TRIKKE Tampa

Newsletter & Club Ride

JB Starkey Park

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well and still getting the full benefits of their Trikke.  The Trikke is really catching on across the nation and Canada.  You are getting in on the beginning of what will be a new wave of fitness and FUN!  The 3 Wheeled Cambering Vehicle is most certainly the wave of the future for fun and outdoor fitness.  It's no-impact and just muscle exercise has thousands across North America and the world realizing a healthy alternative to the high-impact exercise routines. 

We have a TRIKKE Tampa Club ride scheduled for this Sunday and a few other topics.  I hope you find this newsletter informative.  The topics are:

• Our Previous Club Ride

• MaGooster 30 Miler this Friday

• TRIKKE Tampa Club Ride - JB Starkey Park

• Treasure Island Fun Festival - Memorial Weekend

• Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - June 10th

• New Jersey Trikke Club

• Parts and Accessories

• Trikke Maintenance - Squeaky Trikke

• TRIKKE Tip

• Affiliate Program

• Nutritional and Weight Loss Products

Our Previous Club Ride - We had our biggest turnout yet.  At Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa, Florida on May 7th we had 19 Trikke riders. (missing one in the picture).  Most importantly, we had 2 families turnout with the youngest at 5 years old on a T5!  She did the complete 1.3 mile trail!  Now that should inspire more to come out and ride with us.  The kids were thrilled and the family unit riding together is one of the most important things you can do.  So, don't be afraid to come out and join us on our next ride.  Nobody gets left behind and we have lots of fun.  Bystanders on the trail are truly amazed when they see our serpentine riders coming down the trail. Click the image to the left for a larger picture.  Click Here to see all the photos from this ride.

MaGooster 30 Miler - Kevin (MaGooster) has invited us to do a 30 mile ride with him this Friday, May 19th.  So far it will be Kevin, Craig, Buck and myself.  This will be a challenge for me since my longest distance is only 21 miles.  I know Buck is a seasoned Trikke rider and 30 miles is almost the norm for him.  So Buck, take it easy on us!  If you would like to join the "MaGooster 30 Miler" please give me a call for details.  Right now it looks like Taylor Park on the Pinellas Trail is where we will meet.  The time is set for 6am. 

TRIKKE Tampa Club Ride - JB Starkey Wilderness Park  - Our ride this Sunday is at a very nice trail near New Port Richey.  We rode this trail when Claudio was here in April.  It's a totally wooded trail the runs through tall pines and palmetto groves.  Click Here to see photos of the trail during our ride.  We are scheduled to do a 13 mile ride with it being 6.5 miles each way.  BUT, I want to mention there is a good turn-around point about 1/2 way.  If you don't think you can do the full ride there is a well house about half way that is an excellent point to turn around at.  That would only make your ride 5 to 6 miles.  It's not hard to do, you just have to come out and try it.  You will surprise yourself!  Nobody gets left behind either.  For directions see the upper left of this newsletter or go to our Calendar link by clicking here. 

Treasure Island Fun Festival - Memorial Weekend - TRIKKE Tampa will be set up at the Treasure Island Fun Festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.  We will be doing a display and hopefully demonstrations.  We'll be within 100 yards of the beach.  20,000+ people expected to visit the festival over the 3 day event.

Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - June 10th - We're also doing a fund raising event for the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.  TRIKKE Tampa has been invited by the the Hillsborough County Athletic Department to have a display and demonstration at the Ed Radice Sports Complex at the Citrus Hills Sports Complex in Odessa, Florida.  Odessa is only a few miles North and West of Tampa.  The event is a 45 team coed softball tournament sponsored by the Amature Softball Association and the Hillsborough County Athletic Department.  In addition, there will be a classic car show sponsored my MOPAR.  There will also be an exhibitors field featuring other business owners from around the state.  TRIKKE Tampa is donating a Trikke Sport Series T6 to a raffle the event raffle.  I believe the raffle tickets are $3 each.  All proceeds go to the Komen Foundation to raise money for the Komen 3 Day Walk to be held in October.  Please come out and support such an important event.

New Jersey Trikke Club - Wow, New Jersey and surrounding states are really getting excited about their new Fun Fitness Machines.  So much that they are trying to form a club for the area.  Steve Moore from Fairlawn, NJ is going to give it a go to try and organize it.  I'm sure any help that can be provided to Steve would be greatly appreciated.  I'll do what I can to also assist.  I see a lot of posts in a couple of Trikke forums of really nice places to ride that individuals are coming up with.  Steve's email address is smoore333@... .  You can also check out a couple of online forums at the following:

www.trikketalk.com go to the New Jersey forum page.

kickbiking@yahoogroups.com .  You can go to www.yahoogroups.com and do a search for kickbiking to find out more information on this forum.

