This scooter has two front wheels, each steered by one half of the handlebars. The back wheel is a caster and follows the direction of movement. To skate, one leans to the side, balancing on two wheels and turning the front wheel in contact with the ground, slightly outwards. One then rocks over to the other front wheel while turning in the opposite direction.

In this way, one mimics the motion of a skater and is propelled in the same curved, zigzag fashion. Like a manual scooter, one can start and accelerate by kicking backward, and with a twist of the grips can make the front wheels steer in parallel for carefree coasting.
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 23 2003

(?) illustration http://www.geocitie...nie/skatetrike.html
[FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

"Trikke" 3 wheel scooter http://www.trikke.com
Similar. Method of motion is the same. [waugsqueke, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

(???) Scandinavian Kicksled www.kicksled.com
These are fun on ice [Pellepeloton, Sep 23 2006]

Comes with one box of Dramamine.
-- phoenix, Jul 23 2003


If the back wheel was a caster as in your (splendid) illustration, then it would be frighteningly unstable as soon as you tip onto two wheels (imagine an ordinary scooter with a caster for a back wheel). I suggest making the back wheel very wide and flat, and having the caster joint point forwards (rather than upwards as in your illustration), and sprung to keep it in the proper alignment, should you do jumps or something.
-- friendlyfire, Jul 23 2003


I agree.
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 23 2003


FJ, there's a product being sold through infomercials in the US that's almost identical to this. The only difference is the two wheels are on the back, but it's operated with the same sort of kickback motion and curvy steering motion. I think it's called a "Triik" or something like that - damned if I can find it on the web though.

{Later: Found it. "Trikke" it's called. Hard to find a product when the name is spelled wacky. They didn't take getting found on the internet into consideration, obviously. Anyway, link.}
-- waugsqueke, Jul 23 2003


Probably break my ass, but I'd like to try one on a half-pipe.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 23 2003


[waugs] The linked Trikke makes the Skate Trike look like a discarded design on the way to the finished product.

[reensure] Not so rattletrap, that?
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 24 2003


[reensure] re: the link. At the gym I saw a guy with drumstick-like thighs roll out a thin plastic mat 1 X 5 feet with stop blocks at the ends, pull on special soles and then proceed to skate in place for a half hour.
-- FarmerJohn, Jul 24 2003


Once again, your picture was so good I didn't have to bother reading the description :) Pretty girl in the pic, too.
-- phundug, Jul 24 2003


I made something similar a few months ago. It does not have a caster wheel at the back but I can still use it by zigzag fashion like some skateboards. Normal kick scooting works well also. The advantage of two wheels on the front is that it is possible to carry heavy loads on the front frame. Having a load on the front means that snaking is not possible but you need to kick the normal fashion. The prototype works pretty well and I have found it practical and fun urban transport. No further details yet as I am planning to release my idea on my own website soon. I don't have a brand name yet but as a generic name it will be a skate trike. I will provide a link in due course.
-- Pellepeloton, Aug 30 2012



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