Well, the Segway gets a new handlebar and handlebar guard installed today. The parts are getting delivered at 12 noon and I'm heading over as soon as Jake calls me and tells me the parts are in.

On my commute time:

Set a personal record yesterday afternoon: 20 minutes flat. It was within 5 seconds of EXACTLY 20 minutes from the time I pulled out of the Thornwood plant until I was at the front door at my kids' school.

If maps.google.com is correct, the distance is 3.6 miles from work to school. By the sidewalk route, and because I have to change sides of the road three to four times, I bet my Segway distance is about 3.7 miles. 3.7 x 3 = 11.1, so it appears I averaged 11.1 miles per hour for the 20 minute commute. That's pretty darn good, considering I stopped a couple of times for red lights and I have to slow down at every intersection and driveway.

So I guess I need to reduce my "penultimate time" since I already beat the other one. How about 18 minutes as the ultimate goal time? That would be averaging 12.4 MPH, and since the max speed of the i-180 model is 12.5 MPH, that would be indeed hard to beat. 18 minutes it is !!!

My thanks to the sponsors of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Because of this act, almost every curb in Phoenix has a wheelchair on/off ramp.

In the 30-40 miles I have glided on my Segway so far, including much of that through construction areas, I have only had to negotiate 1 curb. Just 1. That's amazing to me.

Another long Segway glide this morning, from the U-Haul dealer to my work, about 5 miles. Took about 33 minutes. No problems.

Something else I wanted to mention is my minor frustration with the Segway's "speed limiter" function. It makes it difficult to "push" the Segway along at TOP SPEED, which is what I want and need to do on my commutes. If I lean too forward in attempt to gain and maintain top speed, the handlebar is pushed back to me by the speed limiter function. I found that if I bend my legs more and dont lean too forward, I can hold a pretty good speed without engaging the limiter, but I need to work on it to find that SWEET SPOT which allows me top max speed without engaging the limiter. Things that make you go HHHMMMMMMM............

Well, I had planned to install my new hitch onto my car last night for hauling the Segway, but I could not get it done. Not enough tools and/or mechanical experience. Going to have to hire someone to install it for me.

My first commute from my kids' real school was this A.M. Took 28 minutes, was battling my briefcase for part of the time. I'm gonna trim that down to 25 minutes this P.M. and after the construction is finished on Washinton street, I should be able to trim a couple of more minutes off the time. I'm shooting for 21 minutes as my final, penultimate goal time.