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Old 09-03-2006, 08:53 PM   #1
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Default Rented a Segway (i180) for a week...

A couple years ago, an unknown individual who commuted between LA and Valencia had parked their Segway next to Johnny Rockets at the Mall. At first I didn't recognize what it was, until a friend of mine pointed it out. The owner's wife said her husband would soon be back and loved to show the machine to people. When he came back with food, he offered to show me how to ride one. I was ecstatic someone would be that trusting, to let a first timer try it.

Even though I was only on it for a couple minutes, it left a lingering, almost nagging memory in my mind-- I knew had to do it again someday.

So, remembering that first experience with the machine, I took a vacation this mid August and decided to rent an i180 for an entire week from the LA Segway shop near the Pier. I wanted to evaluate the technology and see how it would fit into my lifestyle.

The store was very busy (on a weekend) and I was only able to reserve a machine on the following day. The dealer trained myself and one other person at the same time and we were soon allowed to ride up north on the bike path past the Pier on our own.

It soon became obvious why Segway riders use the word "Gliding" when they're on their machines. The experience was so close to flying / hovering over the ground, there is nothing else one can compare it to. I loved it and was very glad I was able to interact with one for an extended period of time.

I found that it was relatively easy to fit the Segway into the back of my VW Bug. The handle dropped very low and it wasn't too hard for me to lift it in and out by myself. It also sat nicely in my apartment, where I couldn't keep a larger traditional bike or scooter-- I would never leave anything outside next to the building unless I wanted to get rid of it.

The rental machine didn't have any lights, so riding it at night was a bit scary on some of the Venice sidewalks. There is a section of concrete that's lifted up a foot or so by roots, and hitting something like that would not be pleasant. I started planning my routes based on how good the sidewalks and ramps at the intersections were. I found I didn't like curb jumping at all, and crossing an intersection with no ramps was awkward, since I had to get off and back on after power assisting up the curb on the other side. I now have a much better appreciation for what people in wheel chairs have to endure.

Other things about the i180 I found I didn't like. I never knew empirically what speed I was going. I could feel the machine telling me I was at the top end, but below that, I didn't have a solid idea what my speed was. I don't know the area very well, so I was always wondering how far I had gone, etc. And being on a battery powered machine MAKES you think about range constantly. No one wants to push their Segway home.

I noticed on open road, that the red i180 I had, would slightly track off twards the right on straight-aways. I called the dealer and they said it was probably just a low tire. So I glided to the store to get the tires aired up and they had one of the new i2's there...

The blond guy on duty offered to let me ride the i2 while he checked the tires on the older PT I was renting. Its a very different feel. "Organic" is probably the closest word that fits the differences between the machines. When the tires were done, he showed me how the new machine could take and balance diagonally between the curb and the road-- and the operator not find themselves in a dangerous situation. It seems like the newer generation Segways are even safer with LeanSteer.

So, now I'm planning on ordering an i2 Commuter package. The new machine seems to address nearly all the issues I didn't like about the i180:

Battery Charge Indicators where I can easily see them
Speed and Odometer Display
Anti-Thief Mode: Locks it's own wheels and "screams" when someone moves it.
Centering LED's that help you level the machine and zero out the gyros.

The commuter package should help address other issues I had while riding the older generation, like the THICK looking mats to prevent fatigue and reduce shocks to my lower body from bad sidewalks in my neighborhood.

I don't own a machine yet, but I wanted to share my experiences with the rental and would HIGHLY recommend trying this as a way to see what the Segway is all about.

You can call me,

SEGsby
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Old 09-03-2006, 10:20 PM   #2
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Can I ask if you paid less than $200 for the week long rental? I'm not sure what the going rate is (though I'm sure the fact it's their busy season or next month during Segfest may up their rates).
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Old 09-03-2006, 11:29 PM   #3
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Now that is a well written "how I got the bug" story. Good luck with your purchase, hope you have tons of fun!

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Old 09-04-2006, 05:06 AM   #4
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Oh my no... The week rental cost me $495.00, plus tax of 8.25%.

For me, the cost of exploration was totally worth it. Again, there is nothing to compare with the experience of gliding on a Segway. However, most of my friends and co-workers though it was a crazy thing to do.

