We’re always looking for cooler methods of transportation. Cooler, meaning it looks good, it goes fast, it’s fun, and more and more it also means smaller and simpler. We want smaller bicycles we can carry with one hand or in a backpack. We want skates that don’t take up the entire closet floor. We want smaller engines that consume less power.

The Cool Rider is a minimalist design with the motor right inside the wheel. Fully assembled, it looks somewhat like a scooter. Take the bottom part off and it is even more minimalist -just a wheel on a stick that will pull you on your skates or a skateboard. The electric motor can achieve speeds of up to 12 miles per hour. A removable battery plugs into your wall to recharge, and will power the Cool Rider for an hour.

I couldn’t find a video of this gadget in use, and I haven’t read a review from anyone who has one, so I have all kinds of questions. How heavy is this? If it’s light enough to carry up the stairs, then I can see a problem with it bouncing on the pavement instead of hugging the road. The road? It doesn’t seem safe enough for a busy road. If it is to be driven on a sidewalk, then it may run into the same problems as the Segway in that it is just too fast to share space with pedestrians. I hope that it has a kill bar like a lawnmower that makes the motor die if it gets away from you. A commenter at Dvice compared this idea to using a weed whacker to propel yourself along the street. The price is $1,250 with a $50 shipping charge, so I suppose the machine has some heft to it. Yeah, that’s a lot cheaper than a Segway, but a lot of money to put out for an online purchase. I want to try something out before I lay down that kind of cash. Or at least see someone use it on YouTube.