Mischief on three wheels
March 10, 2012 10:18 AM   Subscribe

Trike drifting looks to be an incredibly dangerous and wildly fun sport. [via]
posted by quin (50 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
I wonder what the two rear wheels are made out of? Regardless that looks like so much fun.
posted by Blasdelb at 10:23 AM on March 10, 2012


Wow, that does look like fun. It also proves once and for all that women are smarter than men.
posted by Western Infidels at 10:24 AM on March 10, 2012 [5 favorites]


I refrained from making a Darwin at work comment, until I saw the guy with no shoes on.

so... Darwin at work.
posted by HuronBob at 10:24 AM on March 10, 2012 [7 favorites]


It looks like it's probably reasonably safe (and a lot of fun) as long as you wear a helmet and (herein lies the catch) avoid roads with cars.
posted by The Card Cheat at 10:24 AM on March 10, 2012


Where is this shot and why on earth do they have these big ass toilet paper rolls?
posted by Foci for Analysis at 10:26 AM on March 10, 2012


It looks like it's probably reasonably safe (and a lot of fun) as long as you wear a helmet and (herein lies the catch) avoid roads with cars.

From watching the video, I'd rank shoes above a helmet on the list of missing safety gear.
posted by Forktine at 10:28 AM on March 10, 2012 [4 favorites]


Wow, these Aussies are crazy.
posted by ambrosen at 10:29 AM on March 10, 2012


Coming soon to LiveLeak!
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:29 AM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Where do you get enormous skateboard wheels?
posted by domnit at 10:32 AM on March 10, 2012


Wow, these Aussies are crazy.

Agreed. But this is a discussion about crazy Kiwis.
posted by bruzie at 10:38 AM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think the wheels are PVC.
posted by chronkite at 10:44 AM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


They're probably the opposite of skateboard wheels, with as little grip as possible.
posted by carter at 10:45 AM on March 10, 2012


Pshaw. We were spinning Big Wheels in the middle of the street 40 years ago. Kids these days.
posted by JoeZydeco at 10:53 AM on March 10, 2012 [6 favorites]


Meanwhile, in Quebec...
posted by costanza at 10:56 AM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Totally illegal.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:01 AM on March 10, 2012


19 year old me: "Where do I sign up for this?"

29 year old me: "I'd need a few beers first."

39 year old me (the current version of me): "I could be talked into it, with enough safety gear."



That's some damn slow maturation, right there.
posted by oddman at 11:06 AM on March 10, 2012 [10 favorites]


19 year old me: "Idiots."

29 year old me: "Total idiots."

31 year old me (the current version of me): *sigh*
posted by Fizz at 11:12 AM on March 10, 2012


"Thumbs up for riding with no shoes."

Only if he's paying for his own health insurance and the taxpayer won't have to buy him a new set of soles when it goes bad.

Also, I didn't see one of them texting at the same time. So thumbs down.
posted by three blind mice at 11:18 AM on March 10, 2012


That Prince Harry is one crazy dude.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:24 AM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Things like this make me glad I'm not 19 any more because you see, there is absolutely no version of peer pressure that would make me do this at this point(47) in my life.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 11:25 AM on March 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


Yah, looks like they're wrapping the rear wheels in something slick so they can get that drift going.

Insanely unsafe, but with fantastic camera work. The "making of" video makes the great point that you get the best shots by hanging it out there and getting really close.

If you think that's ridiculous, try the "World's Largest Rope Swing" video by the same director: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B36Lr0Unp4&feature=relmfu
posted by Mercaptan at 11:26 AM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


The wheels are PVC sewer pipe.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:27 AM on March 10, 2012


It's like real life Mario Kart! I kept expecting to see blue sparks when they kicked out the drift. Love it.
posted by dazed_one at 11:45 AM on March 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


Costanza beat to the post on this one....
posted by bluefrog at 11:49 AM on March 10, 2012


That looks like so much damn fun. I wish I wasn't old enough to not heal quickly anymore....
posted by lumpenprole at 12:15 PM on March 10, 2012


Prince Harry is by far the cooler prince.
posted by srboisvert at 12:19 PM on March 10, 2012


This is terminally stupid. As soon as you take your adrenaline sport onto public roads and endanger uninvolved innocent other users, such as motorcyclists and bicyclists, you become a complete dick. The emotional trauma that would be inflicted on a driver who accidentally crushes the life out of one of these dipsticks isn't to be sneered at either.
posted by PareidoliaticBoy at 12:32 PM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


My seven year old is a total scaredy nerd-type...but he watched the Epic Rope Swing and Human Slingshot videos approximately a bagillion times in the last ten minutes. AN EFFING BAGILLION.

In other news, I wish I had the balls to do this shit.
posted by youandiandaflame at 12:34 PM on March 10, 2012


I guess 40 year old me is an idiot because I started googling "how to build adult downhill trike" before the video even finished.
posted by last night a dj saved my life at 12:52 PM on March 10, 2012 [7 favorites]


Pre-children me would have said "oh wow that's kinda crazy." Post-children me says "please jeebus don't let my younger son see that when he's old enough to do this kind of crazy shit, because he totally would." Sigh.
posted by ambrosia at 12:59 PM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


19 year old me: "Where do I sign up for this?"

