TerraTrike has a model being offered with an electric motor at a lower price than their previous offerings. They named it CHARGE. This time they went with a small rear hub motor. It is only 250 watts of power .
It has an 8 speed drive train and the trike weighs a hefty 57 pounds (26 kg). The price is $3249. It comes with a 374 Wh battery and no hand throttle. This model comes with direct steering.
Quite frankly one could do better just buying an e-motor conversion kit. It can be installed on any trike and for $700 to $1000 or even more … mainly depending upon the battery purchased … one could have a much better e-motor system and a lot more power. And a hand throttle would be provided. I have had several e-motors on my trike ranging from 350 watts to 2000 watts. And I have always had a hand throttle … something I would not want to be without. The e-motor I have now is the lowest cost but the most powerful and I really like it.
Here is a video of an e-motor conversion kit added onto a TT Rambler. As you can see it has more to offer than the factory installed system.
There is only one positive thing I can say about this model. Buying a trike from the manufacturer with an e-motor system installed on it means the manufacturer stands behind it. If one installs an e-motor conversion kit they are pretty much on their own. That’s ok by me however. I have been doing fine for years all on my own. My system has been quite reliable and I have been able to …
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Sunseeker has been around for a number of years. Formerly known as Sun Bicycles several years ago they changed the name to Sunseeker for their recumbent line. They are considered startup quality and their lowest cost model is made of mild carbon steel. They also offer Chrome Moly steel and aluminum. Of course, the price goes up with these more expensive metals. Electric Bike Technologies offers Sunseeker’s chrome moly trike with their electric motor package installed on it for $3412. Sunseeker lists this trike (without electric motor) for $2300. Here is a video about this e-trike …
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Here is a video featuring the models Catrike offers this year (2021). Sadly the Eola model was discontinued. It was my favorite model. The Road model has also been discontinued.
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TerraTrike is coming out with a new model they call Spyder. Using their own words to describe it .. “designed for performance, the Spyder is stiffer and aerodynamic where it needs to be for acceleration and sustained speed, and yet compliant for comfort. All elements of the trike converge to deliver a performance machine which will satisfy your inner speed freak.” It will be interesting to see how this model measures up. I see it has a 19 foot turning diameter.
This model costs almost $4000. For that amount of investment one could get a much higher quality better engineered trike such as a Catrike. It says it is designed for sustained speed.
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From the “land down under” (Australia) comes this video I share here. This triker, Darren Broadhurst, is among the few who is on an ongoing trike journey around the world. He rides an Azub Ti-Fly 20 inch … which is a fully suspended model.
His video channel description … “After retiring from a full military career I’ve been cycling and travelling around the world for the past 4 years. These are the videos along the way.”
The Catrike Dumont model has been around now for a few years. It is the top of the line for Catrike and is quite popular. Here is a video chucked full of information about this model …
The Catrike 700 model is known to be one of the fastest tadpole trikes around. So how would it do when up against Catrike’s new base model, the Eola? You just might be surprised. Mind you when it comes to competition and comparisons top speed is not the only criteria. What about hill climbing performance? Take a look …
So whether you are riding one of the faster trikes made or one down the totem pole a ways just enjoy the ride and …
A few tadpole trike manufacturers are offering electric motorized models. One of them is TerraTrike. I applaud this as having a BionX unit installed on my Catrike I really love having it. I have a friend I ride with who has a BionX unit installed on his TerraTrike Rambler. The BionX unit is a great unit as long as everything works right (mine doesn’t), but it is expensive. This E.V.O. model is far less money although feature-wise I much prefer the BionX unit. That being said, this Falco unit is 750 watt vs. the BionX 350 watt and it offers a 2 mph reverse as well as a crawl forward from a standstill. BionX has neither.
UPDATE: When I first wrote this article TerraTrike was offering only the Falco hub motor but later they also started offering the Bosch crank drive motor and upped the price to $4500. That is a thousand dollars more for a higher cost motor. HERE is their webpage for this model.
