I started riding my Terra Trike Rambler GT in mid-Aug 2015 here in far NW Arkansas. I was a complete novice and had to learn a lot through experience. I also learned a lot from reading these forum postings. Combine this with Google and YouTube and you can find a tremendous amount of information.
I'm starting this discussion to pass along some of my own experiences in hopes it will help you and/or give you ideas. You'll find other regular contributors on the forums who will help you as well. As an adult educator one of things I learned is that when you bring a group of adults together to solve problems and share information you will quickly realize the depth and width of knowledge available to a topic/subject. It's staggering. Use it. Uh, be advised that you may, on occasion, encounter curmudgeons: grouchy, cranky, negative people who will contradict, argue and disparage what you say or ask. Learn from them also as I did. Such is life.
Since mid-August I've ridden 764 miles. I have to ride six miles of city streets and cross major intersections to get onto the Razorback Greenway Trail System and I'm still alive! Only once have I had a hair raising experience (actually very little hair). This
@##hole pulled out in front of me with a big pickup truck and a flatbed trailer...intentionally. I was in a dedicated (well signed) path, on a downgrade doing 15 mph when the truck zipped up to the road, jammed on the throttle and pulled out in front of me. I locked up the wheels and turned 30 degrees sideways to avoid messing up his paint job (Actually the truck was a piece of ####).
Some of the things I will post you've probably heard a thousand times. If so, let it bring the thoughts back to awareness. Other things will be relevant to my trike and ways that have helped me improve my riding experience. Enjoy and don't be afraid to ask questions, share experiences or give advice. That's what the forum system is here for and thanks to Terra Trike for providing it. We are a family of trike riders. Trikes rule! :-h
Comments
I ride mainly on paved or compacted pea gravel paths. My biggest lesson learned is crossing roads from the paths. Most of the roads we cross are rural county two lane with 45-55 mph speed limits. So you really need to judge the traffic carefully. a few months ago I came very close to being hit by an oncoming car and it was all my fault.
The bike path had a slight rise at the highway crossing and I was hold the trike in place using the pedals to prevent rollong back as I waited for traffic to clear. There also is a slight rise in the hightway so approaching cars need to be seen prior to the rise. I thought it was clear and began to pedal forward and immediatly realized I had not downshifted and was going way to slow for crossing the road and along comes a car and lucky for me the drive sees me and swerves into the other lane to pass behind me vs hitting me.
My wife was with me on her conventional bike and after seeing me almost pasted to the cars front end she chewed my ass out loudly as she was crying and I understood I really messed up and also was very lucky.
So now at those type intersections I first make sure I'm downshifted correctly as I approach and also at times dismount to see better down the roar and just walk the trike across if neccessary. I know dismounting may be difficult for many of us but it also could be a wise move at times. There just are many scenarios where all the lights, flags banners, day glo clothing, education etc. will not help you one bit and although we need to look at the motorized operator with caution it can be our error not theirs.