E assist trike
You may have noticed that the shipping date for some models is currently listed as several months away.
While we understand that this is a long time to wait, we wanted to make sure that these bikes were available to purchase for any rider who had their heart set on a preferred model and wanted to secure theirs well in advance.
The dates listed are as accurate as possible, but please note that the entire manufacturing world is in the middle of a global supply chain challenge. As a result, there are some variables that are out of our control (like container shortages, port delays, and the Suez Canal incident).
We know how excited you are to get your new ebike and we are continually scaling up our operations to get it to you as soon as possible.
RadTrike Electric Tricycle Assembly
Our riders say that this model is easy to assemble, however if you want help, our ebike assembly service will have you ready-to-ride.
Size Guide
What to Measure
Your “bike inseam”.- or inside leg length.- is the distance between your body where it sits on your bike saddle and the ground. This will typically be an inch or two longer than the length of your trousers, but you’ll want to measure to be sure. You’ll use this number on the chart to get a feel for how the different models will fit you.
How to Measure
Wearing your regular riding shoes and with your back to the wall, stand with your feet spread so there is about 7 inches between them. this is about the distance apart your feet would be when straddling a bike with your feet on
Place a hardcover book against the wall with the spine of the book facing upward. Slide the book upwards towards your groin until it is solidly against your body. This may be a bit awkward, but is way more comfortable.- and safer!- than trying to ride a bike that is too big.
If you have a buddy helping you, get them to measure from the floor to the top of the book spine while you hold the book in place. If you’re going it alone, carefully hold the book in place and measure from the ground to the top of the book spine.
Electric Assist
We were heartbroken when Bionx, our primary electric assist motor supplier, went into receivership in 2018 and slowly vanished away. I think the only person in the office for a while was the battleaxe who collected the bills, but even they seem to have left. Bionx in Germany supported us for a while, but we could not order parts from them. I am yet to tell a Bionx customer of mine that they are up the creek without a paddle-assist — that the expensive Emotor system I sold them is unrepairable — but I know that day will come. We helped some some customers by just donating parts we had, and they are all still on the road. Truly, this was the most dispiriting supplier loss since BikeE locked up shop in 2002 and tiptoed off.
So what now? An overview of the current tech
You’ll see two types of bicycle electric assist kit out there, hub and mid-drive. Hub motors have been our mainstay for a while, and I’ve had the most experience with them. Bionx supplied rear wheel hub motors. These were easy to retrofit as most every recumbent has a regular bicycle rear wheel. All the rear wheel hub motors mounted a typical multi-speed cogset in the back for shifting with a rear derailer. That’s a problem for people with internally geared hubs, who would have to sacrifice that nice item in doing an electric assist conversion. Front hub motors exist, but they have significant safety problems. We haven’t really supported those for at least 15 years.
Mid-drive motors are something of a misnomer. They replace the crankset up at the front of the recumbent, where your pedals are. The motor force transmits through the chain, putting load on your drivetrain and transmission. But this also allows you to use your transmission to optimize motor speed and torque. In performance, we’ve found that mid-drive motors are better for steep climbs, which is what most people are looking for help in. Hub motors are better at sustaining higher speeds. We’re finding better range figures from mid-drive motors as well. The major players in the bike industry have focussed on mid-drive electric assists.
Most of what you see now uses a control system we call “pedal assist.” This means the electric assist system senses how much power you are putting into your pedaling. It then directs the motor to give a proportional amount. You don’t work a throttle. You just pedal, but the work load seems considerably less. This requires a Smart algorithm to blend seamlessly, and some brands do it better than others.
What is out there, and how Easy Street can help
Shimano STEPS
Overall, this mid-drive system made by the Japanese bicycle components powerhouse is our favorite. It is the standard system used on ICE trikes and AZUB bikes and trikes. Unfortunately, it requires a specially made frame to mount it. Fortunately, on many recumbents, the frame is modular and only the part called the “boom” needs to be specially made. Unfortunately, someone needs to make that special boom. If you are buying a new AZUB or ICE and want STEPS, then no problem. AZUB will sell you just the boom to do a conversion on an AZUB model that you already have. ICE will not, and will only sell motor booms on new ICE models.
