Which E-Trike Will These Seniors Choose? A 63-Year-Old and a 77-Year-Old Test Our Lineup

Meet the Riders: Cecilia, 63, and Bill, 77

Cecilia is 63 and has spent plenty of time on regular bicycles, but she had never ridden an e-bike before this day. She also had never ridden a tricycle as an adult. When Dustin asked, the closest she could come up with was a brief spin on a beach rental years ago. Her reason for coming out was practical. She wants to keep riding as she gets older, and she wants something that will still get her where she's going on the days her asthma flares up. A bike that lets her pedal when she feels good and lean on the motor when she doesn't sounded like exactly the right fit.

Bill is 77, and his story is a little different. His legal name is William, which is why Dustin spent the first half of the video calling him Will before Bill politely corrected him. He bought a two-wheel e-bike around 2016 or 2017 and rode it seriously for close to a decade, mostly along the coast near his home in Carlsbad, where he has about six miles of beach to cruise. Then life intervened. Bill had a triple bypass and a valve replacement, took time off to recover, and got back on the bike afterward. Not long after, the friend he usually rode with crashed and stopped riding. Between the surgery and losing his riding partner, Bill lost some confidence on two wheels.

So he came to the sixthreezero showroom shopping for something more stable, either a trike or one of the four-wheel models. He'd already tried a few before the cameras started rolling, which gave him a head start. Cecilia came in fresh. That mix turned out to be useful, because the two of them noticed very different things about the same machines.

Before anyone rolled out of the parking lot, Dustin made a point that a lot of first-time trike riders don't hear until they're already wobbling toward a parked car: three wheels steer differently than two. On a bicycle, you lean into a turn and the bike follows. On a trike, you don't lean the frame at all. You steer with the handlebars, and the trike goes where the front wheel points. For someone with thousands of miles on a two-wheeler, that can feel strange for the first few minutes, because your body is still expecting to balance and lean.

Four-wheel models steer differently again, and each trike style in the lineup has its own personality. That's why Dustin had both riders start well away from the parked cars, just in case the steering pulled them somewhere they didn't expect. It's a good habit for anyone trying a trike for the first time. Pick an empty stretch of pavement, start slow, and give yourself a few loops before you worry about anything else.

The good news is that the adjustment doesn't take long. Later in the day, Cecilia admitted that switching between several different trikes in one session was a lot, because each one felt a little different from the last. Dustin compared it to getting a new car. For the first few days, you're not quite sure where the corners are or how wide it is, and then one day you stop thinking about it. A three- or four-wheel bike works the same way. Give it a week of regular rides and the handling becomes second nature.

The Quick Controls Rundown

Every e-trike in the lineup they tested shares the same basic setup, even if the details move around a bit from model to model. Here's what Dustin walked them through before the first ride.

First, the battery. On some models you need to switch the battery itself on before anything else happens. Then you press and hold the power button on the handlebar display for a couple of seconds until the screen lights up. Cecilia had a moment where she pressed it, nothing seemed to happen, and she had to try again with a proper two-second hold. It's a small thing, but it's the kind of small thing that makes a first ride frustrating if nobody tells you.

Second, pedal assist. All of the trikes they rode that day have five levels of assistance. Level one is the gentlest, and that's where Dustin had both riders start. When you pedal, the motor senses it and adds a boost on top of your effort. The higher the level, the bigger the boost. You can ride the whole way in level one and get a real workout, or bump it up when you hit a hill or start to tire.

Third, the throttle. This is the part that works like a gas pedal. Press or twist it and the trike moves without any pedaling at all. Some models use a twist throttle, which you rotate toward you like a motorcycle grip. Others use a thumb throttle, a small lever you push with your thumb. As you'll see, this difference ended up mattering a lot to Bill. If a throttle is a must-have for you, sixthreezero groups its electric trikes with throttle control together so you can compare them.

Fourth, the brakes. Pulling either brake lever cuts power to the motor immediately. That's a key safety feature. If you ever feel unsure, you squeeze the brakes and the motor stops pushing. The flip side is that the trike won't go anywhere while the brake is engaged. Several models have a lever lock that acts as a parking brake, and more than once during the day a rider squeezed the throttle and wondered why nothing was happening, only to realize the brake was still locked. If your trike won't move, check the brakes first.

Cecilia asked the question a lot of new riders have: can I just ride it like a normal bike and save the electric for when I need it? Dustin's answer was yes. You can pedal with no assist, pedal with assist, or use the throttle when a hill gets the better of you. She liked the idea of riding under her own power and having a backup when her body says enough.

