Riding the Rickshaw Dual Motor eTrike at 75: Hills, Traction and Room for the Grandkids

A 75-Year-Old, a Three-Wheeler, and a Hill

Don is 75 years old. He has grandkids, he likes being outside, and he is not the kind of person who wants to sit on the sidelines while everybody else has the fun. So when he showed up at the sixthreezero headquarters in San Clemente, California, he wasn't there to look at a trike from a polite distance. He was there to ride one, and specifically to ride the one with two motors and a bench in the back.

The trike in question is our Rickshaw dual motor model, an electric tricycle built around a simple idea: you pedal up front, and the people you care about ride along behind you. Don looked it over, pointed out that he could have his grandkids sitting in the back, and said he was ready to take it on-road or off-road. Then he rode away, and for the next several minutes the camera mostly caught one thing: a grown man having a very good time.

This article walks through that ride. The video itself is short and the commentary is mostly the kind of thing you say out loud when you're enjoying yourself, the occasional "whoa," a couple of "okays," and one cheerful "see you later" as he headed off. But in between the exclamations, Don made some sharp observations about acceleration, traction, turning, stability, and climbing. Those observations line up closely with the questions people ask us every week about electric trikes, especially riders in their sixties, seventies and beyond.

So we'll take his ride step by step, explain what he was feeling and why, and then zoom out to the bigger questions: who a passenger trike like this is really for, what to think about before you carry kids, how it compares to other three-wheel designs, and how to try one without taking a gamble.

Most electric bikes are built for one person. That works fine for commuting or a solo loop around the neighborhood, but it leaves a lot of people out of the picture. Grandparents who want to bring the grandkids to the park. A spouse whose knees don't love pedaling anymore. A friend who'd like to come along to the farmer's market but doesn't ride. For all of those situations, a traditional bike asks you to choose between going alone or not going at all.

A rickshaw-style trike changes that equation. The rider sits up front in a normal pedaling position, and a rear seat carries passengers. Because it rides on three wheels, nobody has to balance it at a stop, and because it's electric, the extra weight in the back doesn't turn every block into a workout. That combination is why we group these trikes not only under rickshaws but also in our collection of trikes built for passengers.

The rickshaw format also has a social side that's easy to underestimate. When you ride a standard bike with someone, you're single file and talking over your shoulder, or side by side and watching traffic. On a passenger trike, the people you're carrying are right behind you. It turns a bike ride into something closer to a shared outing, the kind of thing that ends with ice cream and a story to tell.

That's the context Don rode into. He wasn't evaluating the Rickshaw as a fitness machine or a commuter. He was asking a simpler question that a lot of grandparents ask: would I feel good taking my grandkids out on this? Everything he noticed during the ride tied back to that question, and by the end he had an answer.

Standing next to a rickshaw trike for the first time, most people notice the same things. It's longer than a regular bike, it has a wide rear section, and it looks sturdy. It looks like a vehicle meant to carry people, which is exactly what it is. The fat tires stand out too. They're noticeably wider than what you'd see on a standard cruiser, and they give the whole trike a planted, almost rugged look.

Don's first comments were practical. He noted he could have the grandkids in the back and that the trike looked ready for both pavement and dirt. That's a good instinct. When you size up any electric trike, the two questions worth asking right away are who will be on it and where it will go. A trike that's perfect for flat bike paths might feel underpowered on a hilly street, and a trike built for solo errands might not have room for anyone else.

Another thing worth looking at before you ride is how you'll get on and off. On a three-wheeler, the step-over height and the seat position matter a lot more than people expect, especially for older riders or anyone with hip or knee stiffness. You want to be able to sit down and stand up without lifting a leg high or twisting awkwardly. If ease of mounting is your top priority, it's worth browsing our easy-to-mount eTrikes with a low step-thru alongside the rickshaw models so you can compare.

Then there's the cockpit: the handlebars, the display, the controls for pedal assist. The best time to get comfortable with these is before you start rolling. Know which button raises and lowers the assist level, know where your brakes are, and know how the trike responds when you first push off. Don clearly did, because within a minute or so he was cruising along in pedal assist level three and reporting back.

About a minute and a half into the video, Don calls out that he's in pedal assist three and that it feels really nice and easy to pedal. That's a small comment, but it tells you a lot about how electric trikes work and why so many riders his age end up loving them.

Pedal assist means the motor adds power while you pedal. You're still moving your legs, but the motor multiplies your effort. Lower levels give a gentle nudge, which is good for slow areas, crowded paths, or when you want more of a workout. Higher levels give more help, which is good for hills, headwinds, or a loaded trike. The middle settings are where many people end up spending most of their time, because they strike a balance between feeling like you're riding and feeling like you're getting real help.