What we like about STEPS is that parts and accessories are well-developed and accessible to retailers. Support and training is all there. Shimano is aimed at helping retailers to support their customers. Besides that, retailers have a lot of ability to program and modify STEPS systems. Shimano can be controlling about how these systems are set up, which is a problem with recumbents which often use non-standard arrangements of parts, but these limitations are manageable.
Bosch Ebike Systems
The well-known German electric motor maker has stuck its toe into the e-bike market with this mid-drive system. It is quite similar to STEPS. This is the system TerraTrike chose for its current EVO Rambler model. If you have a TerraTrike Rambler, All-Terrain, or Gran Tourismo then we can get a “Boost Kit” from TerraTrike and retrofit your trike with it. This is not currently an option on the Rover, the Sportster, or older models based on the Tour platform, including the current Tandem Pro model.Bosch makes a fine system and we are comfortable with their level of reliability. Besides TerraTrike, no other ‘bent maker has embraced this system.
One problem with Bosch is that they don’t work with dealers like us. They work with the manufacturer, like TerraTrike, and TT is expected to have a support person on hand for us. There are many programming options that are not available to us, which must be passed to TerraTrike. Another concern I have is just how committed Bosch is to the Ebike System. Long term reliability depends on replacement parts and tech support.
This is the most popular mid-drive electric assist conversion kit that does not require a special frame part. We’ve installed a few of these to date. The system has gone through a few revisions over recent years that have addressed various problems, such as a shift sensor that backs off power when a shift is detected. These kits can be run by pedal assist (sensing torque at the pedals and assisting proportionally) or by throttle.
My concern with Bafang is their lack of a US support and distribution center. There are numerous online retailers who bring in a containerload of kits, spec’ed to their preferences, and they deal with the end user. Some have offered us a small discount if we purchase several kits, but for the responsibility we’re taking on that doesn’t cut it. If you want to put a Bafang mid-drive on your recumbent we can do the installation, which isn’t simple, but it is up to you to choose your supplier. If there is a problem then you would be responsible for getting the replacement parts. While I don’t consider myself an expert with these systems (at least not yet), we’re not unfamiliar with them. As with many things, when everyone brings their problems to you, you’ll start gathering some useful knowledge.
Falco Emotor
Falco makes an “open source” hub motor kit which can run by throttle or pedal assist. They are non-proprietary, meaning you can hook up your own battery without the system making a fuss. Indeed, you can hack about anything you want until you’ve made a fine mess of things. Falco has US distribution and support. We used to be Falco dealers, but I’ve found their pedal-assist algorithms “buggy.” Falco did give me lots of support while I was selling them, and I needed it. Systems would have slow response, where you have to pedal a bit before the system kicks in, and would keep driving a few moments after you cease pedals. The motor could get “ghost” signals and kick in when stopped, sending a trike rolling across the room.
Falco makes motors in a variety of sizes, and I learned the problems with using a too-powerful motor with pedal assist. You’d could get sudden leaps of acceleration. You’d also get sudden halting of power, leaving your pedaling foot to crash into a wall of resistance when the motor quits. I’m inclined to wish these folks the best.
Everyone else
There is a whole zoo of online suppliers for all kinds of electric assist kits. Golden Motors, Heinzmann, Chrystalite, various other brands that someone else’s design rebranded, house brands of bigger shops, and the list goes on. Whatever you get, we can perform installation on your trike or bikes. Just understand that quality and reliability problems with parts are between you and whomever you purchased it from.
One last idiosyncratic thought
Don’t go nuts over motor power. Measured in watts, you’ll find systems ranging from 250 to 1500 watts. Some buyers fixate on the “more is better” assumption. They also think they shouldn’t be limited by the tyranny of a 20 mph speed limit. Indeed, I see electric assist kits or complete bikes advertising 1500 watts, 72 volt batteries and 40 mph top speeds. So, you get an extra heavy motor, dangerous levels of voltage, and speeds that bike frames weren’t designed to handle, with extra weight, torque on frame sections not designed to take it, and often no suspension to keep you from being socked around by bumps in the road.
Like I stated above, if you are using “pedal assist,” where motor power is integrating with human power, a too-powerful motor will result in jerky performance. The motor engages with a lurch, and disengages suddenly as well. Maybe technology will improve this down the road, but currently it is kind of like dancing the tango with the Incredible Hulk.
