e-trike purchase help (wife - knee surgery)

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tarheelblue

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my wife is barley 4 months post ACL surgery but is itching to get back out there and moving. feel like an e-assist trike is a good middle ground so she can take a little spin around neighborhood, up to farmers market and sorta get her footing

I can't afford 2k for a bike though. what are some decent brands? or ones to avoid. "decent" meaning reliable, with available service (or not too hard to work on) and accessible parts. this could end up being something that is only really used for a year or so. so a decent used one it ok. just needs to be safe and reliable. and advice? thx
 
You're looking at a hub drive bike. Others may disagree, but don't get too caught up in the brands. This is going to be a rather broad assessment of the ebike business as a whole but hub drive bikes pretty much always share similar parts, and are pretty much the same thing no matter who the brand is. For the most part, the different bikes simply come in different shapes with a different set of accessories. The business is very incestuous.

You care about the actual wattage of the hub motor (not so much the peak wattage which is influenced by voltage.) How many volts the bike is, and how many AH (amp hour) the battery is. You want as much as you can get in each category. Higher wattage hub motors will get you to cruising speed quicker. More voltage will also get you there quicker. AH on the battery will determine range. I also recommend hydraulic brakes over mechanical but thats one of those trade offs that make inexpensive bikes cheaper than the next bike.

Service is a bit of a reach IMHO. If something breaks, you can sometimes send it back for a replacement if its under warranty (if you want to torture yourself) and sometimes you can just pick up a replacement part off the internet for usually just a few bucks (batteries are pricey though and that's a whole other subject which requires its own post). The parts will be easy to find because remember, all of the bikes are the same. Others will disagree but I don't put much stock in service as these bikes really are simple to work on.

If you aren't looking to do a lot of hills and the wife isn't particularly heavy, a 250 watt hub motor 32 volt trike with like 13AH batteries probably good for say 20 miles or more are starting at around $600 nowadays. Keep in mind that the bike business as whole is currently imploding so prices are dropping every day at the moment. If you want a trike with more versatility you'll want a 750 watt hub motor, 48 volts and something like a 20AH battery. That will get you up steeper hills without pedaling and take you 30 or 40 miles without worry.

I also recommend a trike with a throttle. If you want to pedal a lot buy a conventional bike.
 
Almost forgot... They all lie about top speed, power, and range in the adverts and postings. If you have a choice buy a Class 3 bike. Google up the "ebike Classes" and you can see the differences between the 3 classes. Most all of that is all about electronic governing and preventing bikes from going to fast for whatever municipality the bike is legal in. I say get a class 3 even if its not legit in your neck of the woods. Unitl you start seeing bicycle cops with radar guns, pretty much nobody will know but you and the other bike geeks.
 
tarheelblue said:
my wife is barley 4 months post ACL surgery but is itching to get back out there and moving. feel like an e-assist trike is a good middle ground so she can take a little spin around neighborhood, up to farmers market and sorta get her footing

I can't afford 2k for a bike though. what are some decent brands? or ones to avoid. "decent" meaning reliable, with available service (or not too hard to work on) and accessible parts. this could end up being something that is only really used for a year or so. so a decent used one it ok. just needs to be safe and reliable. and advice? thx
Click to expand...
Checkout Upways, they have been getting in a lot of overstocks on trikes lately. They are reputable. Find one you are interested in and then watch the reviews on YouTube. In my experience, different companies do different things with the drive train on trikes. See if you approve of how the drive train functions before you make any decisions.
 
RoostChucker said:
Almost forgot... They all lie about top speed, power, and range in the adverts and postings. If you have a choice buy a Class 3 bike. Google up the "ebike Classes" and you can see the differences between the 3 classes. Most all of that is all about electronic governing and preventing bikes from going to fast for whatever municipality the bike is legal in. I say get a class 3 even if its not legit in your neck of the woods. Unitl you start seeing bicycle cops with radar guns, pretty much nobody will know but you and the other bike geeks.
Click to expand...

thanks so much for all the detailed info! Most replies I get sound the same "why in the world would you want a tricycle?" LOL. any answer to that is to be able to carry some stuff back from the farmers marketand she likes to take her little dog with her. So I don't wanna see her pulling a trailer or anything like that at least at the outser. So I think a trike would be lower center of gravity/stable and she's not gonna be going more than like 5 to 10 miles round-trip. I'm just trying to find something that doesn't look too much like a mobility scooter (she is barely 50 YO) and is gonna last. Thanks again
 
Annieolnie said:
Checkout Upways, they have been getting in a lot of overstocks on trikes lately. They are reputable. Find one you are interested in and then watch the reviews on YouTube. In my experience, different companies do different things with the drive train on trikes. See if you approve of how the drive train functions before you make any decisions.
Click to expand...

thanks Annie!
 
From a practical / rehab POV: a tricycle is safer than a 2-wheel e-bike for balance while rebuilding strength. Prioritise a model with multiple assist levels, low gearing for slow pedaling, and a smooth, predictable motor cutoff when the knees aren’t producing power. Battery range of ~20–40 km is plenty for markets and neighborhood loops — more is nice but adds cost/weight. Look for wide, cushioned saddle and upright riding position to reduce knee torque.
 
during my 4 1/2 yrs of chemo I developed muscle weakness and balance issues so bought a 2nd trike for £150 and an e-bike kit for £330. The reason I opted for a front wheel hub kit was the simplicity o& installation that the levels of pedal assist can be programmed.
Some trikes can’t be so as just starting off on a trike one could find it runs away with you. Trikes aren’t as stable as one would think either, especially across inclines which can’t always be avoided on footpaths at crossovers into peoples drives. Corners have to taken slowly as well with a need to lean into the corner.
Trikes handle differently to bikes but a useful means of getting about with some shopping on the back when you get the hang of them.
Here in the uk I managed to get mine accepted as a vehicle for use by a person of disability, (a mobility scooter).
I’m frequently challenged by security in my shopping centre though.
As feller said a wide cushioned saddle is needed. Ive tried all sorts and the best found was a second hand one with thick foam and old fashioned springs which you don’t see for sale anymore.
Tyre/tire pressures make a difference as well. I weigh 100kg/16 stone and found 28psi gave a soft ride but the trike squirmed a bit and low pressure makes pedalling harder so a higher level of PAS is needed which will shorten your distance.
40 PSI for my weight is the recommended setting, depending who you believe, so I’ve opted for 32 PSI for the 2 rears and 40 PSI on the front.
 
Perhaps like me the rider doesn’t currently have the energy to propel a bike or trike on their own and need some powered assistance to get them out and about and in doing so improve their muscle strength.
The adjustable PAS allows the rider to use the minimal amount of assistance they need then as their strength improves so use less power assist.
I initially was using 80% assistance on the flats but has now got that down to 30-40% bearing in mind an e-trike or e-bike weighs more than than an unassisted bike/trike.
 
As long as someone bumped the old thread back to life, how about an update, @tarheelblue?

Did you end up getting an eTrike? If so, which one? If not, what did you do?

How's she doing?
 

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