Turning 74 on Four Wheels: Ken's First Ride on the ANYterrain Electric Quad

A Birthday Ride Worth Getting Up Early For

Most people celebrate a birthday with cake. Ken celebrated his 74th by showing up early in the morning, before the roads got busy, to take a brand-new electric quad for a spin. He had never ridden this machine before. He had never put it in reverse, never climbed a hill on it, never felt how it handled a bump or a downhill run. Everything you are about to read is a first impression, which is exactly why it is useful.

The bike in question is the ANYterrain 4-wheel 750W recumbent eBike, finished in matte black. It sits in an unusual spot in the sixthreezero lineup. It is not a bicycle and it is not quite a tricycle. With a wheel at each corner, a laid-back seat and baskets front and rear, it is closer to a small, quiet, pedal-friendly runabout than anything most riders have tried.

What makes Ken's ride worth writing about is that he is not a product tester and he is not a racer. He is a 74-year-old who likes to get around, who rides with his wife Lisa, who has grandkids to keep up with, and who thinks about practical things like how the groceries are going to get home. That is the rider a lot of people reading this will recognize, either in themselves or in a parent.

We followed him from the parking lot to the open road, up a few climbs, through a turnaround with a view, down a long grade and back again. Along the way he said a lot of things out loud, the way people do when something surprises them. We've kept the best of those moments and added some context so you can judge whether a four-wheel eBike makes sense for the way you ride.

Before he rolled an inch, Ken had already found his favorite feature. It wasn't the motor or the display. It was the baskets.

The ANYterrain carries a basket up front and another in the back, and Ken's mind went straight to errands. He could picture himself and Lisa riding to the grocery store together and loading the bags straight into the baskets for the trip home. No backpack, no hanging bags off the handlebars, no juggling. Just put the groceries in and go.

That reaction says a lot about who this kind of vehicle is for. Plenty of people look at an electric bike and think about speed or distance. Riders in their sixties and seventies often think first about usefulness. Can I carry things? Can I get to the places I actually go? Will I feel safe doing it? A four-wheel platform with two baskets answers the first question before you even sit down.

If cargo space is near the top of your own list, it's worth browsing sixthreezero's electric trikes with a large basket and the cargo eTrike collection too, since they're built around the same idea. And if you already own a bike and just want more carrying room, the basket and bags and panniers sections are a good place to start.

With the baskets approved, Ken asked the question every rider asks at this point: can we take it out on the road?

Ken did what every new rider should do. He started in pedal assist level one, the lowest setting, with the bike in a low gear. That combination gives you the gentlest possible introduction to how the motor behaves, so there are no surprises when you push off.

Even at that lowest level, the first thing he noticed was the pickup. The motor came in smoothly and moved him forward with what he described as a nice, easy acceleration, not a jolt. For anyone nervous about electric assist, that matters. A motor that surges can make a new rider grab the brakes or wobble. A motor that eases in lets you settle into the seat and start paying attention to the road instead of the machine.

The second thing he noticed, almost in the same breath, was stability. With four wheels on the ground, there's no balancing act at a standstill and no lean through the first few feet of travel. You sit, you start pedaling, and the vehicle simply goes where it's pointed.

A few seconds later he summed up the experience in two words: that's fun. It's an honest reaction, and it came before he had tested anything difficult. He had just discovered that the thing was easy to start, easy to control and pleasant to sit on.

If you're new to pedal assist, here's the short version of how it works. When you turn the cranks, a sensor tells the motor to add power. Higher assist levels add more help, lower levels add less. Starting at level one, as Ken did, lets you feel the system working without it ever getting ahead of you. You can always step up once you're comfortable, and Ken did exactly that as the ride went on.

It's worth pausing on why four wheels change the experience so much, because Ken kept coming back to it throughout the ride.

On a two-wheeler, stability comes from motion. You have to keep moving and keep making small corrections to stay upright. That's second nature for most people when they're young, but balance, reaction time and confidence can change with age, and a stop on a slope or a sudden swerve can feel riskier than it used to.

A three-wheel eTrike removes most of that worry because it stands on its own. A four-wheel quad goes one step further. With a wheel at each corner, the base is wider and more square, so the platform feels planted side to side and front to back. There's no single wheel out front or out back acting as a pivot point.