The first family of trikes they tried was the Simple Glide line. These are semi-recumbents, which means the seat has a tall backrest and the pedals sit out in front of your body instead of directly below your hips the way they do on a standard bike or an upright trike. You sit back, your legs extend forward, and you pedal from a more reclined position.

Dustin explained why a lot of riders over 60 gravitate toward this design. The relaxed position takes pressure off your back and wrists. Pushing the pedals forward also lets the seat sit lower to the ground while you still get full leg extension, and a lower seat is easier to get on and off. That forward-pedal layout spreads the rider's weight in a way that adds stability, too. If you have balance concerns or a tricky knee, that combination is hard to beat. You can see the whole category under recumbent electric trikes.

There were three versions of the Simple Glide on hand. The standard model has a 500-watt motor and a 15 amp-hour battery, and that's the one Dustin recommended Cecilia start on. There was also a 750-watt fat tire version, which had been fitted with a bigger seat than it normally ships with so the riders could compare comfort. And then there was the beast of the bunch: a dual-motor, dual-battery model with a front motor and a rear motor totaling 1,500 watts and 30 amp-hours of battery capacity. Dustin's advice on that one was simple. Maybe don't make it your very first ride.

Cecilia took the 500-watt model, and Bill, who had a little experience already, rode alongside. Getting out of the parking spot took a quick twist of the throttle because the spot sat on a slight downhill slope, which is a good example of where a throttle earns its keep. Starting on an incline from a dead stop is one of the hardest things to do on a pedal-only trike, and a short burst of throttle makes it a non-event.

Within the first minute, Cecilia noticed the obvious. This felt nothing like an upright bike. She was sitting further back than she was used to, and she joked that she felt like she was riding in a recliner. It wasn't a complaint exactly, just an honest first reaction from someone who had spent her whole cycling life perched over the pedals.

What she did like, right away, was that she could still get exercise. She was pedaling, the motor was helping, and she wasn't just being carried along. That mattered to her. She didn't come looking for a scooter. She came looking for a bike that could help her keep riding.

She also liked the baskets. The Simple Glide she rode had cargo baskets, and she could immediately picture loading them up with groceries and using the trike for trips to the store instead of just recreation. That's a use a lot of trike owners end up loving more than they expected. A stable three-wheeler with a big basket turns a quick errand into a nice ride. If storage is high on your list, take a look at electric tricycles with a large basket, and remember that extra sixthreezero baskets can often be added later.

One small learning moment came when the throttle didn't seem to respond. It turned out she'd squeezed the brake at some point, which locked out the motor. Once the brake released, off she went. Her other observation was that the throttle on this model wasn't violent. She described it as a boost rather than a motorcycle-style surge. At level one, it simply gave her a helpful push.

Bill Tries the Dual Motor, and Everybody Says Whoa

Bill rode the dual-motor Simple Glide on that first loop, and the difference was obvious even from a distance. With a motor driving the front wheel and another driving the rear, it pulls hard, even at a low assist level. Bill said it opened up even on level two. He liked the extra range that comes with the second battery, too. More battery means longer rides without worrying about getting home.

When the two of them swapped, Cecilia got her own taste of it. Dustin warned her to expect it to go when she touched the throttle, and she kept it on level one to be safe. It didn't matter much. Her reaction was some version of "holy cow" more than once. She said it felt more like a motorcycle than a bike and wondered out loud whether you need a special license to ride one. Dustin's answer was that you don't at the moment, though local rules can vary depending on the city, so it's worth checking where you live.

The dual motor model also has reverse, which Bill used to get it back out of its parking spot. If you've never tried to back a trike out of a tight space with your feet, you'll appreciate how handy that is. A trike is wider and longer than a bike, and you can't just pick it up and turn it around. Sixthreezero has a whole category of reverse gear electric trikes for exactly that reason.

Bill liked the e-assist and he liked the power. What he didn't care for was the riding position. After his first loop on the semi-recumbent, he was candid about it: with his legs out in front and his body leaned back, he felt like he was taking a nap. He's spent ten years riding an upright two-wheeler and his body knows that position. The recumbent felt foreign.

That's worth sitting with for a minute, because it cuts against the conventional wisdom that recumbents are automatically the best choice for older riders. For some people they are. The low seat and supported back are a genuine help if you have back pain, balance trouble, or difficulty swinging a leg over a frame. But if you've been an upright rider for decades and you're comfortable that way, the reclined position may feel more like a compromise than a relief.

