Trikke your way to health

So, when a week-long bicycle fair was held in the lobby of my office recently; I could not avoid bumping into the cute promoters who I swear would have asked me for twitter handle had I weighed 20 kilograms less. So having had to endure one week of being ignored by that sweet guy called Charlie, I decided to “accidently” bump into him on the final day of the promotion. Not to chat him up but to actually acquire one of his magnificent machines called a Trikke. Actually it was the last unit left, testimony of Charlie’s salesmanship –or was it his charms?

Anyway, back to the Trikke. It is a three wheeled scooter-like contraption. To ride it, one stands with both feet on the wheeled platform called a deck not unlike a skateboard. You hold on to the handle with both hands and shift the handle sideways to achieve forward motion. Once motion is established, directional control is by way of shifting your weight either side of the deck.

My first experience riding the Trikke was memorably liberating. I was now a Trikker!

John, is not only dishy, but also is a certified Trikke coach – yes, you need certification from the USA to sell this stuff! He generously offered to give me extra coaching, free of charge. Just imagine I told myself, this is happening to me now – just wait when I fit into my new wardrobe! Bye bye Charlie, hello more Charlies!

It was a great experience, as he showed me step by step how to carve my way to fitness. One rides a bike, but one carves a trikke. (Carving is achieved from the momentum generated by the combination of swinging the handlebar and shifting one’s hips while both feet anchored at the heels on the deck).

According to Charlie, there is no right or wrong way to carve a Trikke, “All you’ll have to do is to find the “sweet spot.” So this means anyone can ride it easily; and with enough practice, you can motor on up to 15km per hour. Superfit Charlie can achieve twice that speed!

The front wheel can be turned left and right by shifting the handlebars, with the axis of rotation offset towards the front wheel. To conquer steep hills, one simply has to pile on the power and build up more speed. Braking? The handlebars have two brake levers.

The element of exercise comes from the action of making punchy little turns with the use of the forearms.

There are three cardinal rules for Trikkers - know the terrain, protect your momentum and to always remember that rhythm is king.

Launched in 2002, the Trikke was invented by Brazilian-born engineer Gildo Beleski circa 1988. He established Trikke Tech in California, USA, in 2000, with partner John Simpson who is now Trikke Tech President.