Trikking is thought to be the most fun aerobic exercise you can do. The movement is smooth and gentle, even though it requires some effort to get up hills. Trikking is not easy – it takes some persistence to get good enough to even go up small inclines. There are a lot of people who give up too early. If you have a friend who has a Trikke, try their first. You might even consider finding a local dealer who can let you try different models, and help you with adjustments and maintenance. The Trikke T12 Roadster is one of the top of the line Trikke models if you are looking to make a purchase.

Also, the energy input to forward momentum conversion is fairly indirect, you can’t just stand up on the pedals and power forward like you can on a bike. This means you put in twice the effort to go only 2/3 the speed as a bike. But as another reviewer mentioned, since that effort is spread so evenly across different muscle groups in your body, you don’t get sore muscles (or a sore butt from a bike seat).

The Trikke T12 Roadster is solid, high off the ground, and has disc brakes that are almost dangerously effective. It’s easy to lurch forward into the handlebars if you brake too hard. Also Important: The handlebars want to pivot 180 degrees from their normal position. It’s supposed to be this way. It’s part of how you get the pushing effect from the turning, but you have to be careful not to let them turn too sharply or you’ll go right over them.

It is also recommended that you wear the proper helmet and knee/elbow pads. Many people wear bike gloves when learning to Trikke, because when you take a spill, the speeds are usually low enough that you try to catch yourself with your hands rather than rolling. This leads to scraped palms if you don’t wear gloves.

Trikke T12 Roadsters are pretty low maintenance – as are most Trikke 3-wheel scooters. You may want to check adjustments once or twice a year, and check tire pressures once a month. Folding it is a breeze if you want to take it somewhere. Outside of that, there is little maintenance.

There are multiple types of Trikke scooters, and the Trikke T12 Roadster is is a high quality model. But be warned, it is large and can be hard for newbies to handle. Stick to a Trikke T8 Air if you don’t need the largest model.

Here are some tips for starting out. You should begin by practicing standing on the Trikke while it’s still. Stand on the balls of your feet toward the front of the footpads with your toes pointed out (heels in). This will allow you to use all the muscles in your legs instead of standing flatfooted and using only your thighs and quads. It’s important to practice leaning the whole Trikke from side-to-side. Once you try “pushing,” be sure you’re leaning on the Trikke instead of just pushing the handlebars. This allows you to get a much better feel for the Trikke T12.

It’s important that you not try to make it go from a standstill. Just take a few good pushes with your foot like a regular scooter to increase your speed. Stay away from hills when you are just starting out. Going downhill without any work gives you a sense of false confidence. There are some very good deals on Amazon right now for the Trikke T12 Roadster.