Comfort is personal. Two riders of similar age can sit on the same trike and come away with opposite opinions, and that's exactly what happened here. Cecilia didn't love the recliner feel either, but she was more neutral about it. Bill knew right away that he wanted something more upright. If you're not sure which camp you're in, sixthreezero's fitting quiz is a reasonable place to start before you ride anything, because it asks about your body and riding style rather than just your budget.

Next up was the model that would end up as Cecilia's favorite, though she didn't know that yet. The Relax Body sits between the full semi-recumbent and a traditional upright trike. It still has a backrest and the pedals still sit somewhat out in front of you, but the seat puts you in a more upright position. Bill joked that riding it looked a bit like sitting on a motorcycle. Dustin called it the in-between trike, and that's an accurate description.

The one they rode was a 750-watt model in blue with a twist throttle on the right grip. Dustin lowered the seat a touch for Cecilia, she powered it on, released the brake levers, and off they went. Bill had ridden it once before the cameras started and gave it a second spin for comparison.

Cecilia warmed to it immediately. What she kept coming back to was control. She liked that she could use the hand brakes to bleed off speed around pedestrians or cars, the same way she would on a regular bike, without having to fully stop. Being able to scrub a little speed and then get right back on the power made her feel like she was in charge of the machine rather than just along for the ride.

When Dustin asked how it compared to the first two she'd tried, she said there were things she liked about each, and that the dual motor obviously had more power. But on the Relax Body she felt more in control, and she thought that was because it was more familiar. It felt closer to what her body already knew. That's a theme that kept showing up all day. Familiarity breeds confidence, and confidence is what gets you out riding.

There's also a version of the Relax Body with dual motors, dual batteries, and rear suspension, which the shop had fitted with the larger seat. Bill was curious about that one, and it stayed on his short list for the rest of the day.

After the Relax Body, Cecilia moved to the Easy Transit, the smallest of the trikes they tried. It's compact, it rides on smaller wheels, and it's closer to a traditional upright tricycle than anything else in the lineup. The seat sits upright, which she liked right away. It still has room for groceries in the back, which she also noticed. Dustin raised the seat for her so she could get full leg extension on the pedal stroke.

This one uses a thumb throttle instead of a twist grip. You press a small lever with your thumb to go. Cecilia didn't mind it at all.

What she liked most was how little the Easy Transit disoriented her. She described it as narrower and closer to the centerline of the bike, so it felt more like riding a regular bicycle. Remember, three wheels were new to her that morning. Some of the wider trikes felt a bit like piloting something much bigger than she was used to. The narrower Easy Transit gave her the stability of three wheels without making her feel like she'd left the world of bicycles behind. She also found it easier to maneuver than the wider models.

That's a helpful insight for anyone shopping for a first trike. Width is a trade-off. A wider stance gives you a very planted, solid feel, but it also takes more room to turn and to park. A narrower trike is nimbler and feels more bike-like, at the cost of a little of that rock-solid sensation. Neither is wrong. It depends on where you'll ride and what makes you feel secure.

If getting on and off easily is a priority, it's worth looking at the easy-to-mount e-trikes with a low step-thru. Most of the upright models make it simple to step in rather than swing a leg over.

Bill Finds His Seat

While Cecilia was on the Easy Transit, Bill had moved to one of the more upright trikes, and he looked noticeably more relaxed. Cecilia even called it out as they rode: he seemed more comfortable. Bill agreed. He's just much more used to a seat that sits straight up. The bigger surprise came when he tried the fat tire model. Bill admitted he liked it more than he expected to, and Dustin mentioned that it's honestly one of his own favorites. Fat tires add cushion over rough pavement and give the trike a more planted feel. You can browse the fat tire electric trikes if that sounds appealing. Bill's one consistent gripe was the throttle. Several of these trikes use a thumb throttle on the left side of the handlebar, and he wanted a twist throttle on the right. After ten years with a right-hand twist grip on his two-wheeler, his hand reaches for it automatically. At one point, he tried to get moving, and nothing happened the way he expected, and he quickly figured out the throttle was on the other side. He said the twist grip just feels easy to reach for, and having it on the right is what he's used to.

Cecilia also rode the fat tire version of one of the trikes she'd already tried, and the comparison clarified her thinking. Dustin asked if she noticed a difference. She said the fat tire felt wider, and that it felt really solid on the ground. She definitely felt stable. But she still preferred the narrower trike for maneuverability.

