Segway PT and shared paths

[rolandp]

Spotted yesterday evening around 6:30pm, on The Boulevard, near Floreat Shopping Centre:


I ride this way most evenings, and this is the first time I've spotted one outside the Perth CBD, with Floreat being 10-12km outside the CBD, so they can travel a fair way.

They can move, would say this one was around 20km per hour.

[CommuRider]

Coming to a bike path near you...the Solo Wheel



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... where.html

A designer has reinvented the wheel - with the world's smallest self-balancing unicycle.

Suitable for the daily commute or for weekend leisure, the one-wheel machine is powered by a 1,000-watt electric motor that generates a top speed of 12mph.

Users place their feet on a foldable platform either side of the wheel and simply lean forward to move, back to stop and left and right to turn.

Balancing act: A user test out the Solowheel, which has a top speed of 12mph and can travel for two hours on a single 45-minute charge

The further forward you lean, the faster it goes, and a series of gyroscopes inside ensure the wheel remains perfectly balanced.

The Solowheel can travel for two hours on a single 45-minute charge and can climb hills with an incline of up to 15 per cent.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Solo wheel? Sheeze! Where's the fun in that?

[jet-ski]

spotted one today!


at about 5.15pm

[rolandp]

From Works and Urban Development Committee - City of Perth:

Due to existing legal and licensing issues in Western Australia, the use of electric personal transporters, such as Segway Tours, has not previously been permitted in
public areas. Over the past few years, the City has had a number of operators enquiring about the development of commercially operated tours of this nature in the
city but due to legislative restrictions, this tourism activity has never eventuated in Perth.
Recently, both the State Government and the City of Perth have demonstrated their support for a review of existing legal and licensing regulations which would facilitate the development of commercially operated tours such as these.
Relevant State Government agencies have obtained Ministerial approval to proceed with making the necessary regulatory amendments that will enable the Minister for
Transport to approve the use of electric personal transporters, such as Segway Tours, to be used as part of commercial tour operations on designated routes that have been approved by relevant local governments.

The report also includes letters to State Government, as well as maps of operations (initially) will be the shared path from The Narrows to UWA.

Maximum speed of a Segway is normally 20kph, but these will be restricted to 10kph.

Should the shared paths be further shared by Segways?

[ColinOldnCranky]

Segways are illegal in Aus. on open roads/pathways etc as they do not satisify the ADR requirement to have a braking mechanism. Interesting in NZ a community group bought some for the local police to use for patrols and after a week or so of use they realised they were illegal and have mothballed them until they can sort out the legality issues.

The inventor of the Segway died last year when the one he was using went over a cliff with him on it.

Sydney(or was it Melb) police put out a press release a few years back (when Segways were considered cool) stating they would be acquiring some for community patrolling. A cyclist group then advised them of the illegality and the idea died (and a few cops did the same of embarrassment).

The NZ yike-bike and all powered unicycles so far have also failed to live within the power limits.

A lot pf products with no use outside of private property.

[queequeg]

There is a guy with a Segway who rides the Epping Rd SUP. He uses it as a mobility scooter and has fitted it with a seat post and saddle.
I saw him last week on the way home and he said it has a range of about 40km and can do 20km/h uphill.

[clackers]

I went on a guided tour of Barcelona on one. I loved it, but it's obviously too dangerous to pedestrians - very heavy indeed.

Despite being very practical, it does have that image problem ... you could be Daniel Craig but you end up looking like an eight foot tall dork, no matter what you do to compensate.

[Sinner]

Maximum speed of a Segway is normally 20kph, but these will be restricted to 10kph.

Should the shared paths be further shared by Segways?

I can't see individual segways being allowed to use the shared paths, but a tour group of them will only be once in a while. 10 kph is very slow, but will probably mean that they won't be as wayward as if they were going at 20 kph. In Copenhagen I noted that tourists were given a few minutes to try them out before they were let loose.

[clackers]

I can't see individual segways being allowed to use the shared paths, but a tour group of them will only be once in a while.

Yep, I went on a tour with a guide, from a bike shop that owned them and hired them out. Enormous fun, but I left convinced these things didn't belong on the medieval cobbled plazas or footpaths, they needed to be on the road, which defeated their purpose.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Should the shared paths be further shared by Segways?

If you asked "Should mopeds and scooters be allowed on shared paths if they are speed limited to 20kph?" I'd say no. For my answer the same answer for Seways. IMO they are far too heavy and far to fat. I don't even like seeing them in the Murray Street mall.

However I have seen a very few smaller things similar that kids and smaller adults rode. I have no idea if they are contemporary Segways or what speed but they take up about as much footprint as a set of bathroom scales and look lighter by a long shot.

