First-Time Riders Ages 69 and 66 Test Every Electric Trike We Make

Meet Ken and Gretchen

Ken is 69. Gretchen is 66. Neither of them had ridden an electric bike or an electric trike before the morning they showed up to test ours, and neither had been on a regular bicycle in a long time. Ken guessed it had been at least five years. Gretchen laughed and said it was more like ten, maybe more.

That made them exactly the kind of riders we wanted to hear from. Plenty of people shopping for an electric trike for seniors are in the same spot: curious, a little nervous, not sure what any of the buttons do, and wondering whether a three-wheeler is going to feel natural or awkward. So our fit specialist Dustin, who has spent about 20 years in the bike and ebike business, lined up the full range of trikes, rickshaws, four-wheelers and a tandem, and let the two of them ride every single one.

The goal was simple. By the end of the session, each of them would pick a favorite. Along the way, we'd learn what actually matters to first-time riders in their sixties, which turned out to be a mix of things you'd expect (comfort, stability) and a few you might not (how the throttle feels under an arthritic thumb, whether a passenger's footrest catches your heel).

There was one more wrinkle worth knowing up front. Ken stands about 5'8", which is right in the middle of the range most of our frames are built around. Gretchen is 4'11". As Dustin put it before anyone climbed aboard, that height is right on the edge where some trikes will fit her and some won't. Part of the point of the day was to find out which ones did.

Why a Trike Rides Differently Than a Bike

Before the first test ride, Dustin cleared up something that trips up a lot of new trike owners. If you grew up on a two-wheeler, your body learned to steer by leaning. You tip slightly into a turn and the bike follows. A tricycle doesn't work that way. It balances itself, so you don't lean; you actually turn the handlebars, a little more like steering a car than riding a bike.

That's good news for anyone who worries they've lost their balance on two wheels. Whether you could still ride a bicycle today has very little to do with how you'll do on a trike. It's a different skill, and for most people an easier one. But it does take a few minutes to stop trying to lean, and Dustin warned Ken and Gretchen that even among three-wheelers, each model steers a little differently. Wheel size, frame length and seat position all change the feel.

He also explained the two broad seating styles they'd be trying. On a traditional upright trike, the pedals sit more or less directly below your hips, just like a regular bicycle. Because you're pushing straight down, the seat needs to be fairly high for your legs to extend properly. On a recumbent electric trike, the pedals are out in front of you. You're pushing forward rather than down, which means the seat can sit lower while you still get full leg extension. That one detail would end up mattering a lot, especially for Ken's knees.

Every electric trike in the lineup works on the same basic principles, so Dustin walked through them once at the start. If you're new to ebikes, this is the part worth reading twice.

There are two ways to use the motor. The first is pedal assist. Turn the system on, start pedaling, and the motor kicks in to help. The second is the throttle. Press or twist it and the trike goes without any pedaling at all, a bit like a scooter. Most models in the lineup also have a reverse function, which comes in handy more often than you'd think when you're backing out of a tight parking spot.

The display shows your assist level, battery life and speed. You move the assist level up and down with arrow buttons or plus and minus buttons, depending on the model. Level one gives you the least help; higher numbers give you more. Dustin's advice was to start at level one, and that advice held up all day. You can also drop to zero, where the screen stays on but the motor does nothing and you're just pedaling. One thing that surprises people: the throttle only works when you're in at least level one.

Throttles come in two styles. Some trikes have a thumb throttle you push with your thumb; others have a twist throttle on the right grip that you roll toward you, like a motorcycle. In Dustin's experience, customers split about 50/50 on which they prefer. Either way, the rule is the same: ease into it. You wouldn't stomp on a car's gas pedal from a stop, and you shouldn't jam a throttle either. There's usually a little slack before it engages, then you'll feel it catch and pull. From there you can feed in a bit more or back off.

Brakes are the levers on the handlebars, one for the front and one for the rear, and squeezing either one cuts the motor instantly. That's the single most important safety habit for a new rider. The trikes also have gears, just like a bicycle. You don't need to touch them for a short test ride, but as you pick up speed it helps to shift up, which adds resistance so your legs aren't spinning uselessly while the motor does the work. You can only shift while moving, because the chain has to be turning. Assist levels, on the other hand, can be changed anytime. If you want to compare models with a throttle, our electric trikes with throttle control are a good place to start.

Finally, every trike has a parking brake. That turned out to be the first hurdle of the day. Gretchen's trike refused to roll at first, and the culprit was a parking brake she hadn't released. Once it was popped out, she was off with a delighted shout.

