On Apr 7, 9:50*am, Cliff wrote:
On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 06:35:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I imagine it gently drops the front onto the casters, then brakes
hard, wasted time and then limited braking force from the rear wheels.

* What rear wheels?
--
Cliff

If it were on the main/drive wheels and the front casters, for the
purpose of describing vehicle dynamics it becomes appropriate to
describe the main/drive wheels as the 'rear' wheels.

Overall the vehicle has one (or two?) wheels in the back to prevent it
rolling over backwards, the main drive wheels, and two (looks like 2)
casters in the front.

Dave

wrote:
On Apr 7, 9:50 am, Cliff wrote:

On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 06:35:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


I imagine it gently drops the front onto the casters, then brakes
hard, wasted time and then limited braking force from the rear wheels.

What rear wheels?
--
Cliff


If it were on the main/drive wheels and the front casters, for the
purpose of describing vehicle dynamics it becomes appropriate to
describe the main/drive wheels as the 'rear' wheels.

Overall the vehicle has one (or two?) wheels in the back to prevent it
rolling over backwards, the main drive wheels, and two (looks like 2)
casters in the front.

Dave

Sure makes me wonder how it'd handle the snow and ice we get here in Red
Sox Nation. (And it gets even WORSE elsewhere in the nation.)

And how would it handle steep San Francico style hills?

Anyone know how the Segway responds to icy sidewalks and steep hills?

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Apr 7, 12:36*pm, Jeff Wisnia
wrote:
wrote:
On Apr 7, 9:50 am, Cliff wrote:

On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 06:35:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I imagine it gently drops the front onto the casters, then brakes
hard, wasted time and then limited braking force from the rear wheels.

*What rear wheels?
--
Cliff

If it were on the main/drive wheels and the front casters, for the
purpose of describing vehicle dynamics it becomes appropriate to
describe the main/drive wheels as the 'rear' wheels.

Overall the vehicle has one (or two?) wheels in the back to prevent it
rolling over backwards, the main drive wheels, and two (looks like 2)
casters in the front.

Dave

Sure makes me wonder how it'd handle the snow and ice we get here in Red
Sox Nation. (And it gets even WORSE elsewhere in the nation.)

And how would it handle steep San Francico style hills?

Anyone know how the Segway responds to icy sidewalks and steep hills?
Jeffry Wisnia

I do not speak for them and can't be too specific about details but in
my experience they are within the range of shoes, better than dress
shoes and maybe worse than hiking boots. Both the original factory in
Manchester and the newer one in Bedford NH are on steep parts of the
bank of the Merrimack river, I've seen a Jeep unable to climb the
pavement there on a bad winter day. The dirt trail behind the factory
runs along the river and crosses ravines, some of them quite steep and
slippery.

I only worked part time and on call as a temp there and never had a
chance to ride one outdoors on ice, plus the one they loaned me didn't
have the wide lugged off-road wheels. I may not be the person to give
"reasonable" advice anyway, since I used to run my dirt bike on
snowmobile trails and frozen lakes with unstudded trial tires.

Jim Wilkins

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
eonecommunications...
wrote:
On Apr 7, 9:50 am, Cliff wrote:

On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 06:35:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


I imagine it gently drops the front onto the casters, then brakes
hard, wasted time and then limited braking force from the rear wheels.

What rear wheels?
--
Cliff


If it were on the main/drive wheels and the front casters, for the
purpose of describing vehicle dynamics it becomes appropriate to
describe the main/drive wheels as the 'rear' wheels.

Overall the vehicle has one (or two?) wheels in the back to prevent it
rolling over backwards, the main drive wheels, and two (looks like 2)
casters in the front.

Dave

Sure makes me wonder how it'd handle the snow and ice we get here in Red
Sox Nation. (And it gets even WORSE elsewhere in the nation.)

And how would it handle steep San Francico style hills?

Anyone know how the Segway responds to icy sidewalks and steep hills?

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

Actually Segways handle SF hills ok. There is at least one tour company
that uses Segways.

On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 07:06:12 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Apr 7, 9:50*am, Cliff wrote:
On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 06:35:51 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I imagine it gently drops the front onto the casters, then brakes
hard, wasted time and then limited braking force from the rear wheels.

* What rear wheels?
--
Cliff

If it were on the main/drive wheels and the front casters, for the
purpose of describing vehicle dynamics it becomes appropriate to
describe the main/drive wheels as the 'rear' wheels.