Now on with my original posting … (Please note – from here on everything which appears in this article is someone else’s writings and not mine.)
Specification Description:
Drive System Derailleur, Falco 750W 5 Phase Motor
Battery Type/Weight Li-Ion / 36V / 11.6 Ah / 417 Wh
Max. Assisted Speed 20 mph
Range 97 km (60 miles)/Charge
Frame Chromoly steel
Rims/Wheels TerraTrike Black Double Wall
Tires Schwalbe Energizer 20 X 1.75
Crankset Driveline Durabi 400 170mm
Chainrings 52/42/30
Bottom Bracket RPM Sealed Square Taper
Chain KMC Z72 8-speed
Front Derailleur MicroSHIFT Triple
Rear Derailleur MicroShift 8-speed
Cassette/Rear Cogs SRAM PG-830 11-30, 8-speed
Shifters Microshift Mezzo Trigger
Brake Levers Promax Linear Pull, Locking
Brakes Avid BB7 Mechanical
Pedals Comfort Pedal
(subject to change without notice)
TerraTrike’s Electric Vehicle Option (or “E.V.O.” for short) will transform the way you ride and will increase your range by degrees of magnitude. It will allow you to climb hills that were previously daunting, it will keep you spinning through rolling terrain. The Rambler E.V.O. is not intended to be an electric trike. The E.V.O. was designed to help you along your journey while you still get the cardio benefits of trike riding. You will hear and feel the motor turning on and off as it senses your need for assistance. You will still be shifting the trike as you normally would; as the hills get steeper or as you come to a stop.
With a generous range of up to 60 miles per charge, you will have nearly limitless potential. The lithium ion battery can be charged overnight with the included “smart” charger. Simply plug the charger into a nearby outlet, or the battery can be easily removed from its case for charging in a different location.
TerraTrike figured out the ideal torque sensor setting and assist level so that it is very predictable and optimized for assistance and range. The top speed is governed at 20 mph. The Rambler E.V.O. motor control accessories available are ‘Wired Plus Minus (WPM)’ ‘Wired Console’ and ‘Wireless Console with Plus Minus’. The trike will still be limited to 20 mph, but you will be able to adjust the level of assist (low, medium, or high) or you can put it into one of three regenerative modes which actually charges the battery on long descents.
The optional Wired Plus Minus (WPM) switch also adds a reverse gear. You will need to back pedal while it is backing up due to the drivetrain of the trike. But don’t worry, max speed in reverse is 2 mph. The WPM accessory can also help climb hills by providing a “crawl” feature. It too is limited to 2 mph and is merely intended to get the trike rolling so that you can begin your pedal stroke. After the trike starts to move and you start to pedal you can let go of the plus button and the motor assist will kick in as appropriate.
– Electric Assist Hub: The E.V.O. is available in a traditional deraillured system external hub with electric assist
– Direct steering: Horizontal handlebar position provides responsive leverage to steering inputs, and provides a tight turning radius
– Steering stack with bushing/bearing combination for smoother steering
– Chromoly steel frame is lightweight, smooth riding, and capable of supporting up to 300 pounds
– Comfort mesh seat for extra lateral support
– Simple operation, seamless experience
– Powerful 750W direct-drive hub motor
– No pedal resistance when battery isn’t used
– 5 phase motor provides more torque & power
– Up to 1000 recharge cycles per battery
– Industry-leading 5 year motor warranty
Evolve Trikes … interesting concept, but they are sure having problems getting into production and to market. Years and years seem to be passing by and still they are waiting for things to come together. It just doesn’t seem to be happening. Yep, they seem to be having trouble evolving to market.
Since it’s inception they have made some changes in its design. The main boast is that it folds faster and smaller than any other trike.
