YikeBike

For comparison...

Segway: How much: $2-7000? | How far: 38km (24 miles) | How fast: 20 kph (12 mph)

"too expensive" - check! (Got me there.)

"range is too short" - I'd like more range, but after 20 miles your feet have had enough of the Segway. Miles of sidewalk cracks beat you up and you need a rest. Really, I'd settle for a faster recharge rate.

"doesn't go fast enough" - you want to fall faster than 12 mph?

"regulations" - in 43 of the United States, Segways are allowed on sidewalks, bike paths, and roads. See http://www.segway.com/support/regulatory.php

"batteries" - the biggest problem with the Segway batteries is that they're considered hazmat and are hard to ship. The FAA takes a dim view of "lithium ion" anything, even though Valence's lithium iron magnesium phosphate cathodes make them safe to transport. That's really less a problem with the technology, and more of an opportunity to educate the regulators.

Absolutely. If I wanted an electric bike, I'd go with something more sensible, like this:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/schwinns_new_line_of...

City folk are too cool and care too much about their image to ride these things.

Come out here to the small towns of the mid/northwest where we drive our cars 10 blocks to get to work. Or the grocery store is 3 blocks away, so is the movie store, and Starbucks.

They are still too expensive, but every house on my block could benefit from one of these, and if we saw each other riding it down the street, we'd all be jealous of one another and want one.