Then they asked to ride it...

It's my understanding that the rental cost can be applied to a purchase. Their rental page is located here:

http://www.segway.la/rental.php

SEGsby

Quote:
Originally Posted by plomoh
Can I ask if you paid less than $200 for the week long rental? I'm not sure what the going rate is (though I'm sure the fact it's their busy season or next month during Segfest may up their rates).
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Old 09-04-2006, 01:36 PM   #5
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Default That's what I wanted to do...

Quote:
Originally Posted by SEGsby
Oh my no... The week rental cost me $495.00, plus tax of 8.25%.

For me, the cost of exploration was totally worth it. Again, there is nothing to compare with the experience of gliding on a Segway. However, most of my friends and co-workers though it was a crazy thing to do.

Then they asked to ride it...

It's my understanding that the rental cost can be applied to a purchase. Their rental page is located here:

http://www.segway.la/rental.php

SEGsby
I was really on the fence about buyng a segway - and I thought, why not rent one for a week to really get to know the machine, try using it for everything once and really get comfortable with the hardware.

I had a real issue with paying 10% of the purchase price to rent it for 1/X00th of it's lifespan. That would be like renting a car for $2,500 dollars.

Is it an insurance thing that is driving the long term rental cost through the roof?
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Old 09-04-2006, 03:50 PM   #6
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I have no idea why the rental of Seg's seem so disproportional to renting other forms of transport in the same area. That would be a dealer question.

A lot of bikes, scooters and cars are rented to tourists along the beach here... I've don't doubt that the SEgs are easily the most expensive rental you can get near the pier.

But then, everything Seg seems to carry an unusually high cost, be it rental or purchase. Check the cost of adding a 5W LED headlight. You need to also by an additional bar to attach it to-- and the light alone is $300! The "cheap" 3W version that dosen't come with batteries is $130. And it's frankly the excessive price point that's kept interested people away from either renting or purchasing a machine, IMHO.

The upside is one can supposedly apply the rental to a purchase. I'll test that soon enough...

SEGsby






Quote:
Originally Posted by byped
I was really on the fence about buyng a segway - and I thought, why not rent one for a week to really get to know the machine, try using it for everything once and really get comfortable with the hardware.

I had a real issue with paying 10% of the purchase price to rent it for 1/X00th of it's lifespan. That would be like renting a car for $2,500 dollars.

Is it an insurance thing that is driving the long term rental cost through the roof?
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Old 09-04-2006, 06:23 PM   #7
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I like the "boat" reference - I think from Karl? Was in one of the past threads.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SEGsby
I have no idea why the rental of Seg's seem so disproportional to renting other forms of transport in the same area. That would be a dealer question.

A lot of bikes, scooters and cars are rented to tourists along the beach here... I've don't doubt that the SEgs are easily the most expensive rental you can get near the pier.

But then, everything Seg seems to carry an unusually high cost, be it rental or purchase. Check the cost of adding a 5W LED headlight. You need to also by an additional bar to attach it to-- and the light alone is $300! The "cheap" 3W version that dosen't come with batteries is $130. And it's frankly the excessive price point that's kept interested people away from either renting or purchasing a machine, IMHO.

The upside is one can supposedly apply the rental to a purchase. I'll test that soon enough...

SEGsby
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Old 09-04-2006, 07:30 PM   #8
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Default Cost of transportation proportional to personalized training and utilization

Quote:
Originally Posted by byped
I had a real issue with paying 10% of the purchase price to rent it for 1/X00th of it's lifespan. That would be like renting a car for $2,500 dollars.

Is it an insurance thing that is driving the long term rental cost through the roof?
Any mode of transportation require some lessons at the start, but because 99% of the population hasn't learned to ride a segway this cost must be factored into every single rental. And as much as the training video may help defray the cost, we all know that it takes personalized training for every new rider including between 5 and 10 minutes of focussed attention.

This differs alot from rental car where licenses, credit cards and previous arrangements allow a person to drive off with a car with only a 10 second check at the gate to the parking lot!