When I look at the design construction of trikes I am always concerned about how ell they are made and whether or not they are likely to fail. Mind you I am not an engineer, but I do have well over 50 years experience at welding and fabricating. In welding my “specialty” was repair welding. That means I worked on a whole lot of things that failed and required repair. In making the repair it was usually easy and obvious to see why the item failed. And in repairing it I always made it much stronger so that it didn’t fail again. Looking at many trikes I see areas of concern in many of them. They just look weak and apt to fail. Many folding trikes concern me for this reason. This one not only is no exception, but it is even more of a concern as it just looks weak. Any trike can have a failure, but some seem to have far more than others. Again, looking at the way they are constructed I can see why. A simple basic rule is that the more complex something is the more likely it will have issues over something with less complexity.
HERE is an article about this trike. And HERE is BROL’s article.
Here it is disassembled and folded up into a suitcase. The video below shows how it is done.
I don’t know what the weight limit is for the Evolve trike, but I think that it would be best for those who weigh very little. A heavy rider would stress those areas which are already suspect of failure.
I personally don’t think I would buy one of these trikes as it just has the appearance that problems would develop due to failure in one or more parts of the frame.
The folding hinge is quite often a concern and this one is no exception. When I look at something like this the thought that comes to mind is “designed to fail” due to being underbuilt. Mind you, this is far from the only tadpole trike which in my opinion looks underbuilt.
Another factor is wear and sloppiness developing in these areas. Things get loose and movement takes place where there should be no movement.
I know that the Evolve people are not going to like what I have said here and perhaps some of you may not either. I have to say what I think about these things. I hope I am wrong and this trike would hold up well. But my gut feeling is otherwise. I like the concept. I am just concerned about the quality of the build. Manufacturers underbuilding products brought a lot of repair work my way over the years. I would not want a trike that requires repair and reinforcing it to make it stronger. That would be my concern here. This may be okay for someone who rides very little and needs a small folding trike, but I could not recommend it for anyone who does serious riding. I don’t care how good of a warranty it may come with and how good the company may be in taking care of customers … when you are many miles from home and have a major failure leaving you stranded it is not fun. Nope, I will stick with my non folding Catrike which I am confident in … that it won’t fail me. I like to …
I came across a video where all the different models of Catrike tadpole trikes are shown and described. I was impressed with it so I thought I would share it here. Please be aware that since this video was produced Catrike has come out with two more models, the 550 and the Dumont.
Please note … these trikes are no longer manufactured as in “out of business”.
Scarab trikes … made in the good ol’ U.S.A. Available in two models … 320 (20 inch rear wheel) $2550.00 … or 2026 (26 inch rear wheel) $2650.00. With 54 speeds it offers some impressive gear inches. Equipped with drum brakes and indirect steering.
Scarab states that with the seat laid back at a comfortable *42* degree angle, air resistance is much less. At 20 MPH on a SCARAB trike, you will be using only about 75% of the effort normally needed on a conventional bike. Optional seat angles are available down to 30 degrees.
Trikes include complete frame, all components, cordless computer, rear rack, left hand side rear view mirror, computer/mirror mount, rear fender, and are available powder coated in various colors. Normal colors (red, yellow, black, white, etc.) are usually available quicker than custom colors.
Both models are completely assembled and ready to ride (5 minutes from crate to street).
SCARAB SPECIFICATIONS:
FRAME 4130 CRO-MO
WHEELBASE 42” (2026 is 45″)
TRACK 32” (outside measurement of width app. 36″)
LENGTH 77”-80″ max. (depends on model and boom adj.)
GEARING SRAM 3X9 hub, 9 spd. cassette
INTERNAL RATIOS 0.734, 1.00, 1.362
SHIFTERS SRAM twist grip w/ thumb shifter incorporated for rear hub
TIRES Comet Primo 20 X 1.35 (Schwalbe tires available as options)
RIMS Velocity Aeroheat (ISO 18-406 36H front-ISO 18-559 32 H rear)
*SEAT ANGLE* 45 degrees (actual measured angle is 42 degrees)
SEAT HEIGHT 10” from ground
BOTTOM BRACKET HT. 16 1/2″ (approximate measurement-depends on boom length)
BOOM LENGTH Adjustable telescoping boom (will handle riders from 5’0″ to 6’6″+)
GROUND CLEARANCE 3.5” under the handlebar center section
WEIGHT Approx. 33 lb. without accessories (bags, bells, whistles, etc.)
