Tuk Tuk Steals Team Rubber Morning!
Following a lengthly stroll to Team Rubber Towers this morning - pondering why I didn’t have some sort of hairdryer to ride to work (to preserve both leg effort and precious breakfast minutes) - I finally arrived at our front door ready to embark on a new day of web embellishment.
Much to my own bemusement, upon entering the building, I was ushered straight back out by an orgy of joyous faces and skipping new media types. Before I could consider the reason for this commotion, my unborn question’s answer had already been hatched…
Before me stood a truck, with what could only be described the result of a sordid entanglement between a Moped, a Tonka truck and a rollerskate strapped to its back…The day had finally come, Mr Andy Parkhouse’s Tuk Tuk had arrived! (Want more info on the Tuk Tuk? read this article!)
Amazingly, the delivery man lifted the truck straight off the ramp and onto the street!
I prefer to call it Roller-Ped. So do you probably…
Andy took the beast for a ride almost immediately, and shot around the streets of Bristol like an action figure in a rollerskate. Sadly, the Tuk Tuk suffered from some technical issues on Tyndalls Park Road. Luckily however, Matt was on hand with his bicycle repair kit and the know-how to get Roller-Ped back on her three feet.
Check the picture for proof…Roller-Ped pulled a wheelie on Lower Park row, achieving some ’sick air’. In 50 years time, a little blue placard will hang on this street, announcing the spot of Roller-Ped’s first voyage/wheelie on British concrete.
Long live Roller-Ped.
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Update by Andy
Ian, I’ve told you, *it’s a truck* not a tuk-tuk
@ Ric Hurst: the truck is a 400cc diesel Bajaj Hidec, from Sanjay at Tuk Tuk UK. It’s the only one in the country as far as I know. Cost was getting on for £4k including VAT & Delivery.
Insurance is about £250 from Adrian Flux, but would be more if I put a logo on the truck or commute in it. I don’t know the MPG, but it cost me £5.63 to fill up the tank. Four speeds and reverse, turns on a speck of a dust, top speed seems to be around 40mph.




That is a truly brilliant purchase - though how it will cope with the hills of Bristol is a different matter..
06 Aug 2008 at 12:41 pm
Ian, I’ve told you, *it’s a truck* not a tuk-tuk
The wheelie was *definitely* not intentional in case my insurance company are reading this (changed down from 3rd to 2nd with the throttle wide open, won’t be doing that again!)
07 Aug 2008 at 8:50 pm
Wow a wheelie ?? How on earth did you do that ? Have you seen the wheelie in Octopussy ??? Now thats what you call a wheelie !
08 Aug 2008 at 10:00 am
That is amazing! If I had heard that a porsche/bmw/audi had been delivered I would have been completely non-plussed, but I am so incredibly impressed and jealous of Andy’s new wheels. Can you tell us more - how much/ insurance/ mpg etc?
10 Aug 2008 at 10:10 am
It’s not a tuk-tuk or a truck. It’s auto-rickshaw truck
29 Aug 2008 at 6:25 am
Wow, that’s cool!
My flat mate just did the Mumbai Xpress Autorickshaw Rally 2008 in a tuk tuk.
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiatrip/2008/08/12/trying-a-fancier-ride/
Looks like you get plenty of boot space as well!
03 Sep 2008 at 10:04 pm