"Easy to pedal" is the phrase that matters most here. For a lot of older riders, the thing that pushed them off bikes years ago wasn't a lack of interest. It was effort: the hill on the way home, the wind off the water, the fatigue that set in after twenty minutes. Pedal assist doesn't remove the exercise, but it removes the part that makes riding feel like a chore. You still get the fresh air, the leg movement, and the light cardio, without the dread of the return trip.

That matters even more on a passenger trike. Every pound in the back seat is a pound you'd otherwise be hauling yourself. With assist doing a share of the work, Don could keep a relaxed cadence instead of grinding. And a relaxed rider is a safer rider: you're breathing easily, looking around, and paying attention to the road instead of focusing on how much your thighs hurt.

If you're new to electric trikes, a sensible approach is to start a level or two below what you think you need, get a feel for how the trike responds, and then step up. You'll quickly find your own "level three," the setting that makes pedaling feel natural rather than effortful.

Right after mentioning how easy it was to pedal, Don added two words: good acceleration. A couple of minutes later, after a few turns, he said it again with more enthusiasm, telling the camera to look at the acceleration. By the time he finished his ride, it was the first thing he mentioned in his wrap-up: the dual motor has a lot of acceleration.

Why does that matter on a trike? Because trikes, especially passenger trikes, carry more weight than a typical bike. Weight is what makes a vehicle slow to get going. On a single-motor trike with a full rear seat, starting from a stop, pulling away from an intersection, or picking up speed after a slow corner can feel sluggish. A second motor gives the trike more muscle for exactly those moments.

It's worth being clear about what good acceleration does and doesn't mean. It doesn't mean the trike is a sports car. It means that when you ask for movement, you get it promptly and smoothly, which makes everyday riding less stressful. Getting across an intersection before the light changes, merging onto a path, or getting rolling on a slight incline all go better when the trike responds right away.

For riders carrying children, that responsiveness also feels reassuring. You don't want to be wobbling at walking pace in the middle of a crosswalk with your grandkids in the back. Confident starts get you out of awkward spots quickly. At the same time, it's a good habit to keep the assist level modest when you're carrying passengers and starting from a stop, so the trike moves off firmly but gently. Kids in the back appreciate a smooth start, and so do your nerves.

Don's laugh-out-loud reactions during the ride, the "whoa" and "here we go" moments, were mostly about this. There's a particular grin people get the first time an electric trike pulls away under them with more pep than they expected. He had that grin for most of the video.

If acceleration was the fun part of Don's ride, traction was the part that made him trust it. In his wrap-up he said he felt really safe, and he credited the fat tires for gripping the road. Earlier, mid-ride, he'd already called out good traction and said the trike felt really stable.

Fat tires are one of the most practical features you can have on an electric trike. A wider tire puts more rubber on the ground, which helps with grip, and it can run at lower pressure, which helps absorb bumps and uneven surfaces. On pavement, that translates to a calm, planted feel. On gravel, packed dirt, sand at the edge of a beach path, or a lawn at the park, it's the difference between sinking or skidding and rolling right through. If that sounds like the riding you do, take a look at our full range of fat tire electric trikes.

Grip is also about confidence, which is harder to measure but just as important. When a rider feels the tires slip even a little, they tense up, and a tense rider makes jerky inputs on the handlebars and brakes. When the tires feel locked to the ground, riders relax, steer smoothly, and ride the way they're supposed to. Don's comment that he felt completely safe is the emotional result of that mechanical advantage.

Fat tires do have trade-offs. They're heavier than skinny tires and they create a bit more rolling resistance, which is one reason they pair so well with electric assist, and on a rickshaw, with a second motor. The motors handle the extra effort, and you get the comfort and grip without the penalty. It's a combination that makes a lot of sense for a vehicle meant to carry people over mixed ground.

One practical note: tire pressure matters more on fat tires than many people realize. Check it regularly and keep it within the range printed on the sidewall. Too low and the trike feels sluggish; too high and you lose some of that cushioning and grip. It's a two-minute check that keeps the ride feeling the way it did on Don's test day.

About three and a half minutes in, Don summed up a stretch of riding with "easy to turn." That's worth pausing on, because turning is the one area where three-wheelers behave differently from bikes, and where new trike riders sometimes get surprised.

