The Electric Tricycle Improved An Excellent Idea

By Edward Turner


Rechargeable vehicles in our cities have revolutionized what it means to be a pedestrian. It makes truly commuting on foot possible for distances over two miles, and allows for speedy short trips without belching exhaust into the air. However, before you put an engine on your skateboard, you should take a longer look at the electric tricycle.

Children have been riding skateboard style scooters both with and without powered mobility for decades. Sometime in the late Nineties the pivoting stand-alone scooter was introduced, but most people had difficulty learning how to ride those effectively. The next wave of genius came when someone put the rechargeable motor from the pivoting model onto the skateboard scooter their kids were riding, and a new hazardous means of transport was born.

Having a straight-back but sitting posture allows us to spend more time riding around, as stiffness in our lower backs and soreness on our feet is a distraction. We saw long ago that those upright stick-handles were just a little too low to hold onto without being stooped forward. This pose actually encourages adults to ride these skateboard style scooters with no hands.

Even if the model is designed to fit a taller adult, it is still standing. Discomfort creates distractions just as dangerous as a cell phone or the loose dog down the street. Older people really cannot risk having an accident, especially since the tricycles are sometimes designed to go faster than scooters or their Segway counterpart.

Anyone riding upon such a contraption must be aware of the same dangers as any pedestrian. Only difference is, this pedestrian is moving at 8 to 15 mph, able to pass bicycles going uphill, and certainly capable of getting into catastrophic accidents. The older the rider, the more catastrophic the injuries are likely to be.

Tricycles have solved the issue of standing since the traditional style includes a large, rounded seat positioned in the center of three wheels. There are models which include cloth or leather cushioned seats of varying size. This most certainly allows even an octogenarian many hours of comfortable travel.

Since we are all notorious thrill seekers, breaks are a required element of the tricycles we speed about on. Scooters have not always included much of a breaking system, and this limits the operator to being a rider instead of a driver. Since there is the welfare of pedestrians, as well as the well-being of the rider/driver at stake, it only makes sense that one have adequate breaking availability at eight miles per hour.

Other safety features available are a horn to warn others of their approach, headlamp and rear lights, and the bright colors available all help them to stand out in any light. One might even string LED lights through the wheel spokes in order to increase their visibility. Like bicycles, little can be done in the event of rain, but many models can be folded down to make it easier to carry on a bus or train.

It is a shame that not every rider understands how the design of their ride is supposed to work. You see, tricycles are modeled under the concept of a tripod. The human body is part of this tripod, but only if their feet are squarely on the pedals and their hands are firmly clutching each handlebar at all times.




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