Sunday, July 17, 2011

'Brothers Of The Third Wheel' Trike Rally

Last year I went out to a Brothers of the Third Wheel Trike Rally. I rode out on my trike along with a friend on a Harley and since he had said we should leave my place about 10am, we missed out big time. It turned out everyone went on a Poker Run and we passed them around Grindrod, heading in the direction we were coming from. This year, knowing they would head out for a run, I went early. I left home just after 8:00am and met my friend George across the lake from my place. He rode to Sicamous with me and came to the camp ground to check out the trikes and meet the trikers.

(Click on photos to enlarge)

This one belongs to Jerry & his wife from Chilliwack. This is a factory built automobile, I believe he said it's 1972... there are only 2 of them left in Canada, 1 in a museum and this one. It is registered as a car so they wear seat belts instead of helmets. It has a 'rag top' which he took off just before I took the photo.
As you can see, the CanAm Spider is not the first trike to have 2 wheels in the front and 1 in the back.


The yellow trike is Denise's. She just bought it from Bob so he didn't have a trike to ride. Denise was so excited because Bob was riding the "birch seat" on her trike!! (She would drive and he ride behind her.)
Yes, the gray one is a Fiero... or was anyway. It was down for the weekend from Fort St. John, ridden by Jerome.
In the background, notice the yellow & black cars. They also went on the run with us, driven my BTW members who currently either have not trike or are physically unable to ride one, yet still love being part of the group and going on the runs. Daye drove the yellow car, Terry & wife were in the black one.


This trike is Wally & Chris's. I wish I had details on what kind of motors each trike has, but I don't... yet. I have a couple email addresses so will be in contact with the group.


Kevin & Heather ride this one.

Of course, I must include George's Harley and my trike, though it is not a great shot of either.

When we arrived at the campground we at first didn't see the trikes, then saw a couple people come out from behind some tents and wave us over. As I drove up to the BTW (Brothers of the Third Wheel) area, Denise came out to greet me, so happy to see another woman with her own trike. It was an awesome greeting, warm & friendly. I was introduced to many who's names I don't remember, though thankfully I do remember some names and all the great people. I remember Terry & Jerry... I have a brother named Terry and had a brother named Gerald, or Jerry, and a boyfriend named Jerry.

When we headed out George stayed in Sicamous to do some stuff he wanted to do there, and 6 of us trikes went on the Poker Run to the Gold Panner Cafe just past Cherryville. I am told that this year was the smallest turn out they have had yet... including me there were 6 trikes. Apparently one fellow had left early due to ill health.

Having each picked one card at the campsite in Sicamous, we rode to Armstrong where we pulled in to the A&W where we all got to choose card number 2.

All the trikes of course get a lot of attention wherever they go. People come to look.

We then were riding to Cherryville and made it to Vernon when our leader pulled over and talked to Bob a couple minutes, then came over to me. "Do you know your way around?" or something like that. I didn't bother to say how long I have lived in this area, but did agree to lead the pack the rest of the way. Off we went through Vernon and out to the Gold Panner Cafe, stopping in Lumby for gas in my trike & one other. We got to the Gold Panner just before the storm hit and the rain pelted down in bucket fulls as we sat inside... after coming in off the patio during the early part of the rain fall. After we enjoyed our lunch we headed back with me in the lead again. I took everyone through Vernon a different way in order to miss the heavier traffic part of the city, then back onto the highway. Just coming into Armstrong we were going slow for the construction when I had to change over to my reserve gas tank. Going at a lower speed and letting go of one handle bar put my trike into a major wheel wobble where the front wheel was wobbling back and forth and I barely able to hang on to it could do nothing but ride it out until the trike slowed down enough for it to stop. I have a steering damper on it so this shouldn't have happened, but it turns out the damper has come loose, so happen it did. It took a long time to stop doing it. I rode on through the construction, meeting George on his way back home, and north to Enderby where I stopped for gas again. While there I decided not to go the rest of the way to Sicamous, just so I could turn around and ride all the way back, so I said my goodbyes there and headed back south again.

I just got a few kilometers down the road when the lightening storm hit. The rain was coming down so hard and heavy that I could barely see, and I wasn't properly geared up for this kind of riding, so I pulled off onto a side road and under a tree where I was at least a little bit protected from the rainfall. Another motorcycle also pulled off and took cover under that tree. I took out the rain-proof liner for my jacket from the saddle bag, took off the jacket, put on the liner as if it was another jacket, but the outer jacket back on, put on my neoprene face mask and by then the rain had slowed down some so off I went again. Just south of Armstrong my friends Hammer & Melody pulled up beside me on their Harley, we waved at each other &, happy to see them, I gave them a nice big smile... then realized they couldn't see it since I was wearing a face mask to protect my face from the pelting rain... then they rode on, rushing home to get out of the rain.

Having put about 400 kilometers on my trike since leaving home, I returned home soaking wet, yet my heart still happy. I had a wonderful day and am pretty sure that next year I not only will go out to meet and ride with the Brothers of the Third Wheel, but will likely go camp with them for the weekend. I will also likely officially join the club by then.

2 comments:

Martha said...

I have looked through wonderful photos from that rally, made by my friend and was impressed. I think that such occasions should attract more and more people every new year and I personally have decided to visit it as well)

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