Monday, May 20, 2019

The Electric Tricycle Improved An Excellent Idea

By Edward Turner


City people everywhere can be seen utilizing electric mobility rather than expensive cars or laborious bicycles. In fact, the scooters we used to buy for our children has been powered up as the children have grown up. Nevertheless, us older folks have a problem keeping up unless we race them on our electric tricycle.

Most of us have seen young people from ages five to twenty-five speeding down sidewalks on scooters. It rarely occurs to ask ourselves why people from age fifty-five to seventy-five have failed to take advantage of such an economic means of transport. Well, the problem with the scooter is balance, and to a lesser extent, comfort.

Balancing on both powered models is problematic for many people, and this becomes more true the older one gets. Traditional scooters force the rider to stand throughout their journey, and everyone knows it is more difficult on the body to stand still than to walk. For someone who has already worked a twelve-hour shift, or fifty years of twelve-hour shifts, this standing pose promotes stiffness and pain.

Even if the scooter is designed to fit adults, that upright handle is still too short. Yes, we know the pivot control model requires the short handle in order to pivot in all directions, but that is no excuse. No one is happy after standing hunched over for a harrowing four to six miles of city traffic.

The skateboard style scooters can go around 8 to 12 mph when fully charged, which means their operator is responsible for keeping an eye out for pedestrians traveling on his or her stretch of pavement. The tricycles are able to carry larger batteries and have larger wheels, so some can max out at 18 to 24 mph. The faster the rider, the more serious the injuries which can occur if they are distracted by aches and pains.

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.

Rear-view mirrors, as well as basic breaking systems can be included. Breaks are often not included in the scooter design, but as they become a greater part of the city scene, the need for it increases. Since people operate them in an environment with both pedestrians automobiles, and the rider should be able to stop on a dime.

As any bicycler or motorcycle rider knows, the horn is a key safety feature, and tricycles love to make their horns look and sound as ridiculous as possible. For those of us who still love the night-life, a headlamp and rear lights come standard. Some of us punk-rock gods might ornament our wheels with LED rope with hopes that we can be seen from space.

There is one safety feature that should be standard, but cannot be guaranteed. That feature is the knowledge and prudence of the person operating the vehicle. Tricycles are fashioned after a tripod design, but unless the driver holds on with both hands and keeps both feet on the pedals, this design is incomplete, and potentially unstable.




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