Will my electric trike be stable enough for me? Even with balance issues, Parkinson's, or inner ear problems?

Hey everyone, I'm Dustin. I have 20 years of experience in the bike and e-bike industry. Today we're going to answer the question, will my trike, or will the trike I'm interested in, be stable enough for me? Even if you have balance issues, maybe Parkinson's or inner ear problems.

All right, right here I've got two of our electric trikes, our Simple Glide, dual motor, dual battery, which also comes in other versions, and our Rickshaw here, both really stable, linked in the description if you wanna check them out.

All right, now we do a lot of test rides here in San Clemente, a lot of customers coming in because maybe they've been riding a two-wheel bike for a long time, many of them even riding two-wheel e-bikes, and now they don't feel as safe any longer.

Traditional Trikes vs. Recumbent E-Trikes

The thing about trikes is when you think about the traditional trikes, they sit very upright, and the rider kind of sits up high. They are stable as you sit on them, but once you start to turn them and move, that's when a lot of people start to feel uneasy with trikes because they feel a lot different than a two-wheel bike. There's a learning curve to not only jumping from a two-wheel to a three-wheel bike, but then there's also just getting used to being on a three-wheel bike and how it feels.

Now, we have a few versions as well of traditional trikes. They're more compact, a little more upright. The benefit to those is just what I said. They can be more compact, easier to transport. Also, sometimes people like the feeling of them and the ride of them. For those, oftentimes what I find is if you have balance issues, sitting up higher doesn't feel good from a balance standpoint, right? Doesn't make you feel safer. Even if the product or the trike itself is stable and good, oftentimes if you're someone, like I said, dealing with balance issues in some way, shape, or form, sitting higher makes you feel more unsteady.

Key Features for Maximum Trike Stability

So the Simple Glide actually has the seat at chair height, so you can easily sit down on it. The other thing is it has an elongated frame and the fat tires, so that inevitably adds stability. And I always tell people this is the number one most stable e-trike I've ever been on, and I've ridden a lot of e-trikes. It's because of the positioning of the wheels, the width of the wheels, the fat tires, all of those elements. If you go to another more compact trike and you have to, again, with a typical seat, when you have to raise it to get the proper leg extension, that's when people start to feel more unsteady, right? Because then, on two wheels, if you lean like this, you feel like you're going to lift those rear wheels. Now, again, in this case with a recumbent and the pedals forward, you can slide the seat forward and backward. You don't have to raise it to get that pedal extension. 

So if you're someone concerned about stability, look for something maybe in the recumbent style, not just a simple glide. There are other trikes out there as well. They're lower to the ground. They're elongated. Those are gonna be way more stable than a more compact trike. Also, they're gonna steer a lot easier than a typical tricycle. Typical tricycles that are more compact and where you sit upright, getting used to the steering, I often find, is more challenging for someone, again, that's dealing with a balance issue, an inner ear problem, or Parkinson's. Often when they get on something like the Simple Glide, especially with the smaller front tire, which is way more nimble and easier to steer, it makes them feel a lot more comfortable.

And I've done hundreds of test rides now here in San Clemente, and I see it firsthand, as a lot of people come in and want to test ride all the E-Trikes. I would say, again, for that group of customers, they'll get on one of the compact ones. They like it because it was small and less expensive, to be honest. And then they get on something like this. They're like, why is this one easier to drive? Why does it feel more stable?

Because it is in a lot of ways. And also it gives the feeling of being more stable with how easy it is to steer, how nimble it is, and how much more control they feel like they have over this trike than the other trikes. Now, the other caveat I want to add to all of this is that this is a personal choice and everyone's body is different. Everyone's physical capability is different. And so what you may like might be different than the next person, but this is what to consider if you want ultimate stability with someone, again, dealing with balance issues, from my experience seeing it firsthand.

Next Steps and Community Resources

Now, if you have any other questions at all, please comment below or reach out to us at theteam@sixthreezero.mom, or call us at 310-982-2877. Don't forget, both of these e-trikes are linked in the description. The rickshaw is very stable. If you do wanna have passengers, that's an option as well.

• 30-Day Test Ride Policy: If you don't love it in the first 30 days, send it back, no questions asked, no money out of your pocket.
• 1-Year Warranty: We're gonna warranty everything for one year. If anything goes wrong in the first year, we'll take care of it, parts and labor.
• In-Person Test Rides: If you wanna come out for a test ride, we're here in San Clemente, California, at 1046 Calle Rocoto, Unit K. Come test ride any of our e-trikes before you purchase to ensure you're making the right choice.
• Community Group: Join our community before you purchase. We have a Facebook group called Sixthreezero Pedalers with thousands of members. Talk to existing riders to ensure you're making the right choice, post in the group, make friends, and download the app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard.

So thanks for sticking around, and don't forget, it's your journey or experience. Enjoy the ride.