August 21st - Washington DC - 10 MPH Event

[wwhopper]

DC SEG is just now working on the details of a screening of the 10 MPH movie here in downtown Washington DC on the evening of Tuesday 8/21.

Looks like there will be a couple of things going on around that screening as well, stay tuned for more info.

But if you are looking for something fun to do with your Segway - think about coming to DC that day and celebrating the Segway with DC SEG and the Washington DC area Segway Dealers.

[wwhopper]

555 11th Street NW - Washington DC 7 pm will be the showing.

at 5pm a reception for the film makers will be held at Captial Segway 1350 I Street, NW

We are looking for volunteers to help with the Valet Segway Parking at the reception and the theater.

Should be a fun time in the olde town that night! Lots of Segways and lots of gliding.

[bentbiker]

We are looking for volunteers to help with the Valet Segway Parking at the reception and the theater.

That is really clever! You might get media coverage . . . Wish I were close enough to help.

[wwhopper]

So we are taking it to the next level.

A higher level!

[wwhopper]

On the Style to Go Page in the Style Section

Seems to have more depth than just being plucked out of the press release.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/16/AR2007081602867.html

A Major Life Segue Via . . . Segway

By Style On The Go
Friday, August 17, 2007; Page C10

In 2004, Hunter Weeks and Josh Caldwell were living in Phoenix, making money in software and on a fast track to . . . somewhere.

They were also 27 and having something of a quarter-life crisis. They wanted to quit their jobs and the monotony of, you know, income. They had a dream.

This is where the Segway comes in.

See, Weeks and Caldwell wanted to be filmmakers (ahhh, the point!); they were just looking for something to make the movie about. A college friend suggested the Segway, the two-wheeled electric personal scooter that's still a curious transportation method, despite having been introduced in 2001.

It would be a publicity stunt, sure, but Weeks and Caldwell settled on a cross-country journey by Segway, which maxes out at a zippy 12.5 mph.

Caldwell rode, Weeks filmed and their Seattle-to-Boston trip -- 4,064 miles at about 10 mph on a route of mostly back roads -- took more than 100 days. (A complicating factor: Segway's batteries offer about an hour of riding time, and then need eight hours to recharge.)

Tuesday, the resulting movie, "10 MPH," released on DVD this spring, will roll into the E Street theater for a one-night screening as part of a national tour. The filmmakers will be on hand for a Q&A

The movie is about their emotional journey as much as their physical one. Since completing it, they've managed to stay out of the rat race. Their second movie is in the pipeline (it's about fantasy football). Says Weeks, by phone from a tour stop in Wisconsin: "The 9-to-5 thing is definitely out the window."

They're filmmakers now.

$6.75-$9.50. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Landmark's E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW. 202-452-7672 or http://www.10mph.com.


For those coming, the festivities start at 5:30 pm at Capital Segway 1350 I Street, NW for a light reception, then a glide to the theater sponsored by DC SEG with free valet Segway parking at the theater courtesy of Segway of Annapolis.

If anyone is in town next Tuesday August 21st, please plan on joining us for the fun.

[BillK]

I keep seeing "facts" about Segways only working for one hour. Mine seem to be working for much longer than this - where is this "fact" comng from? Does anyone know?
Bill

[wwhopper]

I keep seeing "facts" about Segways only working for one hour. Mine seem to be working for much longer than this - where is this "fact" comng from? Does anyone know?
Bill

I have never seen it as a fact, some folks who have no idea about Segways may state it. I know police departments that ride their Segways all day long, swap out a set of batteries and then ride all night long, then repeat the next day.

[bystander]

I keep seeing "facts" about Segways only working for one hour. Mine seem to be working for much longer than this - where is this "fact" coming from? Does anyone know?
BillSome reporters can do math, and some can report raw figures. But (apparently) it is rare that they can do both. In this recent article (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/columnists.nsf/techtalk/story/0FDD198AF69ED59D8625732B007E21AD?OpenDocument), for example, the following "facts" appear:

The trip from Seattle to Boston lasted 100 days, as planned, and covered 4,084 miles across 16 states, including Missouri and Illinois.

At full speed, a Segway's batteries last only about an hour, so they took spares that they could recharge in a Jeep that Weeks drove behind Caldwell the whole way.

The "10 mph" crew changed batteries 418 times, in all kinds of weather, and managed just over 20 miles per charge.

Now the 4084 total miles divided by the 418 charge times comes out to an average of 9.8 miles per charge. And it stands to reason that if you're traveling at 10 mph (average), that the duration would be about an hour.

Why the article states "managed just over 20 miles per charge.", I cannot fathom, other than that the article's editor hasn't a grasp of basic math.

The 10 mph guys didn't have access to Saphions back when they made the trip across America. At the speed they were traveling, Saphions in good condition would have lasted them 2 - 2 1/2 hours each charge. And if traveling slower than 10-12 mph, Saphions would have lasted longer than that.

If you're running NiMH, and you're using some borrowed (may not be brand new) packs, and you're traveling at or over 10 mph, you're batteries may only last about an hour. Some sets of batteries may work longer than one hour, but when you're planning logistics on a long voyage, you can't afford to be overly optimistic. The terrain may turn out to be hilly-er than it looks on the map.

So, I don't think "one hour" is a stated fact anywhere, just a number that turns out to be of practical use when making sure there were enough charged (NiMH) packs for the next day's planned use.

LOL, don't make me get out the speed / slope chart (http://forums.segwaychat.com/gallery/albums/segchat/bystander/chart.jpg) again!

[polo_pro]

Yeah, I caught that error too. But I just attributed it to confusing the NiMH battery technology used by them (vs today's Li-Ion technology which I'm betting are on 60% of all segways).

As to changing Li-Ions on a long distance glide, you're lucky to get 2 hours out of each pack. Usually, you're pushing as hard as you can because you gotta make alot of miles before dark. Also, I was hauling a 150 pound trailer!

I did think that article was well written. Lots of details, and IMO most of the relatively accurate. I like how he emphasized the drain time vs charge time!

ps - With battery changing times and short breaks, it's pretty tough to keep up a 10 MPH average speed over the course of a day!

[wwhopper]

Grab a cheap flight and join us on Tuesday.

We will have lots of folks to talk to about real "facts." I have several reporters who want to talk to the enthusiasts about their actual use of the Segway!

It is looking to be a fun event.