Segway

[Z]

For anyone interested in transportation and commuting issues... you might already have heard that Segway is trying to pass legislation in all of the states that would mandate Segways to be treated as pedestrians.

Pretty gutsy legislation! (Though I don't think it's doing too well - CA just voted it down I believe.)

I thought some of you may be interested in this piece. It compares the Segway with bicycle use and questions the safety impacts of the legislation:
http://humantransport.org/bicycledriving/library/segway/Segway.htm

I'm still in the process of reading it - it's long - but it's pretty interesting!

Thanks Z,
I'm going to use this info in my lecture at the next skills clinic.


Braking distance is inversely proportional to the rate of deceleration. On dry pavement, vehicles with high centers of gravity such as bicycles will pitch forward before their front wheel(s) can skid. the rate of deceleration in Gs is equal to the tangent of the angle that the center of gravity is shifted back from vertical. (One G is about 32.2 feet per second per second of acceleration.) On a bicycle, the maximum rate of deceleration is limited by this angle. The tangent of the bicycle’s mass angle is about 0.6, allowing a deceleration of up to an absolute theoretical limit of 0.6 Gs before the bike will flip forward. the operator must initiate a lean backward before deceleration begins. . In order to attain a deceleration rate greater than 0.6 Gs, the maximum theoretical braking ability of the bicycle, the operator must attain a more extreme center-of-mass angle Many MTB operators can achieve extreme lean angles by bending their waist and knees and dropping their body weight backward and down with respect to the seat.

Oh nevermind. They will figure it out on their way over the handle bars. "Knowledge earned is better the knowledge learned (i always say.) Provided the cost is not to dear".


bill

[Z]

Gee, Justbill, you really know how to make something sound appealing!

It's not all that bad! ::)

OK, ok... so I like technical details... maybe I still am an engineer at heart...

[Adam]

Here's the cranky old man in me speaking out: The last thing we need to encourage is a device that makes people walk less:) I'd advocate this as an alternate transportation vehicle for infirm/frail/disabled people, but not some greasy, overweight, middle-aged business person scarfing down a double Whopper with cheese while talking on a cellphone. No, we don't really need those on our sidewalks...Keep them in traffic. Darwin had some very effective theories that can apply here:)

-Adam

[benb]

What Adam said.

The infirm/elderly/handicapped probably can't ride a Segway, just like they might not be able to ride a bicycle.

I think it will fail just on cost and the fact that it's SO DORKY!!!

Ben

I like the tech details too. I must if i read that entire article , right?
I often relize when asked how to execute a particular skill that i know how to do, that i am unable to descride how to do it. I have explained the whole lean back, tangent of mass, deceleration ratio thingy, but i dont think my explination will ever get published.


As for segway regulation. Why not just do like the dirt bike owners. After buying the thing knowing that the use is illeagal almost everywhere, when confronted with the fact they always give the same responce. "well, where am i supposed to ride".

[knucklebuste]

Plus isn't it like 3K for one of those? That could build one hell of a bike. knuck

Last week I had two Segway sightings.

First - Exeter NH (I think some of the Segway people live in the area)

Second - Wolfeboro NH

Anyone else spot on these ridiculous things?

Concerns me that able body adults would even entertain getting one of these...

[nhiker]

I saw 2 in mines falls park in Nashua last fall. They were being ridden by a couple of blu...oops.. ::)...an....er...elderly couple. I have not seen them since.

[benb]

I saw one in Brookline, NH riding on the side of Rt. 13.

Seemed like an odd place for it. (Middle of freaking nowhere) I bet they end up being used as silly recreational vehicles. If you're going to be lazy and don't want to pedal, $3k will still buy a pretty decent piece of motorcycle.

Ben

[magnus]

They may look dorky and cost a fortune, but don't knock them untill you've tried one. The body-language is strangly remeniscent of skiing, at least the leaning forwards to pick up speed. I found my brief test a blast, and the videos I saw showed that 'extreme' riding is possible: steep rolling trails and even catching air!

No, I didn't buy one, this was actually work-related.

[radair]

A Segway was ridden up the Mt. Washington Auto Road a couple weeks ago. It took them almost 3 hours and six (I think) battery changes.

"This Segway climbed Mt. Washington" bumper sticker was ready for them at the top.

[AA]

I guess they should have bought bikes :P

http://www.boston.com/news/daily/26/segway_recall.htm

[turch]

Heard about the recall this evening. Go figure.

The thing that erks me about these things is not the technical marvel that they honestly are but rather how eager folks seem to be to embrace them. This while society is vocally confronting ever growing (no pun) statistics regarding obesity across the US. Seems so hypocritical to be advocating exercise and diet reform on one hand and utilitarian tools like the Segway to avoid exercise on the other.

[Z]

OK, OK guys, let's be fair... I totally agree with you on the excercise thing, and I may not be the biggest Segway fan, but let's be real.

You think that someone who buys a Segway would have otherwise ridden a bike? Like we're actually cannibalizing this huge population of people that ride to work that will all of a sudden start loving the convenience of a Segway? I mean, how many of us actually ride bikes to commute, anyway?

SOOOO... if we could get people to AT LEAST reduce our dependence on foreign oil, reduce time-wasting traffic, reduce the need for more auto infrastructure, and design cities for strolling rather than driving... wouldn't that be a good thing. Even if we all were still fat? :)

On the other hand, the one thing that keeps me from riding to work is weather. A Segway doesn't solve that. And it's not as fast as a car (or my bike) either. So I'm not going to buy one any time soon! And I can't see entire cities being redesigned around these things either. Maybe I'm not seeing the vision thing.

So I'm not quite sure why I'm defending it! :)