Current etrike offerings and buying tips

Jeremy McCreary

Jeremy McCreary

Well-Known Member
Region
USA
City
Carlsbad, CA
A 40-something friend with MS in Edwardsville, IL (college town outside St. Louis) is thinking about an etrike. I think it'd do her a lot of good.

She's not in shape and walks with a cane, partly for balance. Hasn't ridden a bike in decades.
o Price under $3,000 if possible.
o Will definitely need a true step-through.
o Mostly flattish terrain with some minor hills.
o MUP and very light offroad capability would be nice.
o LBS situation unkown, but St. Louis isn't far.

No recent etrike threads of much use, so thought I'd ask again:

Q1: What are the specific gotchas to look out for in an etrike?

Q2: Any etrike recommendations from experience?

Thanks!
 
Q1 Delta trikes are easy to flip. Speed must be limited.

Q2 A conversion trike IME can be a much better build.

Day6 builds a real nice eTrike. Link



1676064133842.jpeg
 
tomjasz said:
Q1 Delta trikes are easy to flip. Speed must be limited.

Q2 A conversion trike IME can be a much better build.

Day6 builds a real nice eTrike. Link



View attachment 146805
Click to expand...
I agree with Tom. (Pardon this brief veer off topic. Tom, I need your advice: Is a BBS02 shift sensor directional?) Back on topic. Most moderately priced trikes drive only the right wheel. There is no complex and expensive differential, so steering is different left, and right. It takes practice. And yes, they are two dimensional objects. Leaning can flip. Extending your arm forward while steering will change your body mass center making one rear wheel lift. Again practice will help with this.
 
The iZip has worked really well for us in the past for folks needing some assistance with balance, great price point too! A little over your budget but every one we've sold has been a life changer for the clients!

www.oregon-ebikes.com

iZip Tristar Plus e-Trike

DESCRIPTION Mobility is a measure of freedom, and the IZIP Tristar Plus takes it to the top! This versatile electric three-wheeler has the power to change your life with every pedal stroke. With its easy handling and responsive TranzX M16 center motor, running errands in the neighborhood, going...
www.oregon-ebikes.com www.oregon-ebikes.com
 
I had a BUZZ etrike. Very fun to ride with good power divery. I don't recall if it had a throttle though. The new owner is out to sea so it's hard to ask.

Then you have the new Lectric etrike. And Rad Power as well. I suggest stay under $1500, because if she doesn't like it she won't ride it. Test the waters first.

I'm gonna start the throttle war. If possible, find one with a throttle. If she bonks out she can throttle home.
 
My wife has a Evelo Compass etrike and is very happy with it. It is an easy to mount upright three wheeler, mid drive motor with a differential so both rear wheels can get traction when needed, throttle and pedal assist, 3 speed Shimano IGH, mechanical disk brakes with brake locks to make for secure parking, mounting and dismounting. The top speed is about 16 MPH which is plenty fast on a trike. The realistic range with one fully charged battery is 20 to 25 miles depending of course on the level of assist and throttle used along with wind, terrain and other factors. If additional range is needed, the Compass comes with dual battery mounts and is prewired for for 2 batteries. I did end up buying the second battery, although she gets by with one battery on most of our rides. It does give us extra confidence knowing that that second battery is there and online in case we need it. When I researched upright trikes a couple of years ago, the Compass was hard to beat and we have not been sorry for spending the extra money for the Compass. Evelo has been a great company so far to do business with, although I have not had a need for a warranty claim so far.

Upright trikes can be easily tipped over when cornering because of their high center of gravity. In spite of this, the Compass is well balanced and relatively stable, you just have to learn to slow down when cornering. After 3 years of riding and 1000 miles on the odometer, my wife has not had a single tip over incident or other accident with the Compass. We are anxiously awaiting spring so we can get the Compass back out on the trails for our 4th season with it.

So for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents and experience with etrikes.
 
Brendon@OEB said:
The iZip has worked really well for us in the past for folks needing some assistance with balance, great price point too! A little over your budget but every one we've sold has been a life changer for the clients!

www.oregon-ebikes.com

iZip Tristar Plus e-Trike

DESCRIPTION Mobility is a measure of freedom, and the IZIP Tristar Plus takes it to the top! This versatile electric three-wheeler has the power to change your life with every pedal stroke. With its easy handling and responsive TranzX M16 center motor, running errands in the neighborhood, going...
www.oregon-ebikes.com www.oregon-ebikes.com
Click to expand...
Thanks! That could be a contender.
 
sc00ter said:
I had a BUZZ etrike. Very fun to ride with good power divery. I don't recall if it had a throttle though. The new owner is out to sea so it's hard to ask.

Then you have the new Lectric etrike. And Rad Power as well. I suggest stay under $1500, because if she doesn't like it she won't ride it. Test the waters first.

I'm gonna start the throttle war. If possible, find one with a throttle. If she bonks out she can throttle home.
Click to expand...
You just had to go and say the T-word, didn't you?

Agree with you about the t******. Hardly use the one on my regular (2-wheeled) ebike but wouldn't part with it. In my mind, it's first and foremost a safety feature -- one that I think would be valuable my friend.
 