Ken noticed this especially on small bumps and uneven patches of road. More than once he mentioned that the ride stayed smooth and the vehicle felt stable even when the pavement wasn't perfect. He also gave credit to the tires, which he said were doing a good job soaking things up.

That stability shows up in other ways too. When you come to a stop, you don't need to put a foot down. When you're loading something heavy into a basket, the vehicle doesn't shift. When you're crawling along at walking pace next to a friend, you're not fighting to stay upright. These are small things on paper, but on a real ride they add up to a much calmer experience.

It's also why four-wheel models fit naturally alongside sixthreezero's electric trikes for seniors. The goal is the same: keep people riding, comfortably and confidently, for as long as they want to.

A couple of minutes into the ride, Ken glanced down at the display and was surprised by what he saw. He was doing 15 miles an hour, and he said it felt like he was walking.

That's one of the more interesting things to come out of the whole video. Fifteen miles an hour is a brisk pace for a bicycle. On a typical upright bike, a rider at that speed is aware of the wind, aware of the balance and aware of what would happen if something went wrong. On the ANYterrain, Ken barely registered it.

Part of that comes from the seating position. Sitting low and reclined, with your back supported and your feet out in front, you're not perched up high watching the ground race by beneath you. Part of it comes from the four-wheel stance, which takes the twitchiness out of steering. And part of it comes from how smoothly the motor delivers power. There's no sense of strain, so speed builds without drama.

Here's a word of caution, though. When speed feels slow, it's easy to forget how fast you're actually going. That's true in cars and it's true on electric vehicles. The display is your friend. Glance at it often during your first few rides, especially in neighborhoods, near driveways and anywhere there are pedestrians. Get a feel for what 8, 12 and 15 miles an hour look like before you settle into a cruising pace.

Ken handled this well. He kept his speeds sensible on the way out, checked the display, and saved the faster riding for a long, clear downhill later on. That's a good model for any new rider.

Hills are where many riders, especially older riders, give up on a bicycle. A grade that was nothing at 40 can feel like a wall at 70. One of the main reasons people move to electric assist is to get those hills back.

Ken's route had a mix of small rises and a couple of more serious climbs. On the first little hill, he called it easy and said there was no problem, then added, with some anticipation, that the big ones were still coming.

When he got to them, the ANYterrain held a steady 9 miles an hour on what he described as a good grade, while he was taking it easy. That's a comfortable, controlled climbing pace. It's fast enough that you're not crawling, and slow enough that you're never out of control.

Then he decided to see what would happen if he put a bit more into the pedals. He set himself a goal of 11 miles an hour, hit it, then pushed on to 12. His verdict was simple: he loved it. He also noted that it was a little bit of a workout, which is the honest answer. Electric assist doesn't do everything for you unless you want it to. It meets you where you are.

That flexibility is the real value. On a day when your knees are complaining, you can sit back and let the motor do most of the work. On a day when you feel good, you can pedal harder, climb faster and get some exercise out of it. The same hill, the same vehicle, two very different rides depending on how you feel.

For riders who regularly face steep terrain, it's worth reading through the sixthreezero buyer's guide to compare motors and gearing across models, so you can match your choice to the hills you actually ride.

Along with the assist levels, the ANYterrain has gears, and Ken tried them out early. His first comment about the shifter was that it worked well, and shortly after he noted another strong burst of pickup. Later in the ride he worked his way up to the top gear and described the feeling as moving right along with a simple, steady pedal.

If you haven't ridden a geared electric bike before, it helps to think of the assist level and the gear as two separate tools. The assist level decides how much the motor helps. The gear decides how hard each turn of the pedals feels and how far each turn carries you.

Low gears are easy to turn and great for starting from a stop or climbing. High gears take more effort per stroke but let you cover more ground at speed without spinning your legs like an eggbeater. The trick is to shift before you need to. Drop into an easier gear as you approach a hill or a stop sign, not halfway up the hill when the pedals are already heavy.

Ken's observation that the pedaling itself gave him extra pickup is a nice detail. With pedal assist, the harder you work, the more the system responds, so a few firm strokes when you pull away from a stop can get you up to cruising pace quickly and smoothly.

