69-Year-Old Les Test Rides the ANYterrain Quad: A First Ride on a Four-Wheel E-Bike in San Clemente

Les Meets a Four-Wheel E-Bike at 6:30 in the Morning

Some of my favorite moments at our San Clemente showroom happen before most of the team has finished a first cup of coffee. Les's visit was one of them. Les is 69 years old, he came down from Long Beach, and he was standing outside our shop at 6:30 in the morning. The bikes and trikes sit right there in the showroom where you can see them through the glass, and Les spent those early minutes doing what almost everyone does on a first visit: walking the row, looking at frames, sizing up baskets, and trying to picture himself on one.

One of them stopped him cold. It was the ANYterrain Stabilized 4-Wheel Electric Bike, the model most people around here just call "the quad." Les summed up his reaction in a way I hear a lot. He'd never seen one before, and he couldn't take his eyes off it.

I want to tell the story of his ride the way it actually went, because Les filmed the whole thing himself and narrated as he rode. There's no script. He fumbles the power button for a second. He jokes about a Ferrari parked in the lot. He admits he might be going a little fast. He gets surprised by the sound the bike makes when it shuts down. That unpolished, first-time feel is exactly why his ride is worth writing up in detail. If you're thinking about a four-wheel e-bike and you've never sat on one, Les's first ride is probably a lot closer to what yours will feel like than any spec sheet.

Why a Quad Stops People in Their Tracks

Most of us carry around a simple mental model. A bike has two wheels. A trike has three. Once you've got that picture in your head, a four-wheeled e-bike breaks it in a way that's hard to ignore. Les pointed it out right away: fat tires, two and two. Two wheels up front, two in the back.

That layout is the whole idea behind the four-wheel e-bikes we carry. According to our product listing, the ANYterrain runs 16-inch by 4-inch tires in the front and 20-inch by 4-inch tires in the rear. Those are wide, chunky tires, and when you see four of them sitting under one frame, the bike reads as planted before you've even touched it. It looks less like a bicycle that got an extra wheel and more like its own kind of machine.

I've watched a lot of people walk up to this bike over the past couple of years, and the reaction usually comes in two waves. First it's curiosity, the "what is that?" moment Les had. Then it's a kind of quiet math. People start working out whether this might be the thing that gets them riding again, or riding more, or riding somewhere they've been nervous to go on two wheels. Les didn't say any of that out loud, but the fact that a 69-year-old rider walked past a showroom full of options and went straight to the one he'd never seen before tells you something about how this bike lands with people.

"You Still Have Room for the Dog"

One of the first practical things Les noticed was space. In his words, you still have room for the dog. I love that comment, because it's how real riders think. Nobody walks up to a bike and says, "I'm interested in its cargo volume." They say, "Can I bring my dog?" or "Will my beach bag fit?" or "Could I do a grocery run on this?"

Our listing describes the ANYterrain as having front and rear cargo baskets, and that's what Les was looking at. Four wheels and a wide frame give the bike a broad footprint, so there's real estate both ahead of you and behind you. If carrying things is a big part of how you'd ride, it's worth comparing the quad against the electric trikes with a large basket in our lineup, too, since basket size and placement vary a lot from model to model. And if a four-legged passenger is the plan, bring your questions to the team. We'd rather talk through how your particular dog would ride along than have you guess.

Looks Fun. But How Fun Is It?

Before he rolled out, Les framed the whole test with one line that I think every shopper should borrow. It looks fun, he said, but let's find out how fun it really is.

That's the right question. A bike can look incredible on a showroom floor and feel completely different once you're on it and moving. The seat height might feel off. The controls might be confusing. The motor might come on harder or softer than you expected. Steering a four-wheeled frame is its own skill, and it isn't quite like steering a bicycle or a trike. None of that shows up in a photo.

So Les did the smart thing. He didn't take the bike's looks at face value. He got on and rode it. If you're anywhere near Southern California, that's my standing advice for you, too. Visit our San Clemente store and ride the bikes you're curious about. Walk the row the way Les did, notice what catches your eye, and then find out whether the feeling holds up once the wheels are turning.

What follows is how it held up for him, step by step, from power-on to power-off.

