Segway rolling out hot wheels in Utah

People who have never been aboard a Segway Human Transporter can take their first anti-step into the future of transportation on Monday.

Segway LLC of Manchester, N.H., will allow folks 16 or older to climb onto a Segway — for a price — and get a brief, guided ride between 4 and 7 p.m. at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown, 75 S. West Temple.

The first such "Ticket to Ride" event for Utah is part of a continuing attempt to acquaint people with the much-ballyhooed, sometimes-maligned, two-wheeled machine and entice them to buy one for $4,950.

And, to hear folks talk about the Segway, riders Monday won't need to bring a smile. The transporter will take care of that.

Consider Rob Thomas of Sandy. He took the Segway for a spin Friday along a sidewalk in downtown Salt Lake City. Count him among first-timers who have been moved — both literally and figuratively — by the experience.

"I thought it was fun," Thomas said. "I've only seen things about them in the papers prior to this, and even though it looked simple there, it was actually simpler here. If I had to describe it in two words, it was fun and simple.

"It takes no practice to do it. I had read that before, but it really was true. It was almost instantaneous knowledge, trying to operate it."

It's a new spin on transportation for virtually everyone.

"We've done these 'Ticket to Ride' events around the country because it is such an experiential ride that we want people to get a sense of it before they make a purchase," said Morgan Smith, a Segway spokeswoman. "We don't anticipate people buying it without trying it out, so we're doing what we can to get out there and give people that experience."

Monday's event is open to the public, but the company is asking potential riders to first send a note to rsvp1@segway.com.

Riders will learn basic operations of the Segway and then get some supervised practice.

Three keys determine the speed and maneuverability of the device, which can move along at 12.5 mph at its top speed. Riders lean forward or backward to move the Segway in those directions, and a left-thumb switch is used for turns.