By the end of the ride he described the controls as pretty intuitive, and said he liked the shifters. That matters more than it might seem. A vehicle with confusing controls tends to sit in the garage. One that feels obvious after ten minutes is one you'll actually take out.

One of the more telling moments in the ride came while Ken was cruising in top gear. He mentioned that he kept taking his finger off the throttle because the ride was just so smooth and easy that he didn't need it.

The ANYterrain gives you a throttle in addition to pedal assist. Pedal assist adds power when you pedal. A throttle adds power when you press it, whether you're pedaling or not. Each has its place.

A throttle is especially useful when starting from a dead stop, when you're on a slight incline at an intersection, or when your legs are tired at the end of a long ride and you just want to get home. It's also helpful for riders with joint problems that make the first few pedal strokes uncomfortable.

Pedal assist, on the other hand, keeps you moving your legs, which is good for circulation, joint mobility and general fitness. Many riders find that they use a little of both: throttle to get going, pedals to keep going.

Ken's habit of letting go of the throttle is a good sign. It means the pedal assist was doing its job well enough that he naturally preferred to pedal. If a throttle is important to you, sixthreezero groups its electric trikes with throttle control in one place so you can compare options.

Partway through the ride, Ken reached a turnaround spot with a view that made him stop and say wow. It was also the spot where he tried something he had never done before on a bike: a three-point turn using reverse.

Reverse is one of the features that makes a four-wheel or three-wheel electric vehicle so much more practical than a standard bicycle. On a two-wheeler, turning around on a narrow road means a wide arc or hopping off and walking the bike around. On a heavier trike or quad, that isn't always easy. Reverse solves the problem the same way it does in a car. Pull forward, back up, pull forward again, and you're facing the other way.

Ken's first attempt went well. He moved into reverse, backed up, and said it seemed pretty simple. A moment later he was pointed back the way he came, pleased with himself and calling it not bad for a first try.

He added a useful note for new riders. There's a little learning curve in figuring out how much pressure to use, both on the controls and on the pedals, during a slow maneuver like that. He compared it to learning to ride a two-wheeler as a seven-year-old: a little awkward the first time, then completely normal. In his words, no different.

If you think reverse would make your life easier, for example if you need to back out of a tight garage, a narrow side yard or a parking space, take a look at sixthreezero's electric trikes with a reverse gear. It's the kind of feature you don't think about until the first time you need it, and then you can't imagine going without.

A practical tip: practice your first few turns in an empty parking lot or a quiet street, just like Ken did at a calm turnaround. Get comfortable with the controls at very low speed before you need them in a tighter or busier spot.

What goes up must come down, and the return trip gave Ken a long downhill to test both speed and braking.

On the way down he watched the numbers climb: 16 miles an hour, which he said felt good, and then 18, which got a wow. That's the fastest he went during the ride, and it's fast enough to tell you a lot about how a vehicle behaves.

His conclusion was that you can go as slow or as fast as you want and still feel comfortable and in control. That's high praise for any electric vehicle, and especially for one aimed at riders who prize confidence over thrills.

Control on a downhill comes down to two things: stability and braking. The four-wheel layout handled the first part. For the second, Ken was impressed. Early on he'd said the brakes worked nicely. On the descent he went further, calling them really responsive and pointing out that good brakes are important, which is something every rider of every age should take to heart.

A couple of habits will serve you well here. First, use both brakes together and apply them gradually rather than grabbing hard. Second, start braking before a turn, not in the middle of it. Third, keep your speed at a level where you could stop comfortably within the distance you can clearly see ahead. Ken did all of this naturally, slowing for a stop sign at the bottom of the hill without any fuss.

If strong stopping power is high on your list, browse sixthreezero's electric trikes with disc brakes to compare setups across the range. And whatever you ride, wear a helmet. The sixthreezero helmets collection is worth a look if yours is getting old.

There's a small, funny moment near the end of the ride that says a lot about how these vehicles feel in real life.

Ken was cruising along when he suddenly noticed Lisa right beside him. He hadn't realized she was there. He laughed and explained that the ride was so quiet he couldn't hear her coming, then added that he loved that.

Electric motors on bikes and trikes are far quieter than anything with a gas engine. You hear your tires on the road, a little wind, maybe the hum of the motor under load, and that's about it. That quiet changes the experience. You can hear birds. You can talk to the person next to you without raising your voice. You don't disturb the neighbors early in the morning.

