rec.autos.simulators

Segway Legends

Stephen Ferguso

Segway Legends

by Stephen Ferguso » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 17:52:20


> I'd like to drive it, but I wouldn't buy one if I can't get everywhere I'd
like
> to on it - hell, we don't even have bike lanes where I live.

And that's the real problem and the real shame.  Maybe Steve Jobs should
have taken a trip to Amsterdam or Copenhagen instead and seen how a clever
city puts in bike lanes which are not just a painted squeeze space at the
side of the normal traffic.  Then he would have seen that people use these
lanes to get around on 300 buck bikes.  They require no energy to travel,
and probably a fraction of the energy to produce.  They last for a zillion
years and require no maintenance, short of slapping some butter on the chain
every two years (really, Dutch bikes are tanks which never break).

I agree that an evolution of the current electric chairs for handicapped is
not a bad thing, but is a stand-up scooter steered by weight shifts the
right thing?  A lot of people with heart problems have other, related
handicaps, like vision problems, balance deficiencies etc.  Just standing up
for a long time is a problem.  How does this magic scooter help the
quadrapalegic or parapalegic?  At the press show I saw a lot of healthy,
young people zipping around on a nifty toy.

Stephen

Jan Verschuere

Segway Legends

by Jan Verschuere » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 17:59:50

The first bicycles were really silly too. Ever tried to ride one of those?

They would have remained an oddity but for the current, chain driven shape
emerging.

Jan.
=---
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you boy!" -Foghorn Leghorn.

Hans

Segway Legends

by Hans » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 20:47:42

Jan Verschueren heeft geschreven in bericht ...

Yeah, always wondered why it took them so long before
building the one that Leonardo Da Vinci drawed 400 yrs before
and almost looked the same as our modern bycicle.

Hans van Dam

Hans

Segway Legends

by Hans » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 20:55:40

Pierre Robitaille heeft geschreven in bericht


>> I can see it now. Lots of 40 somethings who spend several thousand to
>> avoid walking, then spend several thousand at a gym to do artificial
>> walking. Brilliant.

>> Rafe Mc

>Or combining the two, buying a Ginger with a built-in treadmill.

I think you just found a gap in the market ;-)
Who said brilliant :-)

Hans van Dam

Hans

Segway Legends

by Hans » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 21:08:21

Hans heeft geschreven in bericht ...

For those that didn't knew Da Vinci drawed a bicycle almost
400 yrs before it was invented have a look here.
http://www.clavis.it/Personal/claudiob/leogb.html

I've seen one exhibited in the village Da Vinci near Firenze (Florence)
and was amazed we built those stupid ones 400 yr later before returning
to this shape and chaindriven.

Hans van Dam

andre

Segway Legends

by andre » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 22:31:48



> > I'd like to drive it, but I wouldn't buy one if I can't get everywhere I'd
> like
> > to on it - hell, we don't even have bike lanes where I live.

> And that's the real problem and the real shame.  Maybe Steve Jobs should
> have taken a trip to Amsterdam or Copenhagen instead and seen how a clever
> city puts in bike lanes which are not just a painted squeeze space at the
> side of the normal traffic.

Dedicated bike/walking paths are all over the place in Southern California, and
probably many other places, too.

My Schwinns are doing very well, too.

And a lot of them don't.

It's not meant to. That's what his wheelchair is for.

And they had chaperones, too!

andre

Segway Legends

by andre » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 22:32:52

Good point - and I know the answer. It's because most people are stupid.

> Jan Verschueren heeft geschreven in bericht ...
> >The first bicycles were really silly too. Ever tried to ride one of
> those?

> >They would have remained an oddity but for the current, chain driven
> shape
> >emerging.

> Yeah, always wondered why it took them so long before
> building the one that Leonardo Da Vinci drawed 400 yrs before
> and almost looked the same as our modern bycicle.

> Hans van Dam

Stephen Ferguso

Segway Legends

by Stephen Ferguso » Wed, 05 Dec 2001 23:39:01

What's missing in their financial analysis of the "cost benefit" of their
product is the fact that this thing is going to cost $3000.  They also fail
to mention that Ni-MH battery packs lose their charge over time.  My old
NiMh notebook batteries were toast after less than a year of use, and even
my newer LiIon batteries are down to about 60% of their original capacity
after a year of use.  Replacing a relatively puny notebook battery is a 200
dollar proposition.  How much are the fancy batteries in the Segway (neat
name, actually) going to cost?

Stephen

MP

Segway Legends

by MP » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 01:21:02


And how long before you see the first dudes in baggy clothing doing
Segway half-pipe tricks on the Pro Tour on ESPN 2 ??

- Michael

Andre Warring

Segway Legends

by Andre Warring » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 03:03:02

On Tue, 4 Dec 2001 09:59:50 +0100, "Jan Verschueren"


>The first bicycles were really silly too. Ever tried to ride one of those?

Yes but that was not my point :)

Andre

Larr

Segway Legends

by Larr » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 04:09:41

This thing is EXTREMELY cool.

Unfortunately, I'll probably never get to try one.  It has a 250 pound
weight limit.  I'm 6'4", 320lbs.

Crap...

-Larry


> Does anybody know if this is available yet?

> Apparently the physics are spot-on, and the courses are very detailed.
> I'm looking forward to the Central Park Jogging Path and the Mall Ring.

Larr

Segway Legends

by Larr » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 04:12:42

It's a damned shame...

What was to be a simple post instigating a little humor has turned in to
this.

Everyone lighten up.  Please!

-Larry

Larr

Segway Legends

by Larr » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 04:14:53

There was a major point made about this, but I think it's been lost along
the way...

It wasn't designed to REPLACE anything in particular.  It was designed to
have NEW ways of transportation molded around IT.

It wasn't designed to become suddenly invasive the the streets or sidewalks
of New York.

-Larry


> I *wish* I was a stockholder.

> Anyway, yes, it seems as thought it would be unsafe for pedestrians on the
> sidewalk and for the rider on streets.

> A bike lane, or walking path seems ideal.





Chris Cavi

Segway Legends

by Chris Cavi » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 04:20:12

It shouldn't be any harder to park/store/leave than a bicycle.  It also has
a computer coded key so it can't be used without it's key.

Some of the video I saw showed two briefcase sized bags in a holder
above the wheels.

-Dirt-

andre

Segway Legends

by andre » Thu, 06 Dec 2001 04:50:24

I don't know, but they supposedly can run on 5 of electricity a day, so I
suppose the batteries' cost and lifespan will both be large!

> What's missing in their financial analysis of the "cost benefit" of their
> product is the fact that this thing is going to cost $3000.  They also fail
> to mention that Ni-MH battery packs lose their charge over time.  My old
> NiMh notebook batteries were toast after less than a year of use, and even
> my newer LiIon batteries are down to about 60% of their original capacity
> after a year of use.  Replacing a relatively puny notebook battery is a 200
> dollar proposition.  How much are the fancy batteries in the Segway (neat
> name, actually) going to cost?

> Stephen


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