Adult training also known as stabilizing wheels for e-bikes

[judyN]

I am a 66 year old woman who due to recent health issues am no longer able to ride a regular bike. My balance is very bad and I have a weak leg. I am no longer able to peddle more than a couple of hundred meters.

Someone suggested I look at buying an e-bike but this has proven to be a difficult task for me. I most definitely need stabilizer wheels - which I recently found out cannot be mounted on rear tire of a rear "hub" e-bike. Someone else suggested I buy one that has a center mount motor. (The stabilizer wheels I am considering are ez trainers - you can take a look at them on their website www.ez-trainer.com).

Both of these suggestions were made by e-bike retailers. I would really like to hear from e-bike owners - you more than anyone would know what type of e-bike, if any, would accommodate the training wheels.

Throttle bikes seem to fit the bill and I have tried 24 inch step through bikes that would definitely work.

I would greatly appreciate any information you can give me .... I am really excited about the possibility of biking again.
Judy

 

[Bicyclista]

Have you considered electric trikes? Court has reviewed a number of them. Personally, I would go for the "tadpole" style, where there two wheels in front and one in back. The tadpole configuration is more stable in turns. (I remember as a child being thrown off my trike because I took a turn too quickly!) Yes, most of the tadpole trikes are recumbent, and that may or may not appeal to you.

 

[Ann M.]

Trikes are a great idea, @judyN; besides the recumbent style which might be difficult to get on & off; consider having a shop build you one with a front hub motor and rear battery. Standard trikes come with 20", 24" & 26" wheels, adjustable seat height and nice upright position. The hub motors are strong and you can get a higher wattage one to compensate for the extra weight of the trike. Many of these have programmable controllers so you can moderate how fast the trike accelerates and other features that control the throttle.

In addition, some brands of trikes can be outfitted with a Sturmey Archer 3 or 5 speed gear set at the cranks for more efficient power usage, particularly on hills. My shop's experience with balancing wheels is that they're really only a temporary solution and can be an issue when trying to turn. Anyway, I applaud your tenacity! Please keep looking and trying different bikes & trikes

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I agree that the two wheels in front is more stable, but if you just want to buy something solid and complete you might want to look at Pedego's new trikes. Certainly a big time, quality brand and should be right up your alley if you live anywhere near a Pedego shop.

 

[irenewg13]

I am a 66 year old woman who due to recent health issues am no longer able to ride a regular bike. My balance is very bad and I have a weak leg. I am no longer able to peddle more than a couple of hundred meters.

Someone suggested I look at buying an e-bike but this has proven to be a difficult task for me. I most definitely need stabilizer wheels - which I recently found out cannot be mounted on rear tire of a rear "hub" e-bike. Someone else suggested I buy one that has a center mount motor. (The stabilizer wheels I am considering are ez trainers - you can take a look at them on their website www.ez-trainer.com).

Both of these suggestions were made by e-bike retailers. I would really like to hear from e-bike owners - you more than anyone would know what type of e-bike, if any, would accommodate the training wheels.

Throttle bikes seem to fit the bill and I have tried 24 inch step through bikes that would definitely work.

I would greatly appreciate any information you can give me .... I am really excited about the possibility of biking again.
Judy

Hi

I have started a thread with a tag for "disability ". I am hoping that we can start to address many issues related to size, and various disability needs.
I found some sites, and will post them on that thread. If you find any good info, please consider also posting it on that thread.
Good luck!