First Up: The Easy Transit, Our Most Compact Trike

The ride started with the Easy Transit, the smallest trike in the lineup and a traditional upright design. It folds at the middle of the frame and the handlebars fold down, so it's the one people choose when storage space or car transport is a concern. You can browse similar models in our folding electric trikes collection.

The specs Dustin laid out: 16-inch wheels, a 750-watt motor, and a 10.4 amp-hour battery good for up to about 50 miles of range. He noted that 750 watts is the legal limit for street riding in California. Top speed is 16 miles per hour, which he called the safest limit for a trike with this kind of short, upright design. The battery locks onto the frame with a key. Ken assumed at first that the key was an ignition, a reasonable guess, but it's there so you can remove the battery or lock it in place, not to start anything.

Ken and Gretchen each rode two versions, one with standard tires and one with fat tires. There was also a mechanical footnote: the unit they rode that day had a front-wheel motor, while the current version of the model uses a rear motor. Most of the trikes in the lineup are rear-wheel drive.

What happened next was pure first-ride energy. Within seconds Gretchen was laughing and calling out that she didn't even need to pedal. Ken realized the throttle had a mind of its own until he learned to feather it. They looped the parking lot, playfully racing, dodging a parked car, and joking that a lead foot had turned into a lead thumb. Gretchen quickly earned the nickname 'speed demon,' which stuck for the rest of the day. And both of them kept forgetting to pedal. That's normal. When a throttle is right there, most new riders lean on it for the first few laps.

A few things stood out in their feedback. Ken found the steering easy but said learning to feather the throttle took some getting used to. On the second version, Gretchen noticed the handlebars sat a bit high, and Dustin grabbed a tool to tilt them toward her. Importantly, at 4'11" she fit both Easy Transit models without trouble.

The fat-tire versus thin-tire comparison was revealing too. Both riders felt a clear difference. The fat-tire version felt more stable. The thinner-tire version felt looser in the turns, which some people would describe as easier to steer and others as less planted. Neither is wrong; it's a matter of what you're comfortable with.

Ken also picked up a lesson every new trike rider learns eventually: watch your rear wheels. On a bicycle, everything follows the front wheel in a single line. On a trike, the back axle sticks out about a foot behind you on each side, so if you cut a corner close to a curb, the rear wheel will find it.

Next came the Simple Glide series, and this is where the day turned. These trikes have tall high-back seats and a longer frame, and one of the test units had been fitted with what Dustin jokingly called 'the big kahuna,' a captain's chair complete with a seat belt and armrests. The Simple Glide uses a twist throttle on the right grip instead of a thumb throttle. If seat comfort is high on your list, our most comfortable electric trikes collection is built around exactly this kind of setup.

Ken started on the captain's chair version. The seat slides forward and back, and the backrest reclines, so it took a minute to get dialed in. Once he was rolling, his reaction came almost immediately. He liked having a real chair instead of a bicycle saddle. Then came the bigger discovery.

Ken has arthritis in his knees. On the upright Easy Transit, pedaling straight down had made them, in Gretchen's words, a bit grouchy. On the Simple Glide, with the seat reclined and his legs pushing forward at more of an angle, the pedaling felt much easier. He said so a few times during the loop: it was easier on his knees, the seat seemed to cradle him, and the whole thing felt secure. After the ride, he even reclined the seat further, and Gretchen announced he'd officially become an easy rider.

Dustin explained why the Simple Glide felt so different. The longer frame adds stability and makes steering noticeably smoother than on a short, compact trike. Combine that with the pedal angle and a supportive seat, and you get a ride that's easier on the body in several ways at once.

Gretchen's experience was more mixed, and it's a useful reminder that fit is personal. On the larger version, she felt swallowed up. Her words were that it was like wearing someone else's shoes that are too big. She felt too far back, her legs couldn't extend comfortably, and Ken teased her that she looked like she was lying down in it. Meanwhile, Ken tried the other version and felt it was a bit small for him. A quick swap fixed both problems. Gretchen took the version with the gray seat and the bigger wheels, and she was happy.

What surprised her most was how easy the controls turned out to be. She'd been worried that the gear shifting and the twist throttle would feel awkward, and they didn't. The one lesson she took away: shift the gears only while you're moving. She also discovered that someone had bumped her assist level to five while she was standing still, which explains why the pedals suddenly felt different. Dropping it back down solved that.

