Simple Glide Recumbent E-Trike Test Ride: A Tall Rider's Honest Review

Meet Ren and the Simple Glide Recumbent E-Trike

I spend most of my working days helping people figure out which bike or trike actually fits their body. After enough of those conversations, I've learned that a spec sheet only tells you so much. What a rider says in the first few minutes on a new machine, before they've had time to polish their opinion, tells me a lot more. That's exactly why I like this video so much.

Ren took our Simple Glide out for a full test ride and kept the camera rolling the whole way. She talked through every pedal assist change, every turn, every hill, and a handful of moments that weren't polished at all. There was some traffic. There was a bit of "are we going left or right here?" There was a car she pulled aside to let pass. I've kept all of that in this write-up, because the unscripted parts are usually the most useful ones if you're trying to picture yourself on this trike on an ordinary afternoon.

Ren also brought something specific to the ride that I think a lot of our customers will recognize. She's tall, and she told us that on other bikes her back starts to hurt a lot. That one detail shaped how she experienced almost everything else on this ride, from the seat to the way she approached hills to how she felt when she climbed off at the end.

What the Simple Glide is

The Simple Glide is a recumbent electric trike. Instead of perching over the pedals the way you would on an upright bike, you sit back in a seat with your legs reaching forward, and three wheels keep you planted whether you're rolling or stopped. If you want to see the whole family of laid-back three-wheelers we carry, our recumbent electric trike collection is the place to start.

One honest note before we get into the ride. The Simple Glide comes in more than one configuration, and the video doesn't spell out which exact version Ren was on. Rather than quote motor or battery numbers that might not match her trike, I'm going to stick to what she actually did, felt, and said. If you want hard numbers for a particular version, the product pages lay those out, and you can compare them side by side alongside the rest of our electric tricycles for adults.

Starting at zero

Ren started the ride the way I wish more first-timers would: with the pedal assist set to zero. That means the motor isn't adding anything yet. You're just pedaling a trike. It sounds like a small thing, but it gives you a baseline. You feel how the trike rolls on its own, how the seat holds you, and how the pedals sit under your feet before any extra push enters the picture.

Then she clicked up to level one. Her instructions to the camera were about as simple as it gets: just click them like that. Within a few seconds she was rolling, and the reaction came quickly. "Oh, that's nice." A moment later: "Oh, that's so fun. Oh my gosh, this is so comfortable."

I want to point out the order of those comments, because it matters. The first thing Ren noticed wasn't speed. It was how it felt. Fun came second, and comfort came right on its heels. When I fit people, I see this pattern all the time with recumbent riders. The first surprise isn't the motor at all. It's that sitting back, supported, turns out to be a pleasant way to move.

Level two and the first real cruise

After a short stretch she bumped the assist up to two, and that's where the ride settled into a rhythm. "This is really, really pleasant just biking along like this," she said. If you've ever wondered what people mean when they describe an e-trike as relaxing, that sentence sums it up better than I could.

Here's how I explain pedal assist to riders who are new to it. You still pedal. The motor senses that you're pedaling and adds help on top of your effort. A low level gives you a gentle nudge. Higher levels give you more. You choose the level, and you can change it whenever you like, which is exactly what Ren did over the course of the ride. Level two, for her, was the point where the trike stopped feeling like work and started feeling like a stroll.

This is also where she brought up her height. "A lot of times I'm so tall that with other bikes, my back starts to hurt a lot," she said, "and the seat is so comfortable." I'll come back to the seat in more detail later, because it came up again and again. For now, just notice that this observation arrived barely a minute into the ride. Comfort wasn't something she had to talk herself into. She noticed it immediately.

A light touch on the brakes

Ren's next comment was a small one, and I almost skipped over it the first time I watched. "I'm just braking a little bit. That was nice." It's easy to treat braking as an afterthought, but how a trike slows down is a big part of whether you feel in control of it. A brake that grabs too hard or feels vague makes new riders tense, and tense riders don't enjoy themselves.