AlanDB said:
My wife has a Evelo Compass etrike and is very happy with it. It is an easy to mount upright three wheeler, mid drive motor with a differential so both rear wheels can get traction when needed, throttle and pedal assist, 3 speed Shimano IGH, mechanical disk brakes with brake locks to make for secure parking, mounting and dismounting. The top speed is about 16 MPH which is plenty fast on a trike. The realistic range with one fully charged battery is 20 to 25 miles depending of course on the level of assist and throttle used along with wind, terrain and other factors. If additional range is needed, the Compass comes with dual battery mounts and is prewired for for 2 batteries. I did end up buying the second battery, although she gets by with one battery on most of our rides. It does give us extra confidence knowing that that second battery is there and online in case we need it. When I researched upright trikes a couple of years ago, the Compass was hard to beat and we have not been sorry for spending the extra money for the Compass. Evelo has been a great company so far to do business with, although I have not had a need for a warranty claim so far.

Upright trikes can be easily tipped over when cornering because of their high center of gravity. In spite of this, the Compass is well balanced and relatively stable, you just have to learn to slow down when cornering. After 3 years of riding and 1000 miles on the odometer, my wife has not had a single tip over incident or other accident with the Compass. We are anxiously awaiting spring so we can get the Compass back out on the trails for our 4th season with it.

So for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents and experience with etrikes.
Click to expand...
The Compass definitely caught my eye. As an engineer, my friend would appreciate the design.

Still gathering info. But based on what I know about regular ebikes (thanks in large part to this forum), on recent etrike reviews on EBR, and on your experience, I'm inclined to recommend it to her, budget permitting.
 
Jeremy McCreary said:
I doubt that she'd be able to get in and out of that recumbent seat.
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Exactly what I discovered. I nearly fell in getting on and getting out was an embarrassing event. I Had to have help. Nothing to grab onto to steady and lift me. Then the terrors of riding in traffic with my face was a car door handle or lower level. I'm spoiled by my upright rides where I'm at face-to-face level with most cages.

Sadly it didn't work for me, sad because recumbents are incredibly nice bikes and builds.
 
Just remember, a mid-drive set up into a diff makes turns much more stable. Granted, its still a trike but I found the BUZZ did very well in turns. I would suspect the new Lectric etrike, with its version of a mid-drive, is much better in turns. And it has the "T" word!

My observation with trike anything. If you're a seasoned 2 wheel rider a trike will naturally feel dangerous. If your a casual 2 wheel rider, or rarely ride at all, then you will adapt to the weird handling traits much faster. You body doesn't fully know to fight the physics. Like I mentioned before, test the waters. Take advantage of the Lectric sale, ship it to her and see what happens. And, it has the "T" word! If she takes to it and rides it, and find it fits in with her environment (will it safely fit on the roads, storage location and ergonomics) than when she's ready to upgrade she'll know what she wants. If not, then it should be easy to resell or donate to a charity, or pass it on.

I have no connection to Lectric, I just know that my humble little XP is a great value. I've ridden it in rain, did sloppy wheelies on it, skids, jump off curbs like a idiot and generally ride it like I stole it. I should have purchased one of these from the get go, instead of trying so many different brands and styles before finding my perfect match.
 
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sc00ter said:
Just remember, a mid-drive set up into a diff makes turns much more stable. Granted, its still a trike but I found the BUZZ did very well in turns. I would suspect the new Lectric etrike, with its version of a mid-drive, is much better in turns. And it has the "T" word!

My observation with trike anything. If your a seasoned 2 wheel rider a trike will naturally feel dangerous. If your a casual 2 wheel rider, or rarely ride at all, then you will adapt to the weird handling traits much faster. You body doesn't fully know to fight the physics. Like I mentioned before, test the waters. Take advantage of the Lectric sale, ship it to her and see what happens. And, it has the "T" word! If she takes to it and rides it, and find it fits in with her environment (will it safely fit on the roads, storage location and ergonomics) than when she's ready to upgrade she'll know what she wants. If not, then it should be easy to resell or donate to a charity, or pass it on.
Click to expand...
Many good points here. If at all possible, she should try etriking before plunking down for even a $1.5K model, much less a $4.3K Evolo Compass.

Advised her to rent/test drive any etrike she can find locally to see if she likes the general experience. Also advised that buying from an LBS willing to service the etrike is an important consideration. Between Edwardsville and nearby St. Louis, she has a chance.

Will definitely look into the Lectric. You're talking about the XP, right?

lectricebikes.com

XP Electric Trike | Lectric eBikes

Shop our XP™ Electric Trike, the industry's first foldable and fully-assembled 3-wheel electric tricycle accommodating a wide range of abilities for anyone to enjoy.
lectricebikes.com lectricebikes.com

The single-speed, 45 gear-inch drivetrain could work in her terrain.
 
The way to start is to go to some place such as basketball court or paved playground and do figure eights for a half-hour. If that goes well then move to a slight slope and do the same, regularly starting and stopping.
 
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