On a two-wheel bike, you lean into turns. On an upright trike, you don't lean the trike itself; it stays flat, and you steer with the handlebars. Riders who come from bicycles sometimes try to lean their body hard into a corner out of habit, or they take a turn at the same speed they would on a bike. The better approach on a trike is to slow down a little before the turn, steer smoothly through it, and accelerate gently on the way out. Shifting your upper body slightly toward the inside of the turn can help the trike feel even more settled.

Don made it look natural, which tells you he adjusted quickly. That's typical. Most riders need a few minutes in a parking lot or a quiet street to get the hang of it, and after that, turning a trike becomes second nature. The fat tires help here too, since they keep grip through the corner and give the trike a forgiving feel.

With passengers on board, turning technique matters even more. The weight in the back changes how the trike feels, and kids don't always sit still. Taking corners at a relaxed pace keeps everyone comfortable and keeps the ride smooth. A good rule of thumb: if you'd feel the need to tell your passengers to hold on, you're probably going a little too fast for that turn.

The payoff for learning this is real. Once you're comfortable turning a trike, you get one of its biggest advantages: you can go as slow as you want, stop wherever you want, and never have to put a foot down to catch your balance. For a lot of riders, that alone is the reason they switch to three wheels.

Around the four-minute mark, Don announces he's going up a hill. A minute or so later, he's shouting "woo!" and "see you later" as he heads off. In his final review, he put it simply: he was able to go up those hills with little effort.

Hills are where electric assist earns its keep, and where the difference between motor setups becomes obvious. Climbing on a trike means lifting the rider, the frame, and any passengers against gravity. On a non-electric trike, a steep hill with a loaded rear seat is a serious workout, the kind most people would walk instead of ride. On a single-motor eTrike, many hills are perfectly manageable, though a long or steep one with passengers can slow you down. With two motors sharing the job, the trike has more power to call on when the grade picks up.

San Clemente is a good place to test this. It's a coastal town with plenty of up and down, which is a realistic proving ground for anyone who lives somewhere that isn't perfectly flat. If a trike can handle those climbs comfortably with a 75-year-old rider pedaling at a relaxed pace, it's a good sign for neighborhoods with similar terrain.

A few habits make climbing easier on any electric trike. Raise your assist level before the hill starts rather than halfway up, so the motor is already working as the grade begins. Keep a steady cadence instead of pushing hard on the pedals. And if the hill is steep and you're carrying passengers, don't be shy about using a higher assist setting. That's what it's there for, and your knees will thank you later.

Coming back down a hill deserves attention too. Brake early and steadily rather than grabbing hard at the last moment, keep your speed under control, and give yourself extra stopping distance with weight in the back. A trike is stable at low speeds, but momentum builds quickly on a descent with passengers on board.

At the start of the video, Don mentioned he could go off-road or on-road. His ride covered a mix of surfaces, and his comments about traction and stability applied across them. That versatility is one of the underrated strengths of a fat-tire, dual-motor trike.

Think about where a family outing actually goes. You might start on a residential street, cut through a park on a packed dirt path, roll across some grass to get to the picnic tables, and finish on a paved beach trail. A trike that only feels good on smooth asphalt will make half of that trip uncomfortable. A trike with wide tires and enough power to keep moving through softer ground turns the whole route into fair game.

"Off-road" in this context means gentle, everyday terrain: gravel paths, dirt trails, grass, hard-packed sand. It doesn't mean rocky mountain singletrack. Three-wheelers are stable on level and gently uneven ground, but they aren't designed for steep side slopes or big obstacles, where one wheel can lift. If a stretch of trail looks rough enough that you'd hesitate to walk a stroller over it, it's probably best to find another route when you've got passengers.

Within those common-sense limits, the combination Don rode is genuinely versatile. Fat tires soak up the bumps that would rattle a skinny-tire trike, and dual motors keep you moving where softer surfaces would otherwise drag you to a crawl. For riders who want to explore beyond the pavement, it opens up places that used to feel out of reach.

If off-pavement riding is a big part of your plans, browsing our fat tire eTrike lineup side by side with the rickshaw models is a good way to see which design fits the way you actually ride.

The heart of Don's review came at the very end. He said he would feel completely safe on this trike with his grandkids in the back. That's a meaningful thing for a grandparent to say, and it's worth unpacking what goes into that kind of confidence, because carrying children is a responsibility that deserves a little planning.

Start with the basics. Everyone on the trike should wear a properly fitted helmet, including the kids in the back. It's one of the simplest and most effective safety steps there is. We carry helmets if you need them, but whatever brand you choose, make sure it fits snugly and is the right size for each rider.