It does come with a responsibility, though. If you can't hear a fellow rider, pedestrians and other cyclists may not hear you either. A bell is a simple, friendly way to let people know you're coming, especially on shared paths. Sixthreezero sells bike bells for exactly this reason.

The other thing this moment shows is how social riding can be. Ken spent much of the ride calling out to Lisa, inviting her along, checking that she was having fun, and waving to people they passed. For a lot of couples, an electric trike or quad isn't really about exercise or transportation. It's about having something enjoyable to do together, outside, at a pace that suits both people.

Near the end of the ride, Ken said something that will resonate with a lot of readers. The ANYterrain, he said, made him feel like a little kid again. Then he joked that his grandkids were in trouble now.

It's a lighthearted line, but there's something real behind it. As people get older, many of the activities that used to bring simple joy start to feel risky or tiring. Riding a bike is one of the big ones. The fear of a fall, the struggle with hills and the discomfort of a hard narrow seat push a lot of people off bikes entirely, sometimes for decades.

When something gives that experience back, the reaction is often bigger than people expect. It's not just a new way to get to the store. It's the feeling of wind on your face, of moving under your own power, of going somewhere because you felt like it.

Ken said it more than once during the ride: this is fun. He called it way cool. He said he was cruising. He said he loved it. These aren't the words of someone tolerating a mobility aid. They're the words of someone who has found a new hobby on his birthday.

Keeping up with grandkids is a goal a lot of riders share. With a stable platform, electric help on hills and enough speed to stay with a group of younger riders on bikes, a four-wheel eBike can make family rides possible again instead of something you watch from the sidelines.

Earlier the same day, Ken had also ridden a three-wheel model, the Glide, so at the end of the ride he was asked how the two compared.

His answer was balanced. He said he liked the three-wheeler because it feels a bit more like a two-wheeler, which some riders will appreciate if they want something closer to the bike they grew up on. But he kept returning to how stable the four-wheel ANYterrain felt, and he said it had more speed than he expected compared to the Glide.

His overall verdict was that both are good and that it comes down to personal preference. That's a fair conclusion, and it's worth unpacking a bit for anyone trying to decide.

A three-wheel eTrike is typically a little more nimble and familiar. It still feels like a bike in many ways, just one that stands up on its own. That can be a good fit for riders who want stability without changing the riding experience too much. Sixthreezero's easy-to-mount eTrikes and most comfortable eTrikes are good places to explore that side of things.

A four-wheel model leans further into stability and carrying capacity. If you plan to haul groceries regularly, ride on less-than-perfect roads, or simply want the most planted feel you can get, four wheels have obvious appeal. The recumbent seat adds back support and a relaxed posture as well, which can make a real difference on longer rides. You can compare those designs in the recumbent eTrike collection.

The best way to settle the question for yourself is to ride both, which is exactly what Ken did.

Remember the baskets? Ken didn't forget them either. Throughout the ride he kept bringing the conversation back to groceries.

Riding a stretch of rougher road, he remarked that the groceries would be just fine even there. At the end of the ride, he described his plan again: ride to the grocery store in San Clemente with Lisa, put the bags in the baskets, and know they're going to stay put. Stable vehicle, secure cargo, no worries.

This is where a four-wheel eBike really earns its keep. For many people, the most common trips aren't long rides. They're short ones. The pharmacy, the market, the post office, a friend's house, the coffee shop. Trips of a mile or two that feel silly in a car but too far or too awkward on foot with bags in hand.

A vehicle with front and rear baskets and a stable four-wheel base turns those trips into something you might actually look forward to. A few practical tips if you're planning to use yours this way:

• Put heavier items low and toward the center of the basket, and lighter or fragile items on top.
• Balance the load between the front and rear baskets where you can, rather than piling everything in one place.
• Use a cargo net or bungee for anything that might bounce out over bumps.
• Take corners a little slower when you're fully loaded, since extra weight changes how a vehicle feels.
• Check the weight capacity of any model you're considering, remembering that it includes you plus everything you carry.

With a bit of planning, a weekly shop can easily become a weekly ride.