The 1500-Watt Dual Motor Model

The third trike in that series was a different animal: a dual-motor model with 1,500 watts of power and rear suspension, in a metallic blue frame with turquoise wheels. Ken's first reaction after a few seconds was that it was real zippy. Gretchen asked whether the extra power was for rough terrain or heavier riders. The short answer is that it helps with hills and heavier loads, and it gives the trike a stronger push off the line.

Ken compared it to an old-fashioned beach cruiser, partly because of the fat tires and partly because it had a traditional bike-style saddle rather than a chair. It rode well, but he still preferred the Simple Glide. He described this one as feeling looser, and Dustin connected that to the rear suspension. Suspension softens the ride over bumps, but it also adds a bit of movement to the frame, so it won't feel as tight and rigid as a trike without it. Some riders love that plush feel. Ken preferred the firmer, more locked-in feel of the rigid frame.

When Gretchen tried it, the extra power was the first thing she noticed. A light touch on the throttle sent her off quicker than she expected, and she left a little rubber on the pavement. Her verdict was clear: too big a frame for her and, as she put it, too much horsepower. She had no complaints about how it handled. It was simply more trike than she wanted. That's a perfectly good reason to pass on a model. More power isn't automatically better, especially for a new rider who wants to feel in control.

One small tip came out of this round, too. Gretchen kept pushing the shifter down to one, thinking that meant the least assist. On this trike, that number was the gear, not the assist level. Gear one is the easiest to pedal, but Dustin pointed out that with pedal assist on, most riders will be happier somewhere around gears two through four. It's easy to mix up the gear display and the assist display at first, so take a moment to check which one you're changing.

The Relaxed Body is what we call a semi-recumbent. It looks more like a traditional trike, but the pedals sit out in front of you, so you get some of the knee-friendly angle of a recumbent without the low, laid-back posture. It runs a 750-watt motor.

Ken liked it right away. The pedaling angle was a big improvement over the fully upright Easy Transit, and he said he'd be very happy with it if the seat went just a bit lower. He also had an idea he repeated more than once: put the Simple Glide's seat on this frame and it would be close to perfect for him. It's a fair point. Seats are a big part of how a trike feels, and he'd already decided he liked a real chair more than a saddle. If you're thinking along the same lines, take a look at our replacement seats.

He also singled out a small design detail: the parking brake knobs. On some trikes they're little pop-up buttons; on this one they're knobs you pull out. Ken found the pull-out version easier to see and check at a glance, which is the kind of thing nobody would put in a spec sheet but which matters when you're parking the trike every day.

For Gretchen, the Relaxed Body frame was simply too large. With the seat at its lowest setting, the pedals still felt out of reach. That's the reality of a 4'11" rider on a full-size frame. It isn't a flaw in the trike; it just isn't her size.

The two of them also talked about seats in general, and this exchange may be the most useful part of the whole day for anyone over 60 shopping for a trike. They both agreed the wide, cushioned chairs were far more comfortable than bicycle saddles. As they put it with a laugh, their backsides don't have the padding they used to. That's not a joke to brush aside. If you're going to ride for more than a few minutes, seat comfort can make or break your enjoyment.

Taking a Passenger: The Recumbent Rickshaw

With the single-rider trikes done, it was time for the models built to carry someone else. First up was the Recumbent Rickshaw, a 750-watt trike with a rear passenger seat. You can see the full range in our electric rickshaw collection.

Ken drove first, with Gretchen in the back. The driver's seat both slides and reclines, and the backrest can be brought forward. Getting comfortable took a couple of tries, but Ken liked the leg room once he had it set. This model also adds turn signals, hazard flashers and a horn, which Gretchen noticed with approval after joking earlier that the first trike didn't have blinkers. The throttle is a right-thumb press.

From the passenger seat, Gretchen sounded genuinely relaxed. The seat belt felt reassuring, and she enjoyed the view. At one point she started singing an old-time song about a bicycle built for two, which got a laugh from everyone. She also pointed out that the motor made some groaning and whistling noises with two people aboard. Dustin explained that the motor is simply working harder with the extra weight, which is normal for a trike carrying a passenger.

Ken made an interesting observation about steering with someone behind him: he barely noticed. On a two-wheeled tandem, he said, you feel the other person's weight shift every time you take a corner. On the rickshaw, the trike's three-point stance spreads the weight out, so the passenger is almost invisible to the driver.

When it was Gretchen's turn to drive, the pedal position didn't work for her. The pedals sat too far forward for her to reach comfortably, so for her this model works best from the back seat. Ken took a turn as the passenger and admitted he quite enjoyed being driven around for a change, especially since he's usually the one doing the chauffeuring at home.

