Max
05-06-2003, 07:37 PM
Segwaying through West Menlo
By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer
For West Menlo Park resident Timi Most, going from her house to the Almanac offices is just a quick glide along the Alameda on her new Segway Human Transporter.
The distinctive two-wheeled contraption, which sells for slightly under $5,000 on Amazon.com, isn't just a trendy toy for Ms. Most.
"I have mobility issues," stemming from a serious spinal cord injury suffered 35 years ago, she says. "I walk really slowly, and I wanted to be able to go on trails and up to the mountains with my family."
Although she has owned the Segway for less than a month, she's already used it to participate in hikes in the Stanford Hills and along the Crystal Springs Reservoir, as well as to take her son to the Sharon Heights duck pond and to pop over to the Plantation Cafe for coffee, she says. Even though San Francisco is one of the few municipalities to ban the Segway from its streets, Ms. Most plans to ride hers across the Golden Gate Bridge.
"Hopefully I won't get arrested," she jokes.
A self-balancing device that relies on computers and gyroscopic sensors to stay upright, the Segway responds to slight changes in body position to go forward, backwards and stop. Twisting the grip on the handlebar turns the Segway, which can execute a complete, 360-degree revolution in place. Ms. Most attended a company-sponsored training session, which she said was helpful but not really necessary.
"It's really intuitive," she says.
To prove her point, she offered rides to a half-dozen Almanac staffers, all of whom got the hang of riding the Segway in a minute or less.
Ms. Most says she's a firm believer in the environmental benefits of the Segway, as well. The Segway's battery uses only about 10 cents worth of electricity to recharge, which lasts for about 15 miles, depending on the terrain, she says. Using a Segway instead of a car can reduce pollution from gas emissions, she says.
Plus, it's just plain fun. Her two sons love it, she says, and her 10-year-old is especially adept.
"He flies around like Harry Potter," Ms. Most says.
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Copyright © 2003 Embarcadero Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
http://www.calmanac.com/thisweek/2003_05_07.segway.html
By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer
For West Menlo Park resident Timi Most, going from her house to the Almanac offices is just a quick glide along the Alameda on her new Segway Human Transporter.
The distinctive two-wheeled contraption, which sells for slightly under $5,000 on Amazon.com, isn't just a trendy toy for Ms. Most.
"I have mobility issues," stemming from a serious spinal cord injury suffered 35 years ago, she says. "I walk really slowly, and I wanted to be able to go on trails and up to the mountains with my family."
Although she has owned the Segway for less than a month, she's already used it to participate in hikes in the Stanford Hills and along the Crystal Springs Reservoir, as well as to take her son to the Sharon Heights duck pond and to pop over to the Plantation Cafe for coffee, she says. Even though San Francisco is one of the few municipalities to ban the Segway from its streets, Ms. Most plans to ride hers across the Golden Gate Bridge.
"Hopefully I won't get arrested," she jokes.
A self-balancing device that relies on computers and gyroscopic sensors to stay upright, the Segway responds to slight changes in body position to go forward, backwards and stop. Twisting the grip on the handlebar turns the Segway, which can execute a complete, 360-degree revolution in place. Ms. Most attended a company-sponsored training session, which she said was helpful but not really necessary.
"It's really intuitive," she says.
To prove her point, she offered rides to a half-dozen Almanac staffers, all of whom got the hang of riding the Segway in a minute or less.
Ms. Most says she's a firm believer in the environmental benefits of the Segway, as well. The Segway's battery uses only about 10 cents worth of electricity to recharge, which lasts for about 15 miles, depending on the terrain, she says. Using a Segway instead of a car can reduce pollution from gas emissions, she says.
Plus, it's just plain fun. Her two sons love it, she says, and her 10-year-old is especially adept.
"He flies around like Harry Potter," Ms. Most says.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2003 Embarcadero Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
http://www.calmanac.com/thisweek/2003_05_07.segway.html