How to Install the Canopy on the Simple Glide Dual Motor, Dual Battery E-Trike

Why the Canopy Belongs on Your Simple Glide Dual Motor

I'm Dustin, and I've spent 20 years working in the bike and e-bike industry. In that time I've assembled more trikes, baskets, racks, and covers than I could ever count, and one lesson keeps repeating itself: the accessories people actually use are the ones that fix a real problem on a real ride. The canopy for the Simple Glide dual motor, dual battery e-trike is one of those. It's a straightforward bolt-on job, and in this guide I'm going to walk you through the entire installation in the same order I did it in our shop video, including the spots where I fumbled, so you can skip those parts.

Before we pick up a single bolt, let's talk about the trike itself and why a canopy makes so much sense on it.

The trike we're working on

The Simple Glide dual motor, dual battery is the most powerful version of the Simple Glide. It runs two motors for 1,500 watts of total power, and it feeds them from a 48-volt battery system with 30 amp hours of total capacity spread across two batteries. That pairing is a big part of why the canopy is such a natural fit. With that much power and range available, owners tend to ride this trike longer and more often, for errands, appointments, and long, easy loops on the weekend. More time on the trike means more time out in the sun, the wind, and the occasional shower.

If you've been browsing our electric tricycles, you already know the Simple Glide family is built around a reclined, supportive seat. It belongs to our recumbent electric trike lineup, and with its wide tires it also sits in our fat tire electric trike collection. The dual-motor version keeps everything riders like about that relaxed position and adds a lot more muscle underneath it.

What the canopy does well

The canopy's first job is shade. If you ride somewhere hot, especially a place where the midday sun is fierce for most of the year, a roof over your head changes how long you can comfortably stay out. On a recumbent trike you're sitting in one position for the whole ride. You can't stand up on the pedals, lean forward into the wind, or shift around the way you might on an upright bike. Without cover, the sun simply sits on your head, face, and shoulders mile after mile. With the canopy installed, that changes completely.

It also helps when the weather turns. I want to be straight with you about what that protection looks like, because I'd much rather you know before you order. This canopy is a top cover. It keeps rain off you from above, but the sides stay open. If the rain is blowing in at an angle, or you get caught in a real downpour, your sides are going to get wet. There's an optional back piece, which I'll show you near the end of this guide, that closes off the rear. Even with that installed, though, this is not a fully enclosed cab, and I don't want anyone expecting one.

For most riders that trade-off is exactly right. Open sides mean you keep your full field of view, you still feel the breeze on a hot afternoon, and climbing on and off the trike is just as easy as it was before the canopy went on. Ease of mounting is one of the main reasons people choose the Simple Glide in the first place, and the canopy doesn't take that away.

Who gets the most out of it

The riders who love this accessory most are usually the ones who ride daily or close to it: people heading to the store, getting to appointments, visiting friends, or doing a regular lap of the neighborhood. If you're shopping among our electric trikes for seniors, sun protection tends to be high on the wish list, and a canopy turns the Simple Glide into something you can comfortably take out at noon instead of waiting until evening for things to cool down.

It's also a good fit for anyone who simply wants the option. You can see the full range in our sixthreezero canopies collection, and both the Simple Glide dual motor and its canopy are linked in the description of our video if you want to look at them side by side.

The best part is that the installation is genuinely simple. You need one Allen key, the trike's frame already has the mounting points built in, and the whole job comes down to sliding in a frame, running some bolts, and strapping on the fabric. Let's start with what comes in the box.

Unpacking the canopy kit

When you open up the canopy, there isn't a long list of parts to sort through, which is one of the reasons I call this a simple installation. Here's what you'll find:

• Two metal pieces that make up the canopy's structure. One is the rear frame that mounts behind the seat, and the other is the top piece that reaches up and over the rider.
• The canopy fabric pieces, which include the roof and the optional back piece for rear coverage.
• Six bolts in two lengths. There are two shorter bolts and four longer bolts, and it matters which one goes where. I'll explain exactly why in the next section.

On the tool side, all you need is a 3 mm Allen key. That's the only size I used from start to finish. You'll also notice that the trike's frame already has bolts sitting in some of the canopy mounting points. Those come out during the install and get reused, so don't treat them as spares.

