Okay Aimee? How long did it take you to learn to use the Trikke? I got mine yesterday and tried this morning on the street in front of my house without much success. I will not give up!!!! Guess I need to find the sweat spot yet. I am hoping that since your dad uses one that I am not too far over the hill to catch on to the trick.

cheryl..keep trying and you will get it..My husband, aimee's dad just took right to it without much practice..Myself, I was scared...I do better when I have to big wheels like as in a bike. It does look fun, I would follow along with my bike...I have to admit it sure is more exercise than a bike...One time we were riding along, me out in front on my bike, aimee next on the trike and Darl bringing up the rear on his Trike. I stopped on the bridge (bike path) and waited for them to catch up but Darl never showed up right away.. We went back and he had fallen off of his and was just picking himself up...He jumped right back on and away he went. The next day we were out for knee pads (which he wouldn't wear) and a helmet..I told him I didn't want a brain dead husband.....LOL..When we went they always got lots of attention from other people who had never seen them before...

Cheryl,
When I first started off, I couldn't make it move on a flat surface. LOL! I found a slight decline and would go down that, but when the street leveled out and I slowed down, I couldn't move anymore. :)

Once you feel stable just standing on it and moving the handle bars back and forth, I've found the best way to get going is to kick off a couple of times (kind of like on a skate board (except this is more stalbe), then start turning the handle bars a little bit from side to side and shift your weight from side to side. And yes... hope you're wearing a helmet. LOL! The reason my dad fell off is because he was trying to turn the handle bars too quick and too far (we were going up a hill at the time, which is a lot harder and requires you to use a lot of upper body). For just getting going and keeping a steady movement, picture standing in the middle of a square room. Now, visualize the corner to the left and the corner to the right. Act like you're steering towards the left corner, then the right corner smoothly (you're still in the middle of the room though, remember that or you'll be turning the wheel too steep). That's all the further you really need to turn anyway. If you're looking for a sort of tempo once you kick off and get going, count 1 and, 2 and, 3 and, 4 and, etc. This should keep the pace and not make you feel like you have to jerk the handle bars really fast. The whole key really is to just get going. Once you're going, shift that weight from side to side and head for your two corners. :) Hopefully I haven't confused you. If I were light enough to ride my Trikke (only 10-12 more pounds to go then I can)... I'd try and make you a how to video so you can see what I'm talking about. The main thing is, you just need to be confident and don't be afraid of falling off (of course, don't get so confident that you aren't aware of what you're doing. My ex got cocky going down a huge hill and flipped off of his (he had a 4th degree black belt though, and knew how to take the fall without getting hurt). Me going down a big hill: Holding the handle bars straight and not shifing my weight. Kinda like coasting. LOL!

Thanks alot Aimee and Patty...That information was a great help and I understood it completely...I watched the Trikke video again last night and I think your information was much clearer. I am wearing a helmet! It is just being responsbile and unselfish to your family to do that. I shall try again today..It sounds like great fun and am anxious to get it going. I enjoyed reading about all of your exercise alternatives and how to make it not boring.

Thanks Cheryl. Let me know how it goes. I'll bet in less than a week you'll be making it look like you've been doing it a long time. :)

I did as you said this morning and took it to the alley where there is a small decline and shoved off. Yippeeee! What a thrill! I could go about 100 feet until there was a slight incline and that was it so I walked up it and turned around and came back down till I reached the incline that I started from. I am not discouraged about the small hill since you had already warned me I will keep working on it every day until I get this down pat and can go greater distances. THANK YOU AGAIN. Cheryl

Wow, 100 feet, great job, cheryl...I wasn't good at it since I don't have much upper body strength...I also have a bad shoulder so that didn't help either. Aimee and her dad were quite good so hopefully aimee will be able to get back on her Trikke before winter gets here...

Woohoo Cheryl!!!! You're off! It can only get better from here. :) Me and hills in the beginning.... forget it! LOL! Even the slightest incline and I was walking to a flatter spot or a hill that went down and not up. Each time you encounter a hill though, just try and go as far as you can. Eventually you'll make it up as you learn what you need to do to get up it. I use to ride on a bike path and about 3 miles into the ride I would have to go through this tunnel that would go under the street. First I would go down the hill, level out flat through the tunnel, then on the other side was the hill. At first I was basically walking from the very bottom of the hill, then about once a week I'd get a little further up the hill. Eventually I was making it completely up he hill (it was slow going, but I didn't get off of my Trikke at all). Super super super upper body workout getting up those hills. LOL!!! Just keep at it, you're off to a really good start. Are there any bike paths in your area that are flat and don't have a lot of debris on them? This is a perfect place to Trikke since you don't have to stop (except when you have to cross a road of course, but that's not often). :)

We have a couple of bike trails around that I thought I would try. One is very close to me. Thanks so much for the new information. That was what I was doing trying to go as far up the slight incline as possible and then walking to the top. Hey anything is better then nothing they say and if I keep trying I will eventually make it.

You sure will make it! You go girl! :)