TURNING RADIUS 7′-8′ RADIUS (as speed increases, obviously radius increases as well)
GEAR INCH RANGES Gear inch range is from 17.2050-182.6568 depending on crankset
Cruising along at 18 mph on a Scarab trike:
B & M ENTERPRISES
Barry Beuershausen
210-212 Dowlor
Refugio, TX 78377
361 526-4458
Email Address: bment@prodigy.net
(Note: when emailing, please put “Scarab Trikes” in the subject line due to spam filters)
I am pretty sure most of us wouldn’t have a clue what we are looking at when viewing the image above. Maybe this will help …
These are “springs” made of aerospace titanium grade 5 metal and are Azub’s choice for a unique front suspension which they claim is superb … superior to anything else out there. Azub is known for quality in their products so I am sure they have a winner here. You can read about their design HERE.
This new model has been in the works for 3.5 years (I have also read 5 years so I don’t know which is correct) and will be available at the end of July of this year (2016) for those are signed up on Azub’s waiting list. It will be available in either a 20 inch or a 26 inch rear wheel. The cost of the trike is said to be “starting at $4992 or €4160”. You can check out Azub’s website for more on this model or any other model they offer.
Azub had it on display at the recent SPEZI event in Germany.
There is lots of articles about this model available online. HERE is one of them.
Azub boasts of “self stabilization” … something not achieved by most other trike makers. The leaf springs used on the front suspension offer 1.5748 inches (40 mm) of travel.
I am not sure of this because I haven’t found any information about the rear suspension of the Ti-Fly model, but I think it is the same as found on their Tri-Con model. Here is a picture of the rear suspension of the Ti_Fly …
This model does fold and, in fact, is capable of folding up extra small by removing the front boom and wheels. The trike has indirect steering. It has 4.33071 inches (110 mm) of ground clearance. The back of the seat adjusts between 34 – 52 degrees angle which is pretty generous. The overall width of the trike is 32.874 inches (835 mm). The track width is 29.7244 inches (755 mm). The wheel base (front to back axles) is 46.06299 inches (1170 mm). The seat height is 10.2362 inches (260 mm) at it’s lowest setting or 11.4173 inches (290 mm) at it’s highest setting. The maximum weight limit of rider and luggage is 275.578 pounds (125 kilograms).
It will interesting to see how these sell and if ever I actually see any of them out on the local trails. I haven’t seen my first Azub yet so I won’t be holding my breath awaiting it. That’s a whole lotta’ money to invest in a trike, but some folks do it. Most people I talk to think a thousand dollars is outrageous and quickly lose interest in pursuing getting a trike when they find out how much they cost. With or without full suspension or even rear suspension let’s all just try to …
Although their website only shows the 5 models I have listed above their Facebook page shows one more model … a new model, the HERO. This is rather typical of Chinese websites … all screwed up and confusing. MSRP USD$2,200. It is available in two seat choices and comes with 20 inch front wheels and a 26 inch rear wheel..
Performer trikes have been around since 1999. Located in Taiwan they currently manufacture about 5 models according to their WEBSITE. Taiwan is known for bicycle manufacturing. Some of the well known trike manufacturers have their trike frames made in Taiwan. And HERE is a link to Performer’s Facebook page. The Performer website lists only 3 dealers here in the U.S.
In addition to the models shown above they offer 3 motorized models. They offer 2 models with rear hub motors and one folding model with a crankdrive motor.
And they offer a folding model with a 26 inch rear wheel and a 250 watt crank drive motor (MSRP US$4,080) …
Tadpole Rider 