Recently we had a gentleman that came by our shop in Toronto for some parts. He had been riding for approximately three years already. He was part of a mall walking/Trikking activity and really had his riding skills down.

As part of our services we try to connect riders and wanabee riders with one another via our Trikke Connections page. When we went to add this individual to our page, we realized that his skill was far from beginner and wanted to acknowledge his ability. Although we don't have listed what the differences we perceive three levels to be, he was definitely an expert.  So for now, we've listed this hill climbing rider as a level three expert. It is our goal to provide some means of measuring your Trikke skill level. More of this in upcoming issues of this newsletter.

If you're interested in publishing some more information on a Trikke marker in your area, please contact us and let us know the details. To respect the Privacy Act, we need you to contact us to provide permission.

This is a follow on article to a previously discussed topic found here.

We'd like to say that we found a house hold tool to tighten up those loose valves. We tried a few tweezers and screw drivers but none could do the job as well as the valve tightener itself. If you are finding that your tubes are not holding air for a long time the valve stem might need a tighten. If your in Toronto, come by our shop and we'd gladly check all your tires. If you can't make it by, try your local bike shop and their mechanic will likely be able to help you through the valve tightening process.

If you've been riding for at least one season, it's a great time to rotate your tires before your front one wears considerably. We have found that bad technique and simply long term usage can wear your front tire faster than the back tires.

As a convention we will pick rotating your tires in a (viewed from the sky) clockwise direction, just to keep things consistent. The actual direction is not important, but rather to keep you rotating in the same direction each time to get the balanced tire wear. It is more desirable to do this before your front tire needs replacing to increase the longevity of your tire.

For this task, you will need (does not apply to Trikke 12 Roadster because of the disk brakes):

• your set of allen keys

• some (usually blue) semi-permanent Loctite

• wire brush for cleaning off the old Loctite

• a clear wind free area (ideally a carpet or padded area)

You will need to:

1. Do one wheel at a time, also so you don't reverse the tire tread or direction of the wheel.

2. Turn the Trikke over so it is lying stable upside down

3. Start with the front tire removing the axle bolts.

4. You will notice a blue liquid on the bolt threads, do you best to clean this off (using the wire brush) before you apply new Loctite and reassemble.

5. The Trikke is upside down so clockwise will be reversed and you'll be working on the left wheel (viewed from the sky) next.

6. Loosen (but not disconnect completely) the nut on the break bolt (#4 in the picture below) as it is putting pressure on the axle and may make the removal and refit a bit snug, then completely undo the wheel axle bolt and clean off the Loctite.

7. If it's still a bit tight to remove the tire, loosen the brake lever bolt a bit more, if it comes completely undone, no problem you can do it up once the wheel is back in place.

8. Now you can put the front wheel on the one you just removed. Match up the direction of the tread with the one tire still connected. If you have to look at the wheel still connected at the spacers, make sure that you put the spaces back on the same way. Apply some semi-permanent Loctite on the bolt threads and reassemble the bolt and axle. Remember to retighten the brake nut and you're done that wheel.

9. Congrats, you're almost done!

10. Do the same to the other back wheel (step 6), then retighten the brake nut, and the matching axle bolt (with Loctite).

11. One more wheel to go!

12. The last wheel (the front) will only need the bolt and axle (with Loctite) and you're done.

13. Adjust your brakes if required and Trikke away.

If you have a T12, you may want to consider removing the tires and rotating just the tires. It's a bit more work and you'll need tire levers for the removal.

What the heck are the Jingles you may ask? Any of you that have ridden a least one season will have experienced those jingly keys in your pocket. When you leave your home or vehicle you have to lock up before you go. We've been searching for a solution for this one for quite some time and we think we have a good first attempt at removing those Jingles and giving you a freer ride.

We've had designed a Velcro key holder with the following properties:

• Small compact design

• Will fit on your wrist or most of the larger tubing on the Trikkes

• Has a reflective branding for safety/visibility

• To get one (for CAD$4.95 + tax), order yours with your next Trikke purchase, or contact us and we'll mail one out, or pick one up from our shop.

Yup, DPA is Daily Physical Activity if you are new to those terms in the Physical and Health education curriculum. We just came back from the 75th Annual Physical and Health Education Canada Conference in Banff.

Can we say "eye opener" in so many ways? No pun on the beautiful mountain terrain. We were very unaware of the focus and mandates set forward by the provincial and federal government targeting youth with comprehensive physical education and health. The funding and support of a better phys-ed and health curriculum that extends beyond the schools is out there and sought after by out educators, the school boards and their supporters. They made reference to the past changes that have occurred with improved health and believe that it will take some time for this change to occur.

Time and time again in the workshops and sessions we heard the presenter refer to comprehensive health. Given the context of the conference, the depth of the coverage to our youth, extends to the entire curriculum, not just the physical education and health classes. For example, they made reference to the research that individuals who have had some physical activity just before a class are better able to pay attention during class.

We could go on about all the great ideas, but where does all this great information and research lead us and how does it apply to you? You as parents of youth or simply as healthier adults and us as suppliers of the Trikke in Canada can affect peoples' health and well being. For the majority of the population, the Trikke is still either unknown or relatively new. The health benefits are only being discovered and understood now. You are the pioneers of a better balance in health and physical activity. Don't get us wrong, the Trikke is not the solution to the problem. It is one solution to healthier comprehensive outlook to general well-being. The capacity for the Trikke to engage youth both within and outside the schools and with their families is very unique. Think of the health benefits of swimming (full-body and non impacting), the personal challenge of say downhill skiing (the Trikke can always challenge you), and the convenience of accessibility (you can move the Trikke in smaller spaces and don't necessarily have to go far compared with other modes of exercise). All this in a compact package for a reasonable price.

As we write this newsletter, we are proud to say the first shipment of Trikkes within Canada destined for an elementary school in Nova Scotia is taking place. Starting in June, 2009 Trikkes will be included in the first school curriculum in Canada. This is all ground breaking news for every one involved and we would like to thank the members of the school boards and their teachers for making this a reality.

If you think the Trikkes would be a great fit for a school in your area, please get in touch with us.