Riding Through the Rain: A 61-Year-Old Runner Tests a Covered Electric Trike

A Rainy Day Turned Into the Perfect Test

Most test rides get scheduled around good weather. You pick a bright morning, wait for the pavement to dry, and save the outing for a day when nothing can go wrong. Carara's ride went the other way. She had barely settled into the seat when the clouds opened up, and instead of calling it off, she laughed and decided the timing could not have been better.

Carara is 61, and she introduces herself as "61 years young" with the kind of grin that tells you she means it. She is a runner first, someone who prefers being out on her feet to sitting on a saddle. That makes her an interesting tester, because she did not arrive already sold on cycling. She arrived curious, a little skeptical, and ready to be honest about what she liked.

What she climbed onto was what she cheerfully called the "deluxe version": a three-wheeled electric trike fitted with a full canopy overhead. Within the first minute of rolling, she had her verdict on the cover: "Oh my gosh, this is so fancy." Over the next few minutes she walked through the seat, the posture, the pedal assist, the reverse gear, the storage, and the simple business of getting on and off, all while the rain kept coming down around her.

This article follows that ride from start to finish and fills in the practical details around it, so that if you are weighing a covered trike for yourself or someone in your family, you have a clear sense of what it is like to use. If you want to browse while you read, the full range of sixthreezero electric trikes is a good place to start.

What Makes This the "Deluxe" Version

Carara had ridden another model earlier in the day, and she noted the difference right away. This one adds a canopy that arches over the rider, turning an open-air trike into something closer to a small, pedal-powered shelter. It does not enclose you completely, and it is not trying to be a car. It simply puts a roof over your head and gives the sun and rain one less way to reach you.

On a sunny day that might look like an accessory. On a wet one, it becomes the main event. Carara's reaction was immediate and delighted, partly because the rain made the point for her. There was no need to imagine a hypothetical storm. She was riding through a real one.

If you already own a trike and like the idea, it is worth looking at the sixthreezero canopies in the accessories section. A canopy changes the character of a ride more than almost any other add-on, because it widens the range of days when going out feels like a good idea rather than a gamble.

The rest of the trike, from what Carara showed, is built around comfort first. There is a supportive seat with a backrest, armrests that fold down, a relaxed riding position, and electric assist that she could dial up or down with a tap. Put all of that under a roof and you get the overall feel she kept coming back to: comfortable, a little luxurious, and surprisingly practical.

Carara put her finger on something a lot of people quietly believe: "A lot of times you think you can only ride bikes when it's nice out." For many riders, cycling is a fair-weather hobby. Clouds roll in, the forecast shows a 40 percent chance of showers, and the bike stays in the garage. Over a year, those skipped days add up, and so does the feeling that a bike is something you use only occasionally.

A canopy shifts that balance. It will not make a downpour pleasant, and it will not keep the road dry beneath your wheels, but it does take the edge off light rain and passing showers. Partway through her ride, Carara admitted she honestly could not tell whether it was still raining, because the canopy was keeping it off her. That is a small moment, but it captures the appeal. When the weather stops being the first thing on your mind, you ride more.

She also mentioned a benefit that is easy to overlook: warmth. With a roof overhead, she said she felt like the trike kept her a bit warmer. Part of that is simply staying dry, since damp clothes chill you quickly, and part of it is being shielded from wind and drizzle coming from above. On a cool, gray morning, that difference can decide whether a ride feels cozy or miserable.

Carara even wondered aloud whether a setup like this could handle more rugged conditions. That depends on the specific trike, its tires, and the terrain, so it is worth checking the details of any model you are considering. But the broader idea holds: a covered trike opens up days and conditions that would keep many riders indoors.

Sun Protection Matters Just as Much

For Carara, the canopy was not only about rain. "I love sun protection," she said, and she pointed out that the cover would be just as welcome once the weather turns warm. That may actually be the more useful feature for many riders, depending on where they live.

Long rides in direct sun can be draining. You squint, you overheat, and you spend half the ride thinking about sunscreen. Shade overhead takes some of that load off. It does not replace sunscreen, sunglasses, or a hat for the angles a canopy will not cover, but it does cut down on the steady, overhead exposure that tends to wear people out on summer afternoons.

Riders who are sensitive to heat or sun, or who simply prefer to ride in the middle of the day when errands need doing, often find that shade is what makes regular riding realistic. A canopy also helps with glare on the dashboard display and keeps the seat from getting uncomfortably hot when the trike is parked in the sun.

Put the rain and sun benefits together and you get a trike that is useful across far more of the calendar. That was the point Carara kept returning to: this is a way to keep riding when conditions are less than perfect, rather than waiting for the rare perfect day.