Ebike riders often report the problem that other drivers don’t expect them to be moving at the speeds they are — the other driver sees “cyclist” and underestimates their speed — and these are people with 20 mph max systems. Going faster than that just exacerbates the problem.
Lastly, pedestrians and other cyclists don’t want to share narrow pathways with someone blasting along a automobile speeds, nor do nature lovers out on wilderness trails. You aren’t required to think about other people’s feelings, but I encourage you to.
If you need torque for hill climbing, modern mid-drive motors like Shimano and Bosch deliver it without needing an over-powered motor.
Let me encourage you to “right-size” it. If you want a motorcycle, go buy a motorcycle.
The Best Electric Trike Bikes For Adults And Seniors
With their speed, ease of use, and fantastic convenience, Electric Trikes are rising in popularity for adults and seniors as a mode of transportation. The numerous advantages they offer, including their environmentally friendly approach to transport, cost-effectiveness, and electric operation, encourage people to choose them over traditional bicycles and tricycles. In this article, we’ll discuss the best electric trikes for both adults and seniors and what you need to consider when choosing one.
What Exactly Is An Electric Tricycle?
A traditional tricycle consists of two rear wheels and one front wheel. They make balancing easier compared to a bicycle, they usually offer a basket on the back to make travel convenience easier, and they are a prime choice for children, adults, and seniors as an independent and flexible mode of transport. While these qualities are what make a regular tricycle a favoured choice, there are still the unfortunate cons that come with using one. The most significant difficulty with tricycles is pedaling with their substantially heavyweight, thus making climbing hills and using leg power alone very challenging. To combat this, electric tricycles offer an added electric motor to the drivetrain. With each pedal, the motor kicks in to provide a boost to your speed. This way, you can enjoy a more comfortable and less exhausting experience as opposed to a regular tricycle. Just like an electric scooter, most tricycles will also offer the ability to ride without pedaling at all, which is where the motor does all of the work for you. The versatility lets you choose how you want to ride. Adults and seniors find electric tricycles remarkably easy to get exactly where they need to be so that even if the basket is filled with shopping bags or other possessions, the journey will feel essentially effortless. Most are often worried about how electric tricycles will feel when they pedal. Rest assured, the riding feels quite natural. You won’t feel forcefully pulled forward by the motor, but instead, you will be cruising along at a faster speed than usual. The natural feeling, effortless transportation, and electric assistance are the major reasons electric tricycles are being chosen over traditional ones today.
When Choosing One, What Should I Consider?
Let’s go over what is most important to consider when purchasing an electric trike. The expense is something that is initially troubling, so it’s crucial to know what you’re getting with each trike. Once you understand what comprises one, you’ll get a better idea of why the cost is worth it.
Storage Space
Consider how you plan to use your electric tricycle. Picture your day-to-day life and activities, work, leisure, sports, pet interaction. All of these lifestyle considerations are important. With that in mind, do you believe you’ll need plenty of storage space when traveling? If you want to be able to pedal easier with a large load on the back, such as groceries or other gear, then you should determine if you need a larger storage space or more than one. This can make a significant difference in how you experience traveling via electric trike if you are someone that requires additional storage space.
Motor
The motor size on electric trikes is the main determinant of their top speed. Most e-tricycles have a 200 to 250W brushless motor. These are particularly quiet and more efficient than older brushed motors and can reach a top speed of 16-25 kilometres per hour!
Battery
This is perhaps the most important quality to consider. The batteries on most e-trikes are attached directly behind the seat, and this does give them the freedom to go large. However, battery life can still be limiting depending on the distance required per ride. Some e-trikes only offer up to 32 kilometres on a single charge in the pedal-assist mode, while others can stretch to 72 kilometres in the same mode. How you choose to ride your electric trikes, such as in full-electric mode or pedal-assist mode, will greatly impact how much battery you spend. Pedal-assist will use up considerably less battery time than if you have it on full-electric mode for the entire duration of the ride.
Display
LCD screen displays can be found on most high-end electric trikes which offer handy information including speed, battery usage, distance covered, and remaining battery life to its user. This is quite beneficial for monitoring how much mileage you have left, but it’s not something that is necessary. This will depend entirely on personal preference.
