Triple Trikke Triumph

It’s official: three different Trikke events in three different locales have made these past three weeks the most amazing three weeks in the history of trikking in Southern California.

Saturday, May 28: Forty-five trikkers carve up the scenic coast of Long Beach at the Last Saturday of the Month Ride, setting a new attendance record for a group ride in Southern Cal.

Sunday, June 5: Twenty trikkers carve up 26 miles of mountainous trail at the 5th annual Aliso Creek Endurance Ride, setting a new attendance record for a group ride in Orange County.

Saturday, June 11: Twenty-one trikkers carve up the beach trails and backroads of Ventura County at the 3rd annual Trikkenut 100K, an event that drew trikkers from as far away as the Bay Area.

Three events staged by three different groups in three different counties, each of them fledgling hotbeds of trikking in Southern California. Fortunately, I was there for all three events and had the most amazing time at each and every one, each ride surpassing the one before it in terms of superlatives. Total miles trikked: circa 100.

Two years ago, I saw an infomercial that changed my life. I didn’t just buy a Trikke. I bought a whole new way of life! The best part of all: it’s only getting better.

• Photo by Douglass Weymouth

Trikking with Trikke Europe

Do what you love and fulfillment will follow, so says what amounts to an urban legend, allegedly spoken by the wisest among us. Lately I'm starting to think: they might be onto something.

I love trikking and a whole lotta fulfillment has followed.

First, the joyride of the 21st century whipped my body into the best shape of my life (as I approach age 50!).

Then joy came from being part of the group rides on the So Cal Trikke Circuit, where I’m able to meet and commune with my fellow Trikke nuts.

Next came the joy of creation with my good friend Jeri Thompson. For Jeri and I, it was love at first Trikke, er, sight.

I fell in love with the three-wheel wonder upon seeing an infomercial. Jeri fell in love with the three-wheel wonder upon seeing my first Trikke.

Our first creation was Long Beach Trikkers, the local club responsible for the Labor Day Ride of Long Beach and the MLK, Jr. Trikke Ride, co-sponsored by SouthBay Trikke, the local dealer we rely on like a good mechanic.

Then we gave birth to TrikkeWorld Magazine, to chronicle the carving revolution we love being part of. True to urban legend form, more fulfillment has followed.

He's No Fool, No, Siree!

He rides a trike with one K, but clearly, if his wife let him, 103-year old Octavio Orduño would also be carving it up on a Trikke with two K's.

For quite some time, the oldest living cyclist in Long Beach, CA, couldn't keep his eyes off my black Trikke Tribred Pon-e at the grand opening of the new downtown bikeways on Saturday, April 23, 2011.

"He wants to swap," said a pretty lady named Helene. My Trikke for his trike, the three-wheel bike he rides around the city. Saturday, he stood atop the Pon-e like a happy young boy, then asked me to show him how its ridden, looking on with the wonderment of someone a fraction of his age.

The Trikke brings out the kid in all of us, no matter who we are and how old we get. Octavio Orduño is living proof.

Debbie Done Good

One of the neatest things about being a trikker is connecting with other trikkers at group rides and local events here in Southern California.

After all, the three-wheel "bike" known as the Trikke is still a newfangled invention in the world, sort of like the bicycle ten years after it first surfaced on the planet.

Ergo, we trikkers are a passionate breed, but we're a breed with a relatively small population. That's changing, though, thanks to the Internet and a growing global community of trikkers and Trikke skkiers.

In California, newbies are continually finding out about and joining what I like to call the So Cal Trikke Circuit. In January, 2011, Debbie Bumgardner was such a newbie.

A trikker from the San Fernando Valley, Debbie heard about the fledgling circuit on the net and joined Long Beach Trikkers and SouthBay Trikke for the MLK Trikke Ride in Long Beach, CA.

She's been a regular at group rides ever since, and now her "weight loss by trikking" story is the subject of a very cool LA Times article by fitness columnist Roy M. Wallack.

One of the things not revealed in the article: Debbie kicks ass on the Trikke path. We're talking head of the pack! Bumgardner's got skills!