Sitting Up for a Core Workout

One of the more interesting things Carara did was choose not to lean all the way back. The seat on this trike has a full backrest, and she acknowledged that she could settle right into it and rest her arms on the armrests. Instead, she sat forward a bit and stayed upright on purpose.

Her reasoning was simple: sitting up made her engage her abdominals. Without the backrest doing the work, her core had to hold her posture as she pedaled. For someone who is used to running and thinks about fitness in terms of the whole body, that was a way to turn a comfortable ride into more of a workout.

This is a nice illustration of how flexible a recumbent-style trike can be. On a day when you want exercise, you can sit tall and let your trunk muscles share the effort. On a day when you are tired, sore, or just want to cruise, you can lean back and let the seat carry you. Later in the ride, Carara did exactly that, scooting back and noting that she still felt her core was supported.

If that adjustable posture appeals to you, take a look at the recumbent electric trikes. Riders with back or joint concerns should talk to their doctor about what posture suits them, but in general, having the option to sit up or lean back gives you more control over how each ride feels.

Carara called the seat "super comfortable" and "really easy to adjust." Those two qualities matter more than most spec sheets suggest. A seat that is comfortable but awkward to adjust tends to end up in the wrong position, and a seat in the wrong position makes even a short ride feel long.

Getting the seat distance right is the foundation of a good ride on any trike. Too far forward and your knees come up high and cramped. Too far back and you strain to reach the pedals at the bottom of each stroke. A quick-adjusting seat lets you fine-tune that position, and it makes it easy for more than one person in a household to share the same trike.

The armrests are the other piece. They fold up and down, and at the end of her ride, Carara put them down as she finished, with a satisfied comment about how classy the whole thing felt. Armrests give you somewhere to rest your arms on longer rides, add a sense of security for riders who like to feel held in place, and help with steadying yourself as you settle into the seat.

Comfort is the reason many people choose a trike in the first place. If it is your top priority, the collection of most comfortable electric trikes is a useful shortlist, and the sixthreezero seats section covers replacement and upgrade options if you want to change the feel of a trike you already own.

Pedal Assist Levels, Seen Through Her Ride

Halfway through, Carara gave a quick demonstration of how the electric assist works. She was riding on level one. Then she bumped it up to level two, and the trike surged forward. "You notice how quickly it just took off on its own," she said, clearly a little thrilled by it.

Pedal assist works by adding motor power while you pedal. You are still turning the cranks, but the motor multiplies your effort. Lower levels add a gentle nudge, and higher levels add more push, so the same pedaling feels easier and carries you faster. As Carara put it, even though you are pedaling, the trike can go faster or slower depending on what you like.

This is what makes electric trikes so approachable for people who have been away from cycling for a while, or who never loved it to begin with. Hills that once felt like a wall become manageable. Headwinds stop being a reason to turn back. Longer rides become realistic because you can always add a little help when your legs start to tire.

Many trikes also offer a throttle that moves the trike without pedaling at all, which some riders like for starting from a stop or getting a short rest. If that interests you, browse the electric trikes with throttle control to see which models include it. Either way, the key idea is that you set the level of help, and you can change it whenever you want.

Choosing Less Help on Purpose

Just as interesting as Carara turning the assist up was her turning it back down. After the burst of speed on level two, she dropped back to level one, explaining that she wanted a stronger workout.

This is something people often miss when they first hear about electric bikes and trikes. The motor is not there to do the work for you. It is there to let you choose how much work you do. A rider who wants exercise can keep the assist low and still benefit from having more power in reserve. A rider who wants to arrive somewhere without breaking a sweat can turn it up. The same machine serves both goals, sometimes on the same ride.

For older riders, that flexibility can be the difference between riding and not riding. Plenty of people worry that getting on a bike again means signing up for a struggle. With assist, you can start with more help, build confidence and fitness, and gradually lower the level as you get stronger. Or you can keep it high and simply enjoy getting outside. There is no wrong answer.

Carara's approach, using a low level to keep her heart rate up while knowing she could bump it whenever she wanted, is a smart way to ride. If you are new to e-trikes and want to understand the basics before you buy, the FAQ section of the Bike Advice blog answers a lot of common questions about assist levels, range, and everyday use.

Carara noted that the trike has nice turning capabilities, and she made a few easy maneuvers to show it. That is worth dwelling on, because handling is one of the areas where people worry most when they consider a trike.

