e-bike to e-trike conversion?

[Rudy Pekau]

Tricycles with one wheel in front and two wheels in the rear are inherently dangerous and easy to flip when going downhill. OK for a parking cop to ride around at 20 MPH on level streets but not for carrying cargo.

One major factor is the centre of gravity, it should be as low as possible, most three wheelers of this type have a seating position that is too high and too much forward, you are right, they can easily flip, a semi recumbent position where you pedal in a more forward and downward position makes it much better. This allows you also to sit lower and further back which lowers the c.g. and puts more weight on the rear wheels. Also, if you carry cargo in the back it puts even more weight on the two rear wheels which makes it even better and less prone to tip.
I am riding my etrike with one wheel in front and two wheels in the back ( also called delta trike) for several years now and put frequently 20 lbs to 50 lbs of load
in the rear cargo area,I am going down several steep hills on my way, but no problem with a semi recumbent delta trike.
Rudy Pekau,
Calgary,Alberta, Canada

 

[PedalUma]

Go for the balance bike. Kids pick up on it quickly and it makes for an easy transition to pedal bikes - no training wheels needed. I recently fixed one up that is made of wood. It is at a place where multiple kids use it daily.

 

[PedalUma]

thank you

One other idea is to buy a pedal bike. Lower the saddle all the way and remove the pedals. The kids can use it as a balance bike. Once they get the knack, install the pedals and raise the saddle. And away they go, with you only making one purchase.

 

[PedalUma]

This is totally off topic, excuse me. I just happen to have a photo ready of the cockpit of an electric bike. The same could go with a trike. I like them uncluttered.

 

[PedalUma]

Thanks Kevin! Bikes don't get more simple that that one. It is a single speed cruiser with a coaster brake. I pulled the display wire thru-frame. Here is the side view and a trike from before I knew how to do clean builds. The new cargo motors are so smooth, quiet, and strong. That trike is a folder from Walmart five-years ago. The seven-speed starter Trike was $329 with free shipping. I Installed better, brakes, tires, and touchpoints. In looking at the photo again of the cruiser, I do not think most people could identify it as electric. See the chainguard?

 

[PedalUma]

But they are not locals. I am in a town about 35 miles North of the Golden Gate. If you zoom there on Google Maps and search for me, you can see local reviews. I did joke about cheating to make a bike lighter by using helium in the tires.

 

[cycleman]

Hello-
I'm new to e-bikes but my city is offering vouchers which makes the idea of using an e-bike very tempting! I live near downtown and a lot of my driving is short distances.

I really want a 3-wheel trike for carrying capability and for stability. I'm a nervous and novice biker. I also regularly carry bulky items, like gallons of water.

Right now there's only one 3 wheel trike being sold by the shops that have joined the program and it's the Pedego trike. It's far from my first choice because it seems to be pretty low power and the cargo area isn't as big as I'd like.

E-Bike Rebates

Learn how to qualify for a rebate for an electric bike (e-bike) from a participating bike shop. A limited number of e-bike rebate vouchers are available every other month. Plus, learn how to use your e-bike safely to get around Denver!

www.denvergov.org

I think that the Ride1 Up Cafe Cruiser or one of the RadPower bikes are my top choices based on price and power.

I contacted one of the bike shops because I found a trike conversion kit but they said it would be too difficult to adapt. I think because it is a rear conversion kit. (https://www.tricycleconversionkit.com/)

It seems like a reverse trike conversion might be an easier option when starting with an e-bike? I found the TReGo but I'm not sure if they'll ship to the US. (https://trego-trolley.com/home.) I asked AddBike if they're shipping to the US now. https://add-bike.com/en/carry-box/#read I also found this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803904078860.html. I can definitely get it shipped to the US but who knows about quality. I'd have to figure out how to attach a platform or something for cargo capability but I'm sure I could figure that out.

Are there other options that I'm missing? Googling reverse trike gave me mostly motorcycle related links even when excluding motorcycle.

Anything else I should know/consider?

Thanks in advance!

I have a bunch of bikes but this is my tricycle, I used the E-Switchy electric bike kit to convert my shopping trike into an ebike, when i feel like pedaling i use the pedal assist function, when i don't feel like pedaling i simply use the throttle, it works great!