Every e-bike has a short "where's the switch?" moment, and Les had his right at the start. He knew he needed to power up, and he went looking. After a second of hunting, he found the power control on the left side of the handlebar. Once he had it, his verdict was simple: once you get it figured out, it's very easy to operate.

I'm glad that moment made the video, because it's honest. Riders sometimes feel a little embarrassed when they can't find the power button right away, as if they ought to know already. You shouldn't. Every brand lays out its display and controls a little differently, and even experienced riders need a minute to get oriented on a new bike. That's normal. It isn't a sign the bike is complicated or that you're not ready for it.

Take Thirty Seconds Before You Roll

Here's the routine I recommend for any first ride, on the ANYterrain or anything else with a motor. It's basically what Les did, just slowed down a little:

• Find the power control and turn the bike on before you sit down and get settled.
• Locate the buttons that raise and lower the pedal assist level, and confirm which number you're starting on.
• Find the throttle and get a feel for where your thumb or hand naturally rests on it.
• Squeeze both brake levers a few times while you're stopped so you know how firm they feel.
• Check your shifter so you know which way is an easier gear and which way is a harder one.

Thirty seconds of that, and your first few hundred feet will feel a lot calmer. You're not trying to figure out the controls and steer at the same time.

Pedal Assist Level One in an Empty Parking Lot

Les started in pedal assist level one, the gentlest setting, and he started in the parking lot. That's exactly where I'd want a first-time quad rider to begin. Big open space, flat pavement, nobody around.

Within a few seconds he had an idea I've heard from a lot of customers. They should put some cones out here, he said. We should run some cones. He was half joking, but it's a genuinely good idea. If you have access to an empty lot, a few cones (or a few water bottles) set up for a slow figure-eight or a slalom is one of the best ways to learn how a new bike steers and stops. You find out how tight it turns, how it behaves at walking speed, and how quickly it settles when you brake, all without traffic to worry about.

He was also clear about riding sensibly. You have to be reasonable in the parking lot, he said, and he called out what he saw on the display, roughly 10 miles per hour in assist level one. A moment later he second-guessed himself a little. He thought he might be going too fast, but since nobody else was out there, he felt okay about it.

That little bit of self-checking is a habit I'd love every rider to have. A four-wheel e-bike feels stable, and that stability is a big part of its appeal. But stable doesn't mean you stop paying attention. Speed in a parking lot, around pedestrians, or on a shared path should always match the space you're in. Les read the situation, saw the lot was empty, and adjusted his expectations accordingly. That's good riding.

"These Brakes Feel Great"

Les's next comment was about stopping, and it was short and sweet: these brakes feel great.

On a bike like this, that matters a lot. More wheels and a wider frame mean you're moving a substantial machine, and you want stopping to feel confident and predictable, not grabby and not mushy. Our listing describes the ANYterrain as having hydraulic disc brakes on all four wheels. If braking feel is near the top of your priority list, you can also browse our electric trikes with disc brakes to compare. But on this ride, Les's own hands gave the verdict, and he liked what he felt.

My advice on brakes is the same for every bike. Test them early, test them gently, and test them at a few different speeds while you still have plenty of open space around you. You want to know exactly how much lever pressure brings you to a smooth stop before you ever need to stop in a hurry.

The Ferrari in the Parking Lot

Then came my favorite moment of the whole video. There was a Ferrari parked in the lot, and Les rolled past it with two goals. First: try not to hit the Ferrari. Second: try not to race the Ferrari, though he admitted he felt like he could.

It's a joke, obviously. Nobody is drag racing a sports car on a four-wheel e-bike. But I think the joke says something real. Two minutes into his first ride on a bike he'd never seen before that morning, Les was relaxed enough to crack wise about racing a Ferrari. He wasn't white-knuckling the grips. He wasn't nervous about tipping. He was having fun.

That's what I look for when someone tries a bike for the first time. I don't care about top speed or numbers on a display in the first few minutes. I care about whether the rider's shoulders come down and whether they start to smile. Les got there fast. As he rolled on, he added one more quick reaction about the sound of the bike. That sounds good, he said. Then he bumped the assist up and started finding out what the motor could really do.

After a few easy laps in level one, Les moved up to pedal assist level two and tried the throttle at full. His observation here is one of the most useful things in the whole video, so I want to spend some time on it.

