Will Segway Someday Surpass the Bicycle in Popularity?

There is an interesting article in the Christian Science Monitor today on the 5 year old contaption called the Segway:

The Segway, the enviro-happy machine unveiled to great hype in 2001 only to thud commercially, has made steady, if modest, inroads among early adopters, becoming the stuff of daily life for pockets of enthusiasts from coast to coast. It's used to commute, have fun and, in the case of Segway tour operators, make money.

Segway Inc. won't release sales figures, but Will Hopper, president of the users club SEG America, estimates there are 25,000 to 30,000 "seggers" nationwide, a fraction of the average ballpark crowd.This number doesn't include vehicles sold to police departments (officers look more approachable on Segs), research institutions, and other organizations.

"Today people are generally positive about it - kids think it's cool and seniors love it," he says.

But the machine remains overshadowed by the early hype and its price ( $4 to 6,000 ).

Read the rest of this informative story, and sidebar collection of user interviews:

A NATURAL SEGWAY: The two-wheeled transporters are making inroads into everyday life - from fishing trips to weddings BY Christian Lupsa.

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