Slow Ride

Not everyone's crazy about the idea, however. On Segwaychat.com, a bulletin board for the small but fervent fraternity of the Segway-obsessed, news of the project has met both ambivalence and animosity. Some worry that the trip will reflect poorly on the Segway, which is designed for short distances, not cross-country excursions. Others feel the filmmakers should take an activist approach and use the journey to lobby for pro-Segway legislation. Currently, 39 states currently have specific laws regulating the use of Segway; some prohibit riders from traveling on sidewalks or on highways, and all prohibit the vehicle's use on interstates. Colorado does not have a Segway-specific law on the books, since the transporter is grouped in with scooters and bicycles.

Others question Spinning Blue's motives: "Not sure about the agenda," wrote one poster. "Is it political, are they followers of Sun Myung Moon, Jehova Witness, what?"

Keough had never set foot on a Segway until this month, when he became part of the America at 10 mph production crew. With Weeks and Armstrong, he'll follow Caldwell along his route, hauling a trailer full of gear at ten miles an hour. For him, the Segway is just a tool to update the classic coast-to-coast quest so familiar from books, movies and a million road songs. "The idea of the cross-country journey has been an American theme since Lewis and Clark crossed the country," he says. "People just want to know what's out there, stretch the limits of what they know."

Weeks expects some bumps in the America at 10 mph road. There are logistical worries, like how to charge enough batteries to keep the Segway going -- and weather could be an issue. He's got the route mapped out, but the terrain is, ultimately, untested by the crew's vehicle of choice. Then there's the question of whether the machine itself, or its rider, will be able to withstand so many hours on the road. But Weeks looks forward to the flaws because they'll make for better cinema.

"Look at the success of reality TV. As the world becomes more of a cartoon, closer to the feature-film formula, people are drawn to real life," Weeks says. "Hollywood tries to make everything so perfect."

"But," Caldwell chimes in, "people seem to prefer the rough stuff."