Whooops - down I go!

[toybuilder]

Hurrying to cross an intersection, I made a really stupid mistake (the kind of stupid mistakes I always seem to make in life when I hurry for no reason!). The whole event must have looked quite spectacular!

I caught too much air coming off the side of a curb-cut at an angle. I ended up being on one wheel for a looong second as I tried to balance myself back to normal. Too late. Down I went, landing gracefully (well, as graceful as the circumstnaces permit) backwards, with my butt and right torso hitting the ground. A woman in a car looked very concerned and asked me if I was okay.... I got up and laughed it off. No injuries. (Very) Slight soreness on my hip, and scrapes on a nice pair of pants that I've only worn five times.

Proving, once again, the Segway needs both feet, err wheels, planted on the ground.



http://www.pasadenasegway.org/

[Sal]

Glad you're okay, toybuilder, the same sort of thing happened to me earlier in the week. I was gliding on the sidewalk, and got too much air off the seperation between the sidewalk sections, and one of the wheels landed first and spum the platform a bit to the side, luckily, I managed to hold on, and not fall. I was reminded of all the threads I had read about such spin out moments on this site.

it's only time, I fear, before I become one of gravity's victims!

-Sal

Think Different
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[beckpm]

Joseph,
Glad you are ok. That event is something you warned me about in Chicago! So far (3 months) I have not fallen, but I know it is only a matter of time.

Peter Beck
Arlington, Virginia

[Balance]

I too have had a similar whoops in the last month and a half. I was crossing an intersection quickly and didn't hit the curb cut correctly on the other side. The left wheel hit a bit of curb and got airborn. My Segway immediately started bucking back and forth. I jumped off the back of the glider just before it managed to throw me off. I am much more careful about taking such curb cuts now :)

Another thing that I have noticed this week as well is that a person should be cautious when there are leaves on the sidewalk. Some leave piles can be a bit slippery. Occasionally I have had one wheel slip a bit when crossing leave piles on the sidewalk.

[Mr_Laurenzano]

I caught too much air coming off the side of a curb-cut at an angle. I ended up being on one wheel for a looong second as I tried to balance myself back to normal. Too late. Down I went, landing gracefully (well, as graceful as the circumstnaces permit) backwards, with my butt and right torso hitting the ground. A woman in a car looked very concerned and asked me if I was okay.... I got up and laughed it off. No injuries. (Very) Slight soreness on my hip, and scrapes on a nice pair of pants that I've only worn five times.
Like a dream~~~~~

peace is a oneway street, with no crossroads and no deadends

[Mr_Laurenzano]

Nice Pants

peace is a oneway street, with no crossroads and no deadends

[Sleepy]

I'm glad Joe's okay... but just as important, how's the Seg? :)

A few weeks ago I went riding with jbauer, and had both Segs in the back seat of my car. I was parked next to a curb. So I was pulling out the Segs and tripped on the curb, falling backwards with a Seg platform half-way in the air headed straight for the ground. Somehow, I twisted around, go a hold of it, fell flat on my behind and used my chest to break it's fall.
It's a little scarey that in that split instant, I decided that saving the Segway was more important than my rear end.

-Alex

[ElectraGlide]

I had the same type incident back in March when my Seg was new and I was not an experienced glider. I hit at a 90 degree angle the handicap ramp that was going up a curb, but hit it with only one wheel as I was travelling fast. Gliding on one wheel only lasts a split second , and I believe that I may have also twisted the turn mechanism while fighting for balance and that spun the Segway out from under me and down I went. What makes it so embarrassing is because it happend on a Segway (and they were a real novelty then) everyone was watching. Had it been a bike it would have gone mostly un-noticed. I hit the asphalt parking lot and felt bruised for 2 weeks. The lesson learned and preached is >> New Riders Should Drive Slowly! <<

Steve

[SegwayBill]

When I glide my feet are pushed against the gearboxes and centered fore and aft and both hands holding tight. This keeps you attached to the machine and allows it to ride out of the problem. The Segway wants to do the right thing it is the driver that causes the problem.
Plus I use my helmet 100% of the time and it has saved me once already, some day I will tell the story.

Bill

[powderhound]

The one and only time I've gone down (so far) was on my second day when I carelessly went down a curb cut and let one of the wheels fall off the ramp to the street. I was going fast enough that the Seg whobbled between the two wheels and oscillated more and more until I went down. I learned enough in that experience that I haven't gone down since!

[GlideMaster]

<center>We have to remember that the Segway is not a mountain bike. Glad to here you're OK toybuilder.</center>

<center>Responsible Riders Ride Segway</center>
<center>and </center>
<center>Segway Riders Ride Responsibly</center>

<center>http://www.segwaychat.com/forum/avatars/glidemaster.gif</center>

[Mr_Laurenzano]

Saftey is the key. Each and everyone of us know when we are pushing the limits. Its that brief momment when your feet leave the plate and that little voice in your head says "OH SH**". Dont have a fear of falling, know how to fall, the segway has a uncanny way of taking care of it self. Let go and enjoy the experiance. Thus we learn.

peace is a oneway street, with no crossroads and no deadends