Next, check the passenger seating and any safety features before every ride. Make sure seat belts or restraints, if the model has them, are buckled and adjusted for small bodies. Make sure kids can sit comfortably with their feet and hands clear of the wheels and any moving parts. Talk to them before you set off about staying seated, keeping hands inside, and not leaning out to wave at the dog across the street. Kids are much better passengers when they know the rules ahead of time.

Respect the trike's weight limits. Every trike has a maximum capacity that includes the rider, passengers, and cargo. Adding up those numbers before you ride takes a few seconds and keeps the trike handling the way it was designed to. If you regularly carry heavier loads, our collection of high weight capacity electric trikes is worth a look.

Then adjust how you ride. With passengers, start gently, brake early, take corners at a relaxed pace, and pick routes with wide paths, light traffic, and smooth surfaces when you can. Practice alone first, then with an adult passenger, and only then with the grandkids. That progression lets you learn how the trike feels with weight in the back before the most precious cargo is on board.

Finally, check local rules. Laws about carrying passengers on electric bikes and trikes, and about the minimum ages for riders and passengers, vary by state and city. A quick look at your local regulations before your first family ride is time well spent.

Don's sense of safety came from the hardware, the fat tires, the stability, the responsive motors. Pair that with good habits and the right gear, and a passenger trike can be one of the most rewarding ways to spend time with family outside.

After watching Don ride, it's easy to picture the kind of person a dual-motor rickshaw suits best. If you see yourself in a few of these descriptions, it's probably worth a closer look.

Grandparents and parents who want to share rides. This is the obvious one. If the dream is a Saturday morning loop with the grandkids, a passenger trike makes it possible without the logistics of trailers or separate bikes for everyone.

Riders who live somewhere hilly. If the hills in your neighborhood are the reason your old bike sits in the garage, a second motor gives you real help on the climbs, especially with passengers or cargo.

Older riders who want stability without giving up fun. Don is 75, and his ride was full of laughter. A three-wheel design removes the balancing worry, and the electric assist removes the exhaustion. What's left is the enjoyable part. Our electric trikes for seniors collection is built around exactly that idea.

Couples where one partner doesn't ride. A rickshaw lets the confident rider pedal while the other enjoys the scenery. It's a way to keep doing things together even if one person's riding days are behind them.

People who ride on mixed surfaces. Beach paths, park trails, gravel roads, grass: fat tires and dual motors make those routes enjoyable instead of exhausting.

On the other hand, if you'll mostly ride alone, store your trike in a tight space, or need something compact to take in a vehicle, a rickshaw may be more trike than you need. In that case, a solo eTrike or a folding electric trike could be a better match. There's no single best trike, only the one that fits how you'll actually use it.

Part of choosing the right trike is understanding the alternatives. Our full electric tricycle lineup covers several distinct designs, and each one solves a different problem.

Standard upright eTrikes have two wheels in the back and a single rider. They're the most common style, they usually have a rear basket, and they're great for errands, exercise, and neighborhood rides. If you never plan to carry a person, this is often the simplest choice.

Cargo eTrikes are built to haul things rather than people: groceries, gardening supplies, a picnic, a dog in a crate. They usually have large baskets or platforms and stout frames. If your typical load is stuff rather than family, a cargo trike may serve you better than a rickshaw.

Recumbent eTrikes put the rider in a reclined, laid-back seat. Some riders with back or hip issues find them more comfortable, and they ride low to the ground. They're a very different feel from the upright position Don enjoyed.

Tadpole or front-wheel eTrikes put two wheels up front and one in the back. They tend to feel sporty in corners and have their own handling character.

Tandem trikes seat two riders who can both pedal. They're another way to ride together, with both people participating rather than one carrying the other.

And four-wheel e-bikes take stability one step further for riders who want an extra-planted platform.

The rickshaw sits in a specific niche: one person pedals, others ride in comfort, and the motors make the whole arrangement practical. If carrying passengers is central to why you want a trike, it's hard to beat. If it isn't, one of the other styles probably deserves a closer look.

Beyond the overall style, a few features make a big difference in how any electric trike feels day to day. When you're comparing models, including rickshaws, these are the details worth checking on each product page.

Brakes. Stopping power matters on any trike, and it matters more with passengers or on hills. Many riders prefer the consistent feel of disc brakes, and you can browse our electric trikes with disc brakes to compare.

Throttle. Pedal assist only helps while you pedal. A throttle lets you get moving without pedaling at all, which some riders find helpful for starts from a stop, at intersections, or on days when their knees are tired. See our electric tricycles with throttle control if this matters to you.

Reverse. Trikes are wider and longer than bikes, and backing out of a garage or a tight parking spot can be awkward. Some models offer a reverse function. Our reverse gear electric trikes collection gathers those together.

