Raleigh tours: Two wheels, two hours, too cool!

RALEIGH -- One day soon, you could be walking on Fayetteville Street and be passed up by a herd of people gliding by on Segways.

But you won't have stumbled onto a movie set -- simply a tour group on its way to the Capitol.

This month, the Segways will join the pedicabs and carriage rides that offer tourists and residents a closer view of downtown Raleigh's attractions.

The two-wheel tours could be one more sign of downtown's burgeoning popularity -- or a pipe dream. The couple behind the idea certainly hope it's the former.

Todd Masinter, who owns Triangle Segway with his wife, Sandy, said there about 200 Segway tours in cities throughout the United States.

The couple, California transplants, said that their experience as Segway owners and from working with AAA's travel division has them convinced the business will take off in Raleigh.

"It's such an absolutely unique way to get through an area, as opposed to a walking tour, which everyone has done," Todd Masinter said.

There is also just something to be said for the chance to try out one of the highly hyped machines.

The two-hour tour will cost $55, and likely stops include the Capitol and Fayetteville Street as well as the Oakwood and Mordecai areas.

The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau doesn't keep figures on how many people use the current downtown tours. But Ryan Smith, a spokeswoman for the group, added that Raleigh Rickshaw and J&L Carriage Tours are busy.

"I can't imagine people would start a business with no customers in sight," she said.

If the tours sell you on Segways, the Masinters also plan to sell the machines -- for about $5,000. "When people see them, they're intrigued," Masinter said. "Once you get on them, you're hooked."

The Segway tours require each person to take a 25-minute training course and demonstrate proficiency, Masinter said.

Top speed for Segways is 12.5 mph, though they can be locked not to exceed a certain speed.

"The last thing we want to do is go down Fayetteville Street at 12.5 miles per hour and run people down," he said.

The timing is good, with the new convention center preparing to open, said David Diaz, president of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

"We'll have people coming from larger cities where Segways are common," he said. "And we'll have people coming from smaller areas ... who haven't seen these ever. ... We certainly like it because it keeps people downtown longer."