Price of segway scooter.

Ever since the Segway came out, it has been the subject of many geeky lunchtime conversations. They were always just too cool.

Now I'm actually considering buying one. I would mostly use it to get back and forth to work. I live only 1.5 miles away, but it takes too long to walk and it seems silly to drive. Today I tried biking to work. It took only a little longer to bike (10 minutes) vs driving (7 minutes) so time is not a consideration.

What I don't like about the bike is that it's just slightly too large of a vehicle. You need to store it somewhere at either end. You're not supposed to ride on the sidewalk, but it's way too scary to ride in the lanes crossing the "intersection of death" at 101, 237 & Mathlilda. I'm also not looking forward to the day when I get a flat tire. With a Segway, I'd be able to legally and justifibly ride on the sidewalk.

The new Segways just came out and they have some cool new stuff. For one, you turn by leaning, just like you accelerated and decelerated before by leaning. I found the twisting of the grip unintuitive when I rode one a few years ago. It has a new wireless key device and a security alarm.

It certainly wouldn't save me money vs. driving. A Segway scooter price is over $5,000. If I drive 3 miles a day and pay $3.00/gallon, I'll save approximately $100 in gas plus whatever 675 miles is in terms of maintenance over a year. It's better for the environment I suppose, but then again, I'm not sure 3 miles is going to make a difference over people driving in each day from San Francisco.

Neither a bike nor Segway would be great in the rain. The Segway would probably be better in cold and hot weather. I'd be going slower in cold weather, so there's be less of a wind chill, and in hot weather I wouldn't work up a sweat.

South Bay Segway in Campbell offers 2.5 hour tours of the Los Gatos Creek trail for $75. I'm thinking about taking one of those to see if I like it. Anne thinks it might be enough time to "get it out of my system". Perhaps.

It might just be too geeky, even in Silicon Valley. I'm not sure I want to be known as "the Segway Guy" at work or deal with people who want rides all the time. Still, I think the technology is damn cool, and I lust for cool technology. That coolness always wears off after a while though and you're left with the practicalities of if and how it improves your life.

Would a Segway improve my life by $5,000 worth? Would something else that costs $5,000 make me happier? I don't know. Do you?

 

Advantages of using an electric scooter

This article provides information about mobility scooters, and the health benefits they can provide. By getting an electric scooter, you can open many doors that have been previously closed, perhaps because of a disability or illness - such as going shopping, going out for the day, going for a "walk" with the children or grandchildren. Anyone who struggles to walk or gets tired after walking a short distance could benefit from using a mobility scooter. Using an electric scooter is not an admission of defeat and can make a great deal of difference to your quality of life, and can even provide a new lease of life and a new found independence.

If you are thinking about getting a mobility scooter, it is probably past time to do it. However, the sooner you start using an electric scooter, the longer you might retain the ability to walk.

A disabled scooter can give you more energy because you won't be using all your energy in trying to walk, or push a traditional wheelchair. Using an electric scooter will help to relieve the strain on shoulder muscles and wrist and elbow joints that are used when pushing yourself in a self propelled wheelchair or someone else in a traditional transit wheelchair. An electric scooter can help to provide you with the freedom to go where ever you want, whenever you want. Some models are capable of travelling up to 35 miles between charges, so the distance you can cover is much greater than in a traditional wheelchair.

A large number of supermarkets and DIY stores as well as other shops offer customers the use of a mobility scooter whilst shopping. If you are not sure if you would benefit from one, why not try one and see if it makes shopping any easier. Some places such as large shopping centres or town centres offer Shopmobility, which is a scheme that lends or hires mobility equipment based on the user's requirements, and then provides brief training on using the equipment. If you go on holiday why not arrange to hire a mobility scooter instead of taking your wheelchair, and see if it makes a difference.