29 year old me: "I'd need a few beers first."

39 year old me (the current version of me): "I could be talked into it, with enough safety gear."

That's some damn slow maturation, right there.


I'm not quite 39 yet, but I'd definitely give this a try (though I'd be wearing shoes, and my elbows and knees would be covered). It looks like straight-up fun to me, which probably means that I've managed to do no maturation whatsoever.
posted by Forktine at 1:08 PM on March 10, 2012


Wow, that does look like fun. It also proves once and for all that women are smarter than men.

Not all of us, because I would totally do this.
posted by Anonymous at 1:13 PM on March 10, 2012


Once again, the young male finds a way to vent testosterone. No intimation of mortality there, folks.

This made me wince because when I was a youngin' we used to draft or hooky-bob, which was riding a bike and grabbing onto a moving vehicle. Once was enough to scare me witless. Hooky-bobbing was a self-limiting exercise, as the driver would usually stop and attempt to beat the crap out of the 'bobber.' Eventually this stupidity evolved, and if you were really 'brilliant' you'd tie a rope to your handle bars and flip a loop over the tow hitch. Naturally, a few bikes were dragged down the road after the rider lost it. One idjut was lucky enough to get a loop of rope around an arm and was dragged along for a while with the bike beating him in the head until the driver realized that something was wrong. Fortunately, it didn't kill him, but he did end up in intensive care, and thus ended hooky-bobbing in my neighborhood, for my generation.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:37 PM on March 10, 2012


I am 30 years old, married and a father, and if I was watching this in person and was offered a chance I'd give it a go. With shoes on.
posted by tylerkaraszewski at 2:11 PM on March 10, 2012


we used to draft or hooky-bob

There was a Canadian version of this, which involved wearing one curling shoe and using that to slide down the street while hooking your arms under the back of a bus bumper. I forget what it was called, but it was similarly Darwintastic.
posted by benzenedream at 2:59 PM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


I didn't watch the whole thing, but did anyone them die?
posted by cjorgensen at 3:20 PM on March 10, 2012


I would love to try this.
posted by maxwelton at 4:21 PM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Except fat, bald guys would probably ruin the aesthetic.
posted by maxwelton at 4:21 PM on March 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


cjorgensen: They all died.
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 4:47 PM on March 10, 2012 [6 favorites]


A video just popped up on my YouTube recommendeds which shows a bit more about how this trike drifting is done, and it has some good creshes too.
posted by Flashman at 6:47 PM on March 10, 2012 [1 favorite]


Fun. I am totally for it.

But as an old guy, I hope they are having fun in their jobs, not just counting all their cubicle clocks until they can have fun on trikes or bungee cords or etc. Life is long: eight hours a day is a lot of it. Fo sho, have fun when you can, but make sure you find a way to make work fun.

Said as if I were a fucking Elder. I should have a talking stick.
posted by kozad at 10:28 PM on March 10, 2012


19 year old me: "I'd need a few beers first."

29 year old me: "I'd need a few beers first."

39 year old me: "I'd need a few beers first."

46 year old me (the current version of me): "Not a fucking chance."
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:42 PM on March 10, 2012 [2 favorites]


Well, my friend and I just stayed up all night to weld one of these up. We used a bike from Goodwill and a left over cushy car seat we had lying around. Testing on hills starts Monday.

(Early 20s for the record. Yes, we'll wear helmets.)
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 12:25 AM on March 11, 2012 [2 favorites]


I literally winced whenever I saw the no-shoes guy. Each time, it was like seeing a dentist's drill ALMOST touch the surface of a tooth.
posted by treepour at 12:25 AM on March 11, 2012


Ages ago the drive for approval and status amongst one's male peers at this age used to cull the weakest from the tribe; it's still happening.
posted by Vibrissae at 12:47 AM on March 11, 2012


"I didn't watch the whole thing, but did anyone them die?"

No, but they will, and so will you and everyone you know, but hopefully you and at least some of them will live a little first.
posted by Blasdelb at 7:53 AM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Hmm. This is something that requires non-potholed roads. Thus much of the Northern US is saved from trike-death.
posted by RedEmma at 8:23 AM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


Totally illegal.

Apparently not, and apparently they try to take some of the more obvious precautions.

Still, pretty stupid to my old bones. And what a thing for the gravestone! "Died in Tricycle Accident."
posted by IndigoJones at 12:59 PM on March 11, 2012


Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug: "Well, my friend and I just stayed up all night to weld one of these up. We used a bike from Goodwill and a left over cushy car seat we had lying around. Testing on hills starts Monday.

(Early 20s for the record. Yes, we'll wear helmets.)
"

Helmets must have a mohawk.
posted by deborah at 11:40 PM on March 11, 2012 [1 favorite]


First thing I thought of when seeing this was the 30-something friend of a friend who died last summer, doing a little skateboard towing behind his buddy's car after a few beers. I'll pass, thanks.
posted by antifuse at 7:20 AM on April 3, 2012


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