The Best Electric Tricycles For Adults Seniors
It’s time to get to the good part! Here, we’ll go over our top picks for electric tricycles and, we’ll provide a breakdown of each.
Eurowheel Electric Folding Trike Bike
L et’s start the list with the newest addition, the Eurowheel Electric Folding Trike Bike. This 3-wheel electric trike is sure to give convenience to a new meaning, with its awesome features. It’s foldable, making it compact and easy to carry anywhere. This e-trike bike is also equipped with fat tyres, making your ride more comfortable and stable. The bewildering e-trike is equipped with a 244.0 front tyre, and 204.0 rear tyres, all from Kenda. It has a maximum power speed of 25km/h and comes with a 48V 16AH LG lithium battery. One of its features is an LCD display which shows its rider its average speed, and distance traveled. The electric motor trike also has 5 Pedal Assist Modes, all of which can be set according to your preference. This electric trike is designed not only for adults but for seniors as well. Its three wheels are perfect for those who are not that comfortable in riding 2-wheel e-bikes. With that being said, we believe that this e-trike is much easier to use, especially for those with errands to run almost every day. Besides its wheels, this e-trike also carries a front basket and a rear carrier pack. Worry not about where to put your things or your bags of groceries!
Vamos Papa Grande Electric Trike Bike
- Light Aluminium Alloy Frame
- Mozo Suspension Front Fork
- Big Stone LCD C300S Display
- Wheels: F 24 inch x 4 inch, R 20 inch x 4 inch
- Chaoyang Tires
- F/R Aluminium Fender Mudguards
- F/R Carriage Systems
- F/R Integrated Lights
- Maximum rider weight: 120kg
- Rear Carrier: 40cm long x 50cm wide x 25 tall with removable padded inner bag. Can handle 50KG in cargo.
- Promax Suspension Saddle Post Seat
- SHIMANO Acera Derailleur
- F/R Hydraulic Disc Brakes
- 36V/48V 15.6AH Samsung Cell Lithium Battery
- Middle Axle Torque Sensor
- 2 keys
- Motor Size Throttle Type: 36V/15.6Ah 200W Bafang brushless gear twist throttle with on/off switch (40km range) or 48v/15.6ah 500W Bafang brushless gear twist throttle (42km range)
- Rear Carrier: 40cm Long x 50cm wide x 25 tall
- Weight: 45kg
- Handle bars height: 1070mm
- seat goes down to 830mm
Progear E-Free 24 Electric Trike Bike
Commute and ride with ease using Progear’s E-Free 24 Electric Trike Bike. Fitted with a 250-watt DC brushless front wheel hub drive motor, this e-trike eliminates the difficulties associated with pedalling traditional tricycles. especially concerning uphill struggles.
The pedal assistance system provides a seamless experience through amplifying the pedalling process, as seen in the previously mentioned models.
An included LCD display shows you your speed, trip statistics, current power assist, and battery charge level. The power levels can be adjusted from 1 to 5. the higher the number, the more assistance provided with your pedalling.
The 36V lithium-ion battery offers excellent battery life and performance so you can keep going throughout the day. This has been neatly tucked in behind the seat discreetly out of the way.
You can change gears swiftly with the Shimano RevoShifter 7-speed easy shift. A simple twist up or down during motion will make a quick upshift or downshift, respectively. This makes for a great travelling experience on streets or in urban settings.
The front alloy V-brakes and reliable rear Disc brakes are robust for a safe, enjoyable journey. regardless of whether it’s a scenic or work ride.
A spacious 59 x 49 cm (LxW) basket is positioned at the rear to hold your belongings, shopping bags, and more. Everything about the Progear’s E-Free 24 Electric Trike complies with legal road and safety rules.
Superior comfort with adjustable seat/handlebars
Thinner wheels/tyres than previous 1 2
250-watt motor with pedal assist
What Is an E-Bike? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
Sales of electric bikes are soaring. Here’s why everyone loves them—and why you probably will, too.
by Selene Yeager Published: May 10, 2022
The first thing you should know about e-bikes is that they’re here to stay. Electric bike sales jumped by an incredible 240 percent over a 12-month period as of September 2021, compared to two years prior, according to the market research firm NPD Group. It’s a nearly 27 billion industry as of last year, and there’s no sign of a slowdown.
