Why EVELO
Easy Assembly
Service and Repairs
Ebike Articles & Content
Never ridden a tricycle before? A unique experience, tricycle riding is slightly different from its two-wheeled counterpart. The pedalling and forward motion is the same, but the steering and handling characteristics are quite different.
To conceptualize the handling characteristics of a tricycle, it's a good idea to first think about how we ride a bicycle. To execute a turn on a bicycle, the rider will lean into the direction of the turn. Very little focus is placed on actually turning the handlebars (unless turning at low speed), as the mechanics of the turn are focused on leaning rather than steering. Once the turn is executed, the rider returns to an upright position, maintaining their balance.
Turning while riding a tricycle is quite different. The rider must physically turn the handlebars to steer, which is not the case on the bicycle. For those that are accustomed to riding on two wheels, this can feel awkward at first and pose a bit of a learning curve. Another consideration is the physics of steering a tricycle. When turning, the weight of the tricycle shifts to the opposite side of the turn, which can lead the trike to “tip” in extreme cases. As a result, we recommend taking turns at not more than 10mph on a trike. However, the tricycle does offer the benefits of stability at low speed. Three wheels means that there is no need to worry about tipping over or having to maintain momentum to stay upright, unlike the bicycle.
At EVELO, our electric tricycle uses a rear differential to improve its handling characteristics. By allowing power to be sent to both rear wheels, the acceleration and braking characteristics are much more stable- there is no torque steer involved while applying throttle, and braking forces are applied evenly to the rear wheels. The rear differential also allows the rear wheels to turn at different speeds, which vastly improves its cornering ability, helping it feel much more stable than a model without this feature.
To conceptualize the handling characteristics of a tricycle, it's a good idea to first think about how we ride a bicycle. To execute a turn on a bicycle, the rider will lean into the direction of the turn. Very little focus is placed on actually turning the handlebars (unless turning at low speed), as the mechanics of the turn are focused on leaning rather than steering. Once the turn is executed, the rider returns to an upright position, maintaining their balance.
Turning while riding a tricycle is quite different. The rider must physically turn the handlebars to steer, which is not the case on the bicycle. For those that are accustomed to riding on two wheels, this can feel awkward at first and pose a bit of a learning curve. Another consideration is the physics of steering a tricycle. When turning, the weight of the tricycle shifts to the opposite side of the turn, which can lead the trike to “tip” in extreme cases. As a result, we recommend taking turns at not more than 10mph on a trike. However, the tricycle does offer the benefits of stability at low speed. Three wheels means that there is no need to worry about tipping over or having to maintain momentum to stay upright, unlike the bicycle.
At EVELO, our electric tricycle uses a rear differential to improve its handling characteristics. By allowing power to be sent to both rear wheels, the acceleration and braking characteristics are much more stable- there is no torque steer involved while applying throttle, and braking forces are applied evenly to the rear wheels. The rear differential also allows the rear wheels to turn at different speeds, which vastly improves its cornering ability, helping it feel much more stable than a model without this feature.