What I hear in Ren's comment is a rider who scrubbed off a bit of speed, felt the trike respond the way she expected, and moved on without a second thought. That's the goal. You want stopping to feel like a non-event, so your attention can stay on the road, the scenery, and the ride itself.

So the first couple of minutes gave us a pretty clear picture: a careful start at zero, a comfortable first impression, a relaxed cruise at level two, and an easy, predictable brake. Then Ren got curious about what the higher levels would feel like, and the ride got more interesting.

About a minute and a half in, Ren said what every new e-trike rider eventually thinks: "I wonder what happens when I go up to three." She clicked it up, let out an "Ooh," and then laughed and said, "Yeah, I think this is the way I want to bike from here on out."

I'd love to tell you that's an unusual reaction, but it isn't. Level three tends to be the point where people realize an e-trike isn't just a bike with a little help. It's a different way of getting around. You're still pedaling, still involved, but the effort-to-distance trade feels completely different from what you're used to.

Easy to get going, easy to stop

A little later, Ren put words to something I think gets overlooked in a lot of reviews. "The pedal assist makes it nice," she said. "It's just very easy to get it going and then stopping."

Starting from a standstill is the hardest part of any ride, especially on a three-wheeler with a laid-back seating position. You don't have the option of standing up on the pedals to get moving. On a recumbent trike, the assist does the job your body weight would do on an upright bike. That's why getting going felt easy to her. And because the assist only helps while you're pedaling, easing off and stopping felt natural too. She wasn't fighting the trike in either direction.

For a lot of riders, this is the real reason to choose electric assist. It's less about top speed and more about the dozens of small starts and stops on a typical ride: a crosswalk, a stop sign, a driveway, a turn into a parking lot. Each one used to cost a little effort. With assist, they barely register.

Discovering the throttle

Around the two-and-a-half-minute mark, Ren found the throttle. "And then I can up the throttle, too. That's fun," she said. Later in the ride, she was asked whether she'd been using it, and her answer is one of my favorite moments in the video.

She said yes, and that it was nice to just add it to the pedal assist as she was going, without having to think about upping the pedal assist. Think about what that means in practice. You're cruising along at a level you like. The road tilts up a little, or you want to merge back into your lane a bit quicker. Instead of reaching for the assist button, clicking up a level, and remembering to click back down later, you just add a little throttle for a few seconds and let go.

I tell riders to think of the assist level as your cruise setting and the throttle as a short boost. Set the level for the kind of riding you're doing, then use the throttle for the moments that need a little extra. Ren figured that out on her own within a few minutes, which tells me the controls are intuitive enough that you don't need a manual to start using them well. If having a throttle is high on your list, we've grouped models that offer it in our electric trikes with throttle control collection.

Level four

A few minutes later, Ren decided to try the next step up. "I go up to four and see what that does," she said. Her verdict was quick: "Oh, that's very nice. Makes it very easy."

I like that she didn't jump straight to the top. She worked up one level at a time, felt each one, and then decided. That's exactly how I'd recommend anyone get to know a new e-trike. Each level has a personality, and what feels right on a flat path won't be what you want on a hill or in traffic. Ren used the higher levels when she wanted them and, later in the ride, turned the assist back down a notch as she headed toward where she started. That's the whole point of having a range to choose from.

Shifting gears by hand

There's a third layer of control on the Simple Glide that Ren found partway through the ride: the gears. "Oh, I see. Oh, that's nice," she said. "So I just manually shift it up, too." She noted it meant a little more pedaling, and she clearly liked having that choice.

Some riders assume that once you have a motor, gears stop mattering. They don't. The gears change how hard each pedal stroke feels and how fast your legs spin at a given speed. The assist changes how much the motor adds. Put the two together and you can tune the ride precisely. A higher gear with a moderate assist level gives you a steady, purposeful pedal stroke. A lower gear makes climbing feel lighter and spinning feel easier.

Ren brought this up again in her wrap-up. She said she liked having the option of manually shifting her gears up and down, and that overall it gave her a lot of control. I'd add one more thing. Control is what makes a new rider confident, and confidence is what turns a test ride into a habit.

