e Trike pls Help

[Ernest Hofmann]

I bought a new Lectric step thru 3.0 long range,comfort bundle, bike a year ago and stil have not used it. I'm 97 and can't get my balance. it has less than a mile on it and no scratches It cost me $1,300 plus $700 assories I am now looking to buy a e=trike, but can only about $700.00. Maybe stretch it to $800. $900 would realy make me skimp on everything the rest of my life. I need a lot of advise and help; . How much to get for the e=bike, Suggestions about make and model of e=trike. New or used. Waiting till I sell the e=bike and combinning the money I get with the $600 I have. Ineed a 750 W motor, atleast 45 Mi range, and folding would be nice. I live in N J and need your help. Thank you. Ernie

 

[Bicyclista]

Ernie, congratulations on making it to 97! It's great that you still want to ride a trike.

The first thing you should do is test ride a trike. Etrikes, in particular, do not handle the same as ebikes, of course. They also do not handle as you might expect. Many etrikes only power one of the two rear wheels; some have a differential, some don't. There might even be some that have a hub motor in the front wheel, and pull the trike along. Each configuration will have a different, slightly weird, handling characteristic. Many etrikes, for example, will pull towards the low side of the road, and you have to learn to compensate for that by steering slightly in the opposite direction.

Most roads have camber, i.e. in cross-section they rise at the middle and shed water towards the sides, where the gutters are. This affects the hanfdling of trikes.

There are other issues, of course, and each maker of etrikes addresses them in their own particular way. There is the size and power of the motor, how smooth it is, the size of wheels and the width of tires, etc. There is no substitute for a test ride to figure out whether a particular etrike is for you.

 

[Extreme1]

Would it be possible to add large training wheels to your Lectric? Maybe use bicycle wheels for the side wheels?

 

[Base]

Swinging Wheels - training wheels for adults & children

The support when cycling for when it is no longer possible alone.

swingingwheels.com

these come to mind

 

[Extreme1]

Swinging Wheels - training wheels for adults & children

The support when cycling for when it is no longer possible alone.

swingingwheels.com

these come to mind

This is exactly what I was thinking of. Have your LBS or a fabricator fit them for you, that way you won’t have to sell your Lectric and as you ride and gain your balance, maybe you can remove them.

 

[harryS]

I've watched our kids, and later their kids, learn with training wheels. They sort of work when you're short and on small wheels, harder to tip over. Nonetheless, that rear wheel will lift off the ground when the kids turn the handlebars. Would get worse with a full size bike. Unless you ride really slow, fixed training wheels seem to me like they're too unstable for an adult bike.

I couldn't see anything special about the Swinging Wheel. Maybe it has suspension to allow the bike to tilt, keeping the rear wheel on the ground. That's what is needed.

I agree with an etrike, but don't think Ernest needs 750W on a trike either. You really can't go that fast and be stable on a trike. Many of them are speed limited to 15 mph anyway.

Maybe the best option is to find a Lectric dealership and try to get a trade-in on the two wheeler toward a Lectric trike.

 

[PCeBiker]

I couldn't see anything special about the Swinging Wheel. Maybe it has suspension to allow the bike to tilt, keeping the rear wheel on the ground.

Yeah, It Does !!!,..

It's kinda actually..

 

[Base]

that was why I was thinking in that direction, with these wheels the bike almost rides like a normal bike but is hard to tip over. Easier and cheaper to get installed than for example https://www.tworby.nl/

 

[Chazmo]

I just wanted to congratulate you on riding at 97, Ernest. That is astounding. Best of luck.

 

[harryS]

I would expect the Dutch to understand how to do training wheels, as in the second link.

As for the Swing Wheels, the install looks it needs a good mechanical guy who can put some tapped holes in the rear frame, if needed.

 

[MrClortho]

A big issue with e-trikes is stability and safety. A low cost e-trike can be quite dangerous, and this is coming from a person that rides fairly serious off-road mountain bikes.

My wife is disabled and I bought her a e-trike off Amazon for around $700, and it was quite a task to assemble. I build things, and it took me an entire day to put it together. It would ride up on two wheels easily, the brakes were poor and the power control was very on/off. After a few rides, we did not feel comfortable with her riding it because it was downright dangerous. We purchased a Retrospec Boca trike from a local shop (which is very similar to a Letric) and it is much safer, stable, smooth and she loves it. In the end, it was about $2k out the door with a basket.

 

[stompandgo]

A big issue with e-trikes is stability and safety. A low cost e-trike can be quite dangerous, and this is coming from a person that rides fairly serious off-road mountain bikes.

My wife is disabled and I bought her a e-trike off Amazon for around $700, and it was quite a task to assemble. I build things, and it took me an entire day to put it together. It would ride up on two wheels easily, the brakes were poor and the power control was very on/off. After a few rides, we did not feel comfortable with her riding it because it was downright dangerous. We purchased a Retrospec Boca trike from a local shop (which is very similar to a Letric) and it is much safer, stable, smooth and she loves it. In the end, it was about $2k out the door with a basket.

We got one of those Amazon specials in a couple of weeks ago. The battery won't charge. I found what looks like an equivalent battery which we will advise the owner to purchase. One more failure, and they could have bought a dealer bike with a warranty. The bike is less than 6 months old.