Maiden Voyage

A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, or this this case enough steps to add up to a 2.7 mile ride on my new Me-Mover. As with any new vehicle or exercise machine, the Me-Mover has a learning curve. The metaphorical first step was taken on my computer watching an official Me-Mover video demonstrating safety tips and basic riding technique:

Me-Mover Introduction 2017 – How to ride the Me-Mover

After understanding the basics, I tried a few passes up and down my driveway. These were the most awkward and challenging moments for me, both nerve-wracking and exhilarating at the same time. It is inevitable that it will take a little time to get the balance and the feel of a new vehicle like the Me-Mover. My driveway adventure was enough to get the feel for the operational basics, but not enough to get it up to speed and cruise any distance.

So I loaded the Me-Mover into my truck and drove to Bicentennial Park in East Allen Township. I chose this small park for both its proximity to home and for the nostalgia of it having been the park where I first rode my Trikke five years ago. If I am going to restart my fitness journey on a new vehicle, what better place to do it!

Bicentennial Park is an ideal place to learn to Me-Move. It only has a short trail, but the pavement is smooth and mostly flat. It is typically not crowded giving you plenty of room to experiment. There is one short branch of the trail with a steep hill which I chose to avoid on my first ride, but the other branch with the shallower dip was easy enough to handle.

Once I was free of the confines of my driveway, my comfort with the Me-Mover literally increased with every step. I was feeling at ease and balanced on it by the time my fitness app announced that I had completed my first mile.

I set a goal of riding two miles but was feeling well enough to go further. While 2.7 miles is less than I  typically ride, my intentions for this ride were to learn all I could about my new Me-Mover. I focused on specific skills, such as getting it started, feeling the effectiveness of the front and rear brakes, leaning into turns, and understanding the high and low gears as they corresponded to the lift on each pedal.

My first impressions of the Me-Mover are all positive. This is a well-engineered and sturdy machine. Everything operated smoothly and conveyed a high-quality feel. As for the exercise value, the Me-Mover will definitely get you fit. My leg muscles were feeling the most burn, but even my core muscles let me know they received a workout. Most importantly, the Me-Mover is FUN! They say the best exercise is the one that you are willing to do regularly, and I find myself already looking forward to my next ride.