Trikke Test Drive – Part 5 – 2007 T12 Roadster

Part 5 of my “Trikke Test Drive” series found me rokkin’ it old-skkool on an early model T12.  I had just discovered Trikke Andy’s article and video about replacing the T12’s handlebars to better suit shorter riders like myself, which renewed my interest in the T12’s.  You’ll recall from an earlier test drive, I found the T12 to be too large for me, handling awkwardly and wobbly.

The day after being inspired by the video, fate delivered to me the opportunity to buy a used T12 for just $150.  The owner was moving and needed it gone “today,” so agreed to have a friend pick it up for me sight unseen.  I had figured I could sell it at a profit if I didn’t like it, but I’ve fallen unexpectedly in love with it!

The Trikke has a lot of scratches, likely from being moved around in storage, but mechanically is in great working order.  The front tire still has its seam line, which tells me it’s barely been ridden.  I’ve racked up 24 miles riding it three times this week, which is likely more distance than the original owner ever put on it.

This T12 lacks a lot of the amenities found on the current model, such as ergonomic hand grips, locking brake levers, water bottle holder, and rubber foot decks.  But it’s well-built with an aluminum frame, 12” tires, stylish rims, disk brakes, and wheel fenders.  The major difference is the steering system.  The narrower handlebars are set on a lower steering column, making it more suited to shorter riders.  This Trikke feels lighter than its modern-day counterpart, although I have not yet found the specs to prove it.

I put the T12 through its paces on three test drives this week.  The first was 9 miles lapping a school parking lot, which featured a lengthy 4-degree hill climb.  The second was a quick Friday night workout at Rodale Fitness Park, with 2 laps around the flatter inner loop, and 2 laps around the hillier outer loop (with its 4.5 degree hill).  The final was a grueling 11-mile ride on the hilly streets of Stroudsburg.  Some hills had to be walked up, but I was able to tackle a few in the 6-degree range.  I made it up a few hills that I had not been able to do on my last ride in the area.  My friends, who are both certified trainers, said I was riding better than ever, and believed that this T12 being a good fit for me was part of that.

So it looks like this copper beauty is a keeper!!  I have already added the pull cords, which are an absolute must on older T8’s and T12’s whose locking mechanisms can be very hard to operate otherwise.  I will likely upgrade the handgrips next, because I was getting some blistering on the inside of my thumbs.  I’ve heard the sand-paper foot decks wear out easily, and when they do I will likely upgrade to the same rubber foot decks I enjoy on my T8.  I have the locking brake levers on order, and will swipe the water bottle holder from my T78.  Finally, I’ll add a cargo net and lights to fully outfit this Trikke for touring.

Overall, this older T12 is a true joy to ride.  Its design is more suited to short riders than the current model, and it can be easily upgraded with all of the modern accessories.  I had never envisioned myself as a T12 enthusiast until a few days ago, but this unexpected turn of events has completely won me over.

Related posts:

Trikke Test Drive – Part 1: T78, T8 & 12

Trikke Test Drive – Part 2: Tribred Pon-e 48V

Trikke Test Drive – Part 3: T78 Air vs. T78 Deluxe

Trikke Test Drive – Part 4: Pon-e’s Unplugged

PA Trails – Chester Valley Trail - Part 1

A nice shaded tunnel under Swedesford Road

Malvern, Pennsylvania is home to the small but growing Chester Valley Trail.  This Trikke-friendly stretch of asphalt currently runs five miles from the Wegman’s on South Morehall Road to the trailhead near the Valley Creek Corporate Center.  It will ultimately be part of a larger inter-connected trail network, and will meet with the Schuylkill River Trail to the east and the Enola Low Grade Trail to the west.

Looking east from the western end

For now though, there is plenty of asphalt laid for a good Trikke ride, as well as several convenient places to park.  Both the trailhead at Church Farm Lane and the Battle of the Clouds Park have ample parking and real restrooms.  You could also park at the Wegman’s, which can double as a good place for food and drink after the ride.

The trail is mostly flat, and the majority of the grades are so slight that even a beginner can handle them.  The only challenging hills are alongside the Wegmans, across the street from Wegman’s, in the vicinity of Knickerbocker Lane, and a construction detour under the Route 202 overpass.  The asphalt is new, smooth, and clear, although the tree cover on the eastern half will likely cover the trail with debris in autumn.

