Electric three wheel bikes

[electric.mike]

Its nice to be able to come back when I need something.


I have a situation building where my wife and I are going to need transport as well as our car,my wife has a slight balance problem,wrist,shoulder and now gout problems,i have walking problems.


I would like to think a couple of two wheel electric bikes would fit the bill but I know they will not we already have them,so have been looking at the electric trikes.


Over the years I have read about the inherent instability issues with these but just wonder how bad this is if they are used sensibly at speeds up to 6-8mph.


I have noticed that elderly people (like us) are using them in the larger shops,precincts and pedestrian areas like invalid scooters,which is basicly what I would want them for.


Invalid scooters are out of the question,my late wife used one for her last few years and getting it in and out of the house was nearly too much for me,that was twenty years ago so I dont think it will be any better now.


Any thoughts would be appreciated


Mike

 

[shemozzle999]

Hi Mike , welcome back to the forum.

There are several specialist bikes available which might suit your needs.

Here is one such firm selling them:

http://www.ashfieldspecialneeds.co.uk/

 

[Woosh]

Hi Mike,

We convert a few trikes in the past using the Bafang BBS01.

 

[Electric Transport Shop]

Hi Mike, we have new trike that a customer traded in through one of our shops. If you let me have your email I can send you a pic. Eddie on Sales@electricbikesales.co.uk We could get it to our York store for collection and support it from there.

 

[electric.mike]

Hi Mike,

We convert a few trikes in the past using the Bafang BBS01.

Interesting,why do you opt for that rather than a wheel motor

 

[electric.mike]

Hi Mike, we have new trike that a customer traded in through one of our shops. If you let me have your email I can send you a pic. Eddie on Sales@electricbikesales.co.uk We could get it to our York store for collection and support it from there.

Thanks but spending some time investigating all aspects first.

 

[shemozzle999]

Some electric options mentioned near the end of this guide:

http://www.getcycling.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-Guide-to-Disability-Cycling-PDF.pdf

 

[electric.mike]

Interesting,why do you opt for that rather than a wheel motor

Found the answer,your other kit is for rear wheels

 

[Trevormonty]

See electricbikereview, the biked there are US but points Court brings up with give you a wish list.

 

[Emo Rider]

To answer your question, instead of trying to sell you a trike, yes trikes are difficult to operate on uneven surfaces. I have built 20" and 24" e-trikes and neither were easy to ride. I am an able bodied person and even for me it takes a fair bit of balance and upper body strenght to control one. If you had the luxury of being able to stay on flat level ground, they are great. But on your average pavement they are a challenge for anyone that may have balance or upper body strenght issues.

Having said that, I do not know your circumstances. My best suggestion is to find one to try. It doesn't need to powered to find out if it will work for you. There are trikes that lean in the front, like a regular bike but I do not know of any powered versions. Hope this helps and good luck with your search

 

[anotherkiwi]

@Emo Rider you are talking about delta or tadpole?

 

[Emo Rider]

@Emo Rider you are talking about delta or tadpole?

Not exactly. I saw one advertised about three years ago and all I know it it was red. It looked like a normal trike but the front half leaned left and right. The tadpole is a recumbant trike, if I am not mistaken, and all the wheels lean as you turn. Is this correct? Is there an electric version?

 

[D8ve]

Delta is two wheels a the back.
Tadpole is two wheels at the front.
Going recumbent makes it much more stable.
Tilting three wheelers are rare.
Any bike can be powered including recumbents.

 

[Geebee]

At an increased cost a high seated recumbent trike would be lot safer and much more comfortable than a standard trike.
Some thing along the lines of the below.
http://www.utahtrikes.com/PROD-11619619.html
http://www.utahtrikes.com/PROD-11619618.html

 

[shemozzle999]

A novel tilting trike that could be converted to electric but not cheap:

http://rsicycles.co.uk/index.php/bikes/cargo-bikes/kiffy-flash-cargo-trike-20-wheel-black-frame-orange-cargo-plate-ki100-blk-ora.html

 

[Barnaby81]

I'm a tricycle enthusiast and have fitted electric motors to a lot of things. i only use recumbent tadpoles trikes but my friends have delta's and i have ridden most of them. equally i only recommend tadpoles for the tippiness factor of delta's (HASE Kettwiesel excluded) at any speed.

as long as you don't want to actually go into shops i would recommend one to you too. i use mine as a car replacement and go through pedestrian area's. i go on the road instead of the pavement because of the speed but you might well get away with it. your going to be 2.5 feet wide and long though. no reason you couldn't (like me) use the motor and go at standard cycle speed on the road until you get to the pedestrian area where you go slow.

tadpole recumbent trikes are solid as a rock stabilitywise and can be quite easy to get into if you can get on a standard bicycle you can get on a recumbent.

There is always a but isn't there and that's the price. its not going to be cheap. HP Velotechnik makes the Scorpion Plus 26 that you can buy with a motor. you can pick up 'standard' tadpole trikes on ebay and fit a motor for a lot lot less

I have always thought that they make the perfect mobility vehicle and with batteries the way they are you can go for miles and miles and miles

 

[Barnaby81]

I think that upright tadpole is amazing

 

[electric.mike]

Thanks for the input every one,if i go ahead it will be what i call a standard trike as in the image attached.
I need to try it as we would be talking pottering speed both my wife and i would be retired and rushing anywhere would not happen ,we would both be happy at walking speed or just above.

 

[Woosh]

Interesting,why do you opt for that rather than a wheel motor

We did what the customers asked.

The BBS01 kit gives high torque at low speed, very useful.

 

[electric.mike]

We did what the customers asked.

The BBS01 kit gives high torque at low speed, very useful.

Thanks,everything is an option at the moment and high torque at low speed would be good.