A 69-Year-Old Rider Takes the All-Terrain Electric Trike Off-Road

A Retiree, a Test Track, and a Trike Built for Dirt

Victor Martinez is 69 years old, and he does not come across as someone easily impressed. He showed up to try out a few of our electric vehicles with the healthy skepticism of a person who has driven a lot of things in his life, owned a few of them, and been let down by more than one. Within the first thirty seconds of standing next to the All-Terrain, though, he had stopped talking about the lineup in general and was crouched down looking at the suspension.

That moment says a lot about what this machine is. Most of the electric trikes people picture are built for smooth pavement: boardwalks, bike paths, the quiet loop around a retirement community. They are comfortable, stable and pleasant, and for a lot of riders that is exactly the point. The All-Terrain was designed with a different job in mind. It is meant to leave the pavement when the pavement runs out, and it carries the hardware to do that without beating up the rider.

What follows is a write-up of Victor's ride, from the first push of the throttle to his closing verdict. We have kept his words where they say something useful and cut the rest. He was not given a script, and he did not hold back his reactions, good or otherwise. We think that makes his take more useful than anything we could write about our own trike, so we are mostly going to get out of his way.

If you are a rider in your sixties or seventies, still active, still curious, and wondering whether an electric trike can be something more than a sidewalk cruiser, this one is for you.

Victor's very first comment on camera was about the suspension, and he came back to it again and again over the next nine minutes. Before he had even turned the trike on, he called it very impressive and said he was excited to see how it would hold up going uphill, downhill, under braking and under acceleration.

It is worth explaining why this matters so much on a three-wheeled vehicle. On a standard bicycle, a bump hits one wheel at a time and the rider absorbs most of it through their arms and legs. On a trike with a rigid rear axle, a bump under one rear wheel tilts the whole back end. The seat shifts, the rider's hips shift, and on uneven ground you can spend the whole ride bracing yourself. That is tiring for anyone and genuinely uncomfortable for riders with sore backs, stiff hips or replaced joints.

Independent suspension changes that. Each side can move on its own, so when one wheel rolls over a root or a rut, the other side stays put and the frame stays closer to level. The rider feels a nudge instead of a jolt. Victor noticed this almost immediately once he got moving, and it became the thread running through everything else he said about the ride.

He also made a point that is easy to skip past: this is not built to be the softest, smoothest ride in the lineup. He said so directly later on, noting that some of our other models offer a smoother experience on pavement, while this one is tuned for rougher ground. That honesty matters. If your riding is ninety percent smooth path, a trike from our most comfortable electric trikes collection may suit you better. The All-Terrain earns its keep when the surface gets unpredictable.

Getting Moving: Acceleration From a Standstill

"And we're off," Victor said, and then, almost immediately, "Good acceleration." That was the whole review of the launch, and frankly it covers it.

Acceleration on an electric trike is one of those things people underestimate until they try a sluggish one. A slow start is more than an annoyance. Pulling away from a stop sign, getting across a driveway entrance, or starting up a slope from a dead stop all depend on getting the wheels turning with some authority. A motor that hesitates leaves you crawling at the exact moment you most want to be clear of traffic or up and over the hump.

Later in the ride, as he climbed, Victor described the trike as having a lot of get-up-and-go. Coming from someone who mentioned his motocross days a few minutes later, that is a meaningful compliment. He was not looking for a scooter that putters along. He wanted something that responds when asked, and he got it.

At the same time, nothing he said suggested the power was jumpy or hard to manage. He never described being caught off guard or having to fight the throttle. Smooth, predictable power delivery is just as important as raw pull, particularly for riders who are newer to motorized vehicles or who simply prefer not to be surprised. If you want to see the range of trikes that offer hands-on control of the motor, our electric trikes with throttle control are a good place to start comparing.

Victor tested the brakes early, and his verdict was quick: "Great. Just like a bike." Then he explained what he meant, and it is one of the more interesting points in the whole video.

