Senior’s First Recumbent Trike Ride EVER!🚴 | Smooth, Fun & Safe Electric Tricycle Ride

Diane: Hi, I'm Diane. I'm at Sixthreezero in San Clemente, and I've got some friends with me, and we are going to be riding the Simple Glide. Why don't you introduce yourselves? Tell us a little bit about your biking experience.

Linda: Okay. My name is Linda. I am 66, and I love riding bikes. I have my own, and I ride a tandem with my husband. But I am learning to do the e-bike and really looking forward to it.

Diane: Fun.

Daniel: I'm Daniel. I'm 67 years old. This is my first time on an e-bike, especially the tricycle type. I'm looking forward to it.

Diane: Very nice.

Deb: Hi, I'm Deb Wald, and I'm also 66 years old. I love being outdoors, and I love riding bicycles, but this is the first time I'm riding an e-bike, and I'm very excited to try it. Because I see them all the time, I wonder why people bother with the electric and not just pedal. But it's really addictive, I'm sure, because you just get more power. I love it.

Diane: Well, let's take it for a ride and see what you guys think.

Linda: OK.

Diane: OK. Let's go.

Diane: So something for you to think about with this particular e-trike is that the power is coming from the front wheel.

Linda: OK. OK.

Diane: So when you put on pedal assist, or especially the throttle, and the throttle is a twist throttle, I think. You'll feel it pull you rather than push you, okay?

Linda: Okay.

Diane: Oh, no, it's a push-button throttle.

Linda: Oh, it is. Isn't that red?

Diane: No, the throttle's right here. Okay? So we're starting without pedal assist.

Linda: Okay. So you're going to make me work.

Diane: Yes. Here we go. Okay. All right. Will you let me know when you're comfortable with the pedal assist?

Linda: Well, it actually went on.

Diane: Is it on now?

Linda: Yeah.

Diane: So you're on pedal assist one?

Linda: I am.

Diane: Okay. It was reading zero, but then it went to one. Okay. Now this one is easier to pedal along with the pedal assist.

Diane: So this particular bike that you're riding now has what they call a forward pedal system. So you're lower to the ground, but you're getting a bigger extension with your legs than if the pedals are right underneath you.

Linda: Got it. So maybe that's why. Plus, you're taking off on me.

Diane: All right, I'll catch up to you. Okay. Did you go into pedal assist two?

Linda: I did. I love it.

Diane: How do you feel in terms of comfort?

Linda: You know, the seat is amazingly comfortable, and having the back support is huge.

Diane: Isn't it? So I know that you're a road bike person. And, you know, typically on a road bike, you're leaning forward, your arms are up here. So there's a lot of pressure on your wrist, on your upper back.

Linda: You don't have that at all with this. Not at all.

Diane: But you feel like you could still get a good workout if you wanted to?

Linda: You know, absolutely. Because, like right now, I'm pedaling. You know, because I want to. So, you know, it's nice.

Diane: And I think that's what's key, right? It's your choice. So when you run out of energy, let's say you're riding at home, I know, on hills, and you want to go up that big hill, and you're tired, then you have two options. You have the throttle, or you have pedal assist.

Linda: Which would be huge, because, like we were saying, I live on a hill. And sometimes it can be very daunting when you're at the bottom of that hill, right?

Diane: Yes, it can.

Linda: The turning radius really blows me away.

Diane: Different than what you expected?

Linda: Yeah.

Diane: What's different about it?

Linda: I did not expect to be able to do such a tight turn. And especially with such ease, you know? So I guess in riding a road bike, when you make the turn, you know, you've got to make sure the right leg is down and, you know, you're leaning. But with this, the ratio is unbelievable. I mean, really tight. And you're doing nothing to think about it. I mean, obviously you're going to slow down a little, but it's, I love it. I love it.

Diane: Well, thanks so much for riding with me.

Linda: Oh, thank you for allowing me to.

Diane: Of course. Wow. So let's see where she's got it. Okay, it's rolling. Okay. Are we starting in a pedal assist or not? We're doing the... So the buttons are right on your left.

Daniel: Okay. Oh, I see. See the display? I see.

Diane: So up will move pedal assist up, and the lower will move pedal assist down.

Daniel: So what does pedal assist down do right now? I'm on number two.

Diane: So you probably want to be at number one. There you go. There's one. Unless you want to start just in a general, I'm riding in regular bicycle mode.

Daniel: Let's just try this, and we'll see what happens.

Diane: Sounds good. So let's go. You ready?

Daniel: Yeah. Off we go.

Diane: Oh boy. Okay. There she goes. All right. Yeah. I see. I see the feeling of it. Wow. This thing wants to really move. So how do I get it to go a little slower?

Diane: Slower? No, wait. If you want to go slow...

Daniel: This is fine. This is fine. As long as you're okay with keeping up with me.

Diane: I'm going to try my hardest to keep up with you. All right. You're fast. So what are your thoughts about this bike?

Daniel: Well, you know, the balance is great. You don't have to worry about balancing this stuff. And, you know, the maneuverability is good. You don't have to, you know, it's fair. Even though it's a tricycle, it's still streamlined. And I enjoy that. Yeah. You know, you don't have to have 10 feet on each side of you to do anything.

Diane: Exactly right. And you don't have to worry about tipping over. Great balance. What are your thoughts about the comfort on your back and everything?

Daniel: Oh, yeah, it's got good comfort, you know.

Diane: What pedal assist are you in right now, Daniel?

Daniel: It says that I'm in two.

Diane: All right. Well, we should probably stay there since we're coming up to a turn. Yeah. Is the turning easier than you thought it would be?

