X2 I soft sand on a beach?

[Hardenburgward1@aol.]

I enjoy the Ocean but have bad knees and walking on the beach, even a hundred feet to get to the water is a problem. I have a segway I167 which cannot handle loose sand. If anyone used an X2 on soft sand Atlantic beaches I would like to get your comments about suitability/problems using an X2 on soft sand.

[PDX1953]

I enjoy the Ocean but have bad knees and walking on the beach, even a hundred feet to get to the water is a problem. I have a segway I167 which cannot handle loose sand. If anyone used an X2 on soft sand Atlantic beaches I would like to get your comments about suitability/problems using an X2 on soft sand.

I test drove a Sui Generis wheelchair seat on an X2 base yesterday & the current owner uses it on Oregon beaches often. We have very soft sand dunes & he said there was never a problem. Being a newbie I don't know the OEM X2 tire size but these were probably 24" diameter & quite wide. Super heavy as well - my electric wheelchair lift was able to pick it up but was straining.

[rotorblades]

I enjoy the Ocean but have bad knees and walking on the beach, even a hundred feet to get to the water is a problem. I have a segway I167 which cannot handle loose sand. If anyone used an X2 on soft sand Atlantic beaches I would like to get your comments about suitability/problems using an X2 on soft sand.try to go when the sand is a little wet like after a rain but head for the flatter smoother areas or an area with some beach grass avoid dunes with very dry sand. u must keep going -an x2 has a lot of power and digs with one wheel easily= thus knocking u offat least sand is soft the lithium batteries have vent holes so i would stay away from any salt water= but slightly :Dwet sand is a lot of fun:Dim coming up on 13k miles and just noticing minor tire wear with theknobby x2 fatty tires at low pressure=nunder 5 lbs psi=gees im glad my x2 came with these tires

[dudeman1961]

What about with the wide flat 'golf' tires?

[rotorblades]

[QUOTE=dudeman1961;241876]What about with the wide flat 'golf' tires? i feel they might spin easieri like the knobbies cuz they help climbing curbs or stairs i ride on hard packed snow and hard chunkey ice with my knobbies steep wet grass tooi couldnt play" golf anyway the knobbies are easy on turf at my= weight=165 lbs

[OPMD]

Sorry for the late reply, I haven't been on the forums in a loooooong time.

I have an X2 with a Segsaddle so I am sitting all the time. Being seated is a little bit harder to control than standing but not much.

I converted it to an I2 to get through 3 ft doors more easily. I have used mine with the I2 stock tires on the beach numerous times. Wet sand is wonderful. The slight slope of beach isn't a problem at all and I love speeding down the beach. It's the closest I have to flying since I've lost my ability to walk (waddle) more than a few hundred feet.

The sand stays wet enough between tides that it remains hard enough to not cause issues with the tires breaking through the hard wet surface layer except near the the high tide line. Even there it's not really an issue. You just have to go a slow and be aware in case you break through the top harder layer, spin a wheel and go down.

Soft sand is a little harder but definitely doable. Most beach accesses that I have used have a type of grid over/in the sand to get most of the way. The true soft sand is slow going. The deep footprints left by pedestrians make balancing a little difficult and I have to go forward in short spurts, but I have done it many dozen times. I had a shutdown one time that unexpectedly pitched me straight backwards onto my butt, but since the sand was soft it wasn't an issue except for my dignity.

I think an X2 would work very well and is probably overkill unless you are really concerned about falling in soft sand.

For reference I'm 6'5" and weigh around 250 lbs. so along with the Segsaddle the total weight is a lot more than most people would have to deal with. I've been bought my Segway used in 2010 and got my Segsaddle new at the same time.

I've mostly gone to Hunting Island, SC, but have also used it a few places in Florida, and Myrtle Beach, SC My biggest complaint is I can't bend over far enough to find small shells and sharks teeth. :-)

Hope this helps.

Jeff

[Hardenburgward1@aol.]

