Trike advice, please.

[simonbarnett]

Looking to tempt my OH into ebikes, but she'd only contemplate a standard (ie non-recumbent) trike. Choices seem very limited if you don't want to build one and postings on their merits are few. But always worth asking you lot.

Only high end (other than silly prices like Kalkhoff at £3k+) offer seems to be Ezee Carro, but still a high price (£1.7k) and odd looks.

There's a Powatryke with a lithium option but a silly ultra-low frame, as has one by Mission. Also 2 I've never heard of, by Byocycles and Freego. All those are around £900.

Or the most normal looking is an Izip at £800 but with SLA batteries/weight.

I looked for an Alien ready built, which might have been a good choice, but those and their pricing, don't show on their site?

Any advice welcome.

 

[flecc]

I've only ever seen one e-trike review, by the owner of an eZee Carro. Apparently a bit flexible in the rear frame which does look a bit lightweight, but he was very happy with it in general. Special order only.

Others are usually steel, quite heavy and the very low styling seems common. The Powatrykes are a bit on the slow side since they use their standard 26" wheel motor in a choice of either 24" or 20" wheels, so 14 or 11.5 mph assist maximum respectively. The 20" wheel one will climb just about anything with that low motor gearing, the 24" one still a good climber though.

The others I don't know anything about.
.

 

[simonbarnett]

That's helpful, thanks Flecc. Not sure I'm ready for a punt on the unknown brands.

I do wonder what's going on with Alien. Maybe the GSII demand and Synergie takeover are absorbing all Bob's time.

 

[flecc]

I do wonder what's going on with Alien. Maybe the GSII demand and Synergie takeover are absorbing all Bob's time.

Labour shortages in China are creating very long lead times for bikes and bike parts, the lead time for frames currently is 26 weeks!!!

Therefore sourcing new models as Alien are doing can have long delays of up to half a year or more, completely beyond their control of course.
.

 

[simonbarnett]

Ordered a Freego for O/H

Labour shortages in China are creating very long lead times for bikes and bike parts, the lead time for frames currently is 26 weeks!!!

Therefore sourcing new models as Alien are doing can have long delays of up to half a year or more, completely beyond their control of course.
.

I faffed around for a bit, especially waiting for Alien's relaunch, but no trike on offer. I was reluctant to invest so much in an Ezee without being sure an etrike will really be the answer.

Settled tonight on (and ordered) a Freego trike, partly on good reviews of their two wheelers here and partly as it's got the Lithium option for a reasonable price- 60% of Ezee's.

Ho hum- my reservation is it's a very niche thing, so if it doesn't get the thumbs up from O/H, we'll be on Ebay pronto .

I doubt it's of mainstream interest, but I'll post on what it's like.

Our house's side passage (a.k.a the deluxe bike park) is about to get more crowded

 

[piotrmacheta]

Bit late but the Hase Kettwiesel is quite an upright trike (2 wheels at rear) and the Velotechnik Scorpion (2 wheels at front) now has a high seat option so these would have been worth a look and electify them using a hub motor. The Scorpion can be ordered with the Bionx kit fitted.
Both are for very deep pockets though.

 

[simonbarnett]

Thanks for suggestions- much too exciting looking for us , but may be of use if anyone elkse searches for trikes in future.

 

[simonbarnett]

Freegoproblem- now Mission Trilogy

Thanks for suggestions- much too exciting looking for us , but may be of use if anyone elkse searches for trikes in future.

Keeping this up for posterity

Freego was not available after all with lithium in timescale- John was very helpful at 2wheelelectric but I had to cancel in the end. He's going for a new range soon without "anti-tilt" which I expect does what it says on the can, but hasn't beeen popular.

ETS are now building a Missiom Trilogy for her, so hope that'll be the answer.

 

[simonbarnett]

Keeping this up for posterity

Freego was not available after all with lithium in timescale- John was very helpful at 2wheelelectric but I had to cancel in the end. He's going for a new range soon without "anti-tilt" which I expect does what it says on the can, but hasn't beeen popular.

ETS are now building a Missiom Trilogy for her, so hope that'll be the answer.

Picked up the Mission Trilogy conversion from Claudio at ETS Camden. Looks good and avoids the low stepover look. Motor is 8FUN and runs well and pretty quietly. Very neat job on the wiring with neat cable ties.

wonder how the other half will get on with it

 

[eddieo]

If you had gone for a front hub motored bike (probably more power) conversion kits are available to convert the back end to a trike

 

[simonbarnett]

If you had gone for a front hub motored bike (probably more power) conversion kits are available to convert the back end to a trike

Never thought of that- or maybe some stabilisers

 

[simonbarnett]

Maiden ride for the other half- just pootling around. She seems to like it, but I'll not hurry her as it's confidence that'll be key. But oh b*gger I forgot she's left-handed and the throttle twistgrip and gears are on the right !

Look a bit irreversible to me

 

[flecc]

I think she'll soon adapt. I'm right handed but use left hand twistgrip throttles and have never had trouble operating other things on the left like on/off and power level select buttons, horns and bells etc.
.

 

[simonbarnett]

I think she'll soon adapt. I'm right handed but use left hand twistgrip throttles and have never had trouble operating other things on the left like on/off and power level select buttons, horns and bells etc.
.

I hope so but you're not (sadly ) my wife. It'll turn on whether she wants to make a go of it

Interesting though and I wonder how many of our members are sinister?

 

[flecc]

Interesting though and I wonder how many of our members are sinister?

Normally about 10% of the population, but considering the clutter of controls on many e-bikes, our members have possibly become quite ambidextrous.
.

 

[Hermit]

Interesting though and I wonder how many of our members are sinister?

Although I write with my left hand (and wield a racquet), I do lots of things right-handed - cutlery, cricket, guitar, shooting. I've always been a bit odd

 

[piotrmacheta]

As I have a Rohloff twist gear changer on the RHS then I use a normal throttle on the LHS so I have to twist forward to go and this even seems more intuitive than any other system. I'm right handed btw. It's all a matter of whet you get used to but I must say that when I tried the Rohloff on the LHS I could not get the gear change the right way.

 

[Hermit]

As I have a Rohloff twist gear changer on the RHS then I use a normal throttle on the LHS so I have to twist forward to go and this even seems more intuitive than any other system. I'm right handed btw. It's all a matter of whet you get used to but I must say that when I tried the Rohloff on the LHS I could not get the gear change the right way.

While I hasten to point out that I've never tried one, I've always balked at the idea of a left-hand throttle - it just doesn't seem right (no pun intended)

 

[flecc]

You'd be surprised at how easy it is to get used to, and this is from a long time motorcyclist. Here's a photo of my twin twistgrip handlebars, throttle left and gears right:

but bell no longer on, replaced by electric horn:

 

[simonbarnett]

You'd be surprised at how easy it is to get used to, and this is from a long time motorcyclist. Here's a photo of my twin twistgrip handlebars, throttle left and gears right:

but bell no longer on, replaced by electric horn:

same horn, same upside-down solution