A Third Wheel
The Eccentric Alternative
A Guide to Sidecars and Trikes
Simon Potter
If you fancy a sidecar or trike, but your knowledge is based on random memories and hearsay, this book is for you. The author has owned a range of different machines, so his advice comes from long practical experience. He knows his stuff.
He also writes well, explaining everything you need to know in a simple and clear manner. And he is honest about it: sidecar outfits are slower than solo bikes, trikes are too wide to filter through traffic. There are no rose-tinted specs here - just honest, practical advice.
He covers all currently available makes and models, which ones work well on which bikes, what they are like to ride. All with plenty of photographs to aid identification. He talks about wheelbase, track, tyre-width, and the relative merits of telescopic and leading-link forks. He even managed to explain rake and trail in simple enough words that I now understand it!
He nods in the direction of
NABD, since the reason many people take a trike or outfit is disability, but does not dwell on this, because a third wheel is for everyman. Well, perhaps not everyman, since they are a rare sight on UK roads. But certainly a thing that anyone can enjoy, and perhaps surprisingly, that many are built to be ridden solo.
Written in 2008, published 2009, the content is up to date. There is a comprehensive list of manufacturers' addresses and web sites which can be expected to be current.
If you don't want a third wheel... well, you wouldn't be reading this book anyway. If you do fancy it, then the wealth of down-to-earth sensible advice and information make this book well worth the cover price.