Congrats on the Times story, Debbie. So glad to have you in our TrikkeWorld.

Dealer or No Dealer?

"Having a local Trikke dealer--and a great one in SouthBay Trikke--saved my Trikke, and thus, my passion for trikking. Twice.

"Based on my experience, the best way to buy a Trikke is through a local dealer, if you're fortunate enough to have one in your area."

—from So You Think You Can Trikke

Look, Mom, I Can Fly!

"Curves are to be flown off of. Hills are to be raced down. Inclines are to be conquered. That's the way big boys Trikke.

"The Roadster lets you do that and more. Rough terrain? The rugged wheels are up for the challenge. More speed? Got that, too. The T-12 lets you manhandle the road."

—from Big Boys, Big Toys

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Carving in the LBC

"Perhaps the best part about the beach path of Long Beach: it's rarely crowded, especially compared to other beach paths in LA County. Then there's the separate lane for walkers, something most beach paths in the county lack.

Add to that the unmatched coastal scenery and great California weather and it's easy to see why Long Beach is fast becoming a favorite for trikkers."

—from Long Beach: California's Best Place to Trikke?

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When We're Old, Gray and Trikking

"Getting together with other Trikkers at events like the SouthBay Trikke Halloween Ride only confirms my sanity.

"Yep, this thing called the Trikke is indeed, that kick ass. It's a good feeling, realizing others feel the same way you do about a product you bought from an infomercial, that others understand the need for this speed, the craving for carving, the sheer kid-like joy of owning a Trikke.

"I didn't just buy a newfangled bike. I bought something that's gonna change the world. It's already changed mine."

—from The Best Halloween Trikke Ride Ever!

A Bike? What's a Bike?

"The Trikke community is growing daily. Right now, it's like owning a bike a few years after bikes were invented. Someday, the world will be full of more Trikkers than bikers."

—from Gone Trikking

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Dear Trikke, How Do I Love Thee?

"I can Trikke every day for the rest of my life and I'll be a happy man.

"Thank you, Trikke, for the ride of my life.

"For the best exercise that rarely seems like exercise. For the easiest way to be in the best shape of my life. For being the most fun thing in the whole wide world. For giving me a growing community of Trikkers, all giving birth to a Trikke-filled world."

—from Thankful for My Trikke

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Life, Trikkified

"My life is now divided into two parts: BT and AT. Before I discovered Trikke and after I discovered Trikke. That's because my life will never be the same after finding my Trikke, or is that, my Trikke finding me?"

—from Big Boys, Big Toys

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Cool Scooter, Great Mechanic

"SouthBay Trikke pimped my ride, and now I'm loving it even more! The poly wheels were good for training, but air tires took my Trikke from a dream machine to an even dreamier machine.

"Located in Torrance, CA, these guys are passionate about Trikkes the way you want your mechanic to be passionate about the kind of car you drive.

"Thanks, Andy for the great service. I now recommend SouthBay Trikke to everyone who approaches me, curious about my 'cool scooter.' You guys rock! And roll!"

—from The Trikke: Joyride of the 21st Century

Now Arriving in TrikkeWorld

"I'm not alone in my childlike giddiness over this uniquely human powered vehicle. The more you Trikke through life, the more you're bound to stumble upon this small but growing community of ordinary folks who have discovered the joy of trikking."

—from The Best Halloween Trikke Ride Ever!

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Toys That Make You Smile

"The Trikke puts the ordinary bike to shame in the fun department. A few days after learning how to ride my new toy, I kept asking myself questions, like, when's the last time I broke a sweat riding a bike? When's the last time I smiled riding a bike? When's the last time I had this much fun riding a bike?"

—from The Trikke: Joyride of the 21st Century

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Long Beach: California's Best Place to Trikke?

Once again, the city of Long Beach provided So Cal trikkers with beautiful weather, beautiful coastal scenery and a picture-perfect beach day for a group Trikke ride, this time in the middle of winter.

The occasion was the first-ever MLK, Jr., Trikke Ride of Long Beach, held on Saturday, January 15, 2011, and sponsored by SouthBay Trikke, Southern California's largest and leading local Trikke dealer.