Three ways to ride, one simple setup

Put it all together and Ren had three tools to work with: the assist level, the throttle, and the gears. Within about five minutes she was using all three, and she never seemed confused by any of them. She'd click the assist up when she wanted more help, tap in some throttle when she wanted a quick boost, and shift gears when she wanted her pedaling to feel different.

For my money, that's the best sign a setup is well designed. Nobody wants to stop at the side of the road to figure out what a button does. Ren's ride shows that you can learn this trike by riding it, which is exactly how most people learn anything worth enjoying.

A test ride on a quiet path tells you some things. A test ride on real streets tells you a lot more. Ren's route had right turns, a decision point where she wasn't sure which way to go, some traffic, a U-turn at a post office, and a couple of hills. That's a pretty good sample of what everyday riding actually looks like, so let's walk through it.

Turns: steer it, don't lean it

Early in the ride, Ren took a right and then the next right. "Gotcha. Cool," she said, and then a little "Woo" as she came out of the turn. Not long after, she relayed some advice that every new trike rider needs to hear: when you turn, you can't lean into it. That's not going to turn the bike.

This is the single biggest adjustment for anyone coming from a two-wheeler. On a regular bicycle, leaning is part of how you turn, and your body does it without thinking. On a trike, all three wheels stay on the ground and the frame doesn't tip into the corner. Leaning your body doesn't steer it. The handlebars do. Turn the bars, and the trike goes where you point it.

When I'm coaching someone on their first trike ride, I tell them to slow down a bit before the turn rather than in the middle of it, steer smoothly with the bars, and keep their body relaxed and upright in the seat. Your instincts may try to lean for the first few corners. That's normal. Within a ride or two, steering with the bars starts to feel like the obvious way to do it, and you stop thinking about it entirely.

I appreciated that this moment made it into the video. It's a small correction, the kind of thing you'd hear from a friend riding next to you, and it's genuinely useful. If you're new to three wheels, take it to heart before your first ride.

Left or right?

Around the three-minute mark, Ren asked, "Are we going to go left here or right?" It's an ordinary moment, the kind of thing that happens on any ride with a companion, and it made me smile. You can hear that she isn't stressed about it. She's asking the question the way you would on a walk.

That relaxed tone matters more than it might seem. On a bike you're still getting used to, a moment of uncertainty at an intersection can feel tense. You're slowing down, looking around, trying to balance and decide at the same time. On a trike, balance takes care of itself. You can slow right down, even stop, and think about where you're headed without worrying about putting a foot down.

Sharing the road

A few minutes later, Ren noticed traffic building. "I know, it's a bit of traffic, it seems like," she said. Later, she let a car go by before continuing. Neither moment was dramatic, and that's the point. She stayed calm, made room, and kept going.

I always encourage new riders to treat cars with patience rather than urgency. You don't need to race anyone. If a driver behind you wants to pass, easing over and letting them go is usually the safest and least stressful choice. The quick, easy restarts Ren described earlier make this much simpler, because pausing to let a car through doesn't cost you a big effort to get rolling again.

If you're planning to ride on streets with traffic, I'd also suggest starting your first few rides at quieter times of day. Get comfortable with the controls, the steering, and the braking where there's room to make mistakes. Then work your way toward busier routes as your confidence grows.

The U-turn at the post office

Partway through the ride, the plan was to make a U-turn at the post office on the left. Ren pulled in, turned around, and headed back out. Later, she made another small U-turn going right. Watching it, I noticed she didn't try to swing the trike around in the middle of the road. She used a lot as space to turn around.

That's exactly what I'd recommend. A trike is wider than a bicycle, and turning around in a single lane isn't something you want to attempt with cars around. Pulling into a parking lot, a wide driveway, or an empty side street gives you room to make the turn at your own pace. It's a habit worth building from day one.

Brakes and a little planning

Ren's braking comments were brief throughout the ride, and they all pointed the same way: she slowed down when she wanted to and the trike responded. On a route with intersections, turns, and other traffic, that predictability is what lets you relax. If braking feel is especially important to you, you can compare trikes by brake setup in our electric trikes with disc brakes collection.

