Segway 'wheelies'?

[Ground Loop]

I've heard references to folks riding briefly on one wheel, with their weight up against the gearbox and the far wheel in the air.

Does anyone have video? I'm curious to see how you get into such a pose and how stable it is in motion.

I puzzled around the driveway trying to get up on one wheel to no avail. Maybe I'm not agressive enough with the handlebar? Need a kick ramp?

Just curious.

[SegwayBill]

The best Wheelie I have seen was done by mrleisure. He put his right foot against the left gear box or vica/versa.It puts your weight well out to the side. Or just lean make sure your knees are bent. Be careful about the surface it is real easy to slip on one wheel.
A quiet area away from pedestrians and a helmet are a good idea.

Bill

[Zorba9]

GroundLoop-
Having witnessed Mr.Leisure (master of the "Ginger-Snap") riding on one wheel, then hopping the Segway over and riding/balancing on the other wheel, I can attest that this manuever is aggressive to the extreme!!
He literally snatches the CS over while kicking his weight up on the one wheel - so precisely as to make it all appear effortless - then rides the balance with the agility of a circus acrobat.

Maybe we can get him to post, altho its starting to become "politically-incorrect" to chat about Extreme Segging or stupid Segway tricks here on SC.-:)

KOG


Zorba9.....

[gotseg]

Check out Derek's "extreem seg" video, he does it a few times I think.

http://www.giguphosting.com/gotseg/gotseg.gif

[SegwayBill]

Proper place proper time

Bill

[dhugger]

http://pubpages.unh.edu/~dhugger/ExtremeSeg.mov

http://segwaychat.com/photos/dhugger/dhugger2.gif

[Sal]

Having heard about Mr leisure's exploits from Zorba9 on the phone, I am eager for someone to post a video of his stunts... Like picnic table hopping, and the like.

-Sal

Think Different
www.apple.com

Answers that Matter
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http://home.earthlink.net/~sal1k/images/si2f.jpg

[mrleisure]

I don't know if posting instructions on SegwayChat for stunt-riding is a good idea, or not. Can we debate this topic a little?

My opinion is that SegX-Games, Segsibition riding, SegDancing and the like are all completely inevitable. That being said, some important folks have had allergic reactions to my antics. I have complied with the urging to tone it down. Some of the idiotic "Whee, I hurt myself" stories that show up here help me understand the concern.

But left to my own devices I'd change my legal name to "Evel Segnievel" and jockey a rocket-assisted Segway over Snake River Canyon if I could find a sponsor. Is this wrong? At what point, if ever, will it be OK to come out of the closet about the stunt-riding? Can it be done in a way that clearly separates it from regular street riding? Nobody seems to confuse Stock Car Racing on Sunday to commuting on Monday.

Consider this- one year ago there was a huge debate about how proper training was paramount. People got furious over rentals and pointed to LLC approved training as the only option. Contrast that with today. A guy down the street recently bought his first Seg and it arrived in a box. The D1 technician blew-off training because the new owner didn't want it. This new owner happily gives red-key demos without a second thought, and has no major problems. A year ago this story would have been absolute heresy, but now it's not even all that notable.

Times change. When is it going to be OK to talk about stunt riding? There was a video posted that illustrates some amusing moves and no-one really flipped out. Does that mean the coast is clear?

"In the future, we will all drive standing up"
David Byrne, in 1984

[Mr_Laurenzano]

Really the coast is clear~~~hummm.

Find the way. Everything comes full circle.

[Florida Ever-Glides]

The coast is only clear until someone gets seriously injured. For sure, LLC is going to stay as far away from this kind of extreme riding, and the indiividuals doing it.

Just remember: as early adopters we still should have some responsibility to LLC for what they have 'given' us. Their future right now depends on our behavior riding.

Please keep your 'extreme riding' out of the media attention. They would love to find another reason why the HT should not be ridden along side of the public; like skateboarding...

Tom Jacobson

[Ground Loop]

I can understand where 'the conservatives' are coming from -- very concerned about Segway's future and public image, but I have to respectfully disagree. I think the reason you see such emotional and passionate urging to keep the Segway image calm, slow, responsible and pedestrian is out of a notion that we need a public image that represents the Segway as a geriatric mobility aid, not a sport/thrill craft like a jetski or ATV. These are the folks worried about sport videos, Google searches for "faceplant", etc. They're worried their own Segway will get banned from the sidewalk because of someone's backyard antics. Seems far-fetched to me.

Then you have folks at the other end, pushing the limits, taking some calculated risks to their own safety, and riding for fun. The two are going to be at odds sharing one forum, and I think we're doing a great job of staying respectful and cooperative. The signal-to-noise on SegwayChat is awesome.

When I buy a mountain bike, I don't have a responsibility to Trek to ride my bicycle in a careful and responsible way, tipping my helmet to joggers as I pass. If I want to go jump off dirt berms and ride the sandy wash, I don't have to ask Trek's blessing or that of the bicycle community. All the same, I wouldn't go posting my wipeout story to some parents-on-tandem-bike-with-kids forum either. :)

All I'm saying is that we all have to share this space and there will be Segway riders at both extremes and in the middle. Like Jeff said, nobody needs to feel they can't post.

[BruceWright]

I think this should be a free and open forum.

I didn't think that so much in the past, when it would come to a video like above.

I think the rabid misinformation and fear in the general public has passed. I think most Americans see the Segway as a flop, and they don't fear that there will be thousands of them on their sidewalks next month. Plus, they've been exposed to them for over a year, with only one incident of note, and even that was indistinguishable from what happens 10 times a day in each city in America with bicycles.

A year ago, people were "WAIT WAIT! WhatsaSegway?!! Those things are legal on the sidewalks!?? AAAAHHHH, FEAR! Must find images online to see the danger! Hmmm... segwaychat.com, let's see.... AAAAHHH MAYHEM! EXTREME TRICKS!!!! HACKED KEYS GOING 20MPH!!! FEAR FEAR FEAR!!!!!"

I think things are different now. This wasn't like a mountain bike which EVERYONE knows about already and doesn't fear. This was like a SCARY THING that people WERE TRYING to get other people to be up in arms about.

Now we're a year into this, and I think that these videos are good.

That's right, GOOD.

Why?

Because for all the SCARY thoughts of extreme segways, Well, the video looks damn tame.

If that's all that an extreme segway might do, when pushed to the limit, I think ANY anti-segway person would have many fears utterly diffused by seeing that video.


If that's as extreme a Segway gets, I've done scarier things in a Radio Flyer wagon.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

[Ground Loop]

KAmen!

Heh.. "Radio Flyer wagon"

[BruceWright]

Everyone look out!!!! Here comes the EXTREME SEGGER!!!


WARNING!!! He might STAND STILL ON ONE WHEEL!!!!! OH THE HORROR!!! HIDE YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!1!



He might SPIN AROUND IN ONE PLACE while not holding on!!!

He might RIDE OFF A LOW CURB!

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!





Heheh.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

[driley]

I must confess. I blew off the Segway training, was pushing the black key within minutes and was on the red key within an hour.

I only ran myself over once as a result :)

I will watch the safety video as soon as they come out with a DVD version. I don't have a VHS player. In the meantime, I try to ride like a model ambassador of the product. I always give pedestrians the right away, only pass peds at a slow pace and generally try to blend in, as if I belong on the sidewalk, which I do.

Honestly, the Segway is a mighty tame vehicle. It is downright docile and completely intuitive to ride. If I am looking for something to get “extreme” on, it is going to be something other than my Segway!

Devin