What a Month of Test Rides Taught Me About the Relaxed Body Recumbent E-Trike

Coming Back to Riding, One Test Ride at a Time

Hi, I'm Diane. I'm at sixthreezero in San Clemente, and if you've caught any of my other videos, you already know I've been at this for about a month now. I've been test-riding electric trikes and electric bikes, one after another, trying to answer a question that a lot of people eventually ask themselves: which one is actually right for me?

I'm coming to this from road bikes. I rode for years, and then injuries caught up with me the way they tend to. I wasn't ready to be done riding. I just needed a way back onto the road that my body could actually handle, something that would give me the movement and the fresh air and the plain freedom of a ride without making me pay for it for the next three days. That's the honest reason I started looking at electric bikes and trikes in the first place, and I don't think I'm alone in it.

On this particular afternoon I took out the Relaxed Body recumbent e-trike. Rather than just ride it around and tell you it's great, I want to take you along and think out loud the whole way through. I'll show you the things I misunderstood when I started, the features that genuinely surprised me, and the questions I've learned to ask before I would ever hand over any money. If you're somewhere near where I was a month ago, my hope is that my early mistakes save you a few of your own.

Here's something I'll admit right up front. When I first started test-riding, I had never ridden anything with pedal assist or a throttle before. Regular bikes, sure, in another chapter of my life. But an electric trike, with a display and power levels and a throttle you press with your thumb? That was all brand new to me. It turns out there's a small learning curve that nobody really warns you about. It isn't hard, it's just unfamiliar, and most of what tripped me up in the first week feels obvious to me now even though it absolutely wasn't at the time.

Test ride, and test ride more than once

If there's one piece of advice I'd give before you even throw a leg over anything, it's this: test ride, and test ride more than once. I can't tell you how much I've learned simply by getting on different machines and paying attention to how each one feels. sixthreezero makes that part easy. They have a 30-day test ride so you can actually live with a bike or trike for a while instead of deciding in a parking lot, and if you're anywhere near their San Clemente shop, you can walk in and ride. Most of the time when I'm there, the owner himself is out on the floor. I've watched him answer question after question from people who came in nervous and unsure. So don't feel pressured when you're out there. You should be spending your time with folks who are happy to answer anything you ask, and you should be asking every single question you can think of.

Trike or bike? I'm still deciding, and that's okay

I'm still deciding between a three-wheel e-trike and a two-wheel e-bike, and I've made my peace with the fact that it's not a decision to rush. They really are different animals. A trike gives you a kind of stability you simply don't get on two wheels. You can roll to a complete stop and just sit there, feet on the pedals, without ever once thinking about your balance. For someone coming back from an injury, or for anyone who's noticed their balance isn't quite what it used to be, that matters far more than you'd expect until you feel it for yourself.

A two-wheel e-bike, on the other hand, is lighter and nimbler and feels much more like the bike you remember from years ago. Neither one is simply better. They're better for different people, different bodies, and different routes, which is exactly why I keep telling everyone to try both before they commit to either. I've spent whole afternoons riding a trike and a bike back to back, and every time I do it, I understand my own needs a little more clearly than I did the day before.

What surprised me most in that back-to-back testing was how much of my old hesitation lived in the starting and stopping, not the riding. On two wheels, the moment I most had to think about was coming to a stop, getting a foot down, holding the bike steady, then pushing off again without wobbling. On three wheels, all of that simply disappears. I roll up, I stop, I sit, and when I'm ready I go, and at no point do I have to negotiate with gravity. If your confidence took a hit somewhere along the way, the way mine did, that difference is not a technicality. It's the whole reason some people who thought they were done with riding find themselves back out on the road.

So here's what I want to cover with you on this ride, because these are the four things that carried me from confused to genuinely confident. First, how pedal assist actually works, and why the little number on your display matters so much. Second, how the throttle fits in and when I reach for it. Third, the braking and the safety features that quietly won me over. And fourth, how I keep one eye on the battery and, just as importantly, one eye on my own body. Let's go for a ride.

I usually start off with the throttle, just a little press to get rolling, because it's easier to get moving that way before I start pedaling. But the very first thing I had to wrap my head around when I started test-riding was pedal assist, and it's the thing I see the most people get confused about, so let me slow down here.

Look at the display and you'll see the letters PAS, and next to them a number. PAS stands for pedal assist, and that number tells you exactly how much help the motor is giving you while you pedal. Right now mine is telling me I'm in pedal assist one. That number is the single most useful thing on the whole screen, and once I understood it, everything else started to click.

