The seat also flips forward to reveal the battery beneath which has a nice handle for removal. The wide, soft seat provides good cushion and even includes a nice backrest but you might consider adding a seat post shock for further comfort as the bike has no shocks and the tires are fairly firm. One downside here is that the pedals are plastic and rubber and when wet, they get a bit slippery. The handlebars are wide and swept back so you don’t have to lean forward and the pedals are also positioned out in front so it feels like sitting on a bench when riding. The seating position of the Tri-Ride is very upright and relaxed. I like this because it makes getting on and off the trike easier by letting you move the pedals out of the way without maneuvering the bike forward. Instead of adding a coaster brake (where you brake by cranking backwards) as some other single-speed electric bikes have opted to do, this bike lets you pedal backwards kind of like any normal geared bike. Pedaling this bike can be a challenge since there is only one gear, but you don’t have to pedal if you don’t want, just twist the throttle on the right handlebar and the front wheel spins into action. To provide ample stopping power, the bike uses two disc brakes and has automatic cut off to the motor when the hand brakes are squeezed. By mounting the motor on the front wheel, the rear drive system is kept very simple and clean. The motor chosen for the Tri-Ride is a powerful 500 watt geared front-mounted hub motor that provides lots of torque and helps to balance out the weight of a full basket and mid-mounted battery. Keep and eye out and just make sure it stays tuned but don’t worry too much, at just 12mph the bike should stay solid with use. Overall the bike rides well but uses more “bolt on” design than welded and that means it will get loose over time and make more noise. I like the quick-release pins that were used in the design of the stock basket but they do rattle a bit. The basket can be folded flat or completely removed if you want to create a do-it-yourself project and add something custom like an insulated food storage box. You can use this thing for groceries, books, pets, or whatever you want as long as it’s not over 200 pounds. The biggest design highlight on this bike is the three wheel configuration which keeps it stable for mounting and dismounting or loading. The battery is also easily removable and that makes the bike a lot easier to transport. The real win with this battery is that it keeps the cost of the bike extremely low, $1,399 is an amazing price for any ebike. And, the pack is affordable to replace and less environmentally hazardous than a Lithium option. The top speed of the bike is limited to 12 miles per hour and this helps extend range. The good news is that this bike is very stable so the battery weight doesn’t really impact ride quality. The battery that comes stock is a 36 volt 12 amp hour Lead-acid pack that is heavy and won’t last very long before needing replacement. The biggest drawback of this bike is also what makes it work so well. If you’re wondering whether this bike is worth it however, you should wonder a little longer and read on because there’s actually a lot of bang for the buck here :) The downsides include overall weight of the bike (a whopping 107lbs), longevity of the battery (estimated 200 cycles), low top speed (12mph) and overall quality of the system. The eZip Tri-Ride is an electric tricycle that provides stability and storage for riders who aren’t looking to go fast and don’t want to spend a lot getting there. The eZip line of bikes from Currie Technologies offer entry level performance at an affordable price.
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