Question about a new order

[plesset]

I placed my order today for the Seg. They basically just said thanks and that it will ship on July 7th. Are they going to contact me about the training? Do I really need it? How long does it usually take for the Seg to arrive after it has been shipped? Life it good!

[BruceWright]

My Segway took about 2 days after it shipped. On the training, I would say get as much training as you can. Get someone else with a Segway to buddy with, that will be the safest thing.

The Segway is REALLY easy to use, and if all the trainer is going to do is show you how to mount and dismount safely, you may find that isn't really that hard to master.

But overconfidence is what causes every crash I've heard of. Wear a helmet at all times, start with the slow key and stay on that for a week. Then progress to yellow, and don't rush to the red key.

The Segway is so safe, you will feel secure in your abilities in no time. But overconfidence can get you hurt hard. Go slowly, and train yourself in open environments with no distractions. Do laps and figure 8 turns in an empty parking lot. Do some slaloms and stops. Get to know the width of the machine, and how to control it when going very slowly.

Don't plan a distance outing until you've had a solid couple of weeks on the Segway. When you make your first ventures into public, ride in areas you know well. Scout your first few routes ahead of time, and look for your curb-cuts, obstacles and the traffic patterns.

Minimize distractions, and don't let anything or anyone take your mind off of keeping yourself and others safe. I remember folks calling out and cheering on my Segway, while I was stranded in the middle of whizzing traffic on a crosswalk that had trapped me on an island I couldn't mount. It took a clear head to get myself out of the street safely.

Enjoy!!!

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

[pam]

My understanding is that they're now scheduling training via a 3rd party company - they'll be in touch soon. You'll probably get yours fairly quickly - since you're in PA, which is a lot closer to NH than, say, Florida is. Do you need training? Those of us who have had it almost all would say, "yes" - Have you had a demo? Do you have someone handy with experience who can sort of buddy with you until the trainer gets there? That might work until the trainer gets there. If you don't know anyone, you could check the search engine here to see if we have anyone else in Pittsburg, and email them (assuming they've put their email contact in their profile). It's exciting, isn't it?
Pam

[Burke]

Congratulations! It is indeed exciting!

I don't know when you'll get the safety video--ahead of time or with the machine. But that's a good place to start. It gives you a healthy respect for what can happen. My main advice would be that even when you do move up to the red key, you still should take the bumps and turns slowly until you get a really good feel for what you can and can't do.

Janice

[plesset]

Thanks for the replys all. I have never had a demo nor have I found anyone on this forum that lives in Pittsburgh to buddy with. I am sure I am going to need to buy another one just to have someone to ride with. It would be great to have a sign-up system in place to find people in your area to ride with. Hopefully I will inspire a few people around here to get one.

[Brooster]

Hi Plesset ... the training is, in my opinion, a very good and worthwhile thing.

You should be contacted by someone who will come out and train you within a few days of your receiving your HT. Hopefully you'll receive the video prior to that ... it's a good video, and well worth your time to watch. In any case, there will be a "rider's guide" in the box with the HT. There should also be a "reference manual." Follow the easy assemby instructions in the top of the box, charge your HT for a minimum of 12 hours before using it (this is very important), and read both guides thoroughly. This will keep you occupied for a while, and prepare you for a wonderful experience!

Enjoy your new ride!

Best wishes,
Broo



Brooster

[kaon]

I ordered my HT from Segway on June 19th. It shipped on the 25th. On the 27th I received a phone call from D1 (Decision One) looking to schedule my training.

We decided on the afternoon of June 30. The trainer was right on time and brought an HT with him. He explained that Segway tells them the HT has shipped, but there's no way to communicate an anticipated delivery date (D1 hasn't any information at all about your shipment).

So, my HT arrived today (June 30). We put it together. Then we did the training, then I watched the safety video (which came with the HT) and read the Riders' Guide and Reference Guide.

Will tomorrow never come? :-)


-- Michael

[Brooster]

Cool Kaon, sounds like you had a good experience. Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy that Seg! Awesome, isn't it?