“After the success of the Labor Day Ride, it was time for another major ride here," said Jeri Thompson, co-founder of Long Beach Trikkers, the local club that co-sponsored the MLK Ride. "This time, we wanted to acknowledge Dr. King's dream. Trikkers at our events come in all colors. We're celebrating that diversity, as well as giving back.”

"Trikkers ... speeding down the spiral slopes like giddy school kids on a roller coaster."

To that end, the entry fee for MLK riders was a canned food item to be donated to the Good Provider Food Bank of Southern California. “We chose the food bank because of whom they most serve, mainly children,” said Thompson.

For the first So Cal group ride of 2011, 21 riders--20 of whom were trikkers--descended upon Shoreline Village in Long Beach, canned goods in hand, Trikkes ready to rock and roll. While the Labor Day Ride was 10 miles round-trip, the MLK Ride route expanded to 13 miles to include a lap around Rainbow Lagoon, aka the Pond, a jaunt past the Ferris wheel at the Pike, and a trek to the Long Beach Harbor Lighthouse.

With the famous Queen Mary sitting across the bay and serving as the backdrop, trikkers ascended the spiral hill up to the Lighthouse, took a break for gorgeous photo ops, then descended the hill en masse, speeding down the spiral slopes like giddy school kids on a roller coaster.

"For the MLK Ride, the love affair between trikkers and Long Beach only got better."

From there, the group rocked and rolled through Shoreline Village back to the path along the marina. Then it was one long carving cruise down the long, beach path adjacent to the long beach that is ... Long Beach.

During the Labor Day Ride, trikkers from elsewhere fell in love with the Long Beach Trikke Track (more commonly known as the bike path). For the MLK Ride, the love affair between trikkers and Long Beach only got better. Great comments abounded from out-of-towners. "This is the best ride we've gone on, as far as scenery is concerned," said one traveling trikker.

Perhaps the best part about the beach path of Long Beach: it's rarely crowded, especially compared to other beach paths in LA County. Then there's the separate lane for walkers, something most beach paths in the county lack.

Add to that the unmatched coastal scenery and great California weather and it's easy to see why Long Beach is fast becoming a favorite for trikkers.

The weeks leading up the MLK Ride were fraught with cold, cloudy days, many of them wet and sunless. It were almost as if Southern California forgot it was supposed to be Southern California.

But that's the thing about living in the southern half of the Golden State. Sooner or later, and usually sooner than later, cold and cloudy morphs into warm and sunny, which leads to perfect trikking days, just like the one given to trikkers for the first-ever MLK Ride of Long Beach.

• See photos of the MLK Ride 2011 on Facebook

Thankful for My Trikke

Let it be known: I'm thankful for my Trikke. For my Trikke has given me a new life, the life I always dreamed of living, starring the person I always dreamed of being.

Confident. Fit. In better shape than I ever imagined.

Alive. Athletic. Muscular. Athletic. Yes, I said it twice!

Thank you, Trikke, for coming along just when I needed a miracle like you.

Thank you for being the wings that take me to the furthest reaches of my dreams.

Look, mom, I can fly!

I can Trikke every day for the rest of my life and I'll be a happy man.

Thank you, Trikke, for the ride of my life.

For the best exercise that rarely seems like exercise. For the easiest way to be in the best shape of my life. For being the most fun thing in the whole wide world. For giving me a growing community of Trikkers, all giving birth to a Trikke-filled world.

Trikkers rock! (and roll).

Thank you, Trikke.

Thank you, trikkers.

Scariest Halloween Trikke Ride Ever

Last year's treat: the Best Halloween Trikke Ride Ever. This year's trick: the Scariest Halloween Trikke Ride Ever, so far.

Picture it: Halloween 2009. A dozen or so trikkers have the audacity to show up for something called the Trikke & Treat Halloween Trikke Ride, sponsored by SouthBay Trikke, Southern California's largest and leading local Trikke dealer.

The Trikke is the freaky-looking, three-wheel carving sensation that's taking the world by storm, making it a natural for freaky-looking Halloween fun.

