segway on ice ?

[HellYeah]

Hi everybody !!

I'm just wondering, can a segway I2 move on ice or in the snow ? The tires can handle that or just the x2 can do that ?

Thank yall!

[SEGsby]

Ice is the enemy of Traction. Traction is your friend, no matter what Segway you choose.

Some people use studded tires... But I personally, would not be comfortable riding on ice.

SEGsby

[SegwayDan]

Even WITH studded tires, lose traction for a split second and YOU'RE DOWN.

Sometimes when you lose traction just a little the machine goes psychotic, bucking and bouncing around unpredictably. Weighing in at around 120 lbs, you can get whacked on the shins and otherwise scuffed up quite smartly.

Maybe you'd call that fun. I don't.

[Sharkie]

Boy, you southern guys, with little to no experience with a Segway on ice are sure quick to jump in. Perhaps a different perspective will help a bit. While not totally ice, a couple of us have had a great deal of fun using out Segs on snow covered fields and parks. A frozen and snow covered basketball court kept us amused for quite a while. Drifting on a Segway **IS** possible, and can be a lot of fun. Losing traction a little doesn't necessarily mean falling. Yes, it can trigger a fall, but in most cases you can just step off if you lose traction big time, and the Seg shuts down. Turns at about 3 mph in snow can be a lot of fun, as you can throw a "rooster tail" quite a distance as the wheels spin. It takes a bit of practise, but it certainly can be fun. Give it a try, but just like walking, if you get silly, you're going to fall. Traction is not exactly an absolute.

Jim

[polo_pro]

Boy, you southern guys, with little to no experience with a Segway on ice are sure quick to jump in. Perhaps a different perspective will help a bit. While not totally ice, a couple of us have had a great deal of fun using out Segs on snow covered fields and parks. A frozen and snow covered basketball court kept us amused for quite a while. Drifting on a Segway **IS** possible, and can be a lot of fun. Losing traction a little doesn't necessarily mean falling. Yes, it can trigger a fall, but in most cases you can just step off if you lose traction big time, and the Seg shuts down. Turns at about 3 mph in snow can be a lot of fun, as you can throw a "rooster tail" quite a distance as the wheels spin. It takes a bit of practise, but it certainly can be fun. Give it a try, but just like walking, if you get silly, you're going to fall. Traction is not exactly an absolute.

Oddly enough, I've seen everything you've described on a wet polo field. The "drifting" while staying upright, the "rooster tail" and some amazing recoveries when everything indicates traction has been lost. Of course, I think most of that was done with slicks FYI. Knobbies tend to prevent most traction problems on a wet field.

[Brandis]

Found a film on youtube from Sweden where they did ride the Segways on a frozen lake (I think they have been posted here before):

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MdCNfyf6G4

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlixEyDxezE

[KSagal]

While I would not expect segway newbees to be happy on snow and ice, I suspect it is possible to deal with it, if you are careful and pay attention to what you need to.

It is not much different than driving a car, or riding a bike, in snow and ice. It is possible, and while it can be done, the expectation of having a problem is also greatly increased. If you are willing to take the consequenses, it can be a lot of fun.

Of course, any person caught on a segway in snow and ice MUST have a screw loose somewhere!

http://forums.segwaychat.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11814/normal_o6snow2.JPG

[Desert_Seg]

I don't know what all the fuss is about. Every time it snows here I'm out and about, zipping along, paying not mind to any snow or ice that might be in the way.

It's all fun...

Steven

Psssst - take a look at my location before you take me too seriously.

[SegwayDan]

Yeah, I'm a fast-jumping southern boy. But I don't particularly like fast jumping off my Segway under any circumstances.

He did say "ice", after all, and that's an extreme situation of little or no traction.

[Sharkie]

Yeah, I'm a fast-jumping southern boy. But I don't particularly like fast jumping off my Segway under any circumstances.

He did say "ice", after all, and that's an extreme situation of little or no traction.

Actually, it's not necessarily a situation of little or no traction. There are times when ice has at least adequate traction. I don't really know how you'd get a Segway into a glass to slip on the ice anyway! <GRIN>

Jim

[hellphish]

Even WITH studded tires, lose traction for a split second and YOU'RE DOWN.

Sometimes when you lose traction just a little the machine goes psychotic, bucking and bouncing around unpredictably. Weighing in at around 120 lbs, you can get whacked on the shins and otherwise scuffed up quite smartly.

Maybe you'd call that fun. I don't.

I'm curious how many miles you've ridden on studded tires on ice. That Florida ice must be a doozy. Honestly though, don't bother spreading around misinformation such as "if you lose traction for a split second, you are down" because that simply isn't true. The Segway is a robust machine and can definitely deal with a momentary loss of traction.

[SEGsby]

Oh look, they fall down! *totally surprised by unexpected results that defy stated physics or egos*

SEGsby

Found a film on youtube from Sweden where they did ride the Segways on a frozen lake (I think they have been posted here before):

...

