No they don't look ridiculous - I am told it looks cool and elegant.

Very usable for daily life.
I own one of these and I use it 4x each day to travel 1.5km from home to work and back. Was doing this ride by bicycle for twenty years and I wanted a change.

At first it was a challenge, I had to stop to rest halfway. Now, with enough practise, it's simple, effortless.
I prefer the Solowheel to the bicycle for this distance although it takes a bit more time.

I carry the Solowheel along in the train when I have to visit customers, even if they're near the train station. It's a bit heavy for me to carry, so I ride on the platform in the train station and just walk a few steps...

Riding the Solowheel feels much more natural than the Segways, which I also considered as an alternative to the bicycle.

It does not help much, but it's fun. See Riding the Solowheel in the snow