Brooster

[Linc2000]

Hey plesset! Pay attention to Bruce. Especially his comment about over confidence. Over confidence is easy to acquire. I have had demo riders exhibit overconfidence after being on a Segway for 30 seconds. Yes, no typo - 30 seconds. Until you have your Segway plugged in and see the little light flashing you will be like the rest of us who endured much frustration waiting for the first ride on our own Segway. Lincoln [8D]

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[Stan671]

quote:Originally posted by kaon
I ordered my HT from Segway on June 19th. It shipped on the 25th. On the 27th I received a phone call from D1 (Decision One) scheduled my training [for] June 30. The trainer was right on time and brought an HT with him. My HT arrived June 30. We put it together. Then we did the training, then I watched the safety video and read the Riders' Guide and Reference GuideWow, a fantastic chain of events. It looks like Segway really wants to do good for it's customers and make sure they get the product orientation in a most convenient way.

How would you rate the trainer? How long did the training take? Where did you do it?

As others have said, please be cautious and take your time advancing up through the black, yellow and red keys. It only takes 30 seconds to learn how to operate the controls, but it takes several hours of experience to learn the more subtle techniques and it takes several more hours before you can handle just about any situation on the road/sidewalk.

And I would recommend always wearing a helmut. I have more than 120 days and 400 miles on my Segway and I still wear a helmut every time.

Stan Dobrowski

[Linc2000]

Helmuts are good but newbies should read the directions on how to wear a helmut for the best protection.

I may be over cautious but I don't think anyone has been riding long enough to say they are totally qualified to handle any situation that may arise while riding a Segway. My bet is there is a situation or situations that no one has experienced yet that will present the rider with a dangerous situation. Being cautious and watchful for new situations is probably still the best practice.

Lincoln [8D]

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[kaon]

quote:Originally posted by Brooster

Cool Kaon, sounds like you had a good experience. Thanks for the feedback. Enjoy that Seg! Awesome, isn't it?


Brooster, it was a good experience. And yes, even with my limited time on the HT, it definitely is awesome. I'm looking forward to a little longer glide later this afternoon!

Take care,


-- Michael

[kaon]

quote:Originally posted by Stan671
Wow, a fantastic chain of events. It looks like Segway really wants to do good for it's customers and make sure they get the product orientation in a most convenient way.

How would you rate the trainer? How long did the training take? Where did you do it?

As others have said, please be cautious and take your time advancing up through the black, yellow and red keys. It only takes 30 seconds to learn how to operate the controls, but it takes several hours of experience to learn the more subtle techniques and it takes several more hours before you can handle just about any situation on the road/sidewalk.

And I would recommend always wearing a helmut. I have more than 120 days and 400 miles on my Segway and I still wear a helmut every time.

Stan Dobrowski


I was pleasantly surprised by the entire purchase experience, Stan. The HT shipped to me weeks before I expected it, not that I'm complaining, you understand. ;)

How would I rate the trainer? He definitely seemed knowledgeble about the HT, both from the repair aspect and gliding aspect it. He did go up to NH for his training at the factory. He had a laminated guide (with a Segway logo on it) that he went through, I guess to make sure he didn't miss any of the major points he had to make. He reviewed it when we started.

How long did the training take? The trainer was at my house for about 70 minutes, start to end. The actually glide-training time was probably about 30 to 40 minutes. This went all the way from "how to mount" up through, "try the slalom with the red key." The trainer also had a special key that did something to simulate a safety shutdown, so I got to experience that as well.

Where did the training take place? We did the glide training in my driveway, out front of the house. It's mostly level, nice and smooth, and big enough to do what we needed to do. Going "down" the driveway was fun, there's a slight slope. It was a very good "trust the machine" exercise, thanks to the slope, but there's not enough of a slope to present any problems to a new glider.

Just the transition from the black key to the yellow key was enough to drive home the "be careful of overconfidence" issue. Using the red key was kind of shocking. I wouldn't have done that on my own, but the trainer wanted me to see how the HT performs "in the red zone." I will definitely be careful when I go out for my first glide today. It's the black key for me, most definitely.

I'll definitely be using a helmet, I always wear one when riding my bike (a recumbent), and I don't see anything about the HT that would convince me that a helmet is NOT needed on the HT.

Gliding on the HT was like nothing I've ever done before. The sensation was novel enough to me that I actually had dreams about the gliding sensation last night. I suspect my dreams of flying are going to have an entirely new depth to them now.


-- Michael