E-Trike for Two: Diane & Lisa Ride the Sixthreezero Recumbent Rickshaw

Hi, I'm Diane. I am 64 years old, and today I'm at sixthreezero and going to take the Recumbent Rickshaw for a ride with my friend Lisa. We're just going to talk a little bit. I don't know about you, but sometimes it gets lonely being in the house by myself. Given the option of staying in, doing housework, and watching TV, versus going out for an e-trike ride with one of my friends to do something social, that's what I want to do. So that's what we're going to do on this trike today. Just to give you a little bit of an idea about this particular trike, it's super cool because we've got a really comfy seat that reclines and moves forward in case you need a little bit more room as your passenger gets in.

You've got armrests that go up and down. For sixthreezero, this one has a different set of handrails here, which is really cool and comfy. I've ridden this one before. It has pedal assist, which I'll talk about, a throttle, and, like other sixthreezero bikes, a parking brake. So, let's say you've had some type of surgery, have a stability issue, or just like the fact that when you mount or dismount, you don't have to worry about the bike rolling forward or backward. This is a perfect feature. As you can see, the bike is not going to move. So I'm going to ask my friend Lisa to be my passenger today and jump on. We're going to go for a ride, have a little social time, and enjoy the beauty of Southern California. Are you ready to go for a ride?

And it has a horn! Okay, so in order to release the parking brakes, I'm going to release these levers right here, which will allow me to jump into the throttle. I'm currently in first gear, so I'm going to change that. I'm going to use my throttle again to get going. There we go! Yeah, on this particular trike, I don't have to worry about whether or not my friend has a trike. She can just ride along with me on the back. The beauty of using pedal assist is that I don't actually feel the weight of having a second person on the back. I'm now in Pedal Assist 3, really just because it's kind of windy out today, isn't it, Lisa? So how does it feel in the back? You know what, Lisa? I am going to move my seat back a little. Is that okay? Do you have enough room? Okay, good. And you know what? I really like the handlebars on this bike, or this trike.

I know they're a little different, but I find them to be really comfortable because I can grasp them a couple of different ways. I'll go down in pedal assist, I think. I just needed some power to get going. So, yeah, as I said earlier, sometimes when you're a senior, if you're alone—even just alone on a particular day—you have the option of staying in and cleaning the house, or maybe your mobility is not 100%, so riding a traditional bike isn't necessarily an option for you. Going on a long walk, maybe based on where you live, isn't an option for you either. Essentially, what e-bikes or e-trikes can do is give you the ability to get out on your own. It really gives you independence so that you can go out and ride with your friends, meet for lunch, go enjoy a nature ride, and meet more people.

I know that there are a lot of different riding groups, and that's always a great way to meet people, too. I always use caution when approaching busier streets or any streets. There are so many advantages to using an e-trike, and one is that feature right there: the throttle. Using the throttle to cross a busy street ensures you get across quickly. I know that you don't have an e-trike just yet. Isn't it fun for us to be able to go out together and enjoy this ride? Yeah! We could definitely check that off the list. What would you have been doing if we didn't get together today? Staying home isn't as fun, and we wouldn't see this little puppy right here if we were sitting at home.

How about you, Lisa? I always feel like when I get out in nature and enjoy these beautiful days—as summer has just hit in San Diego or Southern California—it makes me feel better, younger, and more invigorated. Do you feel that way too? I think you're right. Boy, it's windy today, isn't it? Another beauty of the e-trike is that pedal assist comes in super handy on windy days. So where should I go? I want to go down here a little bit. We're going into uncharted waters today, Lisa. We've never been down here. Comfy back there for you? Yep, perfect. Oh, should I turn left and see what's up there? Yeah, let's check that out. See how fun this is? Especially when you have one of your friends with you. This is where we've been before. It is a nice shortcut. So, oops, I'm cheating—I'm totally using the throttle right now. I'll go back to pedaling. Oh, I need the throttle help!

Since this is a pretty steep hill, I'm going up to Pedal Assist 5. That allows us to easily do this ride without any heavy exertion on my end. It sure is nice. Yeah, we should! So, see, we meet all sorts of people. You never know who you might meet or encounter on a ride getting out. It's just so good for your mental health to get out, meet more people, and have some fun. Well, you can see how windy it is. Did you see that gust of wind just go by? Should we keep going, Lisa? What do you think? Do you want to turn around, or do you want to be really adventurous, and I can go over those rocks? This is so fun, isn't it? Getting out and enjoying nature—there's really nothing like it. If you're in a bit of a slump at home, having an e-trike gives you the freedom and independence to get out, enjoy nature, hang out with friends, and make new ones. There's so much you can do!

You can stop for lunch or pick up the grandkids. The back seat is really big enough for two people—we could have picked up one of our other friends! This trike actually has turn signals, so now the people behind me know which way I'm turning, which I love. Don't you love that safety feature? You just have to remember to turn it off. There's a nice bike lane on this street, and this rickshaw fits really well in here.

I'm still in Pedal Assist 5. I'm using a little bit of throttle as well, just because we are going up a fairly steep hill and trying to avoid the acorns in the road. Are we turning left here, Lisa, or at the next one? The next one. It's just a gorgeous day. Again, since I have the turn signal, I'm able to use that to let people behind me know I'm turning. You could use hand signals as well, but I'm going to use this feature since it has it. We also have a little horn in case I need to use that. This particular rickshaw has a headlight, too, which is really cool.

I find the handlebars on this rickshaw to be really comfortable. I like being able to adjust where I'm holding, and they're super padded. It must be a good width for me. We have five different levels of pedal assist and seven gears. If you're used to riding a traditional bike, the gears are the same as what you'd find on a 3-speed, 5-speed, or 10-speed, but there are seven of them. You just adjust based on the terrain and how much work you want to put in. This is a push-down throttle. If you think about it like accelerating with the gas pedal in a car, it's the same thing, but using your thumb. Oh, here comes another rider.

Hello! I'm going to set the parking brake just by pushing down on these buttons. That lets my passenger safely get off with me. Again, I could put the armrests up or down if I wanted to. As you can see, just because you're 65, 70, 80, or even 90, like my mom, it doesn't mean you have to stay in the house all the time. Riding an e-bike, e-trike, or rickshaw gives you the freedom and independence to go out, enjoy the world and nature, and run quick errands if you want to. What I suggest doing is visiting sixthreezero in San Clemente and test-riding a couple of options for yourself. Think about how you would utilize an e-trike if you had one. Anyway, thanks so much for joining Lisa and me on our ride today. We had a lot of fun, and I hope you did too. If you have any questions, feel free to drop a comment below. Thanks so much for joining, and have a great afternoon!