It doesn't torque up real instantly, he said. He had the throttle fully open, and the bike built speed in a measured way instead of jumping forward. His summary was one word: reasonable.

Why "Reasonable" Acceleration Is a Compliment

Some riders hear "doesn't torque up instantly" and assume it's a complaint. In this context it's the opposite, and Les clearly meant it as a positive. A lot of first-time e-bike riders get rattled when a motor kicks in hard. You press the throttle, the bike lunges, and suddenly you're holding on instead of riding. For a newer rider, an older rider, or anyone who's coming back to cycling after years away, that lurch can be the difference between "I love this" and "never again."

What Les described is a bike that delivers power progressively. You ask for full throttle, and it gets you there smoothly instead of all at once. That's what you want on a heavier, wider machine like a quad, especially in tight spaces like a parking lot or a driveway. If throttle control is something you specifically want, our electric trikes with throttle control are worth a look for comparison, but the takeaway from Les's ride is that the ANYterrain's throttle came on in a way he found easy to manage.

A Slight Uphill and "Real Control"

Next, the lot tilted gently uphill, and Les stepped things up again. He called out "four" on this stretch, and he described the acceleration as being in real control. Then he said the line that sums up this part of the ride for me: I like that part.

A slight uphill is a great test on any e-bike. On flat ground, almost anything feels fine. Give it a grade, even a small one, and you start to learn how the motor responds when it's actually working. Les didn't describe any surging, bogging, or drama. He described control. For a first ride on a new machine, that's about as good a review as you can get.

The U-Turn and the Coast Back Down

At the top of the lot, Les swung the bike through a U-turn and headed back the way he came. Turning around in a parking lot is one of those small skills that tells you a lot about a bike. On a long or wide frame, you want to know how much room you need and how the steering feels at low speed. Les made his turn without any fuss and kept rolling.

Coming back down, he didn't pedal at all. He let the bike roll. That's worth noting for a simple reason: on a gentle downhill, you don't need the motor or your legs, and coasting gives you a chance to feel how the bike tracks on its own. Our listing describes the ANYterrain's front end as a tilting steering mechanism that's designed to adapt to the terrain and keep the rider balanced. Les didn't comment on the steering specifically, but his relaxed coast and easy turnaround fit with what that design is meant to do.

Lower Assist, Higher Gear, and Feeling the Pedals

Here's the part of the ride I'd point any new e-bike owner to. After the coast, Les dropped the assist back down to level two and shifted up to gear six. Right away he noticed the difference. Now, he said, he could really feel the pedaling working.

This is the relationship that confuses a lot of people at first, so let me break it down. On an e-bike, pedal assist level and gears are two separate things:

• Pedal assist level controls how much help the motor adds when you pedal. Higher levels mean more help.
• Gears control how hard each pedal stroke feels and how much ground you cover per stroke, just like on a regular bike.

Our listing describes the ANYterrain as a 7-speed, so Les had a full range to play with. By combining a lower assist level with a higher gear, he shifted more of the work to his legs. The motor was still helping, but he could feel his own effort moving the bike. That's the sweet spot for a lot of riders who want real exercise without feeling worn out, and it's a setting you can only find by experimenting the way Les did.

Assist Level Three Uphill: 15 Miles Per Hour, "Real Comfortable"

For the final climb back up the lot, Les went to pedal assist level three. He called out about 15 miles per hour on the display, going uphill, and described it as real comfortable. That was good, he added.

I want to be careful here. Les was reading his display in a parking lot on a gentle grade, not running a controlled test, so I'd treat that number as what he saw in the moment rather than a promise of what you'll see on your hill. Speed on any e-bike depends on the slope, the rider, the gear, the assist level, and how hard you're pedaling. For reference, our product listing describes the ANYterrain as capable of speeds up to 20 miles per hour.

The more important detail is the word he used. Comfortable. At a pace that's brisk for a quad, on a slight climb, he wasn't straining and he wasn't uneasy. He was comfortable.