By getting an electric scooter, you can open many doors that have been previously closed, perhaps because of a disability or illness - such as going shopping, going out for the day, going for a "walk" with the children or grandchildren. You can go up and down steep hills in comfort and without fear of rolling down the hill, and without being worn out for days afterwards. You can visit friends and relatives at your convenience, without needing to rely on public transport. Most mobility scooters have a key to start them, and so if the key is removed the scooter cannot be driven. This means that the scooter can be left outside a shop, for example, and it can be "locked" like a car.

If you think that you, a friend or relative could benefit from a mobility scooter or a powerchair, why not try some and find one that you like. If you know somebody with a mobility scooter, ask them about it, and what improvements it has brought them. Mobility scooters can mean the difference between managing to live at home independently, and having to rely on others.

Switched on yet?

Are you starting to get scared every time you visit the fuel station? If so maybe now is the time to start thinking about swapping your gas guzzler for an eco friendly and cheap to run electric vehicle.

Electric scooters have come on in leaps and bounds over the last five years and although they’re still comparatively expensive to buy they can still work out as a cost effective long term solution.

The Plug In Sprint is one of the latest electric scooters to arrive in the UK, it’s built in China and is imported by Emissions Free Solutions. It costs ￡3,800 which is quite a lot compared to the price of a similar spec Chinese built 125cc petrol scooter which could be had for less than ￡1,800. With electric you’re paying a premium for the expensive batteries, motor and electronics.

It is a lot of money but when you think about the long term running costs compared to a petrol scooter/car or public transport that extra cost can soon be clawed back. A full charge on your Plug In will cost around 57 pence and you get a range of over 40 miles on average and road tax is free, so within three years you’ll recoup the extra outlay.

The main downside with an electric vehicle is the range; Plug In claim the Sprint can cover as much as 67 miles at 25mph, or 35 miles at 63mph, more than enough for most commuters. It takes four hours to fully charge and it uses a conventional three pin plug which is attached to a three metre long lead under the seat, so depending on where you work you could charge it whilst you’re there.

Before riding the Plug In you’ll need to take a one day CBT test and have insurance, just like you would for a petrol scooter. Everything else is just like riding a convention machine. You turn the ignition key, take it off the stand, press the starter button, twist the throttle and you’re away. I was impressed at how smooth the scooter felt and at how well it accelerated. The first thing you notice is how silent the world around you seems, the only sound is the road noise from the tyres and the wind.

Are you starting to get scared every time you visit the fuel station? If so maybe now is the time to start thinking about swapping your gas guzzler for an eco friendly and cheap to run electric vehicle.

Electric scooters have come on in leaps and bounds over the last five years and although they’re still comparatively expensive to buy they can still work out as a cost effective long term solution.

The Plug In Sprint is one of the latest 72v electric scooter to arrive in the UK, it’s built in China and is imported by Emissions Free Solutions. It costs ￡3,800 which is quite a lot compared to the price of a similar spec Chinese built 125cc petrol scooter which could be had for less than ￡1,800. With electric you’re paying a premium for the expensive batteries, motor and electronics.

It is a lot of money but when you think about the long term running costs compared to a petrol scooter/car or public transport that extra cost can soon be clawed back. A full charge on your Plug In will cost around 57 pence and you get a range of over 40 miles on average and road tax is free, so within three years you’ll recoup the extra outlay.

The main downside with an electric vehicle is the range; Plug In claim the Sprint can cover as much as 67 miles at 25mph, or 35 miles at 63mph, more than enough for most commuters. It takes four hours to fully charge and it uses a conventional three pin plug which is attached to a three metre long lead under the seat, so depending on where you work you could charge it whilst you’re there.

Before riding the Plug In you’ll need to take a one day CBT test and have insurance, just like you would for a petrol scooter. Everything else is just like riding a convention machine. You turn the ignition key, take it off the stand, press the starter button, twist the throttle and you’re away. I was impressed at how smooth the scooter felt and at how well it accelerated. The first thing you notice is how silent the world around you seems, the only sound is the road noise from the tyres and the wind.