First Trike Ride

I'm not feeling groovy with my new trike after today's virgin ride but I think I can see better days ahead.

WHAT WORKED?

Folding Frame: The first few doing this were awkward. But after learning that a firm hand on the cam lock & soft hand to collapse the frame, were best, it all felt better. Striped down she could still be wheeled about on the front wheels, lifting was all arms & legs the first time, but getting a grab hold clear of the pilot chain ma se it easy. This is pretty important after going through the trouble to choose a folding trike. Getting on & off trains easily will come down to technique & starting on track I will get better & develop more confidence.

The Seating:

Well its "Good Different". During this 20k ride & the morning after, I 've had no butt pain. Let's just feel on that, no sore butt during or after a ride - that is huge!

The laid back position takes weight off wrists & hands, so no surprise there was no pins & needless & numbness. Again , this is a huge bonus. I was actually wondering whether upright cycling was doing permanent nerve damage., as some days I developed hand numbness for no reason.

So, these two break throughs alone are deal makers for me. It's likely that the downer of carrying pain was making me ride upright bikes less often. Trikes are pretty painless & I want to ride again today.

I have read that it takes time to build up Trike Muscles in the legs. I did pick up increased use on my lower calves & quads. Neither was taxing enough to warrant a day off, but with improved strength will make be a better Triker.

Another major bonus is the view on the reclined. Laying back naturally sets you up to admire the scenery. The sky, who looks at the sky when they're riding a bike? Trike Pilots do it routinely, as well as ahead and to the side. You can also check the scenery for longer periods than you'd dream of on a bike. The wide handlebars offer great directional stability, so you can almost ride full time while gazing at the view.

One possible drawback is a lung contracting posture. I've noticed that Trike Pilots look like they have fat tummies. Some do, but I think it's the bulbous lumbar arch in the seat. It's a little odd & I found my breathing wa a little restricted. Before my next ride I will slacken off the tension in the seat mesh & length the boom to free up my torso.

Speed.

I'm undecided whether going uphill is that much slower. Gear selection problems meant I was down to half my normal gears. This was a great draw back early on our first ride, but later on I attacked a small rise & really did well. I think of you make the roomy mistake of dawdling up to a along hill & downshifting as you rose, you'll be passed by turtles as you get near the top. I've heard Trikers say this gets better with leg strength & bike feel.

Downhill is a blast & the first time I felt like I was going to crash, she felt way twitchy at speed. But after a while, I got a better fell of the steering & was wishing I could pull a higher gear going of rises. Even then I got a nod from a carbon fibre roadie, like "hey speedy".

I didn't buy a trike just to go fast, I want to be able to cover ground, carry gear & be comfortable, & it does all those things.

I'm not madly in love with my trike yet. There are minor adjustments to be had, I need those addressed before I can even hope to build oneness with the bike. Then I'm sure the love vibes will flow freely.