I
made contact with Rob Billing at Trikke Australia (he had a different website
to the one I had previously looked at in January 2013).
Rob
confirmed he had T78AD's available and I'd chosen the Green color option.
 |
| Trikke T78AirDeluxe - 2012 model color options |
Rob shopped around for price comparisons on freighting the T78AD
from Melbourne, Australia to Westport, New Zealand. We decided on the
freight option that suited us both and I organised payment. Within 2
days it was in New Zealand, but it took another 3 days for it to be
processed via Customs etc. By February 11th 2014 I had
received the T78AD and had it assembled.
 |
| My T78AirDeluxe after assembly - Feb 2014 |
I'd
be constantly reviewing YouTube Trikke videos to work out what I
needed to change in my riding style so that I could improve my
technique. Here are some video examples...
I was mainly practicing on a nearby stretch of new concrete footpath (sidewalk) and a nice new asphalt cul-de-sac (similar to the Trikke Australia video link above) from a recently developed subdivision. Just having a slight head wind would slow me down to a crawl on the footpath, but at least the cul-de-sac had some slight slope for water run-off so I could circle around and practice my turns, leans and larger carves. I'd even get brave and attempt to Trikke the slight inclines of the pre-formed lanes for the rear sections that were still undeveloped.
Early on in the practice sessions it was obvious that I needed a set of gloves to reduce sweating hands slipping on the hand grips, provide additional hand comfort and to prevent potential blisters on longer rides. I checked out options at my local bike shop and decided on their "Specialized Body Geometry Gel" fingerless version. Ahhh, so much better with the gloves on. The gel pads were in the perfect places for great comfort and grip. Yes, they were more expensive than other variants, but I'm happy to say after 3 years I'm still using them and in 2016 I purchased an identical pair as a backup.
The factory leatherette handgrips on the T78AD were interesting to grip, but I needed better wrist support. I'd seen details of the T12 Roadster factory grips but they were too difficult to source in New Zealand. I had upgraded my 2-wheeled bike handgrips a year ago and figured something similar would work well.
The new handlebar grips gave my hands more surface area to grip with the gloves as well as supporting correct wrist position. I had most of the personalized "comfort" issues taken care of and was now prepared to do longer rides with a little more practice.
By the end of March 2014 I was confident enough to put in a decent distance to log my first full ride... 11km (7miles). From there my ability to carve evolved with each subsequent Trikke ride. Our NZ summer was almost over and so I had to pick a decent weekend during the Autumn and Winter months to keep up my Trikke riding skills. For 2014 I only managed 15 rides that totalled 168km (105miles), 4 rides at just over 15km (9miles) and towards the end of December I rode my longest distance of 21.32km (13.32miles).
Sophie had tried the T78AD a few times and was able to carve quite well, but she still preferred the now undersized T5 for some reason. Oh well, she had lost some interest in Trikking, but her Dad was getting well and truly hooked!
To justify all the expense of purchasing this wonderful
machine, that was worth more than any bike I would consider
purchasing, I knew I had to keep making the effort to ride the Trikke
as much as possible... had to get my monies worth. I could feel the
difference in my shoulders and arms and liked the result of having more muscle definition in those areas.
Trikke inventer Gildo... power Trikking.
Rob Billing (Trikke Australia) showing core Trikking concepts
I was mainly practicing on a nearby stretch of new concrete footpath (sidewalk) and a nice new asphalt cul-de-sac (similar to the Trikke Australia video link above) from a recently developed subdivision. Just having a slight head wind would slow me down to a crawl on the footpath, but at least the cul-de-sac had some slight slope for water run-off so I could circle around and practice my turns, leans and larger carves. I'd even get brave and attempt to Trikke the slight inclines of the pre-formed lanes for the rear sections that were still undeveloped.
Early on in the practice sessions it was obvious that I needed a set of gloves to reduce sweating hands slipping on the hand grips, provide additional hand comfort and to prevent potential blisters on longer rides. I checked out options at my local bike shop and decided on their "Specialized Body Geometry Gel" fingerless version. Ahhh, so much better with the gloves on. The gel pads were in the perfect places for great comfort and grip. Yes, they were more expensive than other variants, but I'm happy to say after 3 years I'm still using them and in 2016 I purchased an identical pair as a backup.
 |
| My Trikke bike gloves |
The factory leatherette handgrips on the T78AD were interesting to grip, but I needed better wrist support. I'd seen details of the T12 Roadster factory grips but they were too difficult to source in New Zealand. I had upgraded my 2-wheeled bike handgrips a year ago and figured something similar would work well.
 |
| Ergonomic Handlebar Grips |
The new handlebar grips gave my hands more surface area to grip with the gloves as well as supporting correct wrist position. I had most of the personalized "comfort" issues taken care of and was now prepared to do longer rides with a little more practice.
By the end of March 2014 I was confident enough to put in a decent distance to log my first full ride... 11km (7miles). From there my ability to carve evolved with each subsequent Trikke ride. Our NZ summer was almost over and so I had to pick a decent weekend during the Autumn and Winter months to keep up my Trikke riding skills. For 2014 I only managed 15 rides that totalled 168km (105miles), 4 rides at just over 15km (9miles) and towards the end of December I rode my longest distance of 21.32km (13.32miles).
Sophie had tried the T78AD a few times and was able to carve quite well, but she still preferred the now undersized T5 for some reason. Oh well, she had lost some interest in Trikking, but her Dad was getting well and truly hooked!
 |
| Size difference T5 vs T78AD |
I'd
gradually modified the T78Air during that first year to better suit
my needs, by changing over to more ergonomic handlebar grips. Another upgrade was to add on bar-ends and hooking up a mobile phone holder and speaker onto the centre of the handlebars for music & GPS tracking while I was riding.
When I added the bar-ends and got used to them, I realized how much additional carving swing and punch I now had... they were improving my overall speed and enhancing my ability to take on small inclines. It wasn't until a few years later that I realized I should have added a hand grip sleeve over the bar-ends for better grip and comfort.
I had also created a crude "parking block" from 3 off-cuts of timber so that the T78AD could stand up without rolling or tipping when not in use.
With all the little upgrades adding to a more enjoyable Trikking experience I was loving this T78AirDeluxe... it was so much fun, especially when I could play my favorite music while Trikking to keep me motivated.
2014 had come to an end... would 2015 be just as rewarding for Trikke rides?
 |
| Example of Bar-ends |
When I added the bar-ends and got used to them, I realized how much additional carving swing and punch I now had... they were improving my overall speed and enhancing my ability to take on small inclines. It wasn't until a few years later that I realized I should have added a hand grip sleeve over the bar-ends for better grip and comfort.
I had also created a crude "parking block" from 3 off-cuts of timber so that the T78AD could stand up without rolling or tipping when not in use.
 |
| "Parking Block" for front wheel |
With all the little upgrades adding to a more enjoyable Trikking experience I was loving this T78AirDeluxe... it was so much fun, especially when I could play my favorite music while Trikking to keep me motivated.
2014 had come to an end... would 2015 be just as rewarding for Trikke rides?
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