Looking at the route as a whole, the lesson for new riders is pretty simple. Steer with the bars, not your body. Slow down before turns, not during them. Use parking lots and wide spaces for turnarounds. Give cars room. And don't be afraid to ask your riding partner which way you're headed. Ren did all of that naturally, and her ride stayed fun from start to finish because of it.

If there's one theme that runs through Ren's entire ride, it's comfort. She mentioned it in the first minute, she came back to it on the hills, and she brought it up again when she finished. But comfort on a trike isn't one thing. It's a handful of details working together. Here's how Ren described each one.

The first hill: relaxing instead of bracing

About six minutes into the ride, Ren hit her first real incline. "Oh, I like that pedal assist on that little hill, too," she said. "Makes it very nice." A little later, she explained why that mattered so much to her, and it's one of the most honest things anyone has said in one of our test-ride videos.

Her impulse, she said, is to really want to work hard on a hill. But with the pedal assist or the throttle, it makes it a lot easier, and she can just relax into pedaling instead of bracing herself and thinking, "Okay, now we've got to get up this hill."

I know that feeling well, and I'd bet you do too. You see a hill coming and your whole body tightens up. Your grip gets firmer, your shoulders creep up, and you start preparing for a fight before the climb even begins. For a rider with back trouble, that bracing is part of what makes riding uncomfortable. Ren's point is that the assist takes the fight out of it. The hill is still there. She's still pedaling. She just doesn't have to tense up to get over it.

Her favorite hill

The best moment of the whole ride, at least for me, came a couple of minutes later. Ren said she was going to turn up the pedal assist again and really just enjoy this hill. Then: "I think this is my most favorite hill I've ever gone up." A bit after that came a delighted "Yes. Woohoo."

I've helped a lot of people get back into riding, and I can tell you that "favorite hill" is not a phrase most riders ever say. Hills are usually the part of the ride people tolerate. Hearing someone pick the assist level that turns a climb into the highlight of the day is exactly what an e-trike is supposed to do.

Unlearning the urge to pedal harder

Toward the end of the ride, Ren made an observation that made me laugh because it's so true. As the trike picked up speed, she kept thinking she needed to pedal faster. But with the assist, she said, she doesn't have to.

Years of riding unassisted bikes teach your body a simple rule: more speed means more effort. E-assist breaks that rule, and it takes a little while for your legs to catch up. My advice is to let the assist do its job. Pedal at a pace that feels natural, pick a gear that keeps your cadence comfortable, and let the motor handle the rest. You'll arrive just as quickly and feel a lot better when you get there. Ren's wrap-up echoed this: it's funny, she said, how much she thinks she has to work for pedaling when she actually doesn't.

The seat, from a tall rider's perspective

Back to the detail I promised to revisit. Ren told us early on that her height makes her back hurt a lot on other bikes, and she called this seat so comfortable in the same breath. In her wrap-up she went further. The seat was so, so comfortable, she said, and the whole thing felt like riding a luxury chariot.

She also admitted she'd expected the opposite. She thought sitting back in that seat and pedaling would make the ride harder, and that she'd really have to work going up hills. Instead, between the seat and the pedal assist, she said she didn't have to strain her back or overwork herself at all.

I can only speak to Ren's experience here, and every body is different. But I hear versions of her comment often from riders who've struggled with upright bikes. If comfort is your top priority, it's worth browsing our most comfortable electric trikes, and if you're shopping for a parent or for yourself later in life, our electric trikes for seniors collection is built around the same priorities.

The grips: a small detail that made a big difference

About eight minutes in, Ren brought up something I suspect many reviewers would never mention: the handlebar grips. "It's sort of a small thing," she said, "but the handles are really nice to grip, too." She described them as looking like leather with stitching, though she wasn't completely sure what the material was, and said they were really nice to hold.

Then she explained why it stood out. The last bike she rode left stuff all over her hands, and she called the experience really unpleasant. In her wrap-up, she circled back to it again: the grips were a really small detail, she said, but they made a really big difference when riding.

