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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.

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.

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.

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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