Set yourself up before you start

A few minutes of preparation will save you a lot of frustration later. Here's how I'd get ready:

Give yourself room to work. You'll be moving around both sides of the trike and reaching over the seat, so park it somewhere with clear space on each side. A garage floor or a flat driveway is ideal.

Sort the bolts by length right away. Put the two short ones in one pile and the four long ones in another. They look similar at a glance, and mixing them up is the most likely mistake you'll make on this job.

Have a spot for loose hardware. If you watch the video, you'll see me drop bolts more than once. A small tray, a cup, or even a magnetic dish keeps everything where you can find it. Bolts love to roll under things.

Lay out the fabric. Unfold the roof and the back piece so you can see which edge is the front and where the sleeve and straps are. It's much easier to identify everything on the ground than when you're holding it over your head.

Recruit a helper if you can. I did this installation alone, and it's absolutely doable by yourself. That said, when you get to the top piece, an extra pair of hands to hold things lined up will help significantly. If someone is around, ask them to stay nearby for that part.

Step 1: Find the built-in connection points

The first step is getting the rear frame up onto the back of the trike. Before you lift anything, take a close look at the rear of the Simple Glide's frame. You'll see that it comes with connection points for the canopy already built in. There are two on one side, and the same two on the other side. Because those mounts are part of the trike's frame, there's no drilling, no clamps, and no guessing about where the canopy is supposed to sit. The structure simply plugs into the spots designed for it.

Spend a second identifying all four points before you start. Knowing where everything is supposed to land makes the next part much smoother.

Step 2: Slide the rear structure into place

Now pick up the rear metal piece and line it up with those connection points. As you start to seat it, you'll notice right away that it's a very tight fit. That's normal, and it's a good thing. A snug fit means that once the structure is in place, it's sitting firmly where it belongs rather than wobbling around on the frame.

You just have to slide it in. Work it down steadily, and try to keep both sides moving together rather than forcing one side all the way in while the other is still hanging out. If you push one side too far ahead, the structure can bind and become harder to move. Gentle, even pressure on both sides gets it there.

Once it's seated, check it from both sides of the trike. Look at how the structure sits relative to the frame, and make sure it looks even left to right. The holes in the canopy structure now need to line up with the holes in the trike's mounting points, and getting that alignment right is what the next step is all about.

At this point nothing is bolted, so don't lean on the structure or hang anything from it yet. It's in position, and it's ready for hardware.

Know your two bolt lengths

Before you start running bolts through, let's go back to those two piles of hardware. The bigger bolts are for the rear piece of the structure, and they come in two lengths. You have two shorter ones and four longer ones.

The shorter bolt goes in the corner position on each side. The reason is simple: at that corner there's just less distance for the bolt to travel, so a long bolt isn't needed there. The longer bolts go into all the other holes. The pattern is the same on both sides of the trike. One short bolt goes into the corner position on the left, one short bolt goes into the corner position on the right, and your long bolts fill in everywhere else.

It's worth double-checking each bolt before it goes in. A long bolt in that corner position won't seat the way it should, and a short bolt in one of the other holes won't reach far enough to grab properly. Get the lengths right, and the rest of the job goes smoothly.

Step 3: Start the lower bolts

Come down to the lower mounting area on the first side. You'll see three holes there. Push your first bolt through and get it started.

Grab your 3 mm Allen key for this. If the bolt doesn't want to go through easily, don't force it. Just thread it down gently with the Allen key until it seats. A bolt that's fighting you is usually a sign the holes aren't quite lined up yet, so ease the structure slightly until everything sits straight, then keep threading.

Step 4: Line up the secondary bolt

With that first bolt in, move up to the secondary bolt position just above it. This one takes a little coaxing. You'll need to stretch the structure slightly to bring the holes into line. Feed your bolt in, and then stretch it just enough to let the bolt pass all the way through.

Here's the most important habit in this whole section: don't tighten the nuts on the first side yet. Before you snug anything down, go around to the other side of the trike and do the same thing there. Line up the holes, get your bolts in, and make sure every bolt on both sides is positioned.

Leaving everything loose until all the bolts are in lets the structure settle evenly. If you crank one side down tight first, you can pull the frame slightly out of line, and then the holes on the other side won't want to match up. Once every bolt is in place on both sides, go back and tighten all the nuts down. From there, the rear structure is nice and secure, and you can move on to the top.