Last year's ride happened on a perfectly warm and sunny Southern California day, the kind that reminds local residents why they live there.

"'Twas the night before Halloween Ride II and the weather was trying to be a killer."

Many trikkers, including this reporter, were giddy with excitement: our first group Trikke ride! The perfect weather made for a perfect day that turned into the perfect first-ever Halloween Ride.

Would SouthBay Trikke try to produce a sequel this year? You bet! These local Trikke gurus have been putting on events all over So Cal, including the Labor Day Ride of Long Beach, another perfect day.

But as Halloween Ride II neared, so did terrifying news of a trikker's ultimate nightmare: rain!!! (Cue the lighting, the thunder, the screams, the horror!)

Almost as bad, if not worse, another terror was predicted by the weather witches: COLD! (Cue the screams, the shrieking, the shrinking of private parts, the horror!!!)

Would Halloween Ride II even happen? Or would the weather slay the day like Jason or Freddy or Chuckie?

'Twas the night before Halloween Ride II and the weather was trying to be a killer.

"There's something about seeing all the fun people are having on a Trikke and wanting to be a part of it."

SouthBay Trikke and its loyal followers were haunted by the prospects of a hellish sequel, driven to madness by the uncertainty, brought to the brink by a deluge of rain that poured throughout the night, each drop melting away the dreams of every trick or treating trikker, from Ventura to Pasadena to Long Beach to Escondido to Tustin to Venice to a rain soaked Torrance Beach, site of Trikke Off at 10am, or so it was hoped.

After the terrifying night, dawn broke. The light revealed a Torrance Beach that was still rain soaked, but a little less than expected. Things were beginning to dry out already. The weather witches had flow away, off to terrorize elsewhere, but the South Bay was beginning to see a better day.

The Clarion call went out: Halloween Ride II was going to have a happy ending. Trikke Off is at 10am as scheduled; it's gonna be another day in paradise in Southern California!

Instead of a dud, SouthBay Trikke pulled off a fantastic sequel. Nineteen trikkers showed up for the second annual Trikke & Treat Halloween Ride. And by this Trikker slash reporter's estimate, 10,000 people enjoyed the show along the beaches of Torrance, Redondo, Hermosa, and Manhattan.

"That looks like so much fun! I want one of those!"

For a day that started out with wicked weather, Halloween Ride II turned into a feel-good action thriller, so to speak. The action: trikkers rockin' and rollin' in packs, capturing the attention of walkers, bikers, volleyball players, beachgoers, kids, everyone at the beach for what turned out to be a warm and sunny day.

The action: trikkers dressed as sexy witches, salt-and-pepper shakers, Robin Hood (winner of best costume), Medusa, the Mad Hatter, Uncle Sam, Elvis!

The audience reaction: that looks like so much fun! I want one of those! Look at that! So cool! Where can I get one? Can I try?

There's something about seeing all the fun people are having on a Trikke and wanting to be a part of it. Maybe it's human nature to want to join a Trikke party. It's safe to say it's the human nature of this reporter, now a veteran of two Halloween Rides.

The nineteen trikkers were young and old, large and small. short and tall, male, female, different skin tones, different backgrounds, but the diversity is almost invisible when everyone's there to Trikke. It's as if we're all kids meeting at the playground, ready to play. So let's Trikke!

And Trikke we did at the second annual Trikke & Treat Halloween Ride, sponsored by SouthBay Trikke. I can hardly wait until Halloween 3-D!

Trikkers Love Trikking in Long Beach

The following article appeared on Long Beach Trikkers website.
The urban beach town of Long Beach, California, got its Trikke on during Labor Day weekend at the first-ever Labor Day Ride of Long Beach.

On Saturday, September 4, 2010, twenty trikkers rocked and rolled their way up and down the long beach of Long Beach, giving holiday weekend beach-goers a first hand look at the joyride of the 21st century.

That's twenty trikkers racing up and down Long Beach at one time, showing off the great new way to have fun and stay in shape.