Battery range. How far you can go depends on the battery, the terrain, your assist level, and the weight you're carrying. A rickshaw full of passengers going up hills will use more energy than a solo rider on flat ground, so it's smart to plan with some margin, especially early on while you're learning how your trike behaves on your usual routes.

Storage and carrying. Even a passenger trike benefits from a place to put water, snacks, and a jacket. Our bags and panniers and baskets make it easy to bring what you need, and a canopy can be a welcome addition on sunny days when passengers are sitting in the back.

No single feature makes or breaks a trike, but the right combination makes daily riding easier. Think about the problems you want to solve, whether that's hills, tight storage, sore knees or long distances, and match the features to those problems.

Don looked comfortable from the first pedal stroke, and that comfort is no accident. Fit matters on any bike, but it matters even more on a trike you'll be riding with passengers. If you're stretching for the handlebars, perching awkwardly on the seat, or bending your knees too much at the bottom of each pedal stroke, you'll get tired faster and feel less in control.

The basics of fit are simple. Your feet should reach the pedals comfortably with a slight bend in your knee at the bottom of the stroke. You should be able to sit upright with relaxed arms and a light grip on the handlebars. And you should be able to get on and off without strain. If any of those feel off, small adjustments to seat height and handlebar position usually fix them. A comfortable seat can also make a noticeable difference on longer rides.

If you're not sure where to start, our fitting process matches you with a trike based on your body and riding style. It's a good way to narrow the choices before you commit, especially if you're deciding between a rickshaw and another style.

For a broader look at what to consider, our buyer's guide walks through the major decisions, and the Choosing a Bike section of our blog covers specific questions in more depth.

Test rides are fun, but ownership is where the real relationship with a trike begins. The good news is that electric trikes are fairly low maintenance if you build a few simple habits.

Charge the battery regularly and avoid letting it sit fully drained for long periods. Store it in a cool, dry place, especially during hot summers or cold winters. If you'll be away from riding for a while, it's generally better to store the battery partially charged rather than empty.

Keep an eye on tire pressure, as mentioned earlier, and look over the tires occasionally for wear or embedded debris. Check that the brakes feel firm and responsive. Keep the chain clean and lubricated. And every so often, give bolts and fasteners a quick once-over to make sure nothing has worked loose.

When something does need replacing, it helps to know where to find parts. We stock batteries and chargers, tires, tubes, and other components, so you can keep your trike running the way it did on day one.

New trikes arrive mostly built, and our assembly instructions walk through the remaining steps. If you'd rather have a professional handle it, many local bike shops are happy to help. It's also worth reading through the warranty details so you know what's covered.

A little routine care goes a long way. A well-maintained trike is safer, more reliable, and more fun, and it'll be ready to go the moment the grandkids ask for another ride.

The best way to know whether a rickshaw trike is right for you is to do what Don did: get on one and ride. Reading reviews and watching videos helps, but nothing replaces the feeling of pedal assist kicking in, the first tight turn, or the first hill.

If you're in Southern California, you can visit us and take a test ride in person. If you're not nearby, our 30-day test ride lets you try a trike at home, on your own streets and your own hills, with a return option if it doesn't work out. That's a far more realistic test than a lap around a parking lot, because you get to see how the trike fits into your actual life.

Shipping is covered as well; the details are on our shipping page. And if spreading out the cost would help, we offer financing options too.

For more rider stories like Don's, browse our video blog, where we share test rides, reviews and first impressions from real riders. Our broader Bike Advice section has guides on everything from choosing a trike to planning rides.

When Don rolled back in, the first thing he said was "That was fun." Then he gave his summary: the dual motor has plenty of acceleration, the fat tires gripped the road and made him feel safe, the hills took very little effort, and he'd feel completely comfortable with his grandkids in the back. He ended the way he'd spent most of the ride, saying it was really fun.

It's a short review, but it hits every point that matters for a passenger trike. Power, so you can carry people without strain. Traction and stability, so you feel in control. Hill-climbing ability, so the terrain doesn't dictate where you can go. And underneath all of it, confidence, the feeling that this is a vehicle you'd trust with the people you love.

There's something else in Don's ride worth noticing. At 75, he wasn't looking for a way to get by. He was looking for a way to keep enjoying himself, and to bring his family along. That's the real promise of an electric trike like this one. It isn't about replacing an old bike or settling for something safer. It's about keeping the fun of riding in your life, and sharing it.

If that sounds like what you're after, take a closer look at our rickshaw eTrikes, compare them with the rest of our passenger trikes, and when you're ready, take one for a spin. You might find yourself saying the same thing Don did.