Wisps of hair blew around my face even though I was wearing
a helmet. With knees slightly bent I stood on the platform of my
gyroscope-balanced device, zooming in circles around large oak trees on the
open grassy space. I was in a field beside Austin’s Lady Bird Lake doing figure
eights on a
Segway—and dodging four friends who came along on this crazy
adventure. Riding free-form through the field, cutting fancy figures, and
revving up as fast as we dared proved to be a favorite part of the tour.
 |
| Yes, it really is that much fun! |
We had signed up with
Gliding Revolution in Austin, Texas,
and although my husband Larry and I had ridden Segways many years before, the
others were novices. But it didn’t take long to learn basic moves for starting,
stopping, and backing up. The rider’s body movements determine how the Segway
goes: Lean forward and the device moves forward.
Lean back, and that’s where you go. Your body
is also the braking mechanism—stand up straight (with a slight booty tilt) to stop.
Each little shift in
position causes a change in motion and direction, but once you get the hang of
it, you can glide along with minimal effort.
After few minutes practice on the self-balancing transporters we were
raring to hit the trail.
Our group had opted for the
Lady Bird Lake Tour, which
explores an area near the urban lake and then glides through an eclectic 1920’s
East Austin residential neighborhood. Although the lake was in view during the
first half of the ride, we purposely avoided paths crowded by joggers and bike
riders.
Since we were on the evening p.m. tour, the last hour found us
rolling in darkness past an area that’s developing into a favorite city night
spot. Long-time residences on Rainey Street have been transformed into funky bars
that attract a mostly young crowd, even on week nights, for music and drinks. It
was a lively vibe not expected in this unfamiliar area.
The guides were very helpful and made sure everyone could
maneuver the Segway safely before leaving the training area. Along with leading
us through beautiful natural scenery and a quixotically charming part of
Austin, our guide shared bits of city trivia that made the tour interesting as
well as fun. Even better, riding Segways is an earth-friendly way to tour a city.
Visitors new to Austin might prefer the Segway City Tour, an
historical adventure that glides through downtown, zips by the Capitol building,
and takes in scenes along famous (or infamous) Sixth Street.
During the summer, check out the Bat Watching Tour. At dusk,
glide on Segways past Austin landmarks while watching
Mexican free-tail bats fly
on their nightly excursion from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Additional food,
bicycle, and kayak tours are also offered by the company.
Segway tours last about two hours, and reservations are
required. Call 512-495-9250 or click
www.glidingrevolution.com
for more information. The office is located inside the Holiday Inn on N. IH-35,
so there’s plenty of on-site parking.
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