The second rickshaw is a traditional upright design with a bigger front tire. Ken's first reaction was that it looked like a Cadillac. This one also has a canopy over the passenger, with side panels that can be removed or rolled back if you want more air. Gretchen loved being in the shade and pointed out that it would also keep a passenger dry in light rain.

This round turned up a fit issue worth knowing about if you have large feet. The passenger's footrest ledge sits close to the driver's pedals. Ken wears about a size 11, and the heel of his shoe kept catching on the ledge as he pedaled. He found that if he moved his foot farther forward on the pedal, it cleared, but he prefers to pedal with the ball of his foot. Gretchen, with smaller feet, adjusted more easily, though she noticed the same thing. If you wear a large shoe size, test this before you buy.

Ken also felt the seat was a little high for him and suggested the horn button be moved down a bit, since reaching it was awkward. Gretchen managed fine, even though the seat was at its lowest setting. Dustin noted that this particular seat has a suspension piece built in, which limits how low it can go, and a different seat without that piece would sit lower.

Both of them had fun on this one. Gretchen drove with Ken in the back, used the turn signals and enjoyed herself thoroughly. Ken's take from the passenger seat was that he felt a little jammed in, again because of the footrest and his feet. As a ride for two, though, it got a thumbs-up. If you plan to take grandkids, a partner or a friend along, our trikes for passengers page lays out the options side by side.

Next came two models Ken and Gretchen didn't know existed: electric four-wheelers. Gretchen's reaction was a surprised 'quads!' These are covered in our 4-wheel ebikes collection.

The Any Terrain four-wheeler is the nimble one. The other is a four-wheel version of the Simple Glide, built on the same frame Ken had liked so much earlier. Both offer a lot of seat adjustment. The Simple Glide quad's seat slides, reclines and has armrests, and there's even more angle adjustment available than on some of the trikes.

Gretchen took the Any Terrain first and quickly called it a wild colt. The thumb throttle on this one sits on the left hand, which threw her for a second, and once she bumped the assist up to level two, it took off faster than she expected. She said she felt she had less control on it than on the other models. Her words: it was too much machine. She liked the reclining seat and the comfort, but the steering and the motor were more responsive than she wanted.

Ken, meanwhile, had the opposite issue on the Simple Glide quad at first. It felt like it barely wanted to go, and he had to pedal. The reason turned out to be the assist level. He'd been stuck in a low setting and hadn't realized he needed to press the arrow button to bring it up. Once he did, it moved along fine, and he appreciated how steady the ride felt with four wheels under him. When he switched to the Any Terrain, he agreed with Gretchen. It was really responsive in the steering and had plenty of get-up-and-go.

This pair illustrated something worth keeping in mind when you test ride. A lot of what people describe as 'too much power' or 'not enough power' comes down to the assist setting and the rider being new to it. Two trikes can feel like night and day mostly because one is in level one and the other is in level three. Before you write a model off, try it at a couple of different assist levels.

Gretchen summed up her four-wheel experience with a fair point: there are a lot of buttons to look at, and it's not like your normal bicycle. Still, by the end of this round, she said her favorite overall was still the Simple Glide trike with the gray seat.

Dustin saved the electric tandem for the end, and it was the ride that got the most laughs. On a tandem, both riders' pedals are linked, so if one person pedals, the other's feet move too. Gretchen noticed this immediately. The good news is that the throttle lets both of you take a break from pedaling whenever you like. There's also a foot guard to keep your ankle from turning into the frame. You'll find the model in our electric tandem collection.

Ken steered first with Gretchen behind him. Her rear handlebars don't steer, a fact she announced with mock disappointment before agreeing that was probably for the best. The biggest adjustment was the length. The tandem is a long machine, and cornering takes more space and more planning than on any single trike. Dustin asked whether it felt like driving an aircraft carrier, and Ken said, more or less, yes. His advice after a lap was to start your turn earlier and slower than you think you need to.

Then they swapped, with Gretchen steering. They drifted toward a wall, then toward the building, before straightening out, all while laughing. Ken found that leaning slightly into the turns from the back seat helped them get around corners smoothly. Teamwork is part of the tandem experience, and they figured it out quickly. Ken also discovered he quite liked the back seat, though he admitted he couldn't resist a little backseat driving.

Both of them called it lots of fun. And while neither had steered anything like it before, they were both comfortable on it by the end of a lap or two.

After a full lineup of trikes, rickshaws, quads and a tandem, Dustin asked the question the whole day had been building toward: if you could take one home for yourself, which would it be?

