FREE on THREE

Seven hundred forty pages. Four hundred fifty illustrations. Thirty contributors. Four nations. Thirty nine chapters. All about human powered recumbent tadpole tricycles … nothing else. The title of this book is Free on Three, intended to motivate one’s inner spirit of adventure, to get you out there seeing your planet from a whole new perspective. It’s amazing how the same territory you’ve witnessed for years in automobiles or on foot suddenly transforms into an entirely different world from the cockpit of a trike. So, what will you find within the pages of this unique book? Well, quite a lot of knowledge about tadpoles, that’s what! From who makes them and sells them, to how to choose the right one for your needs, to what it’s like riding a trike hundreds or even thousands of miles across the country. Once you finish reading the final page, you’ll have a comprehensive understanding of human powered recumbent tadpole tricycles. Whether an expert already, or just a greenhorn about to plunge in, you’ll learn things you never knew, you’ll become an expert on these three wheeled rigs, and you’ll be eager to head out into your own wild journey of discovery. This book is titled Free on Three to best capture the wild spirit of unlimited triking adventure. It is divided into seven sections. Here is the order of things, followed by what to expect: Part 1: The Ultimate Freedom Machine Part 2: Trike Tips From Tadpole Dealers Part 3: Inside The Major Manufacturers Part 4: High Adventure On A Low Trike Part 5: Trike Pilot Profiles Part 6: Steve’s TriAngular Realm Part 7: Tadpole Tricycle Resources Part ONE (The Ultimate Freedom Machine) consists of five introductory chapters to whet your whistle, thereby priming the essence of our primordial need for exploration and adventure. Trikes allow intrepid travelers to leave the car behind, while traveling many times faster than feet would ever allow. Peter Stull, owner of Bicycle Man in Alfred Station New York, penned the first concise piece that describes the unparalleled spirit of triking. Peter is an expert with trikes, and sells a complete line of tadpole tricycles … he’s not just a bike guy! Yours truly scribed the next article, which will detail all that you will find in the book. Up next comes an informative chapter written by Charles Coyne, publisher of Recumbent & Tandem Rider Magazine. He chats about how trikes have played an integral part of his magazine’s first ten years in business. Another well known journalist provides a few words in the next welcome chapter. Bryan Ball, creator of the world’s most widely read online recumbent website, Bent Rider, muses about how recumbent trikes have grown from nearly unknown status to the default recumbent design in the minds of many a cyclist. Wrapping up Part One is an emotionally laden masterpiece of tricycular brainwashing, which does its best to inject pure adrenaline into those triking veins of yours. If you believe that riding a tricycle is nothing more than basic transportation, intended only to accomplish certain necessary tasks of getting you from point A to point B, then just skip the next chapter because you’ll likely think the author has been inflicted with the madness of overly dramatic exhortation. Actually, it may be true, as I have most assuredly become a three wheeled fanatic. If you like the ideology I offer in Free on Three, then you’ll enjoy this whole book, which is overflowing with the same philosophy. Part TWO (Trike Tips From Tadpole Dealers) is packed full of wisdom from four dedicated tadpole trike dealers, and describes many things that all enthusiasts are hungry to know. First, Peter Stull is back to explain what’s necessary for choosing a unique tadpole trike that fits you just right, while serving your specific three wheeled needs. Next, Rolf Garthus, owner of Hostel Shoppe Recumbents in Stevens Point Wisconsin, discusses many important aspects of recumbent tricycling, and answers some frequently asked questions. Hostel Shoppe is a convenient and widely respected one-stop trike shop that offers assistance in person, online, or over the telephone. Then, Terry “Hoppy” Dean, owner of T.Ryx Recumbent Trikes in Escondido California, leads an informative talk about many facets of tadpoles, and discusses his own beginnings. Like quite a few trike companies, Hoppy believes that fossil fuels are extinct, which gave rise to his shop’s unique naming. The first section of the book is brought to a close by trike guru Ashley Guy, owner of the superbly stocked Utah Trikes, a well-known tadpole trike dealership that does significant business both at their shop and online. Ashley’s chapter discusses a number of necessary elements that any serious trike enthusiast needs to know. Part THREE (Inside The Major Manufacturers) takes you behind the scenes of some major trike manufacturers, including one pannier manufacturer and one ingenious mountain trike company that is now inactive. Taking the lead in part three is the Canadian company called Arkel, a good name to know if you are seeking cargo solutions on your trike for errands around town or treks around the world. Joe Kurmaskie describes many options that will carry your stuff in style on three wheels. Brian Gobrogge of Berserker Cycle Design steps up next to explain why the Berserker tadpole trike is a good choice for riders who want the maximum in bodily comfort, a luxury his company offers through the trike’s full suspension system. The 26 inch wheels also afford more ground clearance and allow for easier ingress and egress. Catrike then moves into the spotlight with its chapter written by Mark Egeland. Catrike’s extensive line of tadpole trikes are made in Winter Garden Florida, and have become a mainstay in the tadpole world. Here, you will learn the story of owner Paulo Camasmie, and how he started this famous trike business from humble beginnings. Trikes for a small planet are the next order of business, and we have a chapter by Ian Sims, founder and CEO of Greenspeed trikes from Australia. He eloquently offers his wisdom from over 20 years of designing trikes, with the feedback of thousands of customers, many of whom have toured for thousands of miles on Greenspeed trikes. From Australia, we move on to more northerly territory to visit Inspired Cycle Engineering, commonly abbreviated and known as ICE in the tadpole world. Ben Rotheway submits for our consideration and enjoyment the history of this premier trike company from Great Britain. Learn about ICE from its earliest times to the present, and see how a race car driver sparked the flame. The pursuit of perfection is what drives Trevor Innes, brilliant creator of perhaps the most sophisticated trike to be found, the sleek and visually pleasing Innesenti. Mike Davidson offers this story about Trevor’s carbon fiber three wheeler made one at a time to the highest standards in England. Check out this steed if looking for a true conversation starter. Kerrel Cycle is a story of a different sort. Imagine a tadpole trike that has the uncanny ability to traverse side hills through an unequaled suspension system that allows it to lean, thereby keeping the rider upright. Sean Kerrel masterminded such a vehicle, the amazing SK3 mountain trike, and tells the tale of its conception, construction, and current inactive status. Look into the mind of a master. Nearly all tadpole tricycles have a rear wheel power train, with the front wheels steering. One does not. The Sidewinder drives power to the front, while the rear wheel steers the trike, which allows for this incomparable trike to turn easily at 90 degrees, making it capable of turning in its own length. Michael Newhouse tells the story behind this stand-alone vehicle. Bringing to a close this section is the venerable TerraTrike, a world renowned company with a modest commencement in Kentwood Michigan. Jeff Yonker tells this story of a successful manufacturer that prides itself