trick riding in slow mo

[polo_pro]

Found this on youtube and thought others might like to watch it...you may want to turn down your volume since the music is rather "unique":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFByPaP6qGc

[hellphish]

Cool video. Glad to see I'm not the only one who does this stuff.

For those interested the music is Rockafella' Skank by Fatboy Slim.

[quade]

Found this on youtube and thought others might like to watch it...you may want to turn down your volume since the music is rather "unique":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFByPaP6qGc

Ya know . . . if Segway Inc gave Tony Hawk a Segway . . . it would be worth the possibility of him testing it to destruction just to see the video and attract the youth market. If he could actually do anything truely impressive on it, it could easliy swing the tide from geek to sheik. Sadly, Segway Inc seems like it's almost rooted in the mind set that the device must be ridden sedately. Probably a lawyer issue; Shakespeare was right.

[Cube128]

They cover the walkways on campus with sand in the winter to keep people from slipping when it gets icy, and they don't wash it off when the snow melts. I can do some pretty intense drifting around corners if I feel so inclined and there's nobody around :D.

[quade]

I can do some pretty intense drifting around corners if I feel so inclined and there's nobody around :D.

Was that a pun?

Anyway, how does drifting work on the i2 / x2? I can clearly see that people are able to do it, but since the entire concept of the Segway is based on NOT losing traction, I'm a little confused at how you enter and leave the drift without also causing a face plant.

Maybe Segway should also give one to Rhys Millen?

[polo_pro]

Was that a pun?

Anyway, how does drifting work on the i2 / x2? I can clearly see that people are able to do it, but since the entire concept of the Segway is based on NOT losing traction, I'm a little confused at how you enter and leave the drift without also causing a face plant.

I'll hazard a guess that any "drifting" comes from slidding mostly perpendicular from the direction the wheels are pointing. During a rather wet polo match, I watched Steve Wozniack inadvertantly do this for what looked to be a 6 to 8 foot slide. In his case, he was also winding up to swing, so while he stayed up, the move wasn't very graceful. There was plenty of wobbling to maintain the balance of the machine!

Notice at no time did I say Woz had a "loss of traction" event as we gliders call it. But it sure could have easily turned into one, eh? I guess it comes down to one thing...the machine only sees traction in one degree of freedom.

ps - One more thing...Woz was on an i180. And most of us are on Gen 1, so I can't address your main question about i2/x2's. I'd think a solid CS helps the glider maintain the attitude of the segway sufficiently that it doesn't notice the sideway slide much.

[quade]

I guess it comes down to one thing...the machine only sees traction in one degree of freedom.


Well, there's loss of traction and loss of traction.

The idea when drifting a car is to lose a bit of traction to get the rear end to swing out while maintaining enough traction to continue the rear wheels to continue to drive the car forward. The guys that really know what they're doing, like Rhys Millen, make it look like a ballet with cars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXefEDtdCs).

My guess is that the people that are able to do this on the Segway and not face plant have found a fairly narrow band to in which to play.

[KSagal]

Wasn't it Eli Wallach that said, " We don't need no stinken' traction" in that famous movie, 'The good, the bad, and the gliders...'

[hellphish]

Well, there's loss of traction and loss of traction.

The idea when drifting a car is to lose a bit of traction to get the rear end to swing out while maintaining enough traction to continue the rear wheels to continue to drive the car forward. The guys that really know what they're doing, like Rhys Millen, make it look like a ballet with cars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDXefEDtdCs).

My guess is that the people that are able to do this on the Segway and not face plant have found a fairly narrow band to in which to play.

This ^^^^^^

It is actually much easier to drift an i2 because the idea is to get forward momentum and then suddendly change the direction the seg is pointing. Gen2 turns faster and therefore is easier to drift. It is possible on gen1 as well, but the technique isn't as straightforward.

[bystander]

Some old threads concerning fun with drifting:

http://forums.segwaychat.com/showthread.php?t=14068

http://forums.segwaychat.com/showthread.php?t=12821

No, it's not for everybody. You need to make a risk assessment before attempting this.

[gbrandwood]

There was a Segway video showing the development on the new tyres, showing their staff drifting around a corner. Really wide with the unsuccessful tyres and not so much with the tyres we're all using. Ok, not all of us... The first time I drifted was whilst racing in Steyr, skidding around a tree on some muddy dirt. It's cool to slide. But don't confuse this with having the skids. Sliding/drifting around a corner = good, having the skids = bad! :)

[Sharkie]

We do that in the winter here all the time. It's really not that tough if the surface is consistently slippery. If the traction gets better and worse a lot, it's really tough to do. The biggest trick is that the Segway no longer balances as well, since you don't have nearly the traction. If you lean too far forward or back, it's easy to lose all traction, and that just spins up the wheels, and shuts down the machine. You basically keep the machine upright yourself using your balance, and allow the machine to slide sideways. With my 180 I can usually shoot snow in the form of a "rooster tail" about 5 feet behind me. It's a lot of fun, but it is a skill that requires a bit of practice.

Jim