Australia's first legal 400W electric "bike"

Sunder

Sunder

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Queensland is about to allow Segways onto footpaths, exempting them from the 200/250W laws.

This can be seen two ways:

1. It's a meaningless joke, with politicians only bowing to pressure from powerful lobby groups like the tourism industry (Which is a huge employer in Queensland)

2. It's the first step in the right direction - with the law stating that the RIDER has to control it to 12km/h, not being technically limited to a certain power or speed, like current laws.

What are your thoughts?


Coming to a footpath near you: segways
442939-segway-tours.jpg

Segways will soon be allowed on the footpath in Queensland. Picture: Supplied

WATCHING Queensland's transport minister do laps of parliament house on a segway isn't something you see every day.

But the two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicles will be allowed to cruise footpaths and bikeways by the end of the year.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson glided into his press conference yesterday to announce Queensland will become the first state to relax regulations.

Currently the vehicles, which cost up to $10,000, can only be used on private property.

Emerson was approached by one tourism operator on the Gold Coast who campaigned for the change.

He agreed they could be a boon for the tourism industry and wants to see popular tourism destinations like Brisbane's South Bank opened up to tours.

Drivers would have to wear helmets and keep to 12km/h, double a brisk walking pace.

"Segways are coming to Queensland," Emerson told reporters.

The Queensland Tourism Industry Council welcomed the announcement.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/travel/australia/coming-to-a-footpath-near-you-segways/story-e6frfq89-1226628441787#ixzz2RQhMZij2
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Well I'll tell ya what. If riding a Segway gets me a riding partner like in that photo above, I WANT ONE!!! :twisted:

That operator must have been a mate of the minister...
 
It sets a useful precedent IMO. More like cars, where there's just a speed limit you're expected to stick to.
 
It's funny, you're not even allowed to import Segways into WA because they have no legal framework. Unless you put knobbly tyres on, and they they are classed as an off-road vehicle, and it's OK.

If a 400 W machine which is completely dependent on technology to remain safe and operable is allowed, then surely 1 kW e-bikes with brakes to suit are also the next safe step.

Don't forget submissions close in NSW for the e-bike safety committee on the 30th, so pen something!
 
That is to slow for a bike path. I'm not sure what a footpath is though. If that's the pedestrian pavement along shop fronts, It is to fast in my opinion. Old people should not have trouble crossing pedestrian zones, they should be for pedestrians. I don't like seeing anything else on a pavement, unless it's young children or mobility aids.

I would of said 6kmh in pedestrian areas, 25kmh in traffic and cycle lanes. I presume 25k is the norm for powered bikes, and 6k for mobility scooters as in the UK

Edit: Actually... Is 25k just to much. How well can they stop? perhaps 12k outside of pedestrian zones is correct.
 
It's exactly what you don't want. Tourists jumping on trucks only monkeys can handle, then wizzing off through pedestrians on them. First sign of trouble, and you won't see some great stopping maneuvers, you will see people falling over and jumping off. I predict this won't end well.
 
Segway lobby got some good laws exempting them from lots of stuff in the USA too. Crafted to do no good what so ever to ebikes.

I don't know what your solution is. Your government seems convinced that intelligent human beings can't be trusted with a 1 hp vehicle. Makes zero sense. Most habitual bike riders easily put out 1 hp briefly at least. Speeds are not beyond the brakes and tires of even the cheapest bikes at 1 hp.

But with hope, the segways will not cause huge problems, and maybe you can be allowed a whopping 400w someday, which will get you to 20 mph.
 
They bought some for the police a few years ago here. It was so funny looking at them trying the new toy. Now they have new ones with 3 wheels. :D 2 patrol cops are riding those together all the time downtown, we gave them nicknames: Duracell and Eveready :mrgreen:
 
Got a chance to look at that vid. YUP, if it has two wheels, you can definitely crash it.

Like the one with the group riding. Rubbin's racing. :) Some things never change.
 
Yep our town has a couple of cops on Segways. They seem to like them and they go fairly fast for the streets. No wheres near as good as a cheep electric bike! I haven't seen them much lately, however. Wonder why. Should go ask my nephew, the fire chief. He actually does his job and keeps up with town politics!
otherdoc
 
Interesting. I actually read somewhere that the total motor output of the Segways can be as high as 1500w - but most of that energy is used to keep the gyroscope running, balancing the Segway, and only a maximum of 400w is directed to forward motion.

I personally don't think this new change is going to change much for electric bikes, but it was good to be hopeful for a while.
 
jonescg said:
It's funny, you're not even allowed to import Segways into WA because they have no legal framework. Unless you put knobbly tyres on, and they they are classed as an off-road vehicle, and it's OK.

If a 400 W machine which is completely dependent on technology to remain safe and operable is allowed, then surely 1 kW e-bikes with brakes to suit are also the next safe step.

Don't forget submissions close in NSW for the e-bike safety committee on the 30th, so pen something!
Click to expand...

can you give more details on this mate? I just got done writing up a uni paper focused on 'sustainable cities' - naturally I had to bring up the idea of higher powered ebikes, suggesting bringing our laws more inline with the USA, or creating a new class between bikes and mopeds, that require a drivers licence and have a power limit but not much else. Might be worth forwarding it on.
 
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