Three Wheels, One Passion A story of trikes, freedom and the open road

Jane Taylor
Published Oct 8, 2026 from Linked In

For Nigel Millar, who lives in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the journey into motorcycling began relatively late in life. At around 40, he bought his first trike, as at the time his car licence allowed him to ride one without a motorcycle licence. That first experience eventually led him to gain his motorcycle licence — and opened up a whole new world of roads, landscapes, friendships and freedom.
For Nigel, riding a trike became much more than simply getting from one place to another. It became a way to explore, experience the open road and clear his mind.
"The excitement of being on the road, just riding, the wind blowing around you, going onto different roads, experiencing the sights when you're alone, clearing your mind and focusing on where the roads take you and what can you see."
There is something wonderfully simple about that description.
Sometimes, you don't need a destination.
As Nigel remembers, when someone once asked him where he was heading, his answer was: "Wherever the road takes me".

Photo: courtesy of Nigel Millar, Ian Cairns Photography
Discovering Ireland from the saddle

Living in Northern Ireland gives Nigel access to a huge variety of roads and landscapes, but one part of Ireland particularly stands out in his memories.
Donegal.
He describes travelling through remote countryside on single-lane roads, with sheep grazing at the roadside, surrounded by mountains, valleys, bogland and forestry.
For Nigel, the attraction was the peace and remoteness.
Away from busy roads and everyday life, there was simply the road ahead, the landscape around him and the freedom to keep riding.
And that is perhaps one of the things that makes riding in Ireland so special — the opportunity to leave the main roads behind and discover quieter places along the way.
Nigel's passion for trikes eventually took him further afield.
In 2019, he travelled to Europe on his trike, experiencing the excitement of taking his passion for three-wheeled riding beyond Ireland.
For him, much of the enjoyment came simply from experiencing somewhere new.
He remembers people noticing the trike, pointing, waving, taking photographs and videos.
It highlights something that many people who ride will recognise: trikes can create an instant connection between strangers.
You might come from completely different countries and speak different languages, but a shared passion for riding can be enough to start a conversation. A wave. A nod. A shared interest. Sometimes that's all it takes

Photo: courtesy of Nigel Millar, Ian Cairns Photography
A trike built to stand out

Nigel's trike is a striking custom-built machine, with every part custom made by Attitude Cycles in Southampton, UK. The specification includes a 23-inch front wheel and tyre, a Springer front end, a 5-inch open belt drive, a suicide gear shift and 18-inch-wide rear wheels. It also features a custom-made fuel tank and a 1,900 cc S&S engine. These details give the trike a very distinctive character — from its long front end and oversized wheels to the hand-crafted fuel tank and exposed belt drive.

Photo: courtesy of Nigel Millar, Ian Cairns Photography

Photo: courtesy of Nigel Millar

Perhaps the most interesting part of Nigel's story is not actually the trike itself.

It's what riding has meant to him personally.
When life has been difficult, riding has helped.
Nigel describes it as giving him freedom and the opportunity to meet other riders with a similar mindset. Being out on the road gives him the chance to clear his head, see different places and talk to different people.
"It gives you freedom and you meet a lot of bikers of a similar mindset. It gives you a chance to offload some stuff out of your head. There's plenty more out there to see just following the roads in the open air. It distracts your mind from other things, seeing different places and chatting to different people etc."
A closer look at the custom-built trike.

That is perhaps the real attraction of riding.
It's not necessarily just about the trike.
It's about what happens because of the trike.
The places you discover.
The people you meet.
The conversations you have.
The experiences you collect.
And sometimes, simply having somewhere to go when you need to get away from everything else.

Photo: courtesy of Nigel Millar, Ian Cairns Photography
A trike built to stand out

Three wheels, countless memories

Trikes occupy an interesting place in the motor industry.
They are different. They attract attention. And they offer another way to experience the freedom of the open road.
For Nigel, that journey started with a trike at around 40.
It led to gaining his motorcycle licence, exploring the roads of Ireland, travelling to Europe and meeting people along the way.
But perhaps most importantly, riding gave him something that can't easily be measured:
FREEDOM.
And maybe that's why so many riders keep coming back to the road.
Not because they have somewhere they need to be…
but because they want to see where the road takes them next.
Do you have a trike or motorcycle story you'd like to share? I'd love to hear it.
All quotes in this article are based on Nigel Millar's own experiences of riding.