Put simply, she found that the wider trikes give you more of a grounded, stable feeling, while the narrower ones are easier to steer and feel more like a bike. If you're riding wide open bike paths, the planted feel might win. If you're weaving through a grocery store parking lot or tight neighborhood streets, the narrow trike might be the better companion.

Bill, meanwhile, was enjoying the sunshine. It was a beautiful day, and he said that's exactly why he wants a three- or four-wheeler in the first place. He wants to be able to ride every day the sun is out, without worrying about whether today's the day his balance lets him down. Cecilia told him she was impressed he'd gotten back out after such a serious operation. His answer was simple: he's not done yet. Most people are surprised when they hear how old he is, he joked, at least until they look closely at his skin. He just wants to stay active.

He mentioned that he and his wife used to ride together, but she isn't as into it anymore. She prefers swimming, and he doesn't care for swimming. Cecilia said her husband is great about his morning exercise routine at home, but she needs to get outside. She gets tired of being in the house. That's the real motivation for a lot of riders their age. It's less about fitness metrics and more about getting out, seeing things, and feeling like yourself.

The last single-rider stop was one of the four-wheel models, an upright version with a thumb throttle and the same general controls as the trikes they'd just ridden. Dustin mentioned that sixthreezero makes two variations of the quad. Before Cecilia could get going, she had to release a brake lock, and she learned the same lesson everyone learns eventually: the throttle won't work while the brake is on. She tossed her things in the basket, said it made sense to use it now that the day was warming up, and they set off.

A quad feels different from a trike. With four wheels on the ground there's no single front wheel doing all the steering work, and the ride is even more planted. Cecilia's verdict surprised her a little. She said she kind of liked the four-wheeler. In fact, she said if she was going to go with one of the wider models, she'd rather have the four-wheel than the wide three-wheel.

She also noted that it didn't feel heavy or clunky. She could still get real exercise by pedaling on her own, and when she called on the motor, the power was there. That's a common worry about quads: that the extra wheel and frame will make them feel like a cart. Her experience was the opposite.

If you've been focused only on trikes, it's worth adding a quad to your test list. You can see the options under 4-wheel e-bikes. For riders who want maximum stability and a very planted feel, a fourth wheel can be the deciding factor.

Before they moved on, Cecilia narrowed her short list to three: the Relax Body, the Easy Transit, and the four-wheeler.

The Verdict: Cecilia Picks the Relax Body

Before getting into the tandem and the rickshaw, Dustin asked each rider to name their ultimate favorite.

Cecilia didn't hesitate: the blue Relax Body. She called it comfortable and easy, said it reminded her of a regular bike, and admitted she wasn't going to pretend she didn't love the blue color. But the color wasn't the real reason. She felt in control on it, and that was the thing she'd been chasing all day. It combined the support of a backrest with a more upright position, it had a familiar twist throttle on the right, and it let her manage her speed with the hand brakes the way she always has on a bicycle.

Her runner-up was the Easy Transit, and her reasoning there was different. The Easy Transit won on maneuverability and its bike-like feel. If she rides somewhere tight and busy, it might be the better tool. And if she goes wider, she'd rather have the four-wheeler than a wide trike. That's a useful way to think about the decision. Her favorite is the one that felt best overall, but each of her top three solved a slightly different problem.

For anyone in their sixties looking at their first e-trike, Cecilia's path is a good model. She started with no strong opinions, tried several styles, paid attention to how each one made her feel, and landed on the model where she felt most in command. Check out the electric trikes for seniors and the most comfortable electric trikes if you're starting your own short list.

Later, Bill explained why range matters so much to him. There's one ride he likes to do that's about 35 miles round trip. He doesn't plan to do it all the time, but he wants a trike that can handle it.

He's only run out of battery once in all his years on an e-bike, and he remembers it clearly. It happened right at the bottom of a steep driveway near the end of a ride, and he had to walk his roughly 65-pound bike up the hill. His riding buddy had made it up before his battery quit, but Bill was stuck pushing. He doesn't want to repeat that.

One option he raised himself was carrying a second battery for long or hilly days instead of relying on a dual-battery trike all the time. It's a sensible approach. A spare battery lets you keep a lighter, simpler setup for everyday riding and still extend your range when you need it. Sixthreezero sells replacement batteries and chargers, so it's worth asking which models can take a spare.