Pedal assist zero means you're on your own

Here's the part I genuinely did not know when I started, and it's important. If pedal assist is set to zero, you are riding like a regular bicycle. That means the throttle is not going to work, and the pedal assist is not going to help you, because you've essentially turned the motor's help off. So all that power you were counting on simply isn't there. I found that out the confusing way early on, sitting at a stop wondering why nothing was happening when I pressed the throttle. Nothing was wrong with the trike. I'd just left it in zero.

Because of that, I've developed a personal habit. Whenever I'm stopped, I like to be in pedal assist one rather than zero. It keeps the motor ready to help the moment I want it, and it means the throttle is there for me if I need a quick push to get across an intersection. It's a small thing, but it's the difference between a smooth, confident start and an awkward one.

The higher the number, the more the motor gives you

As you increase the pedal assist, you go faster while you're pedaling, and the amount depends on which level you're in. Let me show you what I mean rather than just describe it. Right now I'm in pedal assist one and pedaling at a comfortable, easy pace. Watch what happens when I click up to pedal assist four with the same legs, the same effort, the same cadence. All of a sudden I'm moving a good deal faster than I was a moment ago, and I didn't change a thing about how hard I'm working. That's the motor stepping in. Something I didn't realize early on is that as you raise the pedal assist level, the motor automatically gives you more power. You don't do anything different. The bike simply meets you with more.

And it works in reverse just as smoothly. Let me kick it back down from four to three, and you can probably feel the trike pull back a little, easing off, settling into a calmer pace. Same legs, same energy from me, different amount of help. Once I understood that I could dial the effort up and down on the fly, I stopped feeling intimidated by hills and headwinds and started feeling like I was actually in charge of the ride.

Why I love the display

I love the displays on these bikes and trikes, and I don't say that lightly. I can always just glance down and see exactly where I am, whatever pedal assist level I'm in, along with my speed and my energy level. That glance keeps me from guessing. When I'm coming up on a hill, I know what level I'm in before I get there, and I can plan for it instead of panicking halfway up. If you're the kind of rider who likes to understand what's happening underneath you, and I very much am, a clear display turns out to be one of the most reassuring features on the whole machine.

The practical rule I've landed on is simple. On flat, easy ground I keep the pedal assist low, around one or two, because I still want my legs to do some honest work and I'm in no hurry. When the road tilts up, I click up to three or four and let the motor carry more of the load. This is also exactly the kind of thing worth reading about before you buy, and sixthreezero's buyer’s guide walks through the specs in plain language so you can figure out what suits you. If comfort is your priority the way it is mine, it's also worth seeing how these power levels feel across their comfort-focused electric bikes, because the right amount of assist is a big part of what makes a long ride feel easy instead of exhausting.

Now let's talk about the throttle, because it works hand in hand with everything I just said about pedal assist, and knowing when to use each one has made me a calmer, safer rider.

When I reach for the throttle

I almost always use the throttle to get across a street. When I'm crossing an intersection, I want to be through it quickly and predictably, and a little press of the throttle gets me moving right away without waiting for my pedaling to build up speed. It's just quicker, and quicker feels safer when you're crossing traffic. So as I come up to this crossing, I'll press the throttle to get across, and then settle back into pedal assist three to keep climbing the hill on the other side.

But remember what I told you about pedal assist zero, because it comes right back around here. If you have the pedal assist turned off altogether, the throttle isn't going to work either. The two are connected. This is exactly why I make a point of never sitting at zero when I might need a quick burst of power. If you think there's any chance you'll want to lean on the throttle, whether it's to cross a street or to nudge yourself up a driveway, make sure you're not in zero. It's a small habit that has saved me more than one awkward moment. A lot of riders specifically want that on-demand power, and sixthreezero even groups their e-trikes with throttle control together so you can see which models make it easy.

The parking brake, and a downhill confession

Something that's genuinely good to know is that these have parking brakes, which I think is a wonderful feature. You can lock the brakes and the trike simply stays put, which is a small thing that brings a surprising amount of peace of mind, especially on any kind of slope.

