The Segway Expereince
So I came home from work the other night to find my partner had planned out a day for us to go on a Segway at Delamere forest. I have to admit it sounded much more appealing then Go Ape (his initial suggestion) as I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to being out of control, however I was still very nervous at the idea.
We were given a form that told us we were engaging in a ‘high risk activity’ with ‘the possibility of injury and even death’, which did not help my disposition. Once we had signed our lives away, we were given helmets and watched demonstration with one of the braver members of the group.
He seemed to pick it up really well, and was soon circling the training area making the whole thing look incredibly easy. The instructions were simple: lean forward, then you will move forward, lean back and you will slow down and eventually reverse, go left and right by sliding the handles in the appropriate direction and then hold straight if you want to remain still.
However I was so tense that in thinking I was moving forward and backwards I was just tensing up my arms rather than leaning my whole body in one direction or another. I managed to crash into the instructor twice and spent so long in training the others were getting dizzy from circling the amateur area for so long.
Eventually I got the hang of it after wanting to burst into tears and refuse to get back on. Once you place your trust in the machine not to topple over, that is when you can have the confidence to go a bit faster. The secret is to look up at what is in front of you not down at the floor.
We spent an hour touring round the forest beginning with flat terrain to get adjusted to the new method of getting about. We had regular stops to re-gather (mainly to wait for me to catch up) and to increase our speed on the gadgets around our neck that were programmed to the Segway.
After a few dicey experiences along the way of nearly running over a dog and colliding with a cyclist the motion became much easier. The key is to bending your knees over the rough terrain and keep your distance from the other to prevent you coming off.
Overall, despite my initial scepticism, if you are looking for something to do with the family this summer, this is the perfect way to spend an hour in beautiful surroundings while learning something new. The instructors take good care of you and are in constant contact over a walkie talkie to make sure you do not get separated as a group.
I am more cautious than most and if I can do it then you can too! An experience that I will never forget and it has made me think more seriously about Go Ape as a consequence, much to my partner’s delight!
The Segway is not licenced for public places as of yet, only private land, so any Go Ape location is best to guarantee a try of this great way to get around!