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The Trikke – Your New Vacation Buddy

Today’s the day! The day you’ve looked forward to all year has finally arrived. The first day of vacation! Everything is packed, the car is loaded and you’re happily pulling out of the drive ready for a week of peace. But wait! You’ve forgotten one important item. No, not the camera. Your Trikke. No vacation is complete without it.

You spend a moment wondering if you actually want to take it, then, just as quickly you ask yourself why you can’t. But, why not? The collapsible and lightweight scooter can be transported in the car trunk or in a mid-sized car with the backseat folded down. All you have to do is grab it and go. No disassembly or reassembly required. But what about on the plane? Easy. Your Trikke is light enough to hand carry inside a plane and small enough to be stowed in a luggage compartment or any other storage space.

But what will you do with it when you get to your vacation spot? Think about it. You’re on a beach, ocean waves crashing in the background, and all you want to hit the boardwalk for a cold drink, but you have to cover some distance to get there. What is the solution? Just jump on your Trikke and zoom off. You’ll reach that drink in no time and be back on your reclining seat under the shade before the ice in your drink begins to melt.

How about if you’re more of a mountain person? The birds are chirping, the crisp mountain air is filling your lungs and you see a trail off to the side. You would love to get deeper into the woods, but hiking just doesn’t appeal to you and the car isn’t an option. What do you do? Well your Trikke is small enough to reach places that a car can’t go, it gives you freedom to explore more places and see more amazing sights. Just don’t forget to snap pictures so you can take the memories home with you.

If you’re still hesitant about taking your Trikke scooter along with you, let me remind you about the money you’ll be saving by riding your Trikke and at the same time help our planet. Since the Trikke is a human powered vehicle, no oil or gas is needed to power your scooter. Exploring the local sights on your Trikke will help save money on gas, bus fares and tour guides as well as reduce carbon emissions.

Need I mention the weight we tend to gain from sampling the local cuisine and being away from our workout routine? One of the major drawbacks to any vacation is the ten pound weight gain. With the Trikke you can keep those annoying pounds under control. Since Trikke-ing requires constant movement of different body parts in order to propel and accelerate, you will get an aerobic workout while enjoying the scenery. As an added bonus, the exercise will help you keep energized for your next vacation activity.

All in all, bringing your Trikke scooter on your well-deserved vacation will allow you tons more fun and adventure while keeping your body stay fit and healthy. And as a bonus, with the Trikke, you can be an eco-friendly tourist. You’re fun, fit and eco-friendly – with that, you’ll be the most welcome tourist anywhere you go. You and your Trikke, that is.

See the showroom.

Ski Your

Neighborhood with Your Own Trikke

Full Body

Fitness on a Trikke

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“A revolutionary sports, fun and fitness machine…”

“…absolutely addicting…”

“…closest thing to skiing on pavement…”

“…compact maintenance-free machine that fits into every aspect of one’s lifestyle..”

No, these are not comments about a new gym equipment available on a TV shopping channel, but they could be. These are just some things that people are saying about the Trikke scooter – undoubtedly the newest rising star of human powered vehicles or HPVs. The Trikke scooter never fails to amaze anyone who watches its riders zoom gracefully along. Pedestrians will even stop the Trikke riders in order to satisfy their curiosity. And the most common question is, “What makes that thing run?”

As soon as someone steps into the Trikke and experiences its innovative three-point cambering vehicle or 3CV technology for him/herself, s/he is usually unable to stop commenting on the Trikke’s many benefits. But did you know that the Trikke was developed because of man’s desire to experience the fun of ‘carving’ (a snowboarder’s term for turning back and forth on a slope) on a more stable and safer device?

During the late 1980’s, Brazilian inventor Gildo Beleski tried to learn skateboarding and roller skating, but to his frustration, he kept falling and had a hard time trying to keep his balance. As an engineering graduate from the Brazilian Institute of Technology, Beleski  used his technical background in designing and manufacturing suspension parts and power trains for compact vehicles to create a three-wheeled vehicle for riding downhill. By 1988, 1988, he finished his first Trikke prototype that combines the stability of three wheels and brakes with a contemporary frame designed to enhance the Trikke rider’s ability to lean or camber. He called it Trikke (pronounced \’trik\), similar to a bike, only with three wheels. When he tested the Trikke, he discovered that it continued to move forward on flat ground beyond the bottom of the hill as long as he kept turning and leaning.