Daniel: Well, I expected the tricycle to be very easy to turn. I'm just going to go around you to the back.

Diane: So what are your thoughts about this one? This one has the power that's driven in the front as opposed to the back.

Daniel: Yes, I've noticed that.

Diane: What are your thoughts on that?

Daniel: That's okay. You liked it? Yeah, you know, being in the front doesn't seem to, to me, have any bearing on anything. It's still a very comfortable, very enjoyable ride. Nice. You know, I like it.

Diane: Well, I'm glad you...

Daniel: Now, do I need to lock the brake or anything like that?

Diane: You can if you want. It doesn't matter. It'll just stay there at this point.

Daniel: I'll leave it the way it is so that when she gets on it, she doesn't have to worry about anything.

Diane: Sounds good. So for this bike, what pedal assist level are you in right now?

Deb: At two. At two?

Diane: You probably want to start at one, right? You can have the arms up or down. Yes. The only difference on this bike is that you're going to feel the pull from the front wheel rather than the push from the back. Okay. Okay?

Deb: Okay, let's see the difference. You let me know. Can I adjust the seat?

Diane: Sure. I guess if we push the lever down. There you go.

Deb: Is that more comfortable? Yeah, I feel like I need to stretch my legs out more.

Diane: So, you know what's really cool? That all these bikes are adjustable. So we can move the handlebars up and down.

Deb: Oh, really?

Diane: Yep. Also, the seats are adjustable. And then this has a forward pedaling system. So, you know, on a traditional bike, your legs would be more down here. Right. This allows you to be closer to the ground, and you're getting a leg extension on every pedal, which is nice.

Deb: Which is great because I've just had a hip replacement. So I'm trying to build up the strength again. And this feels comfortable. It does. Because my leg is more extended here rather than in that cramped position. Yeah. So that's fantastic.

Diane: That's good to know. Yeah.

Deb: That's good to know, and it feels good. It's like a little rehab for you. It is great because I don't feel any stress. I love it.

Diane: So that's... Are you ready to roll?

Deb: Of course, let's go.

Diane: Here we go. You're on pedal assist one.

Deb: Okay, let's... Oh, I see, I see. It's much easier to pedal than the rear. Oh, you think so? I think... Well, I mean, it's just a case of getting used to, I would say, on the... on the other one.

Diane: You're not the only one who feels that way, that it's easier to pedal with the front motor. So now you're learning the importance of test riding bikes, right?

Deb: Absolutely. To see which one, because otherwise... You're not just getting on any old bike.

Diane: Yeah, you're like, I don't know what that means. But now you're actually experiencing what it means to have a front drive as opposed to a back drive.

Deb: Right. I may not be saying it right, but...

Diane: No, this is good. And it's a little extra work on the legs, which is good.

Deb: You want that, but then you know what? When you don't want that extra work, you've got two options.

Diane: Yes, exactly. You can go up and pedal assist so that you have the same cadence, but less effort. Right. Or if you're like, you know what? I don't want to pedal at all. Then you turn your throttle a little bit. And off you go. So, you know, when I use that is let's say that I'm going to cross a busy street. Right. And I don't want to rely just on pedal assist. You hit the throttle. Bye. You're literally leaving me behind. Oh, my goodness. So it's a huge safety feature.

Deb: Excellent. Look at you. I love this. Five minutes ago, you were nervous, and now you're like...

Deb: You're off. I didn't know what to expect. This is so much fun. It's so much fun, right? Whee! I love seeing how much fun you're having. No, it is great. I'm just going to stay on here. That was awesome. Oh my gosh. So fun.

Diane: So what are your thoughts about this bike?

Deb: Oh God. I love it. I'm just saying that this is so much fun. I do like the front better than the back power. That's good to know. Because I felt a little uncoordinated on that one. So this one, I feel much more coordinated; I guess it's what we're used to, right? But like anything, it takes getting used to. It sure does.

Diane: And that's the importance of test riding.

Deb: Exactly. So thank you so much for sharing. Thank you for sharing. My God, yes, this is amazing.

Diane: Well, do I have to get off? Yeah, but there's more fun to come. Okay. So we all just took a ride on the Simple Glide.

Diane: What are your thoughts?

Deb: Simple Glide. There it is. It's simple, it was simple, and it was just so comfortable, and I almost got carried away. She had so much fun. I loved it. I liked the Front Wheel Drive. It allowed me to pedal more. So I actually felt like I was more in control. And I really loved it. And like I was telling you before, the turning radius was between the comfort of the seat and just everything. It was a delight.

Diane: I love that. How about you?

Daniel: It's comfortable. It's easy to maneuver. Very easy to operate. You feel comfortable the whole way. You don't worry about, "Oh, I'm going to lose my balance, or I'm getting, you know." Everything is very nice. And the reaction time of the throttle is all good. I love it. It's easy to pedal when you want to. It's easy not to pedal if you want to relax.

Diane: That's key, right?

Daniel: Yeah.

Diane: And so, you know, what's funny is we all initially take a look at it. We're like, oh, I'm not old enough to need that type of seat until you start pedaling with it. And it's like...

Deb: In case it makes you feel younger, to be quite honest.

Diane: I know, right? Nothing's hurting.

Deb: No, nothing. It's just so easy. Like we were talking, like there's no wrist joint pain because our body's not far forward. And the design, the ergonomics, right?

Diane: Yeah. The back and everything, it's comfortable. It's designed to, wow, put you in the right posture. I love it. It's insane. So we're at Sixthreezero in San Clemente, test-riding e-trikes today. Come out. Test for yourself. You never know what's going to be the best fit for you. Thanks so much for joining. Have a great afternoon.