Step 5: Remove the frame bolts and keep them close

Now we're going to install the top piece. Start by taking out the bolts that are already sitting in the canopy mounting points on the frame. These are the bolts I mentioned when we unpacked the kit, the ones that come pre-installed. Take them out, and set them somewhere safe.

Don't do what I did and drop the bolt. I managed it more than once during the video, so learn from my mistakes and put them straight into your tray or cup.

Then do the same thing on the frame for the top. Take those bolts off and hold on to them, because they're the first bolts that go back in when the top piece is mounted. Keeping the two sets separate makes it easy to remember which ones go where.

Step 6: Seat the top piece

Come around to the back of the trike and you'll see notches in the structure. Lift the top piece up into position so that its arms line up with those notches. Once the arms are sitting where they should, push a bolt through.

This is the part where an extra hand really helps. Holding the top piece up and keeping everything lined up while you feed a bolt through is a bit of a juggling act. I didn't have a helper the day we filmed, so I did it myself, and it works, but if someone can hold the top piece steady for you, take them up on it.

Once those bolts are through, loosely put the nuts on. Same principle as before: don't tighten anything fully until all the hardware is in.

A small detail: bolt direction

When I first ran my bolts, one ended up pointing a different direction from the other. I'd rather have both bolts going to the inside, just for a nice symmetrical look, so I pulled one and flipped it. It's a purely cosmetic choice, but if you take the time to point both bolts the same way now, the finished canopy will look tidier and more deliberate.

Step 7: Install the second set and tighten everything

Now grab the other bolts you set down earlier. These go into the remaining holes on the top piece. Put each bolt through, then thread a nut onto it.

Repeat the whole process on the other side of the trike. When every bolt on the top piece is in and every nut is started, go back and tighten all of them down. Give the structure a gentle check by hand once you're done. It should feel solid, with no rattles and no play at the joints. Once the structure is fully tightened, you're ready for the fabric.

Step 8: Slip the roof onto the front

With the structure fully tightened, you can go ahead and put the roof on. This is where the canopy starts to look like a canopy, and it's my favorite part of the job.

Look at the front edge of the roof fabric and you'll find a sleeve. That sleeve slips over the front of the top frame. Start it at one end and work it along. It can take a little patience to get the fabric fully on, especially if the material is still stiff from the packaging, so don't rush it. Keep feeding the sleeve over the frame until it's sitting all the way across the front.

Once it's on, take a step back and look at how the roof is lying over the structure. Make sure it isn't twisted or bunched to one side before you start tightening the straps. It's much easier to straighten the fabric now than after it's strapped down.

Step 9: Tighten the front straps

Near the front, you'll find straps on the roof. Bring those up above the frame, then pull to tighten them. You can see this clearly in the video: I pull the strap through, and it tightens down right at that point.

Then repeat the same process on the other side. The goal is to have the roof pulled evenly toward both sides, so it sits flat and centered over the top piece.

Step 10: Wrap the corner straps

From here, everything is pretty self-explanatory. There are more straps along the roof, and these simply wrap around the frame. Pull them snugly around your corners so the fabric hugs the structure.

Here's a tip that makes this go a lot faster: hold one side while you pull the other side down. If you try to pull a strap tight without holding the fabric on the opposite side, the whole roof tends to shift toward you. Hold, pull, and then roll the strap in so it sits neatly in place.

There's another strap close by that gets the same treatment. Wrap it around, pull it snug, and then do the same on the other side. When you're finished, the roof should feel taut, sit evenly on both sides, and show no loose flaps catching the air.

Troubleshooting the common snags

Most installs go exactly as described above, but a few sticking points come up often enough that they're worth covering in one place.

The rear structure won't slide all the way in. Remember that it's a tight fit by design. If it stops partway, check whether one side has gotten ahead of the other. Back it out slightly, square it up, and slide both sides in together with even pressure.

A bolt won't thread. Nine times out of ten, the holes aren't fully lined up. Don't force it with the Allen key. Loosen any bolts you've already started on that side so the structure can move, nudge it until the holes sit straight, and then thread the bolt down gently. Also double-check that you have the right length in the right spot: short bolts in the corner positions, long bolts everywhere else.

The holes on the second side don't line up. This usually means the first side got tightened too early. Back off those nuts, let the structure settle, get every bolt positioned on both sides, and only then tighten everything down.