Please contact Steve to help him get this going.  Even if just to participate in his organized club rides would be of tremendous help.  The only way a Trikke Club will work is if there are participants.  There isn't any better way of enjoying your Trikke or learning new ways to carve than being a part of a club. 

Parts and Accessories - I've added Parts & Accessories pages to my website.  I've done this to hopefully make it easier for Trikke owners to obtain the necessary parts to maintain their fantastic machine.  I primarily have tires, tubes, poly wheels and some accessories but in the coming weeks I plan on adding just about any part you may need from brass button's to teflon bushings for the cambering system.  Click Here to check it out.

Trikke Maintenance, Squeaky Trikke - Has your Trikke developed a squeak?  First thing is to be sure to keep your Trikke clean.  It's easy to take a small rag and run it around the spokes of your wheels and also around the axles where the bearings are.  Do your best to clean around the cambering system.  It's best to keep the grease and grime to a minimum.  Most squeaks come from the cambering system.  I recommend that you periodically use a household 3-in-1 oil to lubricate the moving parts. 

Click Image to Enlarge

How to Lubricate:

1. Loosen the main axle screws.  (See above picture) The main axle is the long bolt that goes across the front of the steering column that attaches the 2 extension arms at the front of the Trikke.  ONLY LOOSEN!  Do not take it apart unless absolutely necessary.  The plastic bushings are fragile and could break during dis-assembly or re- assembly. 

2. Put a few drops of 3-in-1 oil at each joint.  Hold a rag underneath to prevent excess oil from dripping onto other parts of the Trikke. 

3. Using your allen wrench turn the shaft end of the main axle around a few times and back the other direction.  This will help the oil to penetrate into the system. 

4. Re-tighten the main axle.  Make sure the spacer washers at the end of the main axle bolt are aligned properly on the shaft so the tightening will be uniform.

5. You can also add a few drops of oil to the yoke.  See the above picture of the yoke.  I don't recommend loosening but you want to check the tightness of the bolt to the yoke.  DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN!  This bolt breaks very easily so it should only be very snug.

6. One last thing to check is the tightness of all the bolts on the Trikke.  Make sure to check the 2 allen screws that hold the front wheel on the forks.  Sometimes squeaks can come from these two bolts becoming lose.

NOTE:  The wheel bearings are sealed and oiling is not necessary and is not recommended.  The excess oil will only contribute the grime build up.

That's about it for a quick clean and lube. 

All Natural Weight Loss and Nutritional Products - We've added some very incredible nutritional products and weight loss system's to the Trikke Tampa website.  If you're really looking for that added weight loss boost in conjunction with your Trikke workout we've got the right stuff.  Do you know how important your PH balance is to your daily health, mood, energy levels and mental well being?  What about those toxin's in your system?  We have the products that are all natural to help balance your PH while detoxifying your system.  How about a FAT LOSS PATCH that is comprised of all natural products?  Just slap the patch on once a day and watch the fat melt away!  Click Here for more information!

Affiliate Program - Don't forget about our Trikke Tampa affiliate program.  This is your chance to earn cash while you're getting fit and having fun on your Trikke.  It's free, it's easy and the marketing tools are provided!  If you haven't signed up or want to learn more about our affiliate program please Click Here.

TRIKKE Tip - Remember to check the air in your tires at least once a week.  For both the T12 and T8-Air they require 80psi in the rear wheels and ~75psi in the front.  If you haven't checked the pressure in awhile please do.  You'll be surprised the difference in your ride!

Still Learning?  Remember, keep your shoulders and upper body parallel to the handle bars while turning left and right.  Also try leaning to the left and right while you're turning.  Concentrate on this technique first and the weight distribution on the feet should start to come naturally.  This helps you to become more "fluid" with the Trikke while causing proper weight distribution.  Please, don't try to hard.  Stand up, relax focus on proper handle bar movement and let the feet re-act on their own.  You'll feel the "Sweet Spot" if you just practice, relax and don't try too hard.

Happy Carving from TRIKKE Tampa and we hope to see you on the trails!

See you on Sunday! ;o)

Sincerely,

Andy Clark

TRIKKE Tampa

(813) 610-7384

www.trikketampa.com

andy@...

IMPORTANT NOTE:  All riders ride at their own risk.  It is recommended that you wear a helmet and any other standard safety gear.  TRIKKE Tampa or any of it's affiliates are not responsible for any riders in anyway.  TRIKKE Tampa is simply trying to encourage Trikke owners to get out and enjoy their fun fitness machine.