If you’re fortunate enough to have your mobility but don’t feel like walking, then check out the Solowheel-- a new one-wheeled mobility device. Think of it as a unicycle you don’t have to pedal, or a Segway minus a wheel and the handle.
At 25 pounds, the Solowheel is a relatively lightweight device about the size of a suitcase, meaning you don’t have to park it or chain it to a bicycle rack. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, you can just carry it with you. It goes up to 12 miles an hour, but don’t plan on riding it cross-country. At top speed, it only has about an hour of battery life. Like the Segway, the Solowheel is self-balancing (although users report there’s a learning curve). And once you have it mastered you can do some cool tricks.
Currently, it’s a bit unclear where a user is and isn’t legally allowed to ride their Solowheel. The laws allowing pedestrians to use “electric personal assistive mobility devices” were largely written for the Segway, so many of them only apply to devices with two wheels. But Inventist, Inc., the company behind the Solowheel, is working to pass a new bill that will change this. According to Rep. Brandon Vick who introduced the bill, “We haven’t seen a bunch of people getting tickets, but better safe than sorry.”
Currently, the Solowheel costs $1,995 and is available for order online.