Bonus Round: The Tandem Trike

With the single-rider trikes done, Dustin brought out the tandem, a two-seat trike where both riders pedal. Bill took the front, and Cecilia hopped on the back. She said she felt safer with him driving since he was more experienced. Fair enough.

Dustin explained the one thing that catches tandem newcomers off guard: the pedals are linked. When the front rider pedals, the back rider pedals too, and you have to feel when your partner is pedaling. The throttle changes that. When the pilot uses the throttle, you can both take a break and coast together. Bill started on the throttle to get out of the parking spot easily, then the two of them switched to pedaling once they were rolling.

Bill's favorite part was the teamwork in the turns. He narrated it as they went, telling Cecilia when he was turning left and leaning left. When he asked what she'd been doing, she said she just went with him. He said he could tell she wasn't fighting him, which made it feel smooth. Almost every turn on the loop was a left turn, so they got plenty of practice.

Dustin suggested a tandem might win Bill's wife back to riding. Bill wasn't so sure. He thought she might like a rickshaw even more, though he admitted she actually likes to put in effort, and a rickshaw passenger just sits back and enjoys the view. Cecilia passed on driving the tandem herself, which is perfectly fine. Not everyone wants to pilot a two-person machine on their first day.

If you have a partner or friend who'd rather ride together than side by side, browse the tandem e-trikes.

During the rickshaw loop, someone nearly backed out of a parking space into Cecilia. Nobody was hurt, but it sparked a quick, useful conversation about where riders actually get into trouble.

Parking lots are more dangerous than most people realize. Drivers backing out aren't expecting bikes or pedestrians, so they don't look as carefully as they should. A trike sits lower and is a less familiar shape than a car, which makes it easier to miss in a mirror.

Bill made a sharp point here. The one thing upright trikes have over the very reclined recumbents is visibility. When you sit up higher, drivers are more likely to see you. Lower recumbents have plenty going for them, but in traffic and parking lots, sitting up tall is a real advantage. Whatever you ride, a flag, bright clothing, and lights help, and a good helmet is never a bad idea.

What Both Riders Took Away

At the end, Dustin asked for one last takeaway from each of them.

Cecilia said she could really see herself on one. She loves that she can still get exercise, and that when it gets to be too much she can lean on the electric assist. She framed it in terms of where she is in life. She wants something that works for her now and will keep working as she gets older, because she wants to stay active. To her, an e-trike is a tool that helps make that possible.

Bill pointed out that electric assist lets you dictate how hard you work. You don't have to push if you don't want to. Cecilia put it nicely: it's like being your own physical therapist. You decide the effort. Nobody is standing on the sideline yelling for another set of sprints. For someone coming back from heart surgery, that kind of control is exactly the point. You can get your heart rate up when you feel strong and back off the moment you don't.

Cecilia also offered Bill a practical idea for replacing his old riding partner: look into local cycling meetups. Group rides along the pier or coast would give him company and someone nearby if anything went wrong. It's good advice for anyone who's been riding solo since a friend stopped joining them.

If you're in your sixties or seventies and trying to choose an e-trike, the most useful thing you can take from this video is the method. Try several styles back to back, pay attention to how each one makes you feel, and don't assume the style that's supposed to suit your age group will suit you.

Start with seating. Ask yourself whether you're an upright rider or whether a reclined, supported position actually feels better. Bill knew within one loop. Cecilia needed to try a few before she found her middle ground in the Relax Body.

Think about width. Wide trikes and quads feel planted. Narrow trikes feel nimble and bike-like. Picture where you'll ride most and choose accordingly.

Check the throttle. Twist or thumb, left or right. If you have years of muscle memory on another bike, this matters more than you'd guess.

Respect the power. Higher-wattage and dual-motor trikes are fun and capable, but start at level one and get to know them before you open them up.

Plan for your longest ride. Match the battery to your farthest regular route, and consider a spare battery for long or hilly days.

Measure your car. If you'll transport the trike, make sure it fits before you buy.

If you can't get to the showroom to ride a dozen trikes in one morning, the 30-day test ride gives you a chance to live with one on your own streets, and the warranty page spells out what's covered. For more reading, the buyer's guide and the Bike Advice blog cover plenty of the questions Cecilia and Bill raised. And if you're still on the fence between two and three wheels, the electric bikes for seniors are worth a look alongside the trikes.

Cecilia found her trike. Bill narrowed it down to a couple of strong options and a tape measure. Both of them left the parking lot planning to keep riding for a long time, which is the whole point.