Eric Payne
05-24-2007, 05:32 PM
The story of my getting a Segway to call my own has been told here in other threads, so not going to get into all that again. Suffice it to say, the local dealer found me a used i180, in our price range, from a wonderful woman. The day after we purchased it, I had an accident (also recounted in these forums), shattering the handlebars.
Tuesday, our local dealer installed the new handlebars and handlebar guard (at cost, no less!), and took me through a 20-minute training session. For the last couple of days, have been tooling around the neighborhood, and adjusting myself to the little nuances of body movement that are really, really important to a fun glide.
This morning, about two-and-a-half hours ago, took myself out on another little "training run," a little glide that ended being a 7 1/2 to 8 mile round trip, on the sidewalk, back to the park where I had had the accident, along busy main thoroughfares.... and on the RED key.
WOW. Just... wow. Wowwowwowwowwow! I LOVE this thing!
I'm getting much more comfortable with making turns without coming to a complete stop, first (hey, after the accident, I was a little in awe of it!), and learning the difference between "pull back with body weight" and "pull back on the handlebars." There was even a park policeman there (on bicycle) who came up to me and told me he the only thing he missed about not being on Campus Patrol anymore was.... campus police get Segs, and he loved it, but he can't justify to himself spending "4 or 5 thousand bucks" for the thing.
The only thing I had difficulty with was the feeling I got after getting home, getting off, and plugging in the charge cord. I took a step... and expected to cover 10 or 12 feet... you know, the same feeling we got as kids switching to our shoes after roller-skating for an afternoon.
Damn.... I love this thing!
Eric Payne
Glendale, AZ
PS: On part of my glide, had to go by an elementary school, just at the time kids were being discharged - it's the last day of school year today, so it was half-day. I think every kid in that school wants to be my best friend now! :)
Tuesday, our local dealer installed the new handlebars and handlebar guard (at cost, no less!), and took me through a 20-minute training session. For the last couple of days, have been tooling around the neighborhood, and adjusting myself to the little nuances of body movement that are really, really important to a fun glide.
This morning, about two-and-a-half hours ago, took myself out on another little "training run," a little glide that ended being a 7 1/2 to 8 mile round trip, on the sidewalk, back to the park where I had had the accident, along busy main thoroughfares.... and on the RED key.
WOW. Just... wow. Wowwowwowwowwow! I LOVE this thing!
I'm getting much more comfortable with making turns without coming to a complete stop, first (hey, after the accident, I was a little in awe of it!), and learning the difference between "pull back with body weight" and "pull back on the handlebars." There was even a park policeman there (on bicycle) who came up to me and told me he the only thing he missed about not being on Campus Patrol anymore was.... campus police get Segs, and he loved it, but he can't justify to himself spending "4 or 5 thousand bucks" for the thing.
The only thing I had difficulty with was the feeling I got after getting home, getting off, and plugging in the charge cord. I took a step... and expected to cover 10 or 12 feet... you know, the same feeling we got as kids switching to our shoes after roller-skating for an afternoon.
Damn.... I love this thing!
Eric Payne
Glendale, AZ
PS: On part of my glide, had to go by an elementary school, just at the time kids were being discharged - it's the last day of school year today, so it was half-day. I think every kid in that school wants to be my best friend now! :)