Rokk-it Red!!

Today was finally the day I got to take my beautiful new T8 out on the trails of the Lehigh Valley.  For the sake of obtaining the closest possible comparison to my old T78, I decided to repeat my most recent ride on the paved Easton section of the D&L trail.  This 10-mile round trip consisted of two round trips over a 2.5 mile stretch of asphalt.

The comparison didn’t go quite as I hoped though, since the trail was in poorer condition today, with damp asphalt and a lot of fallen, wet leaves.  I completed this ride two weeks ago on my T78 averaging 7 mph, but managed just 6 mph today on the new T8.  This gave me an idea for writing another post about dealing with such adverse conditions, so check back later this week for it.

When I did reach the dry, clear parts of the trail where I could carve deeper, I learned I could gain a nice surge of speed with the T8 by giving it longer pushes with my legs.  That seems to be the key to really getting the most out of it due to its wider stance.  I stand a little more forward on the foot decks than I do on my T78, again likely due to the larger geometry.  I love the feel of its grippy foot decks and disk brakes, both important things to have on a damp day like today.  Its overall ride is more solid and smooth than the T78, confirming that this is a high quality machine that is worth its price.

I truly love the ergonomic hand grips.  At the end of last week’s ride on the T78, my hands were starting to ache from the tight grip I always keep on its handlebars.  Plus, when my hands get sweaty, it is harder to maintain a good hold on the T78’s “faux leather” grips.  The T8’s rubber-like hand grips are molded to a more natural shape, so you can rest your hands on them as opposed to having a death-grip on them.  I also believe that this, combined with the wider handlebars, reduced the strain on my upper back muscles, which were really burning after the long ride on the T78.  The T78 can easily be upgraded to these use these same grips, and it’s something I would highly recommend for longer rides.

The only thing I struggled with a little on the T8 was hill climbing.  This trail only has two small hills, but I failed to make it up one of them.  I had no trouble with this on the T78 the other week.  I must say though, I physically wasn’t feeling 100% today.  I’m in that “not sick, but not totally well” state that often comes with the change in seasons.  So it could have been that, and it could be that I just have to get to know the T8 a little better.  I’m not that worried though, as overall my hill climbing skills are improving with time.  Overall, I’m thrilled with my first T8 ride at home, and I can’t wait to try her out on the rest of our beautiful trails.

Thanks to Trikker Chick, I have decided to name my 3-wheel toys.  For this sweet, red beauty, I’m going with “Rokk-It Red”.  The mid-80’s song “Love Missile F-111” by Sigue Sigue Sputnik has always been one of my favorites, and it got inadvertently stuck in my head for most of the ride today.  One of the lines of the refrain is, “There goes my love rocket red.”  So, it was easy to change “rocket” to “rokk-it” as a play on Trikke’s “rock and roll” mantra, with the double “k’s” of course (thank you, Trikker Chick!).  This was a tough call though, because I also like how Trikker Chick calls her the “Red Flash”.  I suppose there’s no harm in it having that as her nickname, lol.

For a while I have thought of my green T78 as the “Lean Green Machine”, so I’ll just go ahead and make that name official now.  Its three-wheel configuration reminds me of the old “Mean Green Machine” I loved so much as a kid.  Since my Trikke has helped me lose so much weight, I have simply changed “green” to “lean”.

So that concludes my first long ride with my new beauty.  I have done several 10 mile rides now, and will be looking to go further.  The higher quality ride and comfort of this T8 will surely make that easier.