He talked about golf carts and some other electric vehicles where releasing the accelerator brings you to a stop on its own. He said he cannot get used to that. In his words, he does not want to be constantly adjusting the speed. He wants to be able to coast along, let go, decide whether he actually wants to stop, and then stop.

Anyone who has ridden a bicycle for decades will recognize the instinct. On a bike, letting off the pedals does not mean stopping. It means coasting. Braking is a separate, deliberate act. When a vehicle blurs those two things together, your body keeps trying to do the old thing and the machine keeps doing the new one, and the result is a jerky, slightly unsettling ride where you are always half a step behind your own reflexes.

The All-Terrain behaves the way a lifelong cyclist expects. Let go and you roll. Squeeze the levers and you slow. Victor said it simply made sense to him, and that is the best thing you can say about a control layout: it disappears. You stop thinking about how to operate the machine and start paying attention to where you are going.

He returned to the brakes later in the ride, saying the brakes on all of our bikes are very good and calling them perfect. He also noted, while picking up speed on a descent, that the trike slowed down beautifully when he asked it to. If strong, consistent stopping power is high on your list, it is worth browsing our electric trikes with disc brakes to see which models share that setup.

You Decide How Much the Motor Does

One of the reasons Victor kept comparing the trike to a bicycle is that it does not take the pedaling away from you. He described it as letting you choose how much you want the electric power to do the work and how much you want to pedal yourself to get some cardio in.

That flexibility is easy to dismiss as a spec-sheet line, but in daily life it is a big deal. Some days you feel great and want to work. Other days your knees are talking to you, the wind is blowing the wrong way, and you just want to get to the store and back. A vehicle that only offers one mode forces you to adjust to it. A vehicle with a range of assistance lets it adjust to you.

For older riders in particular, this is how electric assistance keeps people riding longer. The fear many people have is that a motor turns exercise into sitting. In practice, it often works the other way. Riders who would skip a ride entirely because a hill feels like too much can head out knowing the motor will cover the hard parts, and they end up pedaling more in total because they are riding more often.

Victor made a related point near the end: if you want leg work, you can have it, and if you do not, you do not have to. You are never locked in. That is the whole idea behind pedal assistance, and it is a big part of why electric trikes have become so popular with riders who want to stay active on their own terms. Our electric trikes for seniors are built around exactly that balance.

About a minute and a half into the ride, Victor shared something personal that probably explains why he was so engaged with the whole test. He lives three miles from the nearest store, and, as he put it, driving there is getting old.

Three miles is an awkward distance. It is too far to walk comfortably several times a day and close enough that firing up the car feels silly. He said he enjoys walking there, but not on the third trip of the day, and especially not at ten at night. Anyone who has realized they forgot the milk after dinner knows exactly what he is describing.

This is where an electric trike stops being a toy and becomes a real tool. Three miles on a trike with motor assistance is a short, easy trip. There is no parking lot to circle, which Victor called out specifically. You roll up, park beside the door, grab what you need and head home. With a basket or rear storage, you can carry a reasonable load of groceries without a backpack digging into your shoulders. If hauling things is part of your plan, our electric trikes with a large basket and cargo electric trikes are designed with that in mind.

Victor summed it up as a good alternative that gets you from point A to point B easily. That is not a glamorous description, but it is an honest one. The trips that make up most of our lives are short, local and repetitive. A vehicle that makes those trips pleasant instead of tedious can change how you feel about your whole day.

It is also worth thinking about late-evening trips. If you plan to ride after dark, good lighting and visible clothing matter, and a well-fitting helmet is non-negotiable. Our helmets are a simple place to start if you need one.

Thinking About Mobility Now and Later

Victor was candid about where he stands physically. He said he does not have any mobility issues right now, but he will in the future. There was no drama in the way he said it. It was simply a practical observation from someone who is planning ahead.