In 1990, Beleski attempted to market his first version of the Trikke scooter. However, much to his disappointment, the Trikke sales failed to pick up in his own country. So by 1992, he was forced to give up on the Trikke’s initial design. But on one of his trips to the US in the late 1990s, he realized that the place was ripe for the introduction of a new cambering device while watching many people trail the Miami beach paths with their human powered vehicles (HPVs). He was then inspired to resume work on his design and opened Trikke Tech in Buellton, California in 2000. On the same year, he filed the patents for his Trikke cambering system and both of them were accepted in 2001.

The year 2000 proved to be a fruitful year for Beleski with a chance meeting of entrepreneur and  trend-setter John Simpson. Simpson became interested in the Trikke scooters when he saw Beleski riding his earlier version of the Trikke scooter as he was exiting his favorite sushi bar in Santa Monica. Simpson. At first, Simpson admittedly thought that the Trikke looked ungainly and ridiculous. But when he saw how it easily moved without any propellers, he chased down Beleski and his Trikke scooter. He became a great supporter of the Trikke after experiencing for himself its fun and fitness aspects. As a true entrepreneur, Simpson saw the Trikke’s potential and became an investor in Trikke Tech that same year. Beleski later asked him to become Trikke Tech’s president in 2002. Soon after, they successfully launched the scooter to the American public.

Since its unveiling, the Trikke has rapidly gained popularity, gaining attention from the international media after it bagged Time Magazine’s “Coolest New Inventions of 2002″ title. Hollywood celebrity’s acceptance and support further bolstered its popularity as Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Jim Belushi, Jim Carey, and Ben Affleck were seen riding their Trikke scooters as part of their exercise regimen, using it as an inter-studio vehicle, and even zooming on Trikkes in their movies.

From less than a million annual sales in 2002, Trikke’s sales boomed to $10 million in 2003 and about $50 million in 2004. With a plethora of extremely talented executives recruited by John Simpson, Trikke Tech aims to establish a brand with numerous innovations that will become a mainstay among the recreational transport devices for many years to come. They also aim to establish the Trikke scooter as a serious platform for competition.

Presently, the Trikke scooter’s market has already expanded to include Canada, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as nearly every major country in Europe. Trikke Tech continues to refine its product’s performance to meet the requirements of all age groups from all walks of life as seen by its version 2 which was introduced in the fall of 2003 and the appearance of more products in the ensuing years. The Trikke is now rapidly gaining fame and acceptance, made popular for its safety, stability and ease of use over other HPVs like skateboards, rollerblades and the like. Try it out yourself and experience what everyone is talking about.

See the showroom.

Ski Your

Neighborhood with Your Own Trikke

Full Body

Fitness on a Trikke

Just Carve

Turns to go

Ski Your

Neighborhood with Your Own Trikke

Full Body

Fitness on a Trikke

Just Carve

Turns to go

The Trikke cambering vehicle is one of the latest and most innovative technologies in sports and has been adopted by a number of fitness and physical education programs. Amazingly, this fun and easy to master vehicle is designed for all age groups, from children to adults. In fact learning to ride the Trikke scooter is as easy as, or even easier than, riding a bicycle. I have here are five easy steps to help you become familiar with the skills required to get started riding your Trikke. But let me begin with the sixth and most important part of Trikke-ing: 

Safety First

1.     Wear safety gear. Prior to the actual ride, the first step before engaging in any kind of sport is to ensure safety. Remember that all sports are prone to accidents. In Trikke-ing, make sure you put on protective gear including a well-fitting helmet, elbow and kneepad and don’t forget a pair of comfortable gloves. Use proper footwear, and keep your shoelaces securely tied.

