Sent: 17 August 2005
Hi Neil and Chris,

I’d just like to say a big thank you for helping me in my choice of first trike. From my initial email enquiries to the two days spent testing various model at your Falmouth works and the slew of questions that resulted you have been honest in your answers, professional, friendly and very approachable. As a result I ordered a Monster frame and was pleased that it arrived slightly ahead of schedule.

It arrived in a box that seemed to small for it’s contents but was assured by the courier that the box was “one of one”. I opened the box with the excitement of a kid at Christmas to find the frame parts carefully wrapped in foam sheeting, the wheels marked left and right with tyres on and inflated, the carbon seat and cover and various bags and boxes containing the smaller items of the build.

I was immediately impressed with the small detail of the kit – 2 spare inner tubes for the front wheels, a tyre tool, all the necessary allen keys and a spanner. The detail on the frame was equally impressive – I love the brazed on disc brake cable guide and the chainstay protector.

I laid out each part of the trike on a waist height table, after carefully unwrapping them and marvelling at the glossy post office red paint that adorned the expertly welded and finished tubes, to form a skeleton for the build. I then took my time over the next two days to assemble the parts into my first recumbent trike. Thankfully this was more straightforward than I had anticipated, but I took my time because I wanted to get it right first time.

With the job done I took my first tentative ride and took your advice and tested the brakes first! 6 miles later, with the gears properly indexed and the slack taken out of the brakes I was confident enough to climb a steep hill to join the A303 and its associated traffic to fly down a long curving descent and slight lip before turning off it and back into Mere. I’m happy to report that it was perfectly stable and confidence inspiring, there was no brake steer and it kept its line when I got too close to a couple of rather large rain grates at the side of the road. I’m now going into corners faster than I should confident in the trikes ability to get round and grinning like an idiot if the inside wheel starts to lift as a result.

I’m sure I’ll get many many miles of comfortable, fast, fun miles out of my Monster and will also enjoy the attention it draws each time I go out – a roadie at the LBS was very impressed by it.

Thanks again to you all.