[sogood]

Pedestrians also complain of bicycles as being too large and fast.

[nachoman]

Perth on track for Segway tours

"Segway tours along the Perth foreshore are expected in the near future after the Government changed licensing regulations to allow the two-wheeled mode of transport on shared pathways."

[ColinOldnCranky]

Perth on track for Segway tours

"Segway tours along the Perth foreshore are expected in the near future after the Government changed licensing regulations to allow the two-wheeled mode of transport on shared pathways."

Generally, bureaucracies get things mostly right. And as long as routes and times of operation etc are set independantly then I more-than-moderately expect that there will be no major issues with this sort of use.

As if they don't look dorky enough as it is, governed to 10kph I find the requirement of a helmet to be quite silly. I'd put them on people on platform boots first. Or anyone running at more than 10kph. Or anyone walking forward down a set of stairs.

Perhaps some riders in Canberra have some comment for us on the West Coast. You guys have seen this stuff in operation.

[jet-ski]

I have no doubt that they will be annoying! Like those silly 4-wheeled pedal carts.

[ColinOldnCranky]

I have no doubt that they will be annoying! Like those silly 4-wheeled pedal carts.

With you on that.

[Aushiker]

They are multiplying ..



Andrew

[redned]

They are multiplying ..

Brilliant! They move at 6kph (walking pace) for only an hour before running out of juice. They have a button to tilt it backwards to dismount. I wonder if there is an economy version where you tilt it back yourself? They allow you to go into a lift and face the back wall.

The benefits are ???

[BastardSheep]

Utterly useless devices. Max speed of 6kph makes them travel walking speed. 4km max distance - if you have so much trouble walking such a short distance I think a mobility scooter is what you need rather than a mini segway - you'd probably be too large or too restricted in other ways to use one. One hour battery, I can't think of ANYWHERE I could go in that distance and time that has a freely available power outlet.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Utterly useless devices. Max speed of 6kph makes them travel walking speed. 4km max distance - if you have so much trouble walking such a short distance I think a mobility scooter is what you need rather than a mini segway - you'd probably be too large or too restricted in other ways to use one. One hour battery, I can't think of ANYWHERE I could go in that distance and time that has a freely available power outlet.

I could use a pair - My feet, which are bad enough as it is, absolutely scream with dull pain if I walk or shop anywhere with with my LGW as I canno tcomfortably walk at her speed and she can't physically walk at mine. A pair of these would be perfect until the battery ran out.

Seriously though, they do seem just one more product that is not driven by consumer demand but rather demand is being driven by availability.

There are few products these days that fill a craving that we had before said product came to market. This is the sort of product that results in a bigger carbon footprint than we need while getting us to continue working 40+ hours a weeks when we could work less than half that time and still have all the stuff that an affluent middle-class urbanite had in, say, the 1960's. The world (and us consumers) are stupid.

[GH]

Recently approved for use on bike paths and footpaths in Queensland. From memory max speed 12 km/h . They are no wider than say a velomobile which are also legal, so lets just share the paths and see what happens.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Recently approved for use on bike paths and footpaths in Queensland. From memory max speed 12 km/h . They are no wider than say a velomobile which are also legal, so lets just share the paths and see what happens.

I expect to see a lot more segways than velomobiles. In fact I have NEVER NEVER NEVER seen a velomobile on the bike path, unless you count those silly little slow tourist pedal cars or trikes. Haven't seem too many anywhere else for that matter.

Trikes are in plentiful supply and htey are wide.

It'll be interesting to see what does happen. It may be that not too many will be keen to part with that much money anyway.

[GH]

I have seen a few Velomobiles around town here, but only on the odd occasion. Mainly for commuting I think, and I work from home so am not out at that time. I have only ever personally come across one on a bike path and the rider was very considerate and slowed right down as we passed. I think the majority here will be tour groups or tourists as that has been the impetus for getting them approved. $12k for 12km/h commuter is a lot of bread.

[Aushiker]

I have seen a few Velomobiles around town here, but only on the odd occasion.

Really? I would be be very interested in the details. I am only aware of two Sinner Mangos for example in this state (one is Albany and one south of Fremantle) and one unknown brand velomobile. Given there are a few people around here with a keen interest in velomobiles and a WAHPV group I would have thought there would be more awareness of these other velomobiles you refer.

Andrew

[John Lewis]

Have to put in my say regards width.

A velo or a trike is no wider than a bike with rider.

My trike is a bit wider than the velo. They are around 70 -75 cm wide at widest point.
When I'm on my Bike my max width is about the same elbow to elbow or across the panniers if I have them on.

I've not seen a Segway so can't comment other than to say which I prefer.
Didn't the designer od the Segway put himself over a cliff on one and wipe himself out?

John