As they wheeled silently into our collective mainstream consciousness lo so many years ago (actually, eight), Dean Kamen and his electric Segway motorized transport vehicles were vaguely redolent of a Sharper Image/Silicon Valley/Dot-com-esque lifestyle. While some next-big-thing types predictably embraced the gyroscopic two wheelers wholeheartedly, others viewed them as a preciously twee, moderately dorky, neo-Yuppie extravagance. I can recall an early encounter in an elevator in the Scripps Building downtown. I always viewed them as something of a distant and slightly irrelevant curiosity. As a group of office worker bees piled into the elevator, a Segway rider in his suit wheeled in behind us, pushed the floor button and watched the door close. We all sort of scuffed our shoes, pecked at the blackberry and looked up at the ceiling, typically insouciant and indifferent elevator behavior. That said, however, nobody could really ignore the two wheeled elephant in the room. Everyone secretly wondered what it would be like to go whizzing on and off elevators, parking your EPCOT-like device outside the office door.
Nowadays, you can. It’s not unusual to see platoons of police officers veering about downtown on their Segways (also known by the catchy title of "Electronic Personalized Assistive Mobility Devices," or EPAMD’s), ready to spring into 12.5 mph hot pursuit of any evildoers. Better yet, it is also not uncommon to see troops of Segway riders being guided through Eden Park. I ran into such a group two weekends ago, on an absolutely glorious Saturday morning. They were riding up near the water tower, as their guide, Dianne Wente, pointed out where some of the trees were lost in the Presidential Grove after last year’s remnants of Hurricane Ike rolled through town. All agreed they were having a dandy time in their slightly awkward safety gear.
The tours, which begin down by the mirror lake shed, are put on by
Segway of Cincinnati, which recently set up shop in Cincinnati. I recently had the opportunity to check out their glittering new store in the Gateway Quarter of Over-the-Rhine, right at the corner of Central Parkway and Vine. Shawn Jenkins, the affable owner and Segway enthusiast, has been spotted frequently over the past year astride his Segway, and the sleek little shop recently had a "soft" opening, appropriately enough, on Opening Day. Segway of Cincinnati originally had a sign up in the Mt. Adams storefront which once housed a Coldstone Creamery, however, according to Jenkins, that was just a placeholder until the right location could be found, and he never planned to open the shop there. In any event, if you ever needed an apt analogy as to how the Segway has mutated from its status as a slightly elitist and effete diversion to a more proletarian, uber-urbanist and utilitarian device, moving the store from Mt. Adams to OTR works well enough. The Eden Park tours are $50 per person, accommodate anywhere from four to ten people, and typically take around two hours, with 15 or 20 minutes spent training and familiarizing the riders with the vehicle.
I was admittedly skeptical when I heard about a Segway store opening in OTR. Since then, however, the concept has grown on me. Although the price points (around $5,350 for the i2; with financing available) remain a challenge in this day and age, the machines fit well with the vision for a populated and dense district in downtown and OTR. With a range of 24 miles for your standard i2 model, a resident of the urban core should have no problem meeting ones (presumably single) transportation needs. It’s not going to replace the family minivan, but let’s be honest, the Segway’s ideal target market is the single, urban professional. Well, that, and maybe someone who wants to look cool on the golf course. While Segways also have use in law enforcement and the guided tour industry, they aren’t going to be lugging three kids and a dog to the soccer game (not that the kids wouldn’t enjoy that). Besides, these things are pretty damn cool. And if you’re looking to up the Cincinnati narrative into the "hip cities" range, it certainly can’t hurt to point out the Segway store on one corner, right across from the environmentally conscious "green" general store, all smack dab in the midst of a neighborhood chock full of urban renaissance.
Jenkins’ store is also the only place in the region to find the battery-assisted
EcoBikes, pedal-assisted electric bikes which will take you up to 20 mph without pedaling, and as fast as you your little legs can carry you otherwise. He currently sells two versions of these, the smaller fold up one with a range of 20 miles, and a larger wheel model with a range of 25 miles. The EcoBikes range from $1,480 to $1,550.
The law requires no license, no insurance and no registration to drive a Segway. You must be at least 14 to own one in Ohio, and a helmet is required for those under 18. Riders can take them on sidewalks and roll right into buildings. They are currently on the second generation, which came out in the latter part of 2006. For those looking for the requisite "green" hook, Segways have zero emissions when in operation, and cost about one penny per mile to operate. For those who may not be inclined to take the leap, the store offers rentals at the rate of $150 per day, $450 per week and $1,350 per month. Moreover, your rental fees will be applied to the purchase price, if you ultimately decide to make such a purchase.
The store is open Tuesday through Friday, from 11 to 7, Saturday from 12 to 4 and Sunday/Monday by appointment. A recent Saturday visit to the store found none other than esteemed Mayor Mallory, nattily attired as always, testing out the latest version of the Segway. Mallory seemed adept, albeit predictably a bit stiff, at wheeling about the store, and was genuinely interested in how these could be put to good use in the city’s fleet, which currently numbers 22 (20 of which were purchased from Jenkins). An impressed Mayor opined, after viewing the video and maneuvering a few 360’s on the Segway, "good stuff, man. Really good stuff." Stay tuned for more news regarding the store’s official Grand Opening, however feel free to stop in and try one out. As one might surmise, it’s quite the popular thing to do.
Photography by Amber KersleyOn location OTR Segway