Based on Ken's ride, a few types of riders stand out as natural fits for a four-wheel recumbent eBike.

Older riders who want to keep riding but are worried about balance. The four-wheel stance removes the biggest fear most people have about bikes, which is falling over. Ken, at 74, felt comfortable within seconds.

People who want a practical errand vehicle. Two baskets, a stable base and electric assist make it genuinely useful for shopping and short trips, not just recreation.

Couples and families who want to ride together. The ability to go slow or fast, and to cruise comfortably at the pace of the group, makes shared rides easy. Quiet operation makes conversation easy too.

Riders in hilly areas. A 750W motor and multiple assist levels meant Ken could hold a steady pace on a real grade and push harder when he wanted to.

Anyone who has to turn around in tight spaces. Reverse makes three-point turns and backing out of a driveway or garage simple.

On the other hand, if you want something lighter, narrower or closer to a traditional bike feel, a three-wheel model or even a two-wheel electric bike for seniors might suit you better. There's no single right answer, only the right fit for how and where you ride.

Ken had the advantage of trying more than one model in a single morning. Not everyone can do that, but there are ways to get close.

If you're near Southern California, sixthreezero invites riders to visit and test ride in person. If you're not, the 30-day test ride policy gives you time to try a bike at home on your own roads and decide whether it works for you.

Fit matters as much as features. Sixthreezero's fitting tool asks about your body and riding style and points you toward models that suit both, which can save a lot of guesswork, especially when you're choosing between a three-wheel and four-wheel design.

A few other things worth checking before you commit:

• Where you'll store it. A four-wheel vehicle takes up more floor space than a bike, so measure your garage, shed or parking spot.
• How you'll charge it. Make sure you have a convenient outlet near where it will live, and look at spare batteries and chargers if you plan longer outings.
• Assembly and service. Sixthreezero publishes assembly instructions and offers a nationwide service network, and you can review the warranty and shipping details up front.
• Budget. If you'd rather spread out the cost, the financing page explains the options.

And if you have questions that no product page answers, the team is reachable through the contact page.

Watching Ken's ride, a few lessons stand out for anyone heading out on a quad or trike for the first time.

Start at the lowest assist level and a low gear. It lets you feel how the motor responds without any surprises, and you can always step up.

Watch the display, not just the road ahead. Speed feels lower on a stable, reclined vehicle than it really is. Get to know what different speeds look like before you cruise.

Shift early. Drop to an easier gear before a hill or a stop, not halfway through.

Practice slow maneuvers somewhere quiet. Three-point turns and reverse take a few tries to feel natural. Ken managed his first one easily, but he also noted there's a small learning curve with pressure and control.

Brake early and smoothly, especially on descents. Responsive brakes are a gift, but they work best when you use them gradually.

Make yourself heard. Electric vehicles are quiet. A bell and a friendly call-out help keep shared paths safe.

Ride with someone. It's safer, and as Ken showed, it's a lot more fun.

For more first-ride advice, product walkthroughs and rider stories, the sixthreezero Bike Advice blog and its Video Blog section are full of real riders sharing what worked for them.

By the end of his birthday ride, Ken had climbed hills at a steady pace, pushed himself to 12 miles an hour on a grade, hit 18 on the way down, pulled off his first reverse three-point turn, discovered his wife riding silently beside him, and planned several future grocery runs.

His summary was short. The ANYterrain was smooth, which he said so often that he joked about repeating himself, before adding that he kept saying it because it was true. It was stable. It was faster than he expected. The shifters made sense. The brakes worked great. The controls felt intuitive. And above all, it was fun.

He was also fair about the alternatives. Both the four-wheel and three-wheel models he tried that day were good, and the choice between them is a matter of personal preference. For Ken, the stability of four wheels and the promise of easy, secure grocery trips with Lisa were the standouts.

There's a lot of talk in the bike world about specs, watts, range and top speed. Those things matter. But Ken's ride is a reminder that the real test is simpler. Does it make you want to go out again tomorrow? At 74, on his first ride, grinning down a long hill with the morning view behind him, the answer was a clear yes.

If you'd like to see the full range of four-wheel options, start with the 4-wheel eBike collection. And if you're still deciding between three wheels and four, the full eTrike lineup is the best place to compare.