Donna at the end near Wegman's

Although the trail passes through a few housing developments, the pedestrian traffic is less than you would expect, making for a pleasant Trikke ride.  You do have to watch out for some faster road bikers, but this is less of an issue here than it is on the longer Schuylkill River Trail.  There are several road crossings, three of which are quite busy, but the drivers of cars were very courteous in letting trail traffic through.

To be continued . . .

I rode this trail last Friday on my own for 9.65 miles, followed by a longer outing with Donna (Lake Erie Trikke) for 10.84 miles on Sunday.  We had a wonderful time on the trail, and I anticipate hosting future rides here in conjunction with the TrikkeRiders of Pennsylvania.

You can see the map of last Sunday’s ride here:

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/260292683

And for more information about the Chester Valley Trail and the larger network of current and future Southeastern Pennsylvania trails, you can visit http://www.chestervalleytrail.org/ and http://connectthecircuit.org/.

Related Articles:

PA Trails – Chester Valley Trail - Part 2

Trikke Test Drive – Part 4 – Pon-e’s Unplugged

For Part 4 of my “Trikke Test Drive” series, I am going to tackle something a little different.  I have a few Pon-e’s on loan from Trikke Virginia, and I recently had an opportunity to do an unusual comparison drive on them; I carved each of them for 1.85 miles on body power alone.

Pon-e Lite 36V (orange) vs. Pon-e 48V (white)

The ability to propel these Trikkes manually is one of their virtues over heavier electric vehicles like the Segway.  You can keep going on a Trikke Pon-e even if the battery runs out of juice, or if you just desire a good workout.  This alternative mode of operation is what gives them their status as hybrid vehicles.

I found a flat route through a quiet neighborhood for this test drive, so that each Trikke could be ridden under identical conditions.  I brought a Pon-e 48V and a Pon-e Lite 36V, representing both ends of the electric product line.  I also brought my non-electric T8 Sport to provide a baseline for comparison.

Both Pon-e’s are based on the same aluminum frame as the T8 Sport, so the riding stance and carving technique were very familiar to me.  The T8 weighs in at 27 pounds, while the Pon-e Lite tips the scales at 38 pounds.  The extra weight comes from the battery and the motor mounted in the hub of the front wheel.  The Pon-e 48V is a real beast at 46 pounds, which is double the weight of the T78 Deluxe I first learned to ride on.

Look Ma, no motor!!

While both Pon-e’s took more effort to carve than my T8, the Pon-e Lite was without a doubt the easier one to ride.  It uses the same 8” rear fitness tires as the T8 Sport, but upgrades to a similar 10” front tire.  These 2” wide tires make for a reasonably pleasant carving experience, although I had to work harder than I would on my T8.  I can’t complain though; it makes for some good exercise.  The feeling is much like walking with a light set of weights in your hands and strapped around your ankles.

The Pon-e 48V is a different animal, as I really had to work at making it go.  It rides atop a 10” heavy-duty “motorcycle grade” tire in the front and two 9 ½” heavy-duty tires in the rear.  The 2 ½” width of these mean it takes a lot more muscle to keep them rolling.  This surely adds up to an even better workout, but it would take a really fit and determined rider to go more than a few miles this way.  Picture yourself walking with a bowling ball or two in your hands.

The times and speeds for these identical  1.85 mile test drives really paint a clear picture of the increased challenge of carving manually on electric Trikkes:

Trikke	Weight	Time	Average Speed
T8 Sport	27 lbs.	15:12	7.3 mph
Pon-e Lite 36V	38 lbs.	17:58	6.5 mph
Pon-e 48V	46 lbs.	20:15	5.5 mph

I will write about riding these Pon-e’s in their more conventional electric mode in a future article, but when I considered that manual carving might be part of the decision-making process for an electric Trikke, I felt it was worth addressing.  If I was buying one of these two Pon-e’s and felt that I was going to want to carve manually on a regular basis, the Pon-e Lite 36V would be my clear-cut choice.

Related posts:

Trikke Test Drive – Part 1: T78, T8 & 12

Trikke Test Drive – Part 2: Tribred Pon-e 48V

Trikke Test Drive – Part 3: T78 Air vs. T78 Deluxe