Segways offer a safe, fast, sustainable and convenient way to get around urban and natural environments alike. 

As well as offering speed and convenience, these electric machines give people the opportunity to see urban environments in an entirely new way: looking from street level, you can get more up close and personal with your environment when compared to other modes of transport.

On top of all that, they’re also incredibly fun to ride!

If you’re looking to become a Segway pro in advance of an upcoming Segway tour, we’ve got you covered: here are five tips that will help you to become a master in no time at all.

1. Make your movements subtle

The trick to riding a Segway safely and comfortably is to understand the power of subtlety. Whichever model you are riding, you should make sure that you make small and subtle movements to operate the machine.

Segways are surprisingly sensitive, and they are capable of reading even the smallest movements that you make. You’ll quickly realize that this is the case – and it makes the machine very comfortable and easy to operate.

We recommend that as soon as you get on the Segway, just take things very slowly and get a good feel for the way that the machine reads your movements. In no time at all, you’ll be zipping comfortably through streets and corners without a second thought.

2. Practice in a safe place

If you’re going to ride a Segway for the first time, it’s always a good idea to practice in a safe and comfortable place.

You should take the time to get familiar with your environment and find a good area where you can practice free from obstacles. Once you’ve got a good handle on exactly where you are and what’s around you, you’ll be able to focus fully on mastering the machine beneath your feet.

Part of finding and practicing in a safe environment is practicing with other people, too. If you are practicing with others, someone else can help you maintain control of the machine in case you make a wrong move.

At Barcelona Segway Tour we have large training ground without cars and almost no pedestrian traffic, at a beautiful boulevard right in front of our central office. Here, you can get plenty of practice before being let loose on the streets.

3. Ask questions to a pro

One of the great benefits of going on a Segway tour is that you can pitch your questions directly to a trained expert and learn from their experience.

Here at Barcelona Segway Tour, our guides have years of experience operating in the local area and helping people to quickly become comfortable on our high-quality Segways (we use original Segway PT i2s – not the cheaper copies). Our guides are always happy to take the appropriate amount of time with each person so that they’re up and running.

If you learn to ride a Segway alongside a trained professional, you can have full confidence that they’re ready and willing to help you get the most from your machine. Because these machines are easy to ride, just a few pointers and recommendations from your tutor on your Barcelona Segway Tour will have you up and running right away!

4. Relax and avoid making panicked movements

Segways are intuitive and smooth to operate, so you can trust that they’ll respond as needed without force or sudden jerky movements. When starting out, some people have a tendency to panic and respond too aggressively to small changes or movements.

This is why it’s so important that you take your time and avoid making any panicked movements. The best-trained guides will be able to help you get onto the machine safely and then they’ll do a great job of explaining all that you need to know.

After just a few minutes on a Segway for the first time, most people feel comfortable and they’re able to go with the flow. In fact, it’s very fun and satisfying to get to grips with the machine and feel your relationship with it develop.

5. Understand the limits of the machine

To make sure that you understand your Segway and use it as effectively as possible, you should take the time to understand its limits. Certain models can only turn and move at certain speeds, for instance, and to ride effectively it’s important that you know those limits and get used to them.

You could watch your Segway tour guide in action and pay attention to their demonstration to get a clear understanding, or you could also test out the limits of the machine during your initial practice session.

Understanding what your machine is capable of will help you to use it effectively and squeeze as much performance from it as possible. If you need to respond quickly due to an obstacle in your path, for instance, this understanding of the Segway’s thresholds will come in very handy.

Learn to ride on a Barcelona Segway Tour!

We hope that these tips help you to feel right at home the second that you step onto a Segway, wherever you are doing your Segway tour.

Here at Barcelona Segway Tour, our expert local guides are thoroughly trained and very experienced when it comes to riding Segways. Our experts whisk groups on breathtaking tours through the essential parts of Barcelona, and they also work hard to make sure that you’re as comfortable as possible on your Segway.

If you join one of our tours, you’ll be up and running in no time with just a few minutes of practice. Feeling ready? Why not learn more about our range of Barcelona Segway Tours.