Hi John, Chris and Neil (and Ben, though we haven’t corresponded),
My thanks go to all of you, for designing and building such a fine machine as the Trice QNT!
Although I at first thought it’s a lot of money to spend on just a tricycle, it’s not JUST a tricycle! It’s a much nicer machine to ride than a DF bike, and much better for many reasons, not least that it’s way more fun!
As a retired neighbour near my wife’s country home (farm, here in southern Finland) said: One packet of cigarettes per day and the Friday bottle (Finnish vodka) for a couple of years and you’re almost there with enough cash for a Trice! (I’ve never smoked, and I don’t often drink anything stronger than wine, so I’ve been saving for years, one might say.)
I took the trike to the farm a week ago, and they all liked it there. We even got my 88-year-old mother-in-law to try it, and she rode it twice round the garden! She wasn’t satisfied with one circuit! She’s not very steady on her legs, and usually gets about slowly with a walking stick, so we were surprised she just kept going!
I’ve been riding (driving?) it to work now for almost two weeks, after spending only 2 evenings building it, with my 15-yr-old son Richie’s help (he was good with fitting and adjusting the chain length, and a useful second pair of hands). Although my trip is only 4.5 km one way, it’s been sufficient at first for me to get used to the new riding position, and to give my muscles a chance to get used to it too! I feel it most in the knees, and the backs of my thighs right at the top. But I guess that’s natural.
I got the chance to go on a longer trip yesterday. I got Richie to ride my old DF, and we set off north up through the park, over a river on a narrow wooden bridge, and on to my brother-in-law’s. It was almost 12 km. We changed over now and then, so Richie could have some fun too. At one point there was a long gentle uphill, then a steep downhill (I was driving), and I broke my earlier speed record by reaching 49 kph! The in-laws got to try the trike, and liked it, of course. After a coffee with them we started back, but by then it had got dark, so it was out with our forehead lamps (like they use here for orienteering at night – though I sometimes wear mine on my upper arm). We found our way back, and anyway many of the paths through the park are lit (all the ones we were on), so it was no problem.
I was driving again when we came to that steep hill, but it was too much for me! I had to get off and push the rest of the way, which wasn’t far. All in all it was a very enjoyable ride, and Richie enjoyed it too!
I’d been wondering what name to give her (my QNT). I started thinking about those letters, and words came to mind like Quaint, but they didn’t feel right. Then I was thinking about my number: 6344. As with car registrations, numbers can be read like letters. The 6 is like a small B, and so on. I woke up one morning early, thinking about it. bEAA (6344). British something... No. Then it hit me: Beaatrice! And what a bonus: TRICE on the end! What does it matter that there are two A’s! So Beaatrice she is! So thanks for the good number!
By the way, have you heard of any other proud owners christening their Trice? Perhaps I won’t go to the trouble of cracking a bottle of champagne against her side! J
Photos:
Richie on our test drive.
Yours truly in evening sun
Mother-in-law, 88, tries the Trice
Crossing the river on that narrow bridge (it was a great winding narrow track down through the trees to the bridge!)
Cheers,
Phill
