What is the Segway Ninebot S
While Segway have branched out into everytghinfr from robots to eScooters, when most people thing of segway, they think of that unuusal two-wheeled electric ride on that you steer by leaning.
The Ninebot S is one of those original kind of ‘proper segway’, albeitt with a fair bit of an upgrade since the early versions.
What’s different about the Ninebot S?
One thing that’s a huge change with this Segway is the removal of the handlebars you’ll find on a lot of the electric ride ons. Instead, you’ve got a shorter ‘handlebar’ that goes between your knees.
If this sounds unstable or a bit weird, you might be surprised how quick and easy it is to learn.
At a glance features
- Has a range of up to 22km per hour (13.7 miles)
- Top speed of 16km/h (10mph)
- Smart safe lighting system
- 10.5″ tubless pneumatic tyres
- 12.8kg
- App control
- Can climb slopes up to 15˚
- IP54 water-resistant
What age are these Segways for
What does the Ninebot S app do?
Can you take the Ninebot S out in the rain?
Can you ride it legally in the UK?
Wondering why you never see Segways riding around in the UK? Sadly, Segways fall under the same category in the UK as electric scooters. That is to say, they’re not currently legal to ride on UK pavements.
It all dates back to the Highways Act of 1835, which means they’re classed as carriages (albeit super-futuristic ones) so they’re banned from our walkways.
If you’re found breaking this law, you’ll get slapped with a hefty £300 fine and, more painfully, a whole six points on your driving license. Ouch. It is of course fine to ride them on your own property.
What’s good about the Segway Ninebot S?
It can follow you around
Fancy getting off and walking? Need someone to carry your bag? The Ninebot S will literally follow in your footsteps
It’s (fairly) easy to carry around
For a Segway that can carry an adult perfectly happily it’s impressive they’ve got the overall weight down to under 13kg. I mean you wouldn’t want to carry it any great distance, but the smooth handle makes it less of a hassle and it’s not exactly cumbersome.
They’re generally well built and reliable
With some users travelling a whopping 1000+ miles on their Ninebot S Segways so far, without a hitch, these mini Segways are definitely built to last.
What are some drawbacks with this Segway?
- Not great on uneven surfaces – This is about as far from an offroad Segway as you can get. Think nice flat tarmac surfaces, concrete or paths and you’ll be fine.
- Or steep hills – Don’t expect great performance going up hills on this baby.
References & further reading
- Gov.uk – Read more about the Highways Act of 1835