The ride, sponsored by SouthBay Trikke, covered a 10-mile course (Shoreline Village to the end of Naples Peninsula and back), and drew riders from as far away as Ventura, Orange and Riverside Counties. Some trikkers said the best part of the ride was the applause and encouragement given to the riders who finished last.

Post-ride, the good folks at SouthBay Trikke handed out gift bags and a raffle-ticket's chance at winning some cool Trikke-related prizes. Later, more than a dozen trikkers continued the After Trikke over food and drinks at the 33 Degrees Harborside Pub in Shoreline Village. The main topic, of course: Trikking.

For some trikkers, the Labor Day Ride was a first chance to meet and commune with other passionate trikkers. For others, it was yet another chance to experience the power of riding in a group.

For SouthBay Trikke, it was another opportunity to sponsor a great Southern California Trikke ride. For Trikke itself, it was another milestone in the growth and popularity of this newfangled bike.

For Long Beach, it was a chance to show off its sparsely-populated beach path to So Cal trikkers, and judging by their reaction, So Cal trikkers love trikking in Long Beach!

Gone Trikking

Remember those days as a kid when you were content to merely go outside and ride your bike, no destination, no agenda, no worries? The Trikke is a three-wheel carving vehicle that turns you into that kid again, no matter your age.

Best of all, when I ride my Trikke, I become a kid who doesn't want to stop playing, er, exercising. An hour workout turns into: ah, just twenty more minutes, then I'll go home and be a responsible adult again.

When's the last time anything, let alone a bike, made you feel that young?

"Never have I felt more athletic, agile and passionate about exercising (just for fun)."

Loving my Trikke automatically makes me feel like a spokesman for the joyride of the 21st century. Riding my Trikke makes me feel like a spokesmodel. Hearing "wow" and "cool" a dozen times during a Trikke ride makes me feel like a superstar. Those are just some of the 10 things I learned while trikking.

Riding with a group of other Trikkers makes me feel like I'm part of a new breed of extreme sports athletes. Or a new kind of biker gang. lol. Such was the case at the Best Halloween Trikke Ride Ever or the upcoming Labor Day Trikke Ride of Long Beach.

The Trikke is a wonder drug. It's helping to reduce my blood pressure, body fat and stress level, all while increasing my muscle tone, self esteem and zest for life. Never have I felt more athletic, agile and passionate about exercising (just for fun).

So You Think You Can Trikke? Sounds like a ton of fun? Raring to rock and roll? I say go for it. And if you're a big and tall like me, go for the Trikke T-12, the bigger toy for bigger boys. I call it the Cadallic Escalade of Trikkes.

Invented in the mid 2000's, the Trikke community is growing daily. Right now, it's like owning a bike a few years after bikes were invented. Someday, the world will be full of more trikkers than bikers.

10 Things I Learned While Trikking

10. A moderate Trikke ride in cold, crappy weather is better than any workout inside a cold, crappy gym.

9. Trikking uphill or against a good stiff wind does wonders for the arms.

8. Even though “looks like a lot of hard work” is a comment often heard while riding, Trikking never, ever, ever! really seems like hard work.

7. Even though trikking never, ever seems like hard work, trikking is absolutely the best form of exercise dreamt up by humankind.

6. Most women look at the Trikke and think, “is it fun?” Most men look at the Trikke and think, “is it a good workout?” Most kids look at the Trikke and think, “cool!”

5. The word cool is still the word kids use to best describe something they find really, really ... cool.

4. I can't deny the enjoyment of being in the spotlight for riding on this newfangled, extreme-athlete-looking, 21st-century, three-wheel-bike-thingy in what is still most definitely a bike world.

3. This decade or the next will be the decade of the Trikke. The young kids of today see the Trikke and their eyes light up with wonderment, oftentimes so overwhelming they're rendered speechless. In a few years, those kids will be able to speak up a little better. Many of them will want Trikkes! Then their friends will want Trikkes!

2. Someday, Trikkes will be commonplace the world over, like bicycles.

1. Someday, I'm going to miss the enjoyment of being in the spotlight for riding on this newfangled bike-thingy.

• from Big Boys, Big Toys, part of the blocks labeled Trikke Randy, now and forever at Randy Boyd's Blocks