A three-wheeled trike does not lean into corners the way a bicycle does. It stays upright, which is a big part of its appeal: you never have to balance at a stop, and you are not going to tip over at low speeds the way you might on two wheels. The tradeoff is that you take turns a bit differently. You slow down before the corner, steer smoothly, and let the trike carry you around rather than leaning hard into it.

Once you get used to that, a trike feels steady and predictable. Tight spaces like driveways, paths, and parking areas become easier, especially on a model with a reasonable turning radius. Wet pavement is another place where slowing down for corners pays off, since tires have less grip in the rain no matter how many wheels you have.

Good brakes make all of this more comfortable, especially in wet conditions. If you expect to ride in the rain often, look closely at models in the electric trikes with disc brakes collection, since disc brakes are generally more consistent in wet weather than rim brakes.

Reverse Gear: Small Feature, Big Convenience

One of the moments that clearly delighted Carara was showing that the trike can reverse. "It also reverses, which is super cool," she said, and then backed it up to prove it.

If you have never pushed a trike backward out of a tight spot, it is hard to appreciate how useful this is. Trikes are wider and heavier than bicycles, and you cannot simply hop off and lift the back wheel around. Backing out of a parking space, a garage, or a narrow path can mean climbing off and shoving the trike by hand, which is awkward on a good day and genuinely difficult for riders with limited strength or mobility.

A reverse gear removes that hassle. You stay seated, back up a few feet, and carry on. It is one of those features that sounds like a novelty until you have used it a handful of times, and then you would not want to go without it.

For riders who value this kind of convenience, the reverse gear electric trikes collection groups together models that include it. It is particularly worth considering if you plan to store your trike in a tight garage or ride in areas with lots of stops, turns, and parking.

Room for Cargo, and Maybe a Passenger

As she rolled along, Carara started thinking about what else the trike could do. "I feel like I could put a passenger in the back," she mused, then added that she could probably carry a lot of stuff with her if she wanted.

That instinct is right for many trike designs. Three wheels give you a stable base, and the rear of a trike often has room for baskets, bags, or, on some models, a seat for a second person. That makes trikes useful for much more than exercise. Grocery runs, trips to the post office, carrying beach gear or a picnic, and giving a grandchild or partner a ride are all within reach on the right model.

Not every trike is built for a passenger, so check the specifications of the exact model before you plan on carrying anyone. sixthreezero groups models that are designed with this in mind under trikes for passengers, and there is also a separate range of tandem trikes for two people who both want to pedal. If hauling things is your main goal, browse the cargo electric trikes or models with a large basket.

Weight capacity is the other number to watch. If you plan to carry a passenger, heavy groceries, or simply want a sturdier ride, the electric trikes with high weight capacity are a good place to look. And for extra storage on any trike, the bags and panniers section has options that attach without changing the ride.

Toward the end of her ride, Carara demonstrated something that may matter more to many riders than any other feature on the list: getting on and off. "Get on and off. Two seconds. Boom. Boom. Boom," she said, stepping out and back in with almost no effort.

For a lot of people, mounting and dismounting is the real barrier to cycling. Swinging a leg over a high bar, balancing on one foot while the bike wobbles, or lowering yourself onto a narrow saddle can feel risky, especially as balance and flexibility change with age or injury. A low, chair-like seat with an open frame removes most of that. You walk up, sit down, and go, and the trike stays upright the whole time.

The armrests help here too. Once you are seated, they fold down to give you a stable spot for your arms and a sense of being securely in place. When you are ready to get off, you raise them out of the way and stand up. Carara made it look effortless, and that ease is a big part of why a trike can turn into a daily habit instead of an occasional outing.

If easy access is the most important feature for you or a family member, the easy-to-mount e-trikes with low step-thru collection is the right place to begin, along with the broader electric trikes for seniors range.

A Runner Who Didn't Love Bikes Changes Her Mind

The most telling part of Carara's ride was something she said almost in passing. She reminded viewers that she does not really like biking as much as running and being out on her feet. Then she added the line that sums up the whole video: "This makes me want to ride a bike."

That is a meaningful shift. Plenty of people who exercise regularly have tried cycling and decided it is not for them. Maybe the saddle hurt, the hills were exhausting, or getting on and off felt awkward. A comfortable, electric, three-wheeled design addresses those complaints head-on. The seat supports your back, the motor flattens the hills, and the trike stays upright when you stop.

For a runner, a trike can also be a smart cross-training tool. It works the legs in a low-impact way that is easier on knees and hips than pounding pavement, and as Carara showed, you can sit up and get your core involved too. On rest days, or during recovery from a running injury, a ride can keep you moving without adding stress to your joints. That is general fitness wisdom rather than medical advice, so check with a professional if you are managing an injury.