The top piece keeps slipping while you bolt it. This is the step where a second person helps most. If you're on your own, get one bolt through first and put its nut on loosely. That bolt will hold the top piece in rough position while you line up the rest.

The roof sits crooked. Loosen the straps, recenter the fabric, and make sure the front sleeve is fully over the frame across its whole width. Then tighten the straps again, holding the opposite side as you pull.

Step 11: Decide whether you want the back piece

You could stop right here. The roof is on, the structure is secure, and you've got shade over your head. But there's actually a back piece included as well, and if you want full coverage at the rear, this is where it goes on.

Whether you install it comes down to how and where you ride. If shade on sunny days is your main goal, you could very easily leave this part off. If you live somewhere that sees rain, or you expect to get caught in a shower now and then, it's nice to have it on there. It closes off the back of the canopy and keeps rain from coming in behind you.

Step 12: Fit the rear corners

To install the back piece, start with the corners. There's a corner piece that goes over one rear corner of the structure, and a matching corner piece that goes over the other. Work each one over its corner so the panel hangs straight.

Next, you'll see a flap that attaches lower down on the structure. Get that flap into position and secure it. Then work your way across, just as you did with the roof: get the panel over the frame, tighten one side, and then attach the side flap.

Step 13: Secure the last flaps

Finally, there are two more flaps to fasten. Once those are attached, the back piece is done. Take a walk around the trike and check every strap and flap one more time. Everything should be snug, and the panel should hang evenly without sagging to one side.

And there you have it. The canopy is fully installed, from the rear frame all the way to the back panel.

How it rides once it's on

Once the canopy was installed, I hopped on the Simple Glide to see how it felt, and it feels great. I was shielded from the sun right away, and the roof sits high enough that there's clearance for taller riders, even if you raise the seat up. That was something I specifically wanted to check, because a canopy that crowds your head would defeat the purpose. This one gives you room.

The riding position itself doesn't change. You still get the same reclined comfort that puts the Simple Glide among our most comfortable electric trikes, and you still have the same controls at your hands. If you like to cruise using the throttle on an electric tricycle rather than pedaling the whole way, nothing about the canopy gets in the way of that.

A few habits I recommend

These aren't steps from the installation itself, just the habits I'd suggest after years of working on bikes and trikes.

Re-check the hardware after your first few rides. Anything that's bolted on settles a little once it starts seeing real-world bumps and vibration. After a few rides, grab your 3 mm Allen key and go over every bolt on the rear frame and the top piece. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Look over the straps. Fabric can relax a bit over time, especially after it's been out in the sun or the rain. If the roof starts to feel loose, pull the straps snug again, using the same hold-one-side, pull-the-other method from the install.

Be mindful of the wind. A canopy is a large surface, and it will catch a gust in a way your body alone doesn't. On blustery days, take corners and exposed stretches a little more gently until you're used to how the trike feels with the roof on.

Let it dry. If you've been out in the rain, give the fabric a chance to dry before you put the trike away in a closed space. It's good practice for any fabric cover.

Questions? Reach out to us

If you have any other questions about the install or about the canopy itself, leave a comment on the video or get in touch with our team directly. You can email us at theteam@sixthreezero.mom, call us at (310) 982-2877, or use our contact page. We're always happy to walk you through anything that isn't clear.

Try it with confidence

If you're still deciding on the Simple Glide dual motor, we make it easy to find out whether it's right for you. With our 30-day test ride, if you don't love your e-trike in the first 30 days, you can send it back. No questions asked, and no money out of your pocket. We also back everything with a one-year warranty. If anything goes wrong in the first year, we'll take care of it, parts and labor.

If you'd like to see it in person first, come out for a test ride. We're located in San Clemente, California, at 1046 Calle Recodo, Unit K, and you can visit our store to test ride any of our e-trikes before you buy. It's the best way to make sure you're making the right choice.

Join the community

I'd also encourage you to join our community before you purchase. We have a Facebook group called sixthreezero Pedalers, full of existing riders who are happy to share what they love about their trikes and answer your questions. Once your Simple Glide arrives, post in the group, show off your canopy, and make some friends.

Finally, download the sixthreezero pedaling app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard. It's a fun way to see how far that dual-motor power, and that new patch of shade, end up taking you.

Thanks for sticking with me through the whole installation. Remember, it's your journey. Enjoy the ride.