Lori Allen: Lean forward and away you go

Chicago is fun at any age, but we wanted to do something different on our recent trip that might be exciting for a teen. I wasn’t crazy about a Segway tour but that was the winning suggestion.

Really? A Segway tour? In a city full of art, museums, architecture and restaurants we were going to do a Segway tour? Are they even still doing those? Plus I assumed they weren’t all that easy to ride and I am probably the most clumsy person I know. I wasn’t sure if I could even do it.

When we arrived to sign up, we witnessed several groups learning how to ride. One older man was having a hard time getting off of his — it kept trying to drive away as he stepped off.

He struggled as we all watched and prayed that wouldn’t happen to us. Finally he got it. But instead of making me want to back out, he inspired me. If that guy could do it, so could I.

Our adventure started with a video, which was a series of dos and don’ts simulated by stick figures making some bad choices with their machines, and then gracefully floating down to the pavement. As it turns out there are a lot of ways to crash a Segway.

Did I mention I was clumsy?

Six were assigned to our group, our party of three and our three new friends. Seeing the worried look on my face our instructor, Benjamin, selected me to go first.

“Hold the handle and put your foot on one side, and then begin to put some weight on it. It will start adjusting for you. Then slowly bring on the other foot.

“If you stand up and look straight ahead it will hold you up steady.” He seemed trustworthy, but I wondered if this was going to be similar to when I learned how to ride a bike. If so, there would not be time for me to master this before the tour was over.

“If you want to move forward, just lean forward. If you want to go backward, hold on and lean back.” He mentioned something about those team exercises where you fall back and count on other people to catch you, but I was too nervous to listen.

Benjamin steadied my Segway as I put my first foot on and began to stand. Then I added my second foot and balanced on the machine. OK, that was easy. Can I just get off now and be done?

Next, Benjamin suggested I lean forward slowly. There are no brakes on a Segway. It’s like a boat. You can lean forward, you can lean back but you can’t step on any brakes.

Nervously, I leaned forward a bit, and my Segway moved forward smoothly. I leaned my body back and found it to be very responsive. Well, that wasn’t too bad. (And I hadn’t fallen yet!)

“OK,” Benjamin smiled, “now we’re going to try turning.”

I really wasn’t interested in turning and couldn’t see why we couldn’t just go forward and backward. Benjamin was a good sport with me and simply urged me to try it.

Turning, it turns out, is the easiest part. I could turn a complete circle in place with no problem at all. A complete circle! With no practice. I could feel my confidence building.

Soon I was racing down the practice area, making turns and coming back. When I needed to slow down I just leaned back as if on hockey skates. In fact, it was a lot like being on hockey skates, except much easier. And warmer.

The final test to be sure I was ready? The ramp. It required leaning forward to stay upright, which meant I was also telling the Segway I wanted to go a little faster. I could feel the Segway racing forward, but leaning back felt awkward when I was going uphill.

I made it, but it was just enough to put fear back in me and shake a bit of that confidence. Then I had to go down the ramp.

After we had all practiced for a little bit, Benjamin thought we were ready for Chicago sidewalks.

We headed for the lake shore. Our wonderful guide announced we were going to cross a busy street. Six lanes of Chicago traffic with me driving my new Segway. Who thought this was a good idea?

As we toured the beautiful gardens and the lush parks, I started to get really comfortable on my Segway. Lean forward and away you go. Turn side to side and slalom through the paved piazza. It was a blast.

We saw the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and the Shed Aquarium. We cruised through Soldier Field and viewed the Plensa sculptures. We zoomed past iconic buildings and heard about gangsters.

Our guide shared stories and facts about Chicago, we learned about the architecture and experienced some impressive art. But the best part? We got to ride a Segway.

This story was originally published May 26, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Lori Allen: Lean forward and away you go."