2.     Always inspect your vehicle prior to riding. Make sure that the handlebar quick release is tightly locked and the dual rear brakes are functioning properly. Do not ride in wet weather and avoid driving your Trikke through puddles because Trikke wheels become very slippery when wet.

3.     Practice on appropriate places. Beginners should choose a straight and level, smooth and wide pavement with little or no holes, bumps and inclines. Trikke-ing through bumps are accidents waiting to happen. They can snag the Trikke’s front wheel and result in loss of control and in worse cases, throw both the rider and vehicle head first. To prevent an injury-inducing spill, it is advisable to jump over the bump by using a low hop maneuver. However, this is a more advanced technique so beginners should not try to find bumps just to try it.

4.     Level ground first, mountains later. Though riding downhill will prove to be relatively easy later, a steep descent may cause you to go too fast and be unable to control your Trikke and you know what happens next. A nasty fall may be the least that could happen to you. Since Trikke-ing uphill is more difficult, it is advisable to wait until you’ve mastered Trikke-ing on level ground with many hours of practice before you jump in to trying Trikke-conquer hills.

5.     Focus. Be sure to choose an area with few pedestrians and traffic, so you don’t get distracted. Pay special attention to how close you’re getting to cars or people  - you don’t want to injure yourself or someone else. I want you to have fun on your Trikke scooter, not at the hospital. Your friend was not smiling when he was getting stitches- he was grimacing from pain, okay?

Now, that you’ve gotten safety down, you’re ready to start Trikke-ing. Learning is relatively easy and fun and can be accomplished in less than an hour for most people. The following steps can serve as guidelines to facilitate your training:

First step: Mount the Trikke scooter. Place both feet securely on the Trikke foot platforms, and then grip the handlebars firmly with both hands. Use the hand brakes to keep yourself from rolling until you are ready. Stand up straight and get comfortable on the Trikke. Do not be afraid of falling because the Trikke scooter is very stable. Test the extent with which you can rock the steering column left and right.

Second step: Distribute your weight. This is important to prevent you from falling backwards and will insure sufficient traction on the front wheels. Your weight should be distributed evenly between the front and rear wheels of your Trikke scooter, with your weight centered on the balls of your feet and toes.

Third step: Let’s Rock and Roll. With your shoulders parallel to the handlebars, quickly and continuously rotate (or” roll”) the handlebars from right to left to generate a slow forward movement. Once in motion, lean and push (or” rock”) the handlebars towards the right then left continuously to increase your speed. As you begin to add the rocking motion and as your Trikke speed increases, the degree of your rotations should diminish. Continue practicing the rocking (pushing) and rolling (rotating) technique until you establish a comfortable rhythm.

Leaning on one side will naturally cause the weight of your upper body to move very slightly in the same direction. Don’t exaggerate this or you could fall. The Trikke scooter is designed to follow your body motions, so as long as the steering column remains parallel to the center of your chest, there is no danger of falling off your Trikke.

Fourth step: Here’s where the fun kicks in: you further accelerate the Trikke speed through transferring your weight once you feel what is termed as the “sweet spot”. The “sweet spot” is the part of your turn where most of your propulsion is generated; that is, when you will feel the outside wheel (your left rear wheel during a right hand turn) drift away from you as you rock your Trikke to the opposite side. This feeling comes and goes during your run. If you apply a little weight or kick on the opposite foot of the direction you’re turning, or when the weight on is on your right foot when turning left and vice versa, then your acceleration will increase. Its creators claim that the vehicle can reach speeds of up to 18+ mph on flat ground. Really, sweet, huh?

Fifth step: Where’s the brake? Learning how to stop and slow down is essential in establishing control. Since the Trikke cambering vehicle contains brakes on both rear wheels, it is important that both brakes are applied evenly at the same time. Remember not to lean on the handlebars when braking.

Tony Hawk suffered lots of spills before he reached demigod-status on his skateboard. Of course it takes practice and determination to master any sport. Do not rush. Move on to the more advanced Trikke-ing techniques only when you’ve mastered the basics. And the unwritten rule of course is to simply have fun.

See the showroom.