What I'd Take Away From This Stretch

If you strip this section of the ride down to lessons, I think there are three. Start low and work up through the assist levels one at a time, the way Les did, so you learn what each one feels like. Use your gears along with the assist instead of leaving the bike in one gear, because the combination is what makes the ride feel natural. And pay attention to how the bike accelerates, not just how fast it goes. Les cared more about control than raw speed, and he found it.

After the climb, Les slowed down and gave his overall impression of riding on four wheels. The quad setup, he said, is very comfortable. You feel in control.

Those two words, comfortable and control, are the reason this bike exists, and they're worth unpacking a bit.

Where the Comfort Comes From

Comfort on a bike like the ANYterrain comes from a few places. Part of it is the seat. Our listing describes a cushioned saddle with an adjustable backrest, so you're sitting more than perching. Part of it is the upright riding position. And part of it, on the 2026 version, is suspension: the current listing names it the ANYterrain Stabilized 2026 with dual rear suspension. Les didn't call out the seat or the suspension by name, but "very comfortable" is the kind of overall verdict you give when nothing is bothering you, when your back, hands, and backside all feel fine and you can just ride.

Where the Control Comes From

Control is the bigger story. With four wheels on the ground, you're not balancing the way you do on two wheels, and you're working with four contact points instead of a trike's three. When you stop, the bike stays put. When you ride slowly, you don't wobble. That frees up your attention for the things that actually matter: where you're going, what's around you, and how fast you want to be moving.

For a rider in his late sixties trying a brand-new kind of bike, that matters. Les spent the first few minutes of his ride figuring out controls, testing brakes, trying assist levels, and making turns. On a less stable bike, that much multitasking can feel overwhelming. On the quad, he was comfortable enough to joke around within two minutes and calm enough to analyze throttle response a minute later. That's what "you feel in control" looks like in practice.

The "Any Terrain" Question: What About the Hills?

The name got Les thinking. This model is called ANYterrain, he pointed out, and he started wondering how it would handle the hills of San Clemente. He even floated a plan: when someone stepped into the back room, he might take it up the hill real quick.

I appreciate the honesty of that, and I also want to be honest about what this particular ride did and didn't show. Les rode in our parking lot. He tackled a slight grade and liked how the bike handled it. He did not take it up one of San Clemente's real hills during this video, and he said himself that he'd need more time on the bike to test that properly. So I'm not going to tell you what his hill climb felt like, because it didn't happen on camera.

What I can tell you is what our product listing says about the bike's hardware, so you can weigh it for your own terrain. The ANYterrain is listed with a 750-watt rear-mounted motor, a 20Ah battery with Samsung cells, and a range of up to 50 miles on a charge. The listing also describes it handling pavement, trails, and hard-packed sand, helped by those 4-inch-wide tires front and rear. On top of that, it's a 7-speed, which means your gears are there to help on a climb just as they helped Les on the flat.

If hills are part of your daily ride, here's how I'd approach a test, building on exactly what Les did in the lot:

• Pick the actual hill you care about, or the closest thing to it, rather than judging from flat ground.
• Shift to an easier gear before the grade starts, not halfway up.
• Start in a middle assist level and step it up if you need more help, the same way Les moved from two to three on his climb.
• Pay attention to how controlled the bike feels at slower speeds on the grade, not only how fast you can go.

That's the test Les wanted to run, and it's the one I'd want you to run too.

"This Is a Joy to Ride"

Somewhere in the middle of all that hill speculation, Les stopped analyzing and just reacted. This is a joy to ride, he said. My goodness, love it.

I've been around bikes a long time, and that's my favorite kind of review. It isn't about watts or amp-hours. It's a rider who came in at 6:30 in the morning to look around and ended up grinning on a bike he'd never heard of an hour earlier.

The Sound Effects at Power-Off

Les's ride ended with one more honest moment. When he powered the bike down, it played a little shutdown sound, and it caught him off guard. Oh, he said, those are sound effects. Then, with perfect timing, he told the bike goodbye.

It's a small thing, but I like that it's in the video. New e-bike owners discover these little quirks all the time: a chime at startup, a beep when you change modes, a tone at shutdown. None of it is a big deal, and all of it becomes second nature after a few rides.