Both of them landed on the Simple Glide. Ken gravitated to the fat-tire version with the captain's chair, while Gretchen preferred the standard version that fit her smaller frame. Different sizes, same family, and for a lot of the same reasons.

Their explanation covered nearly every theme of the day. The seat felt the most secure and the most comfortable. The reclined position took pressure off arthritic knees. The longer frame meant there was never any sense of a balance problem, and the steering was easy. The twist throttle felt more natural than the thumb throttles, and they raised a point worth repeating. If you have arthritis in your hands, or carpal tunnel, holding down a thumb throttle for long stretches may get uncomfortable, while a twist throttle uses your whole hand. They also liked how many adjustments the Simple Glide offers. Being able to fine-tune the seat and handlebars to each of their bodies was, in their words, really cool.

For riding together, the answers were split in a way that felt very true to who they are. Ken picked the tandem. He liked the shared experience of it, and he didn't love the rickshaw's steering feel quite as much. Gretchen said that as a passenger she'd be happy in either rickshaw, since being driven around was pleasant and she didn't have to do anything. But she also chose the tandem, for the camaraderie. Her only reservation was learning to give up control and let someone else steer, which, she admitted with a smile, was more about her than the bike.

The day ended where it should have: two first-time riders who'd each found a trike that fit them, and a ride they both wanted to do together.

Watching two people try a dozen models in one session made a few patterns very clear. If you're shopping for your first electric trike, these are worth keeping in mind.

Fit beats specs. The same trike felt perfect to one of them and too big for the other. At 4'11", Gretchen fit comfortably on the compact Easy Transit and the right Simple Glide, but not on the larger frames. Interestingly, she and Ken have nearly the same inseam. He's just taller from the waist up. That means it's worth looking beyond your overall height, since inseam and torso length both affect fit. If you aren't sure where you land, our fitting tool matches models to your body and riding style.

Knee pain changes the math. If you have arthritis or sore knees, a recumbent or semi-recumbent seating position, where your legs push forward instead of down, can make pedaling noticeably easier. That was the single biggest factor in Ken's choice.

The seat matters more than people expect. Both riders preferred wide, cushioned chairs over bicycle saddles, and comfort was the first word out of their mouths when explaining their pick. On many trikes the seat can be swapped, so don't write off a frame you like because of the saddle it ships with.

Longer frames feel calmer. The longer wheelbase of the Simple Glide made it more stable and easier to steer than the short, compact trikes. The tradeoff is a bit more length to manage when parking and turning.

Pick your throttle style on purpose. Twist and thumb throttles each have fans. If you have arthritis in your hands, test both and pay attention to how your thumb feels after a few minutes.

Start low on assist. Many of the 'too fast' and 'too slow' moments came down to the assist level, not the trike. Start at level one, get comfortable, then work your way up.

Don't forget to pedal. Both riders kept forgetting, because the throttle is fun. Pedaling with assist extends your range, gives you some exercise and makes the ride feel smoother.

Mind the rear wheels and the parking brake. The rear axle is wider than you are, so give curbs some room. And if your trike won't move, check the parking brake before anything else.

Test ride if you can. The differences between models showed up in seconds once Ken and Gretchen were actually riding. If you can't visit in person, our 30-day test ride gives you time to see how a trike fits into your real routine.

Ken and Gretchen's choices aren't the right choices for everyone, and that's the point. Their story is a good template for thinking through your own priorities.

If you want something small that folds and fits in a car, the Easy Transit makes a strong case, and the fat-tire version adds a noticeable dose of stability. If comfort and joint-friendly pedaling are at the top of your list, the Simple Glide and the Relaxed Body are where most riders in Ken's situation end up. If you want power for hills or a heavier load, the 1,500-watt dual motor model delivers, as long as you're comfortable with the extra kick. If you'll often carry a passenger, take a look at the rickshaws, and pay attention to foot size and pedal reach. If you want maximum steadiness, the four-wheel models are worth a test, and if you want to ride side by side in spirit, if not literally, the tandem is a genuine blast.

For more help narrowing it down, browse our full electric trike lineup, check out easy-to-mount trikes with a low step-through, or dig into more first-hand rides and buying guides on our Bike Advice blog. Our buyer's guide is also a good place to compare features before you commit.

And if there's one takeaway from the day, it's this: it doesn't matter whether you've been off a bike for five years or fifteen. Ken and Gretchen went from first-timers to confident riders in a single morning, and by the end they were racing each other around the parking lot. The right trike just has to fit you.