The T12 Roadster is the Trikke of choice for many riders,
but the pre-2011 model lacks some of the comforts and amenities found on the current
model. The old sandpaper deck grips are
the most glaring deficiency and are likely the first thing that will need to be
replaced. They wear out quickly, and
once they are smoothed down your foot will easily slip off. Furthermore, they transmit all the road
vibrations directly to your sole, and your feet will likely be burning after
just a few miles.
Fortunately, there are several easy and inexpensive upgrades
for the deck grips. The first choice is
to replace them with Trikke’s own laser-cut grip tape (approx. $13) which
reportedly will last 20 times longer than the stock grip tape. The second is to upgrade to the same rubber
foot decks that come standard on the current T12’s. Although they cost substantially more (approx.
$35), the increased comfort and durability makes it worth the expense.
The rubber decks are curved at the back to match the
curvature of the new T12 fenders, but they will still work against the older straight-edged
fenders if you don’t mind a small gap at the rear. Your feet should not be this far back anyway,
so the gap will not affect your performance.
Although I have been planning this as a future upgrade for
my copper T12, I got a chance to do the work first on my friend Megan Hanley’s
black T12. Megan is a new Trikker, and
she bought this Trikke secondhand off of Craigslist. It needed numerous repairs and upgrades
before she could safely ride it, and I thank Megan for letting me photograph the
deck upgrade for my article.
To remove the old decks without scraping and marring the
paint, you will need a hair dryer or heat gun to soften the adhesive. At the time I began the grip tape removal on
Megan’s Trikke, it had been sitting in the sun for two hours which also
helped. Begin the removal by heating one
end, and gently use a flathead screwdriver to begin the removal. Once you’ve got it started, just pull on it gently
by hand as you continue to heat it.
Unfortunately, there may still be some adhesive residue on
the metal deck even after the grip tape is removed. I have read of people using a variety of
solvents to remove this, but as I had nothing handy (and quite honestly was
being too lazy to go shopping and play trial-and-error with things) I continued
to heat the adhesive with the hair dryer as I rolled the adhesive off with my
fingers. This does take some patience,
but the adhesive will roll up much like rubber cement.
Before applying the new rubber decks, wipe down the metal
decks with rubbing alcohol to ensure a clean surface for adhesion. Test fit the new rubber decks to be sure of
their position before removing the paper backing. Now you’ve reached the easy part; carefully
line up the new decks and press them into place. And just like that, you’ve got an old T12
with all the comfort and grip of a new one!
I again thank Megan for letting her T12 be the guinea pig
for this work. We are both delighted with
the results, and I will be doing this upgrade to my copper T12 in the very near
future.
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