When we look at utilization, I think segways end up being rented at most 3 hours a day on the average. My segway came from a rental fleet, and I saw its usage history. It was more like 1 hour per day! And you have to factor in that batteries only last two or three hours before they have to be charged for eight to twelve hours. Unless spare batteries are bought at substantial cost, this affects utilization. Low utilization means higher rental rates since the same fixed costs and larger operating costs have to be amortized across the life of the segway.

ps - Flight training resembles segway training but taken to extreme...99.9% of people cannot land a plane, training involves hundreds of hours of personal attention over many years and the utilization of planes is low requiring high rental rates. Also both machines are very reliable. Well there is one difference between segways and planes...one requires $40 of gas to go 120 miles and the other only requires $0.10 to go 12 miles! Oh yeah, and maintanence costs for a plane are also about 40 times higher too.
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Old 09-04-2006, 09:14 PM   #9
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I have to respectfully disagree.

Any good salesman **must** invest time with their customers especially since many of these rentals can end up as high ticket sales. Each rental is really an advertisment for another potential purchase... This is not unusual for retail stores where items cost over 5 k.

The fractional amount of time that was spent quickly training someone still seems out of line for other competing rentals in the area. And, if the local dealer plays nice, he will sell another machine...

SEGsby

Quote:
Originally Posted by plomoh
Any mode of transportation require some lessons at the start, but because 99% of the population hasn't learned to ride a segway this cost must be factored into every single rental. And as much as the training video may help defray the cost, we all know that it takes personalized training for every new rider including between 5 and 10 minutes of focussed attention.

This differs alot from rental car where licenses, credit cards and previous arrangements allow a person to drive off with a car with only a 10 second check at the gate to the parking lot!

When we look at utilization, I think segways end up being rented at most 3 hours a day on the average. My segway came from a rental fleet, and I saw its usage history. It was more like 1 hour per day! And you have to factor in that batteries only last two or three hours before they have to be charged for eight to twelve hours. Unless spare batteries are bought at substantial cost, this affects utilization. Low utilization means higher rental rates since the same fixed costs and larger operating costs have to be amortized across the life of the segway.

ps - Flight training resembles segway training but taken to extreme...99.9% of people cannot land a plane, training involves hundreds of hours of personal attention over many years and the utilization of planes is low requiring high rental rates. Also both machines are very reliable. Well there is one difference between segways and planes...one requires $40 of gas to go 120 miles and the other only requires $0.10 to go 12 miles! Oh yeah, and maintanence costs for a plane are also about 40 times higher too.
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Old 09-04-2006, 09:39 PM   #10
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Default I understand - sort of.

Why a two hour tour is $35 - $100 dollars - yes, makes sense; however, I believe that the learning curve for a segway is about 5 1/2 miles of open riding.

I do not understand $500 for a week. No people on the clock, just a person with a unit on the open road with a liability waiver and a credit card pre-auth for $2K. Damage risk is built in, however, the card covers the loss up front. Even jet ski's rent for less and has +++ uptime when you consider that your just a tank of gas away from the next go around!


I can rant, I can rave - but ultimately - I just bought an i2 outright to avoid the whole issue. Maye that was the best.

Quote:
Originally Posted by plomoh
Any mode of transportation require some lessons at the start, but because 99% of the population hasn't learned to ride a segway this cost must be factored into every single rental. And as much as the training video may help defray the cost, we all know that it takes personalized training for every new rider including between 5 and 10 minutes of focussed attention.

This differs alot from rental car where licenses, credit cards and previous arrangements allow a person to drive off with a car with only a 10 second check at the gate to the parking lot!

When we look at utilization, I think segways end up being rented at most 3 hours a day on the average. My segway came from a rental fleet, and I saw its usage history. It was more like 1 hour per day! And you have to factor in that batteries only last two or three hours before they have to be charged for eight to twelve hours. Unless spare batteries are bought at substantial cost, this affects utilization. Low utilization means higher rental rates since the same fixed costs and larger operating costs have to be amortized across the life of the segway.

ps - Flight training resembles segway training but taken to extreme...99.9% of people cannot land a plane, training involves hundreds of hours of personal attention over many years and the utilization of planes is low requiring high rental rates. Also both machines are very reliable. Well there is one difference between segways and planes...one requires $40 of gas to go 120 miles and the other only requires $0.10 to go 12 miles! Oh yeah, and maintanence costs for a plane are also about 40 times higher too.
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