"Once You Know How to Operate It, It Works Real Good"

Les's closing summary tied the whole ride together. Once you know how to operate it, he said, it works real good. He called it fun. He said he'd want more time to test it, especially going uphill, because that was the question still on his mind. And he finished with the line every bike shop hopes to hear: he couldn't wait to ride it again.

That arc, from "where's the power button?" to "I can't wait to ride this again," took about five minutes. The learning curve was real, and it was short. That's about the best case you can make for any bike.

Les's ride was about one bike, but the questions he was asking apply to anyone shopping for a stable e-bike. Is it comfortable? Do I feel in control? Can I carry what I need? Will it handle the terrain where I actually live? Let me take what we learned from his five minutes in the parking lot and turn it into something you can use, wherever you land.

Two Wheels, Three Wheels, or Four?

When riders tell me they want something more stable than a standard bicycle, the conversation usually moves through three broad options.

A traditional two-wheel e-bike is the lightest and most compact choice, and it's the most bike-like. But you still have to balance, and at stops you're putting a foot down. For confident riders, that's no problem at all. For riders who've had a fall, have balance concerns, or simply haven't ridden in years, it can be a barrier.

An electric trike removes the balancing act. You can stop and sit without putting a foot down, and you can ride at very low speeds without wobbling. Within trikes there's a lot of variety. Our full range of electric tricycles includes upright models, front-wheel (tadpole) e-trikes with two wheels in front, and fat tire electric trikes built for looser surfaces. If you're shopping for an older rider, our electric trikes for seniors collection is a good starting point. And if hauling is the main job, our cargo electric trikes put storage front and center.

A four-wheel e-bike like the ANYterrain takes stability one step further, with a wheel at each corner. As Les put it, two and two. That extra contact point and the wide stance are what gave him the feeling of control he kept coming back to. The trade-off is a larger footprint, so you'll want to think about where you'll store it, how you'll get it in and out, and what paths you'll ride.

There's no single right answer. The best choice depends on your body, your confidence, your terrain, and what you plan to carry. The point is to compare honestly, and ideally to ride more than one style before you decide.

A First-Ride Checklist, Borrowed From Les

If I had to boil Les's test ride down to a checklist for your own first ride on any e-bike or e-trike, it would look like this:

• Find the controls first. Power, assist up and down, throttle, brakes, and shifter. Les found his power button on the left and said it was easy from there.
• Start in the lowest assist level in an open, empty space. Cones are optional, but Les was right that they help.
• Ride at a speed that fits the space. Les kept checking himself, even in an empty lot.
• Test the brakes early and gently. Les's verdict, "these brakes feel great," came in the first minute.
• Try the throttle from a standstill and notice how the power comes on. Les liked that it was smooth instead of sudden.
• Find a slope, even a small one, and step up the assist as you climb.
• Combine assist levels with gears. Les's "now I can really feel the pedaling" moment came from lowering assist and raising the gear.
• Ride the terrain you'll actually live with. For Les, that question was the hills, and he was the first to say he'd need more time to answer it.

If you walk away from a test ride able to tick off every item on that list, you'll know far more about the bike than any photo or spec sheet can tell you.

Try It Before You Commit

The single best thing Les did was show up and ride. If you're within driving distance, stop by our showroom in San Clemente and do the same. Ride the quad, ride a couple of trikes, and pay attention to which one makes your shoulders drop and your face relax.

If you can't make it in, we offer a 30-day test ride so you can try the bike at home, on your own streets and your own hills, which is exactly the test Les wished he'd had more time for. And if you're not sure where to start, get fitted with our team. Tell us your height, your riding history, any balance or mobility concerns, and where you plan to ride, and we'll help you narrow down the style that fits.

One last thing: whatever you end up riding, wear a helmet. Our sixthreezero helmets are an easy add-on, and it's a habit worth building from your very first ride.

The Real Takeaway

Les came to our shop at 6:30 in the morning just to look around. He left having found a bike he'd never seen before, figured it out in a couple of minutes, joked about racing a Ferrari, climbed a little hill at a comfortable clip, and announced that it was a joy to ride. His only reservation was that he wanted more time on it, especially on the hills.

That's a pretty great first date with a bike. If the idea of four wheels, fat tires, and room for the dog has you curious, take a page from Les. Don't just look at it. Get on it, start slow, and find out how fun it really is.