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This is Part II of a fictional story A Trike for Two, this link will lead you to Part I “Gee, what are you going to do tomorrow?” Tawny asked with a smile, already knowing the answer. She knew tomorrow was Saturday—“Trike Day”—time to see if I had what it took to ride this big machine. I was up before the sun the next morning. Coffee took some of the edge off my nerves. I slipped out to the garage, started the engine, and rolled to the street. “OK, that went well,” I thought. The trike idled into a smooth purr as I cinched down my Just One helmet a little tighter. I slipped the clutch and headed out through the neighborhood. Five blocks later, I approached a stop sign, began braking, and lowered my feet to the pavement. I muttered to myself, “Come on Rookie. This is a three-wheeler! Don’t put your feet down.” The fact that the trike had to be turned instead of counter-steered was easier to learn. But I respected the fact that this was in-town riding, and I was going to have to build up quite a bit of confidence before taking this skill to the highway. At a neighborhood filling station, there was another concern. Climbing off the trike, I gasped in horror to see a back wheel sitting millimeters away from the gas pump. One rear fender already had a scuffed mark from the previous owner. The width of this beast was something I just had to keep in mind at all times! That also meant some additional planning to avoid curbs, obstacles and potholes while riding. By the end of the weekend, I was congratulating myself on making a sound purchase. The trike was so stable to ride, no matter how much I shifted my body position around, no matter what the road surface threw at me. Fears of flipping it quickly disappeared. I found that I could brake in a shorter distance and turn on a dime. At work, my mind continually wandered to the trike and all that remained to be done.—Tom Wiley
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