.

 

LOL u can buy a smart car or a used Gen1 prius at that price LOL

 

You may not be talking about me. I don't resent them in the least. I don't resent people who want to buy and use them. My particular "bike-biased" response was to the poster above me who claimed that a Segway can go where a bicycle cannot.

---do you feel that way about electric bicycles? Electric wheelchairs? electric cars? Or is it just against the segway?

It IS a noble goal! Better and more efficient would be to buy everybody bicycles.

And for the record, my last two bicycles cost more than a Segway.

 

My current mountain bike cost over $5k. My sons with upgrades, downhill special, was just about 6k. He paid for it with just a little help.
Still..I could see how a Segway could be very useful and fun too.

 

if i had much use for a segway i would highly consider it, i dont like to sweat unless im working out

 

I still beat you two on my 15 year old steel bike in a road race
j/k I'm actually slow as hell.

 

Sounds like a challenge to me. We don't do much road biking, but I could put some road tires on and give it a try. Oh yeah, bring it on Scummer!

 

I'm probably going to be out in San Francisco fora a 4 day weekend on August 2nd. If it's not going to cost too much I might even bring my road bike. I always wanted to cycle in that region.

 

You can always get a pretty nice rental which may be cheaper then shipping your bike. The rentals are usually 1 to 2 years old and in nice shape. May be better then that old steel bike of yours! I'm always up for a ride.

 

Yeah, for a quick trip, rental is the answer. Shipping your own bike sucks, and risks screwing it up. Some great shops in the bay area that'll set up the bike perfectly for you. You can even test-ride some other bikes that way!

Oh, and please note: The cost of my bikes in NO way should be correlated with my speed. I ride a lot of miles. I ride some of them at a brisk clip. I ride many of them at something less than brisk.