Now I'll make a confession that some of you already know if you've followed my videos. I am a big scaredy-cat when it comes to riding downhill. Always have been. So on a descent, I ride the brakes the whole way down. I've got both brakes gently depressed right now as we head down this hill, and here's what I want you to notice: even riding the brakes the entire way, this is a smooth ride and a stable one. The trike isn't squeaking. It isn't pulling me to one side or the other. It's just tracking straight and steady while I take it slow. I'm simply not a fast downhill rider, and the lovely thing is that this machine doesn't ask me to be.

This is a pretty steep hill, honestly a little scary for someone like me, and yet I'm not afraid at all. I'm not pedaling. I'm just easing down, riding the brakes, letting the stability do its job. I want to be honest that riding the brakes down a big hill can feel a little nerve-wracking in itself, because you never quite know what's around the next bend. But these brakes are steady and dependable, and that steadiness is a huge part of why I've felt safe on every descent I've taken.

The safety feature that surprised me most

Here's the one that genuinely surprised me, and it's become one of my favorite things about these machines. If you have the brakes on and you accidentally touch the throttle, the throttle won't engage. Think about how much that matters. If you're braking, maybe stopped on a slope with a hand on the throttle out of habit, a stray thumb press isn't going to send you lurching forward. The trike knows you're braking, and it simply won't fight you. That, to me, is a tremendous safety feature, and it's exactly the kind of thoughtful detail I didn't even know to look for when I started shopping.

The other thing I learned, and this took a big downhill to teach me, is that you can stop quite swiftly on these. The brakes are sensitive and responsive. When I squeeze, the trike responds right away, so when I let off a little to ease my pace and then come back onto them, the stopping power is right there. That responsiveness is reassuring, though it's also worth respecting. Because they engage so readily, I give myself a little extra room and a little extra time, the same way you'd want to on anything that can move at a good clip. If braking is something you care about, and it should be, sixthreezero organizes their e-trikes with disc brakes in one place so you can compare how different models stop. For me, confident braking turned out to be the very thing that let me stop being afraid of going downhill in the first place.

The longer I've been test-riding, the more I've realized that a good ride isn't only about the trike. It's about paying attention to two things the whole time you're out: how much energy your battery has left, and how much energy you have left. I keep an eye on both, and I've learned the hard way that ignoring either one can turn a lovely afternoon sour.

Always know how far you are from home

Right there on the display, along with my speed, I can see my energy level, showing me roughly how far I can still go. I check it constantly, and here's my thinking. I'm always aware of how far I am from home, or from wherever I started. I'm thinking about what the terrain looks like on the way back, because a route that was easy going out might have a big hill waiting for me on the return. And I'm always asking myself the same question: do I have enough left in the battery to get back comfortably, knowing there could be a climb between me and my car?

The reason I'm so careful about this is simple. If the battery runs down and I'm forced into full manual mode, pedaling the whole thing home with no assist, that would not be fun, and on some routes it wouldn't be realistic for me at all. So I plan ahead. I keep a mental buffer. I'd much rather turn back a little early with charge to spare than push my luck and regret it two miles from home. It's the same instinct road cyclists have about not riding farther out than you can ride back, just with a battery gauge to make it easy.

Here's the little habit I've built, in case it helps you. On any route with a real climb, I try to save the assist for the way back rather than spend it on the way out. It's tempting to click up to a high level early, when you're fresh and having fun, but that's exactly when you don't need it. I'd rather do a bit more of the work myself on the outbound leg, while my legs are fresh and the battery is full, and then have plenty of both in reserve for the hill that's waiting between me and home. Thinking about the ride as a round trip instead of a joyride out has kept me from ever getting stranded, and it's made me a lot more relaxed about wandering a little farther than I planned.

It's assisted pedaling, but you're still pedaling

Here's something I want to be really honest about, because I think it gets lost in the excitement about motors and throttles. Even with all the pedal assist and the different levels and the throttle to fall back on, I still make sure I'm aware of my own body and my own energy at all times. I don't want to end up in pain. Yes, it's assisted pedaling, but I am still pedaling. I'm not exerting a lot of effort, and that's the whole point, but my legs are still moving, my joints are still working, and if you're not used to that, it adds up.

So if you're just getting back into riding the way I am, take it easy your first few times out. Please don't go conquer the biggest hills in your neighborhood on day one. You don't want to finish your first ride with sore knees, because sore knees are exactly the kind of thing that keeps a person from wanting to get back on tomorrow. Ease into it. Let your body remember what this feels like. The motor will happily do more of the work while you build back up, and there's no prize for overdoing it early.

