Our current modes of personal transportation have outdated: cars and bikes, trains and buses, all date from the Victorian era. We need something for the 21st century - something adaptable, dynamic and streamlined to match the excitement of the modern world. Well, the solution to this problem has arrived and you can experience it right here in Bristol. The Segway is truly a modern feat of engineering. The almost sci-fi design incorporates two all-terrain wheels, a platform and a pair of handlebars supported by a single pole. Underneath the sleek exterior are lithium ion batteries, gyroscopic sensors and a brushless electric motor - don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the jargon! We aren’t either, but we are certain that after riding a Segway you won’t want to return to the traditional forms of transport.

Bristol has always been on the cutting edge of engineering. The Victorian civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel connected Bristol to London by rail, and to the USA by boat using innovative techniques. From the early days of aviation to the present day the Filton Aerodrome has been a construction and testing site of numerous experimental aircraft, including the famous supersonic airliner Concorde. The high number of tech and research companies in the area have earnt Bristol the nickname of Silicon Gorge. So it’s only fitting that the latest technology should find a home here. The great thing about Segway experiences in Bristol is that they prove the future doesn’t have to be exclusive or expensive, and you can live it today!

Where are the best places to ride a segway in Bristol?

At present, UK law hasn’t caught up with advances in personal transportation technology and Segways are not allowed on public roads or pavements. We hope that it’s going to change soon, but for now Segway experiences take place on private land. The good news is that Bristol has some fantastic sites on offer.

• Ashton Court Estate: crossing the Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by Brunel himself, you’ll get the fine old mansion of Ashton Court. It’s in the grounds of this old manor house that you can ride a modern Segway. The estate is 850 acres of open grassland and woodland, complete with golf courses, mountain bike trails, and plant and animal habitats. You’ll be surprised by how easily the Segway can handle the majority of this terrain and you’ll have free rein to explore it during the experience.

• Kings Weston House: in the Northern suburbs of Bristol, the Baroque stately home known as Kings Weston has its own Segway paradise. Interesting historical buildings pepper the 300 acres of parkland which descend to the river Avon, connected by a network of paths and trails. The experience at Kings Weston starts in the woods, but you’ll have time to explore the whole park, including the al fresco banqueting house, the blacksmith’s cottage and the brewhouse.

How long does this experience last?

It doesn’t take long to get hooked on Segways and after a Blast of 30 minutes you’ll be hungry for more. At the start of the session you’ll have a short safety briefing before stepping onto the machine and getting grips with the controls. The driving style is fairly intuitive, but takes some time to master. Although it’s powered by a motor, you have to move to make it go. You use your weight to determine the speed and direction, leaning forward to accelerate, backwards to break and side to side to turn. When you return to an upright position, so does the Segway and you stop. You’ll have time to experiment before practising more on a Follow my Leader tour with your guide, who’ll organise some games and activities to suit the group. After that you’ll have time to explore the parks of Ashton Court or Kings Weston until the end of the session.

If half an hour isn’t enough for you, or if this isn’t your first time, we recommend that you go for a Segway Thrill or Adventure. These experiences last 1 hour, and so after the training and games you’ll have much more free time to find out what these machines are capable of on the trails, lawns and woodland paths of the parks in Bristol. Or if you prefer, your guide can put on games for you to have fun with your group and hone your driving technique.

Restrictions to drive one of these vehicles

This is an activity that the whole family can enjoy together as there are no minimum age requirements and need for a licence. The only thing that can prevent youngsters from taking part is their height. To control it you need to use your weight to change the centre of balance of the vehicle and you need to be over 134 cm tall in order to do this whilst safely maintaining balance on the platform. In addition, the handlebars of the segway should sit at around waist height, if they reach your chest you will struggle to stay in control.

We’ve mentioned that weight is a crucial factor in riding a Segway and there are lower and upper limits in place to ensure a safe experience in Bristol. If you weigh below 45 kilograms, that’s just over 7 stone, you won’t be heavy enough to change the machine’s centre of gravity effectively. On the other hand, a load of over 117 kilograms, or 18.5 stone, is too much for the machine to properly handle.

The best way to enjoy this activity is with a group. Trying something for the first time can make you feel self conscious, but with the right company the nerves usually turn into laughs. Even if you already know what you’re doing, you’ll get the most out of the games if you’re with people you know. At Kings Weston you can make a group booking of up to 10 people, whereas you can take a group of up to 12 to Ashton Court. Why not bring your best friends for a stag or hen do with a difference? Or organise a family day out which everyone will remember? It could also be a boost to your business if you need to impress a client, or reward your team for a job well done.

This is the transport solution of the future, you can get ahead of the curve by organising your activity today.