e-trike me!
September 23, 2024 1:15 PM Subscribe
I'm thinking about getting an e-trike. This was last explored quite a few years ago so seems worth an update. Local places are rather limited in what they carry so I may end up buying something I haven't test-ridden. I'm looking for a trike with some cargo capability but not a full on cargo box. Thus far lead contenders are the Lectric eBikes Electric XP Trike or the IZIP Tristar Plus Electric Trike. The latter is about $1000 more than the former and maybe there's a better option still?
I'm 5'1", early 60s but fairly fit - and have some balance/neuropathy issues - the latter is why I'm thinking trike not e-bike. Tell me what you've ridden and liked! I plan to use it largely for running errands in town for exercise and using my car less.
I'm 5'1", early 60s but fairly fit - and have some balance/neuropathy issues - the latter is why I'm thinking trike not e-bike. Tell me what you've ridden and liked! I plan to use it largely for running errands in town for exercise and using my car less.
Yeah, I don't have a specific recommendation other than to very strongly encourage you to test ride before buying a trike. I have a regular human powered Dutch-style bike with grocery baskets on the rear, that I use for picking up groceries and running small errands. I was really considering getting a trike, to make unbalanced grocery loads less of an issue, and I am so glad I took a test ride. I am not a particularly spirited rider, but I still unexpectedly got a wheel off the ground a couple times while making what I thought were suitably gentle turns. The bike I rode was a 20", very similar to your IZIP Tristar in size and layout, but what I rode was a 6-speed manual. Depending on where the battery is located on an ebike, it may help to keep the center of gravity lower and assist with stability, but that's a big "may".
I gather that the "tadpole" style (2 wheels in front, 1 in rear) are more stable in turns, but those all seem to be recumbent or semi-recumbent, and I really prefer the upright style, both to be seen and to give myself greater visibility and higher sight lines.
It may be just me, but the experience I had riding that trike was enough that I'd really want to get a good test ride in before buying, even if it meant traveling to a different bike shop to ride what I had in mind. I was that unsettled by the experience. Maybe with more practice and getting used to the bike, I'd learn a better feel for how it handles in different situations, but it also kinda felt to me like... why am I convincing myself to make that kind of compromise in the first place?
posted by xedrik at 4:42 PM on September 23 [2 favorites]
I gather that the "tadpole" style (2 wheels in front, 1 in rear) are more stable in turns, but those all seem to be recumbent or semi-recumbent, and I really prefer the upright style, both to be seen and to give myself greater visibility and higher sight lines.
It may be just me, but the experience I had riding that trike was enough that I'd really want to get a good test ride in before buying, even if it meant traveling to a different bike shop to ride what I had in mind. I was that unsettled by the experience. Maybe with more practice and getting used to the bike, I'd learn a better feel for how it handles in different situations, but it also kinda felt to me like... why am I convincing myself to make that kind of compromise in the first place?
posted by xedrik at 4:42 PM on September 23 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Depending on the extent of your balance issues it *might* be worth considering an e-cargo bike with 20 inch wheels - they are much less tippy than larger-wheeled bikes due to the low centre of gravity, and may balance better at speed than a trike. Worth a quick test ride, perhaps?
posted by Jon Mitchell at 8:14 PM on September 23 [1 favorite]
posted by Jon Mitchell at 8:14 PM on September 23 [1 favorite]
My wife has MS, and after some looking at prices and designs and reviews we went with a sixthreezero EZ Transit. Quite reasonably priced for what it is, and the wheelbase is lower than many, reducing rollover risk.
I gather that the "tadpole" style (2 wheels in front, 1 in rear) are more stable in turns, but those all seem to be recumbent or semi-recumbent, and I really prefer the upright style, both to be seen and to give myself greater visibility and higher sight lines.
sixthreezero has one of these, too. It's a lot more comfortable for someone used to bicycling than a delta is (I've tried to ride the EZ Transit and I keep pulling to the side. I think I'm used to bicycle balance and have an almost instinctive tendency to adjust in ways which aren't necessary for a delta trike), but my wife couldn't get used to the way the wheels tilt. It also has two separate disc brakes (controleld by the same hand level) in front, and it's really important to keep them engaging at exactly the same pressure or it'll jerk when you brake.
posted by jackbishop at 6:05 AM on September 24
I gather that the "tadpole" style (2 wheels in front, 1 in rear) are more stable in turns, but those all seem to be recumbent or semi-recumbent, and I really prefer the upright style, both to be seen and to give myself greater visibility and higher sight lines.
sixthreezero has one of these, too. It's a lot more comfortable for someone used to bicycling than a delta is (I've tried to ride the EZ Transit and I keep pulling to the side. I think I'm used to bicycle balance and have an almost instinctive tendency to adjust in ways which aren't necessary for a delta trike), but my wife couldn't get used to the way the wheels tilt. It also has two separate disc brakes (controleld by the same hand level) in front, and it's really important to keep them engaging at exactly the same pressure or it'll jerk when you brake.
posted by jackbishop at 6:05 AM on September 24
Response by poster: Not to threadsit but I've been thinking about both of those sixthreezero bikes - the inability to test ride them gives me pause and Jon Mitchell's comments about a cargo bike also make sense to me - welcoming more input on the question of two wheels or three.
posted by leslies at 9:02 AM on September 24
posted by leslies at 9:02 AM on September 24
I've been riding a tricycle from Worksman for four years now (Worksman Port-O-Trike PT3CB) and have never had any tipping issues. The wheels are 20" so I don't know if that is the difference. My only regret is getting a 3-speed instead of a 7-speed.
The company also produced e-trikes and the same price point as your first choice.
posted by Julnyes at 7:35 AM on September 26
The company also produced e-trikes and the same price point as your first choice.
posted by Julnyes at 7:35 AM on September 26
Response by poster: I ended up buying a Cannondale 2 wheeler - class 1 e-bike. It feels balanced and stable.
posted by leslies at 10:32 AM on September 27 [1 favorite]
posted by leslies at 10:32 AM on September 27 [1 favorite]
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The problem with getting lower down, of course, is that you’re harder to see. I’ve got an orange flag edged in reflective tape that sticks up well over my head to help with that problem.
I love my trike and its giant basket and use it to do all my errands. Happy cycling!
posted by congen at 3:11 PM on September 23 [1 favorite]