MARCH 10 2018 LISTENER 45
I
once took a Segway tour around Angel Island,
a beautiful, hilly state park in San Francisco
across the water from Sausalito. The Segway, an
upright, motorised, self-balancing scooter that
first went on sale in 2002, was super-responsive,
powerful and, once I’d learnt to trust it, a pleasure
to ride.
I immediately wanted one to use back home in
Wellington. Then I found out how much they cost- well over $10,000.
About all I saw of Segways for years after that
was on the sidelines at Westpac Stadium, where
TV cameramen adapted them to keep up with
the action during rugby games. They also found
a niche with security patrols, scenic tours and at
promotional events. However, buyers wanted more
affordable electrified ways of zipping around town.
One answer is the hoverboard: effectively
two pads for your feet connected to two in-line
motorised wheels. Hoverboards cost from $50 to
$400 – much less than the Segway’s price today of
$14,000-16,000 – but their reputation for quality
isn’t great, because the market has been flooded
with inferior models.
Now Segway has re-entered the market with
cheaper scooter models: the miniLITE, miniPRO
and miniPLUS, costing $1000-2000. The miniLITE
is aimed at kids and teenagers and can carry riders
up to 80kg in weight. That made me slightly over-
weight for the machine, but I gave it a go anyway,
promising myself to take things slowly.
The key to riding a Segway is to have faith in
its ability to stabilise itself, which feels counter-
intuitive when you’re standing upright on a
two-wheeled rolling platform. The full-sized Segway
that I rode years ago had a graspable control, but
the miniLITE’s controller is only knee high.
The first time you step aboard, you need some-
one or something to hang on to, because it feels as
though the scooter could fly out from under you.
Then you notice the Segway adjusting for your
position. You soon realise it’s very
stable. Within 20 minutes of first
mounting the miniLITE, I was doing
figure-eight loops in my apartment
block’s car park, and after an hour, I
was zooming down to the flat road at
Oriental Bay.T
he miniLITE has 10.5-inch
wheels, which handle footpaths,
smooth roads and wooden
boardwalks well. I’ve used it on
short, firm grass without problems,
although I’d recommend avoiding
uneven surfaces, loose dirt or gravel
on which the Segway can lose
traction and spin, causing a quick
dismount.
The two powerful in-wheel hub
motors produce a total 700W of
power and propel you along at a
comfortable pace, allowing tight
manoeuvring around
obstacles and
rapid braking.
You’ll getSegway to go
The expensive high-tech
scooter that has languished
for a decade and a half is
reborn in a cheaper form.
by Peter Griffin
TECHNOLOGY
You’ll get a maximum
range of 18km on a
single battery charge,
and recharging takes
about three hours.
Wheel life: Segway’s miniPRO and
smartphone app. Below, a miniLITE,
left, and miniPLUS.a maximum range of 18km on a
single battery charge, and recharging
takes about three hours. Initially, the
Segway limits your speed to 10km/h,
but after the rider has completed a
learning phase, it will do 16km/h.
The miniPRO can carry up to
100kg; the miniPLUS, which has
a greater range and a top speed of
20km/h, also has a mode that lets it
follow you when you have stepped
off it.
An accompanying smartphone
app tells Segway riders their speed,
distance travelled and the machine’s
remaining battery life and controls
its lights.
Segways will appeal to anyone
from kids wanting a skateboard alter-
native to commuters with a flattish
route to work. You won’t get as much
exercise as walking, but you’ll enjoy a
smooth, safe and fun ride. l
miniLITE $995;
miniPRO $1595;
miniPLUS $1995.