Joe,
Trikes in general are somewhat uncommon stateside. I had always been curious about them and had a chance to order one direct from Bob Jackson at "trade" prices in about 1990. At that time Hetchins was being built by Bob Jackson as well. I ordered a custom Hetchins track frame (which I still have and was seen a few weeks ago at Jimmys' place) and a Bob Jackson trike, 20" frame, with the optional rear rack. I supplied a set of Nervex Professional lugs for it, not knowing that they had scads of them and would have used them upon request without extra charge. Oh well, at least the ones I sent I had installed a countersunk seat binder bolt in. I still have the trike but they are difficult to ride in the configuration I have, which is single side drive made for British roads. Apparently sometime after mine was built, someone realized that the crown of the road shifts the drive weight to the opposite side for us statesiders. Out of the saddle and you're dead meat on my trike.
The top end trikes from Britan are the Ken Rogers (famous for the posi-traction rear end) and George Longstaff, also known for high quality trikes with posi-traction. I was too cheap to get the real thing, which costs twice what a Jackson costs. Trike riding is a speciality. I don't reccommend it for traffic. You become the width of three riders no matter where you go. You think it's hard paying attention to one line that your wheels are going to run through, on a trike you have to pay attention to three, each for potholes, glass, and road junk. Then try to avoid such things on a bike that fights every effort to make it turn, without steering a different wheel into the obsticle. Sounds like great fun, doesn't it boys and girls! Then add that they weight a ton and climb like crap. The Brits who have mastered the trike must be some sort of magicians or something. It's over my head.
Still, it's a cool thing to own and to have experienced. Had I never bought a trike, I would never have known what a beast they can be. I've ridden it in a couple of time trials though. So far I've won the trike catagory every time! And that rack on the back, surely it's large enough for a 12 pack.
Happy(?) Triking,
Brian Baylis
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work I go.
>
> Riding to school today I saw a senior lady riding a trike. At first I
> thought if was a Schwinn or a conversion but on closer inspection I saw it
> was a full up British trike made by Ken Rodgers, a builder I am unfamiliar
> with. These British trikes are almost never seen in the US.
>
> Joe Bender-Zanoni
> Ann Arbor, MI