I'm glad she said this, because it's true of almost every ride. Your hands are on the bars the entire time. If the grips are uncomfortable or messy, you notice it on every pedal stroke. Good grips disappear. You stop thinking about your hands and start paying attention to the ride.

Slowing down enough to notice the flowers

One last moment from the middle of the ride. Out of nowhere, Ren said, "Oh, those flowers are so pretty." It's a throwaway line, and it might be the most telling one in the video. When you're straining, braced, and uncomfortable, you don't notice flowers. You notice your back, your legs, and how far you have left to go. Ren was comfortable and relaxed enough to look around and enjoy where she was.

After about twelve minutes, Ren brought the Simple Glide back to where she started. Before stepping off, she locked the brakes. "Safety on," she said. Then, simply: "That was super fun."

Her wrap-up to the camera tied the whole ride together, and I want to share it in full detail because she covered every component that mattered to her.

Ren's verdict in her own words

She said she really enjoyed it. She liked the grips, which she called a small detail that made a big difference. She found the seat so comfortable that it felt like a luxury chariot. She'd expected that sitting back and pedaling would make the hills harder, but the pedal assist meant she didn't have to strain her back or overwork herself. She thought all the components worked really well and really nicely together. She found it funny how much she thinks she has to work for pedaling when she actually doesn't, and that she could just enjoy the ride. And she liked having the option of manually shifting her gears up and down, because it gave her a lot of control.

Her last words: "Again, this is the Simple Glide, and I had a blast."

What I take away from this ride

When I watch a test ride like this, I'm looking for three things. Did the rider feel comfortable right away? Did they figure out the controls without help? And did they enjoy themselves enough to want to keep going? Ren checked every box, and she did it in about twelve minutes on real streets with real traffic.

What stood out to me most is how the pieces fit together. The seat kept her back happy. The pedal assist meant the reclined position didn't make hills harder. The throttle gave her a quick boost without fiddling with settings. The gears let her decide how her pedaling should feel. And the grips kept her hands comfortable the whole time. None of those things alone would have made her say "I think this is the way I want to bike from here on out." All of them together did.

Who I'd point toward the Simple Glide

Based on Ren's ride, I'd encourage a closer look from riders who find upright bikes hard on their back, especially taller riders who've had the same experience she described. I'd also suggest it for anyone who dreads hills and would rather relax into a climb than brace for it, and for riders who like having choices: assist levels, a throttle, and gears they can shift themselves.

It's also a good fit for anyone who simply wants riding to feel easy and pleasant again. That came through in nearly everything Ren said, from "this is really, really pleasant" to "I had a blast."

Tips for your own first ride

If you decide to give the Simple Glide a try, here's how I'd approach the first ride, borrowing heavily from what Ren did well.

Start with the assist at zero so you feel the trike on its own, then work your way up one level at a time. Notice how each level feels before moving on. Try the throttle as a short boost rather than as your main way of moving, and play with the gears so you understand how they change your pedaling. Remember to steer with the handlebars rather than leaning. Use a parking lot or wide driveway for turnarounds. And when you hit a hill, try Ren's approach: bump up the assist, relax your shoulders, and let yourself enjoy it.

Once you're done, lock your brakes before you climb off, just like she did.

Finding the right fit

No video can tell you for certain how a trike will feel for your body. That's why I'd always rather talk with you directly. If you'd like help deciding whether a recumbent design suits you, our personal fitting consultation is the quickest way to get honest advice matched to your height, your riding goals, and anything your back or joints have been telling you.

If you're near our shop, you can also visit us and test ride in person. There's nothing quite like sitting in the seat yourself. And if you'd rather try it at home on your own routes, take a look at our 30-day test ride details, along with our warranty information.

Still exploring? If climbing on and off easily is a big concern, our easy-to-mount e-trikes are worth a look, and if you plan long outings, you can compare electric trikes with long-range batteries.

Thanks to Ren for taking us along on this ride, and for being so honest about everything from her back to her grips to her favorite hill. If you end up on a Simple Glide yourself, I hope your first hill feels as good as hers did.