Sunday, June 16, 2019

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 of all ages love the accelerated pace of a power scooter, and they do not seem to mind that it makes them stand up all day. Us older folks are wise to this though, and we know sitting comfortably ensures a safer ride home. We did not jump on the fad right away because we prefer sitting to standing when traveling our favorite city.

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.

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.

One is able to choose the style of seat they prefer. There are even sporty models that position the driver either leaning forward, or laying backward, in order to achieve greater speed through the magic of aerodynamics. Most of us are quite happy with a big, round seat that matches the size of our aging buttocks.

Breaking systems come standard on most tricycles, along with rear-view mirrors that should have been standard on bicycles a century ago. Many scooters, including the motorized variety, were without breaks in the beginning. However, as these vehicles become more and more a part of city travel, breaking systems standard just makes sense.

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.

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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