Another good idea killed by poor design.
I think the Segway faced the same issue -- and an even simpler orientation for such personal devices, seated in a forward direction, is terminally uncool because it's so closely associated with the elderly and others with mobility problems.
I wonder, then, if units which are different for the sake of looking trendy could take off. In particular, whatever the safety issues, what if a personal motorized device expected the rider to face their body perpendicular to the direction of travel, like a skateboarder (able/cool), surfer (able/cool) or snowboarder (able/cool).
Would the rider then be sending a signal of 'fitness' even with their motor-assisted personal-travel, and could that then be the margin of approval that drives adoption where other units have failed?
People typically bike with laptops in backpacks and messenger bags.
I really don't see how jumping off front of the bike is intuitive though. I mean, it's like trying to jump forward from the chair your sitting in. This in itself is an unnatural action, and to top it off the bike is gonna be moving forward when you jump forward off it. I foresee some severely bruised backsides.
And how much does it weigh with a drained battery and flat tires? :)
Absolutely. If I wanted an electric bike, I'd go with something more sensible, like this:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/schwinns_new_line_of...
For comparison...
Segway: How much: $2-7000? | How far: 38km (24 miles) | How fast: 20 kph (12 mph)
My shitty commuting bike: 50€ | Range: unlimited | Top speed: a bit more than 30kph depending on how fast you can spin
"too expensive" - check! (Got me there.)
"range is too short" - I'd like more range, but after 20 miles your feet have had enough of the Segway. Miles of sidewalk cracks beat you up and you need a rest. Really, I'd settle for a faster recharge rate.
"doesn't go fast enough" - you want to fall faster than 12 mph?
"regulations" - in 43 of the United States, Segways are allowed on sidewalks, bike paths, and roads. See http://www.segway.com/support/regulatory.php
"batteries" - the biggest problem with the Segway batteries is that they're considered hazmat and are hard to ship. The FAA takes a dim view of "lithium ion" anything, even though Valence's lithium iron magnesium phosphate cathodes make them safe to transport. That's really less a problem with the technology, and more of an opportunity to educate the regulators.
City folk are too cool and care too much about their image to ride these things.
Come out here to the small towns of the mid/northwest where we drive our cars 10 blocks to get to work. Or the grocery store is 3 blocks away, so is the movie store, and Starbucks.
They are still too expensive, but every house on my block could benefit from one of these, and if we saw each other riding it down the street, we'd all be jealous of one another and want one.
1. sitting on a wheel means every time you hit a pothole you say yike as your spine is pounded.
2. you MUST keep both hands on the wheel at all times because it is dynamically unstable (very different from an 'upright' bike which will steer hands-free).
3. forward center of gravity will dump you on your face under heavy braking (or for the Yike - the slightest braking).
4. small wheels feel every bump in the pavement (which has a fractal dimension explored in greater detail as the wheel gets smaller).
5. You can ride a recumbent for hundreds of miles in a day and still be very comfortable (I have) but it requires a chair-type seat; preferably with some recline to it. That seat looks painful.
6. A short wheelbase like my bike or the Yike allows you to turn on a dime - but it takes practice as both wheels do not have the same weight and a skid is unrecoverable. Do not attempt this on ice, snow, wet leaves, etc..
If they had they would know that even getting on this contraption would scare the daylights out of a seasoned cyclist(like me).
Not to mention that it is everyone's dream to look like an idiot at speed.
"tiny wheelbase + forward centre of gravity + unexpected obstacle = faceplant."