Part 2:

[SegwayDan]

That's really cute, man, but I do vaguely recall ice on the ground having grown up in the Chicago area <grin>

[Zorba9]

....... a bit of fun actually. Studded ETT's, but then I might be a bit biased . Full speed on sheet ice .... slam to a halt .... spin around and take off at full speed once again! ;)

KOG

[KSagal]

I have posted this many times before... One of my first and favorite times on Zorba's studded tires was a day on frozen Silver Lake, here in Wilmington, MA.

I helped the kids shovel off a hocky rink, and did my best anti-zamboni imitations... I did not fall once.

I have also had other tires in snow and ice. I have also had several different momentary losses of traction, over the years, and most all of them did not result in a fall or even a dismount. The seg just did a short jig, then we continued on our way...

I am not saying that snow and ice are good or safer than dry pavement, I am just saying that people can manage if they try, and are willing to tollerate the higher exposure to risk.

[KSagal]

I don't know what all the fuss is about. Every time it snows here I'm out and about, zipping along, paying not mind to any snow or ice that might be in the way.

It's all fun...

Steven

Psssst - take a look at my location before you take me too seriously.


I have had more sand storms stop me than snow storms. How come no one is complaining about them?

I guess it all comes down to where you live, and how you choose to live.

[Jendrik]

I talked to the person who makes segway-tours on snow and he says that on a prepared surface it is really no problem. See pictures here : http://www.segforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=480

He says aprox. 2.9 psi would work well on X2 tires in the snow.
He also experimented with snow chains and explained me how to mount them. As he experienced it is best to lower the pressure of the tires during mounting and refilling the air after that.


Jendrik

[amturnip]

Boy, you southern guys, with little to no experience with a Segway on ice are sure quick to jump in.
Jim

Traction loss is a matter of degree. Daily thaws and nightly freezes give warm-climate ice more of an ice-rink quality than you see in colder latitudes' natural ice, which is only a tiny bit more slippery than asphalt as long as you don't inadvertently melt it with tire spin.

[KSagal]

Traction loss is a matter of degree. Daily thaws and nightly freezes give warm-climate ice more of an ice-rink quality than you see in colder latitudes' natural ice, which is only a tiny bit more slippery than asphalt as long as you don't inadvertently melt it with tire spin.


Very important and 'on target' observation.

[segsurfer]

One wonders whether an i2 would be more difficult to ride in the winter compared to a gen one, what with the non-rigid cs? I have no experience gliding either in the snow or ice, just thought I'd pose an interesting question.

[SEGsby]

This thread isn't much different to the "I ride my Segway underwater" posts...

Some will play, some will pay.

SEGsby

[hellphish]

One wonders whether an i2 would be more difficult to ride in the winter compared to a gen one, what with the non-rigid cs? I have no experience gliding either in the snow or ice, just thought I'd pose an interesting question.


This is an excellent question and I think you've discovered part of the reason some people prefer gen1 over gen2. When on ice (without ice tires) it is important to keep rapid changes to wheel speed in check. Since the gen1 doesn't turn unless you really want it to, it would be easier to keep the wheel movement in check.

As I see it.

[Hobbes]

I spent a day about a week ago doing just what the Swedish videos showed, riding for about 3 miles along 2 frozen rivers, often with a similar depth of snow cover. The ice had frozen without any snow on it so it was very smooth under the snow. It would have made an excellent extended ice rink if someone had cleared the ice.

I did not fall, and only had a momentary slippage episode when I was sloloming agressively and then turned fast causing a sideways slide, but I didn't need to hop off. I was able to pull enough torque at some points (such as climbing a steep slope) to activate the stick shake. Part of the trip was on single track bike trails, which are always fun, grass or snow. Most of the time the trails were in the woods so the snow depth was fairly consistent, deeper than the battery clearance, so I had to do a lot of plowing.

I have used the Gen 1 ETT knobby tires for commuting last winter, but have now switched to the IRC SN23. These are dramatically superior to the ETT tires in all conditions. I have quite a few snow and ice miles (hundreds) under my belt and have developed the necessary touch, but even I was really surprised at the physics-defying behavior of the SN23's. They stuck long after I would have given up on my other tires. It would have been difficult walking up the path out of the valley in my shoes with the hard packed snow and ice (the trail gets a lot of skiers) but I could accelerate up it. A hiker said I could have made some money offering tows to skiers up the hill to the parking area.

I think my i2 fared better than than the XT's in the video which are obviously slipping a bit here and there, due to the fack that the higher-loaded footprint of the i2 tires should help traction in these conditions, and the SN23 has a more temperature-stable and softer rubber compound. It also has well-siped tread blocks which were designed for snow and ice conditions.

[Hobbes]

On the question of whether an i2 or Gen 1 would be better on ice and snow...I have both and would much rather have an i2 in those conditions. I find I can ride with more finess on the i2 and finess in torque application in response to conditions is what is called for.