Comfort is the whole decision

As I test ride, I'm always checking in with how I actually feel on the machine. How does my back feel? How do my arms feel? Is this the right handlebar for me? Is this the right seat? These aren't small questions, because when I finally choose, I'm in it for the long haul. Comfort is genuinely important to me, and I don't think that's fussy. If you finish a ride uncomfortable or aching, you're simply less likely to jump back on tomorrow, and a trike you don't ride isn't doing you any good at all.

That's why I'd tell anyone shopping to take the fit as seriously as the specs. sixthreezero has a personal fitting where a real person, not a chatbot, helps match you to the right machine and the right setup for your body. If comfort is the thing that decides it for you, and for me it truly is, their most comfortable electric trikes are a sensible place to start looking. And if you're coming back to riding later in life like I am, it's worth seeing the electric bikes designed with older riders in mind too, because a machine built around comfort and easy handling changes everything about whether you keep riding for years or quietly give it up after a month.

So where does the Relaxed Body recumbent e-trike land for me after all of this? Pretty high, and I want to tell you why, because it comes down to the very things I've been talking about the whole ride.

The design itself is the first thing that drew me in. The recumbent style means the pedals are positioned out in front of your body rather than down beneath you, so you sit lower to the ground in a relaxed, laid-back posture. For someone coming back from injury, that layout does something wonderful. It lets my legs extend properly while keeping me low and stable, and it takes a lot of pressure off my knees compared to sitting upright and pushing straight down. My knees have been through enough, and this position is kind to them in a way I felt almost immediately.

Then there's the stability, which you heard me mention over and over on this ride for good reason. The frame is long and sits low, with a low center of gravity, and the result is an exceptionally steady, planted feel. That's the thing that lets a self-described downhill scaredy-cat like me ride down a genuinely steep hill without being afraid. It's the thing that lets me stop at a corner and just sit there, feet on the pedals, without a flicker of worry about tipping. The wide, grippy tires add to that sure-footed feeling, and together they turn a machine that could be intimidating into one that feels safe from the first minute.

The seating deserves its own mention, because it's a big part of why I keep coming back to this one. Sitting low in that relaxed, reclined position, with real back support behind me, I don't feel the strain across my shoulders and lower back that I used to feel hunched over a road bike. After years of paying for every ride with next-day aches, sitting comfortably and still moving forward feels almost too good to be true. Getting on and off is easy too, since I'm not swinging a leg high over a tall frame. I settle into the seat, get my feet on the forward pedals, and I'm ready. For anyone whose flexibility or balance has changed, that low, easy entry takes away one more reason to talk yourself out of a ride.

On the power side, this one carries a rear-mounted motor with plenty of muscle for the hills around here, which pairs beautifully with everything I told you about pedal assist. On a steep climb I can click up the assist and let the motor carry me, and on the flats I can dial it back and do more of the work myself. It's the same freedom to choose my own effort that I've come to love, just wrapped in a frame that happens to be the most stable and comfortable I've tried.

A quick, honest note on the numbers

I want to be straight with you about the specifics, like the exact motor size and tire width, because I care about getting it right. On the ride I focused on how the trike feels rather than reciting a spec sheet, so for the precise figures, check the current product page before you buy. Specs get updated, and I'd rather you see the real, up-to-date numbers than take my word for a detail. What I can tell you honestly is how it rode: stable, comfortable, and confidence-building, which is exactly what I was after. If the recumbent style appeals to you, sixthreezero keeps their recumbent electric trikes together in one place so you can compare them properly.

What this ride reminded me

More than anything, this ride reminded me that it doesn't matter how old you are. You can still get out on three wheels and take all of this in. You saw the hills we went up. I could not have climbed those on my own, not anymore, and I'm at peace with that. What I've learned is that having an e-trike lets me get back out and enjoy life, and still get some good exercise in when I want it. That's not a small thing. For a while I thought that chapter might be closing, and instead it turned out there was just a different door back in.

So if you take anything from riding along with me today, let it be this. Go try these for yourself. Ride more than one. Sit with how each one feels in your back and your knees and your nerves, not just how it looks on paper. Ask every question you can think of, and spend your time with people who are glad to answer. If you're coming back to riding later in life, the e-trikes built for older riders are a kind place to begin. Thank you so much for coming on this beautiful ride with me. I'm glad I got to share it. I hope you have a fabulous afternoon, and I hope, before long, you're back out on the road too.