Some view the rise of e-bikes as a threat, as though standard bikes will go the way of the penny-farthing once everyone goes electric. But fear not: E-bikes aren’t here to rob us of our human-powered way of life. In fact, they may very well enhance it—especially as travel and commuting habits change following the coronavirus pandemic and shift of work commuting. So as we roll our way into peak riding season, here’s everything you need to know about the electric bike revolution.
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E-bikes make pedaling easier.
Generally speaking, e-bikes are bicycles with a battery-powered “assist” that comes via pedaling and, in some cases, a throttle. When you push the pedals on a pedal-assist e-bike, a small motor engages and gives you a boost, so you can zip up hills and cruise over tough terrain without gassing yourself. Also called “pedelecs,” they feel just like conventional bikes—but better, says Ed Benjamin, senior managing director at the consulting firm eCycleElectric. “You control your speed with your feet, like with a regular bike,” he says. “You just feel really powerful and accelerate easily.”
From Bicycling
In addition to the pedal-assist feature, some e-bikes come with a throttle that engages the motor with the press of a button. These belong to a separate class of e-bike that, obviously, doesn’t offer a pure cycling experience; they’re also illegal in some municipalities. Interestingly, Benjamin says, people who aren’t already “cyclists” tend to gravitate toward throttle bikes at first, but then turn around and choose a pedal-assist for their next purchase.
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They go pretty fast… to a point.
The harder you pedal, the bigger the boost, the faster you’ll ride—to a point. E-bikes let you hum along at a brisk clip, but they aren’t motorcycles. You’ll never hammer down the road at 45 mph. The motor is designed to stop propelling you further when you hit 20 to 28 miles per hour, depending on the bike. So you’ll save time on your commute (I shave about three minutes off a five-mile trip) but still enjoy the scenery.
You can also control how big of an assist you get. Most e-bikes come with a power switch that lets you adjust the boost setting from “eco” (low) to “turbo” (high), for when you want a little more oomph to help you, say, up a steep hill.
You’ll ride a lot more, even if you already ride a lot.
Getting an e-bike can dramatically increase how often you ride, according to a survey of nearly 1,800 e-bike owners in North America. Beforehand, 55 percent of respondents said they rode daily or weekly. After buying an e-bike, that number soared to 91 percent. It makes sense: Even if you’re super fit, you still get tired (likely from training or racing) and remounting your bike can feel like a chore. If you have an e-bike, you can continue riding while giving your knackered legs a bit of a break. You can also go faster, which makes biking for longer trips more attractive, even when you’re pressed for time.
For those who aren’t frequent riders, e-bikes open up a whole new world. While you may not be conditioned to ride five to 10 miles at a time, you can cover those distances easily with an electric assist, which is a great way to build endurance and confidence. That same survey found that 94 percent of non-cyclists rode daily or weekly after getting an e-bike.
There’s an e-bike for everything.
Name a type of riding, and there’s an e-bike for that. If you have zero interest in an electric road bike, you may find yourself head over heels for a high-capacity e-cargo bike that can haul 400 pounds of stuff while still cruising at a cool 15 mph. E-bikes are available in fat, cargo, commuter, recreational, hardtail, full-suspension mountain, and even performance road bike styles. For proof, here are the best e-bikes for every type of cyclist.
They can replace driving.
“People are buying electric bicycles as a way to reduce car trips,” Benjamin says. The data backs him up: 28 percent of survey respondents said they bought an e-bike specifically to replace driving a car. And many other reasons buyers listed for wanting an e-bike—including carrying cargo and kids, avoiding parking and traffic, and environmental concerns—also indicate a desire to get out from behind the wheel. Plus, you don’t need to change clothes or clean up when you arrive at your destination, because you don’t have to work up as much of a sweat.
Consider, too, that more than half of all driving trips are shorter than 10 miles, with some surveys reporting that the average single trip amounts to just 5.95 miles. That’s a no-brainer distance to cover by e-bike. In fact, the survey found that owners replaced 46 percent of their car commutes and 30 percent of their driving errands with e-bike rides. All you need is a great commuter bag to carry your stuff, and you’re set.