CNN reported recently that ten Segway Human Transporters were sold in
Atlanta at about $9,000 each. In case you missed it, here’s a link:
Originally code-named “Ginger”, the vehicle was a secret project, but
someone leaked enough information to create a media sensation.
Journalists began speculating on what Ginger actually was. Some wrote
that it might be some sort of unicycle. That’s how we found out about
it-a unicycling friend forwarded a copy of the article. That was a year
ago.
The Segway HT was finally introduced December 2001. It isn’t just a
marvel of engineering; it’s a marvel in marketing. The company received
an extraordinary amount of free publicity, and this is a credit to
Segway inventor Dean Kamen. We would love to sell this product, but the
company is not looking for distributors at present.
In the meantime, we’re planning to run a print ad campaign featuring a
Segway HT vs. a Schwinn 24-inch unicycle. We chose the Schwinn brand
because we just signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Schwinn’s
new parent company, Pacific Cycle LLC. Schwinn 20- and 24-inch
unicycles will be back in stock by fall 2002. We hope to bring back the
Schwinn 6-foot giraffe, John Foss’s favorite. We’ll sell through our
worldwide partners, bicycle retailers, juggling and skateboard shops,
and of course, directly to our customers.
This is a huge step for us. Those of you who have supported us since
the beginning can appreciate what this means to our small enterprise.
We thank you for your continued support.
Here’s a link to two versions of our print ad. Any feedback will be
appreciated. Hmmm. I wonder if Dean Kamen would accept a friendly
invitation to a race, Segway HT vs. Schwinn 24-inch unicycle.
*hands free operation.
*off road capablilities.
*more fun than a membership at the gym.
*environmentaly friendly, requires no batteries.
*impress friends with your ability, not your pocketbook.
Anyone else have some selling points they’d like to share?
Pretty cool. But can the average rider really attain 12.5 mph on the schwinn?
I think the only thing you need to compare is the price. It is much more direct. No need for any of the fine print. Just the “IT” with $9000 in a big font, and the Schwinn and its price in a big font, with the “No Contest” caption somewhere (top) and the unicycle.com logo/contact info at the bottom.
Re: Unicycle.com signs exclusive worldwide distribution agreement for Schwinn unicycles
>We chose the Schwinn brand because we just signed a worldwide licensing
agreement with Schwinn’s new parent
>company, Pacific Cycle LLC. Schwinn 20- and 24-inch unicycles will be back
in stock by fall 2002. We hope to
>bring back the Schwinn 6-foot giraffe, John Foss’s favorite. We’ll sell
through our worldwide partners, bicycle
>retailers, juggling and skateboard shops, and of course, directly to our
customers.
That’s wonderful. I’ve long been a fan of the schwinn unicycles (especially
the giraffe). Of course in the last few years tremendous progress has been
made in the selection and availability of other fine models as well (thanks
mostly to unicycle.com).
I wondered what would happen to the unicycles when Schwinn went under (and
was bought by Pacific Cycle). I was told by my local bicycle shop that he
probably would not be able to get Schwinns any longer. I’m especially glad
to know the product lives on through unicycle.com. I’ll have to let my
local dealer know that he can still get them through unicycle.com
Keeps us all posted about the availability of the schwinn giraffe.
RE: Unicycle.com signs exclusive worldwide distribution agreement for Schwinn unicycles
> Here’s a link to two versions of our print ad.
> Any feedback will be appreciated. Hmmm.
I like the second one, where the price and other comparisons are more
prominent. Then I would consider putting the price under the vehicles, or at
the top of the list.
> I wonder if Dean Kamen would accept a friendly
> invitation to a race, Segway HT vs. Schwinn
> 24-inch unicycle.
I would be honored to be the unicyclist in that race (or the Segway rider,
but how inappropriate would that be?). That’s a race I would actually train for!
RE: Unicycle.com signs exclusive worldwide distribution agreement for Schwinn unicycles
> Pretty cool. But can the average rider really attain 12.5 mph on the
> schwinn?
In 1980 Floyd Crandall established the Guinness record for the 100m sprint
at 14.89 seconds. Do the math on that! And he did this with the most
bent-up, beat-up excuse of an old Schwinn. Because his father made
unicycles, there was a strong emphasis in the family to not buy new ones.
But Floyd was not an average rider. Only riders who can pedal fast can go
12.5, but I do not consider it an excessively high speed for a 24" unicycle.
I am not an average rider either, but I have averaged about 11 mph in a
9-mile race.
> direct. No need for any of the fine print. Just the “IT” with $9000 in a
> big font, and the Schwinn and its price in a big font, with the “No
> Contest” caption somewhere (top) and the unicycle.com logo/contact info
> at the bottom.
I was thinking along the same lines. Put the price real big, but still keep
the other statistics in there for fun.
Now that I’m older and out of shape, I am still confident I can stay ahead
of a Segway at 12.5 mph, even on a Schwinn…
> I think I should have added something about the millions of years of
> development going into the unicycle operating system following:
>
> You’re going 12.5 mph on a vehicle with multiple degrees of freedom.
> You encounter an obstacle. What is your operating system going to do?
Ah, yes, that makes sense. You might just trim it down to “you’re going 12.5
mph, you encounter an obstacle.” The “vehicle with multiple degrees of
freedom” would probably just confuse people, and anybody seriously
considering IT is confused enough already.
Re: Re: RE: Unicycle.com signs exclusive worldwide distribution agreement for Schwinn unicycles
That sounds like a spoof coming on.
I can see it now. John Foss gets on the segway and has a hardtime staying on it, he keeps falling off in all different directions. He throws it to the side and jumps on the unicycle and rides away into the sunset…
> I can see it now. John Foss gets on the segway and has a hardtime
> staying on it, he keeps falling off in all different directions. He
> throws it to the side and jumps on the unicycle and rides away into the
> sunset…
I suspect he’d at least have a hard time getting the Segway to run over a
curb or up & down stairs.
I also noted this quote from the Segway site:
> Portability was a key design objective. That’s why we made Segway HT light
> enough to handle, small enough to store in the trunk of a midsize sedan, and
> collapsible enough to fit in tight storage spaces.
Light enough to handle is <drumroll> 83 pounds! I know people who weigh that
much! I’d hate to have to drag that around very far.
