It seems like yesterday when Segway stormed onto the market. Invented by Dean Kamen, launched in 2001 and once named “tech world’s most-speculated-about secret” according to Carlton Reid’s book – Roads Were Not Built for Cars.

In its 19 year history, the company has had many hurdles to overcome. 

Does anyone remember the 2015 – 200m World Championships in Beijing? Where the cameraman riding a segway crashed into Usain Bolt while he was doing his victory lap? It’s on YouTube, have a look here.

Although, the event was light-hearted and gained Segway a lot of PR at the time, more serious issues were yet to come. In 2011, self-made millionaire and owner of Segway at the time, Jimi Heselden, fell off a 42ft cliff in West Yorkshire and was unfortunately pronounced dead at the scene.

The product just seemed to have too many issues to be a mass appealing success. “Innovative, but too slow to travel safely alongside motor traffic—no jurisdictions mandated their use on public roads—and yet too fast, and oftentimes unpredictable, on sidewalks.” – said Carlton Reid to Forbes.

Sadly, on July 15th, Segway will cease production