Electric assist
Electric recumbent trikes for adults
Sit low. Stay planted. Let the motor help.
Laid Back Mickey here
Electric trikes for adults
For most adults, I'd start with a recumbent e-trike. You sit low between three wheels, so it's stable. A Bosch or Shimano motor helps on the hills.
Laid Back Mickey here. Let's talk electric trikes for adults.
You've seen the big upright three-wheel e-bikes. I call them Grandma bikes. They sit up high, and they have no differential. That's the part that lets the back wheels turn at different speeds in a corner. So when you come off a curb or take a turn a little quick, they can tip. Most of them run cheaper motors from Asia too.
A recumbent e-trike is a different animal. You sit low, down between the wheels. That's way more stable. If you can't balance on a bike anymore, this is where I'd start.
Now, these trikes are not cheap. They cost more because they run Bosch or Shimano motors. Something that doesn't work is not a good investment, right?
John in California called me at 68. He told me, "I'm 68, so, you know, kind of preparing for balance." He's looking at an AZUB Ti-FLY 26 with a Bosch motor.
Bob in Nevada and his wife already ride. He said, "we've ridden electric bikes for years. So we wanna get into electric." On three wheels this time.
The cool thing is you still pedal. The motor just helps on the hills. And you know you'll make it home.
Riders in their 70s ask me which e-trike sits higher off the ground. Getting in and out matters. The ICE Adventure sits higher than most, and you can add a motor. We'll check your knees and hips on the call.
Want fat tires? The ICE Full Fat comes with or without a motor. AZUB makes the FAT too. Both have big, wide tires for loose ground.
ICE also makes PERS. It's a chainless e-assist. No chain to grease.
We build every trike to your body. Then we ship it nationwide, fully assembled, ready to ride. Fit the trike to your body. Don't fit your body to the trike.
I'm a trike guy, not a doctor. Talk to your doctor before you start riding.
Grab a time with me and we'll build your dream trike.
Know the difference
Upright e-trike vs recumbent e-trike
Upright e-trike
Sits high.
No differential.
Often cheaper motors from Asia.
Recumbent e-trike
Sits low, between the wheels.
Built to corner.
Bosch or Shimano motors.
Trikes I'd look at first
Electric trikes we build
These are starting prices. A motor adds to the build, and we'll price yours on the call. No Catrike dealer near you? We can also set you up with an electric Catrike. Financing available.
ICE Adventure
Starting from $4,400
Sits higher than most recumbents. Add a motor.
See the ICE AdventureICE Adventure PERS
Starting from $11,174
Chainless e-assist. No chain to grease.
See the ICE Adventure PERSSee every e-assist trike
Want to browse? Here's everything we carry with a motor.
Fit from home
Fit the trike to your body
Fit the trike to your body. Don't fit your body to the trike.
On our call I ask your height, your weight and what your body can do. Then I show you the X-Seam picture on our website and explain how to measure it at home. We build the trike to your body and ship it nationwide, fully assembled and ready to ride.
Who's fitting you
About Laid Back Mickey
I'm Mickey, owner of Laid Back Cycles. 15 years in the trike business and over 6,000 trike clients. I've ridden a Greenspeed GT3 since 2010 for my own back.
You can watch me talk trikes on our YouTube channel.
Electric recumbent trikes: questions riders ask me
It depends on your body and where you ride. For most folks I start with a recumbent e-trike. You sit low, so it's stable, and it runs a Bosch or Shimano motor. Grab a time with me and we'll narrow it down.
The tall upright ones can. They sit high and have no differential, so coming off a curb can tip them. A recumbent trike sits low between the wheels. That's a lot more stable.
Yes. The ICE Adventure sits higher than most recumbents and takes a motor. Riders in their 70s ask me this a lot. On the call we look at your knees, hips and how you get in and out.
A lot of riders with balance trouble do well on one. You don't balance at all, and you sit low. Talk to your doctor first, then let's talk fit.
They run Bosch or Shimano motors, and they're built to your size. These trikes are not cheap. But something that doesn't work is not a good investment.
Yes. The ICE Full Fat comes with or without a motor, starting from $6,650. AZUB makes the FAT, starting from $6,700. Both are made for sand, gravel and snow.
Most trike motors are pedal assist only. A motor system called Gride is the only trike setup I know with a throttle. My favorite build is Gride on an ICE Adventure with a Rohloff hub. That's a gear hub with the gears sealed inside the back wheel.
It's ICE's chainless e-assist. No chain to clean or grease. Starting from $11,174.
It depends on the factory. ICE usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. AZUB usually takes 6 to 9 weeks, and that comes down to how backed up the factory is when we order. On our call I'll give you the current wait.
Yes. We fit you from home, build the trike to match you and ship it nationwide, fully assembled and ready to ride.
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