And there is the simple matter of fun. Carara said, more than once, that she was "digging it." She was smiling, joking, and enjoying the novelty of riding through the rain under a roof. Enjoyment is underrated as a fitness strategy. The workout you look forward to is the one you will keep doing.

Something for Everybody

Carara was candid that she had a favorite. She had tried another model earlier and said she was madly in love with it, so she might lean toward that one for herself. But she was quick to add that this was exactly the point: "There's something for everybody."

That is a healthy way to think about choosing a trike. There is no single best model, only the best one for your body, your routes, and your habits. Someone who rides mostly on sunny paths might not need a canopy at all. Someone in a rainy climate might consider it essential. A rider who wants to haul groceries will care about cargo space, while a rider recovering from surgery might care most about the seat height and how easy it is to get in.

There are plenty of variations to explore. Some riders love the stability of fat tire electric trikes for mixed surfaces. Others want even more stability from four-wheel e-bikes. Recumbent models suit people who like to lean back, while upright trikes suit those who prefer a classic posture. The Choosing a Bike articles on the blog break down these differences in detail.

If you are not sure where to start, the Get Fitted tool asks about your height, needs, and riding style and points you toward models that match. The sixthreezero Ultimate Bike Buyer's Guide is another good resource if you want to read up before you decide.

Carara's ride makes a good case for not letting a little rain stop you. A canopy helps a lot, but a few sensible habits make wet-weather riding safer and more pleasant no matter what you ride.

First, slow down and brake earlier. Wet pavement, painted lines, metal grates, and fallen leaves all get slick, and stopping distances grow in the rain. Give yourself more room than usual, especially when approaching corners and intersections. Second, be seen. Gray skies reduce visibility for drivers, so lights and bright or reflective clothing are worth using even during the day.

Third, think about the spray coming off your own wheels. A canopy keeps rain from falling on you, but water kicked up from the road can still splash. Fenders make a big difference here, and tires with good tread help with grip. If yours are worn, the tires section has replacements. Fourth, look after the electrical parts. Most e-trikes are designed to handle rain, but it is still wise to avoid riding through deep standing water, to dry the trike off afterward, and to follow your owner's manual for battery and charger care.

Finally, wear a helmet. It is easy to feel protected under a canopy, but a canopy is not a crash structure. A good fitting helmet from the sixthreezero helmets collection, combined with careful riding, keeps the focus on enjoying the ride.

Is a Covered eTrike Right for You?

A trike like the one Carara rode makes the most sense for a few kinds of riders. If you live somewhere with frequent showers, a canopy turns many of those days into riding days. If you are sensitive to sun or heat, the shade can make midday rides comfortable. If you want a trike for errands rather than just recreation, the protection means you can head out when you need to, not just when the forecast cooperates.

It is also a strong fit for riders who value comfort and ease above all. The supportive seat, folding armrests, adjustable assist, reverse gear, and step-in access all reduce the friction of getting out for a ride. For older riders, people returning to activity after time off, or anyone who has been put off by traditional bikes, that combination can make riding feel possible again.

On the other hand, if you mostly ride on dry, sunny days and like to feel the open air, you might prefer a model without a canopy, or one where you can add a canopy later. That flexibility is one of the reasons it helps to try more than one style, just as Carara did.

sixthreezero offers a 30-day test ride, which gives you time to see how a trike fits into your actual routine, through your actual weather. You can also review the warranty details and the assembly instructions so you know what to expect when your trike arrives.

Final Thoughts From a Rainy Ride

There is something fitting about a review that happened by accident in the rain. Carara did not set out to test the canopy under real conditions. The weather just showed up, and the trike handled it. By the end, she had pedaled through a shower, played with the assist levels, backed up with the reverse gear, mused about bringing a passenger along, and hopped on and off in a couple of seconds, all while saying, more than once, that she loved it.

Her key takeaways were practical ones. The canopy gives real protection from both rain and sun, and it even keeps you a little warmer. The seat is comfortable and easy to adjust. You can sit up for a core workout or lean back when you want to relax. The pedal assist lets you choose how hard you work. Reverse and easy mounting make everyday use simple. And there is room to carry things, maybe even a person.

Most of all, the ride changed how a dedicated runner felt about cycling. That might be the strongest endorsement of all. When someone who prefers being on her feet says a trike makes her want to ride, it suggests these machines are reaching people who never thought cycling was for them.

If Carara's ride has you curious, explore more rider stories in the Video Blog, find ideas for where to go in Ride Ideas, or browse the full Bike Advice library. Then pick a model, rain or shine, and see how it feels for yourself.