Segways have long been one of my go-to examples of how new tech that doesn't fit with existing infrastructure can have a lot of adoption challenges.
The company was certainly aware of it. Hence all their lobbying.
But they really don't fit well with roads, especially where there aren't bike lanes. And they're a poor fit for sidewalks, especially if you want to go faster than walking pace. (And, if you don't, I'm not sure what their point is.)
I just had a look. My average commute speed is 24kmh on an 8 speed bike. Segways have always looked a bit slow to me and their top speed is 20kmh from what I can find. I’m calling them way slower than a push bike.
I don't really have an opinion on how well Segways fit with bikes. However, especially at a time when there was generally less bike infrastructure than today, a lot of people weren't comfortable riding Segways on roads mixed with car and truck traffic. (Just as many weren't riding bikes there.) ADDED: Hence, why the company tried to get cities to allow them on sidewalks.
No argument. Which is why a lot of cities (rightfully) pushed back on Segway's lobbying. Fundamentally you don't want stuff that goes faster than a walking pace on a sidewalk. Of course, the main reason that people might want scooters, bikes, Segways, etc. is that they are faster than walking. Assuming you're capable of walking, an electric device that can't go faster than 3 or 4 mph isn't very interesting.
The company was certainly aware of it. Hence all their lobbying.
But they really don't fit well with roads, especially where there aren't bike lanes. And they're a poor fit for sidewalks, especially if you want to go faster than walking pace. (And, if you don't, I'm not sure what their point is.)