Overall the vehicle has one (or two?) wheels in the back to prevent it
rolling over backwards, the main drive wheels, and two (looks like 2)
casters in the front.

Dave

I expect those firont & back casters in the prototype are
to keep it upright with the power off & not otherwise functional,
much less as a brake.

Any self-respecting pothole might eat it though .. with
a small dainty burp.
--
Cliff

Cliff wrote:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]


Dear Segway---

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice--won't get fooled again!!"

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

On Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:52:36 GMT, Mark & Steven Bornfeld
wrote:

Cliff wrote:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2638670.story
[
GM, Segway think 2 wheels
The companies plan to develop a two-wheeled, two-seat electric vehicle as a
clean, safe and inexpensive alternative to traditional cars.
Associated Press
April 7, 2009

New York -- A solution to the world's urban transportation problems could lie in
two wheels, not four, according to executives of General Motors Corp. and Segway
Inc.

The companies plan to announce today that they are developing a two-wheeled,
two-seat electric vehicle designed to be a safe, inexpensive and clean
alternative to traditional cars for cities across the world.

The companies said their project, dubbed PUMA, for Personal Urban Mobility and
Accessibility, would include a communications network allowing vehicles to
interact with one another to regulate traffic flow and prevent crashes.

The 300-pound prototype runs on a lithium-ion battery and dual electric motors
and .....
]


Dear Segway---

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice--won't get fooled again!!"

Steve
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

On Apr 7, 10:22*pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta

The Germans switched to larger cars as soon as they could afford them.
When I was there in the early 1970's the various tiny cars were
already curiosities and museum pieces.

Personally I need a vehicle that will carry wheelchairs, 10' pipe,
lumber, corrugated roofing, machinery, etc. Even if it were free an
extra tiny vehicle that doesn't carry cargo would cost me more in
insurance than it would save in gas, the CRV does all of the above, in
any weather, and gets over 25 MPG. I've tried using a motorcycle with
saddlebags for everything, including long camping trips.

The real irony is that emissions and safety regulations eliminated
vehicles such as the 1978 Accord I had, which would also hold 10' pipe
internally and delivered 36 - 38 MPG in normal driving and well over
40 on a trip. I still have a 1980 one in round tuit status, the
mandated changes dropped its mileage to barely 30. It was roomy and
comfortable enough to hold my parents and me on a long trip around
eastern Canada

Jim Wilkins

On Wed, 8 Apr 2009 04:38:02 -0700 (PDT), Jim Wilkins wrote:

On Apr 7, 10:22*pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta


http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...gbv=2&aq=f&oq=
--
Cliff

Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Apr 7, 10:22 pm, Gerald Miller wrote:
...
Which was it, Honda or Toyota came up with a more elaborate version of
this that was shown on TV a few months back. IIRC it had three wheels
and only carried one person. Looked somewhat like Granny's rocking
chair!
Gerry :-)}

Like these?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetta

The Germans switched to larger cars as soon as they could afford them.
When I was there in the early 1970's the various tiny cars were
already curiosities and museum pieces.

Personally I need a vehicle that will carry wheelchairs, 10' pipe,
lumber, corrugated roofing, machinery, etc. Even if it were free an
extra tiny vehicle that doesn't carry cargo would cost me more in
insurance than it would save in gas, the CRV does all of the above, in
any weather, and gets over 25 MPG. I've tried using a motorcycle with
saddlebags for everything, including long camping trips.

The real irony is that emissions and safety regulations eliminated
vehicles such as the 1978 Accord I had, which would also hold 10' pipe
internally and delivered 36 - 38 MPG in normal driving and well over
40 on a trip. I still have a 1980 one in round tuit status, the
mandated changes dropped its mileage to barely 30. It was roomy and
comfortable enough to hold my parents and me on a long trip around
eastern Canada

Jim Wilkins


I remember those old Hondas--when they first started importing them in
the '70s I think they claimed 50 mpg on the highway.
Ironically, I've noticed that Honda recently came out with a car called
a "Fit" which looks a bit like the Honda Civic of old. I'm sure it
doesn't get nearly the same mileage though. For that matter, the
"Smart" car doesn't get the mileage it should IMO to justify the tiny size.
I'm just annoyed at Segway making another claim that they are going to
change life as we know it on planet earth.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001