Thanks Jeff.
After looking at a bunch of stuff and reading both here and elsewhere I get the impression that wet sand, dirt, packed gravel etc. are all OK on an X2. Although dry sand churned up by a lot of people walking on it sounds like it “would probably” work, I did not find a bunch of strong statements like “works great” or “no problem” . However, being adventurous (isn’t everyone who rides a segway a little adventurous?) I took a chance and bought a low mileage X2. It needs a little work before I use it so in about another month I will test it out for myself. After I try it I will post the results.
Mark

[OPMD]

I think you will be pleased. I should have thought to search for Segway wheelchairs. I know I had seen old videos of a double amputee on a x2 based chair going in a variety of terrains including sand. I couldn't find it, but I did find these:

If these people can do it sitting down you should be good


Segfree based on x2. Has several interesting videos.
http://www.segfree.co.za/the-segfree.htm


Testing Segfree I2 based in sand. This guy uses my technique of going forward in spurts in soft deep sand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvrdhGDYDMA

Jeff

[Hardenburgward1@aol.]

After an incredibly long wait the factory is now repairing my X2. I am out of the country for a few weeks so I probably won;t get to pick it up and try it on soft sand for another week or so..

[Hardenburgward1@aol.]

It depends.
I was hoping for a nice easy one word type answer but I guess life isnÂ’t that simple. All answers below are for an X2 with knobby tires on fine sand on a New Jersey Atlantic beach.

On level undisturbed sand:
Example flat level sand that has not been disturbed for a few months.
Works well. Enjoy the glide with no conscious thought about problems.

On uneven undisturbed sand:
Example=someone drove a pick up truck over the sand a week ago but wind action has made the sand surface almost level.
Works OK. As wheels hit remains of old tire tracks below sand surface each wheel may spin a fraction of a turn so you need to be a bit careful and pay attention so you donÂ’tloose Your balance but X2 glided this without great difficulty.

On recently disturbed sand:
Example-sand “churned” by people walking on it:
You need to pay careful attention but if you proceed slowly and with caution I was able to glide disturbed sand.

Downhill on recently disturbed sand:
Example=going down the beach side of the “dune hill” after people have walked on this path: (churned it)
Doable but you must pay careful attention. Slow going but much better than walking if you have bad knees.

Unhil on recently disturbed sand:
Example-going up the beach side of the ‘dune hill” after people have walked on this path. (Churned it)
Problem. X2 tires wanted to spin in the soft sand without taking me up the ‘hill’. I had to dismount and walk up the “hill” with the X2 powering itself up the ‘hill’ alongside me.
However, it may not a problem in the Summer... The beach where I live (Midway Beach near Seaside Heights N.J.) puts rug like ‘Mobi-Mats’ on the beach side of the “dune hill” during the Summer months. These make itt easier for people to walk down/up the ‘hill’. I would br riding on an outdoor carpet rather than recently disturbed sand. I estimate (guesstimate?) that would solve the problem of getting back up the hill without getting off. Will find out for sure in June.

[plumber802]

Thanks for posting your feedback on the X2.It amazes me what can be accomplished with these incredible machines.

[russ498]

I currently have an I2. I previously had an X2 that I bought in large part to use on the beach. I used it in Ocean City, Maryland. The sand is very loose and deep. They use beach cleaning machines every day during the summer. Riding close to the beach where the sand was damp or wet was no problem at all. In the loose sand, I would be going along just fine, and it suddenly would throw me like a bucking bronco. The biggest problem was that it gave no warning that it was about to happen. Just riding along as a happy camper and then suddenly had a face full of sand. :thumbsdown: I got rid of the X2 because it was difficult to use inside. Rick from Segway of Corvallis hooked me up with a new I2. I couldn't be happier with the machine.:thumbsup:

[Hardenburgward1@aol.]

Wow! Not what I expected. I2 better than X2 ??
I didn’t try an I2. I tried an I167 but it had trouble with loose sand churned by people walking on it so I jumped to X2.

Anyone else used an I2 on loose beach sand?

[russ498]

I didn't make myself clear. I don't use my I2 on the sand. I think it would be worse than the X2.