I let a good friend ride my ebike today and like most, he was sold after a short ride around the block.. His wife has some serious medical conditions and can't ride a bike but he thinks she'd be handle a trike without any problems.. Very little info is available on etrikes.. Can anyone who has one make a recommendation?
etrike suggestions..
- Thread starter DDBB
- Start date
Ask at this forum for some good help
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forumdisplay.php?f=53
I’ve been a member there for years. The link above is for a sub forum on etrikes.
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forumdisplay.php?f=53
I’ve been a member there for years. The link above is for a sub forum on etrikes.
ebikemom
Well-Known Member
Court has etrike reviews:
https://electricbikereview.com/?s=trike
https://electricbikereview.com/category/trike/
https://electricbikereview.com/?s=trike
https://electricbikereview.com/category/trike/
Calicoskies
Active Member
The popular Voltbike Yukon has a three wheel version that you may want to have a look at (friend), no experience with it but very happy with the Yukon.
rich c
Well-Known Member
Trikes is a really broad term. I have a recumbent tad pole trike I bought from ElectricTrike. But I don't consider that an option for people with serious medical conditions. It's not the easiest option to get in and out of. ElectricTrike has many other options to choose from. Most people look at a trike and imagine it as a very stable platform. In reality, it's incredibly high center of gravity, combined with the inability to quickly lean into a turn or change in grade makes them pretty unstable. Unless the speed is really kept low. I ride mine pretty aggressively, and have been over 3 times. Oddly, all at near zero mph, but if someone with serious medical conditions goes over it could be very damaging. I have an 83 year old friend go over on his traditional style, fat tire trike. He rode off a curb at an angle and went over. Road rash took a very long time to heal, he was very close to getting a skin graft. The speed issue is an industry worry, that's why you see them geared so slowly. Adding motors must have their lawyers in a bit of a worry!
Philly5834
New Member
Would like to add to the above comment. Trikes come in all kinds of configurations, from adult trikes which are sometimes called "Granny" trikes, to semi-recumbent step-through type trikes, to fully recumbent trikes. All of them can have electric motors added to them, but the basic problem is to decide whether they can be easily mounted or controlled by the physically impaired rider. And here comes into play the height of the seat and the ability to lift one's legs high enough to place them on both sides of the trike. And at this point comes the need to decide whether the so-called "tadpole" or "Delta"trike would best fit one's needs. The cautions of "Rich C" apply here, for a fall or tumble for an already physically impaired individual can have tragic consequences, as could also be the case with an elderly person who might find themselves unable to control the extra power provided by an e-assist motor.
Court has indeed given thorough reviews of many of these trikes. I, myself, have spinal stenosis and settled on an "adult trike"--the German Made PFIFF Comfort Trike with an e-assist motor. After a few days of getting used to it, I found it very easy to control, given a good understanding of how to balance it. I've never been anywhere close to capsizing it--you just have to remember how you rode one when you were a kid, and not try to move your body with it as you would with a diamond frame bike. There are indeed, certain trike manufacturers who specialize in making add-ons specifically made to help the physically handicapped person get back outdoors on a trike.
On my part, faced with the predicament of finding some means of mobility when I could no longer drive an auto I launched into a personal search for mobility alternative which finally turned into a book. It's called "Keep on Moving! An Old Fellow's Journey Into the World of Rollators, Mobile Scooters, Recumbent Trikes, Adult Trikes, and Electric Bikes." The section of Electric Bikes draws heavily on the pioneering work of Court and contributors both to this site and to Bentrider Online. Hope this helps.
Court has indeed given thorough reviews of many of these trikes. I, myself, have spinal stenosis and settled on an "adult trike"--the German Made PFIFF Comfort Trike with an e-assist motor. After a few days of getting used to it, I found it very easy to control, given a good understanding of how to balance it. I've never been anywhere close to capsizing it--you just have to remember how you rode one when you were a kid, and not try to move your body with it as you would with a diamond frame bike. There are indeed, certain trike manufacturers who specialize in making add-ons specifically made to help the physically handicapped person get back outdoors on a trike.
On my part, faced with the predicament of finding some means of mobility when I could no longer drive an auto I launched into a personal search for mobility alternative which finally turned into a book. It's called "Keep on Moving! An Old Fellow's Journey Into the World of Rollators, Mobile Scooters, Recumbent Trikes, Adult Trikes, and Electric Bikes." The section of Electric Bikes draws heavily on the pioneering work of Court and contributors both to this site and to Bentrider Online. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the information guys.. I'm going to advise my friend to visit this site, maybe he will join or get his wife to join.. He wants an ebike but he knows his wife can no longer ride a regular bike, or ebike so he's interested in getting her some sort of etrike.. I'm not sure how enthusiastic SHE is about it though. I guess we'll find out.. I had no idea there were so many options and agree that going over on a trike could be really bad for an older person, especially when their health is not good to start with.
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