That mindset is one we hear from a lot of riders in their late sixties and seventies. They are not buying a trike because they cannot ride a bicycle. They are buying one because they can see a day coming when balance, joint strength or reaction time will make two wheels less appealing, and they would rather build the habit now on a vehicle that will still suit them then. A trike that is fun and capable today and still stable and manageable ten years from now is a sensible investment in staying independent.

He added something else that rang true: some days he just does not feel like getting in the car, does not feel like walking and does not feel like cycling. On those days, he said, this is just what the doctor ordered. It fills a gap. It is less of a production than driving, less effort than walking or a full bicycle ride, and still gets you outside and moving.

If you are trying to figure out which trike fits your body and your plans, our fitting tool walks you through the questions that matter, such as height, inseam, riding style and the terrain you expect to cover, and points you toward models that make sense for you. It is a much better starting point than guessing from photos.

Once Victor had a feel for the controls, the ride moved off the flat and into the more interesting stuff. His first real test was a corner followed by a downhill section, with a few moments of the usual back-and-forth with the crew about which way to turn. He took it in stride.

Cornering on a trike is a different skill from cornering on a bicycle. On two wheels, you lean into a turn. On a conventional three-wheeled frame, you stay upright and the trike turns underneath you, which can feel strange to experienced cyclists at first. Taking a corner too fast on a rigid trike can lift the inside wheel, which is why good trike riders slow down before the turn rather than in the middle of it.

Victor seemed comfortable right away. Later in the video he came back to cornering several times, telling the camera to watch how it turns and saying that if you need to make a sharp turn, you can, and that it is not overwhelming. That phrase is worth paying attention to. A trike that feels overwhelming in a tight turn makes riders nervous, and nervous riders tend to stop riding. One that feels manageable builds confidence.

He was also sensible about speed in the turns. At one point he said he did not want to go too fast or be too demanding of the trike, and then rounded the corner cleanly. That is exactly the right approach for any trike rider: set your speed before the turn, let the machine settle, and accelerate out of it once you are pointed straight again.

The Climb: Gears, Hills and First Gear

The uphill section is where electric assistance either proves itself or does not. Victor's reaction was one word: "Beautiful." He followed it up by saying you could feel that this was an all-terrain machine.

A little later he shifted down, saying he was going to change gears and drop to first, and then pronounced the result perfect. That detail is a good reminder that the motor is only part of the story. Gears still matter on an electric trike. A lower gear lets your pedaling and the motor work together efficiently on a steep grade, so you are not mashing the pedals at a painfully slow cadence or leaning entirely on the battery. It also gives you more control and a more natural feel when the ground is loose.

Victor came back to the climbing ability later, saying it goes up the hill so easily. For riders who live in hilly areas, this is often the deciding factor. Many people who stop cycling as they get older do not stop because of flat-ground riding. They stop because the hill between their house and everywhere else becomes a wall. Take the wall away and riding comes back into their lives.

If you are still sorting out how gears and electric assistance work together, or how many gears you actually need for your terrain, our Choosing a Bike guides cover the basics in plain language.

If there is a single moment from the video that sums up the All-Terrain, it is the pine cones. Victor spotted a scattering of them on the path, said he wanted to see how the trike handled them, and rode straight over. His reaction was three words repeated: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Pine cones are a good real-world test precisely because they are so ordinary. They are hard, uneven and random, and they hide in the same places trails and park paths tend to go. On a rigid trike, rolling over a cluster of them under one wheel produces a series of sharp side-to-side jolts. On a bicycle, they can kick the front wheel sideways. Either way, they demand attention.

Victor rode over them without fuss and brought them up again later, reminding viewers that they had seen him go over the pine cones and that the trike handled them beautifully. Near the end of the video, he mentioned them a third time in his closing summary. It clearly stuck with him, and it is the kind of thing that matters when you are deciding whether a trike can go where you want to go.

He also said, more generally, that you can feel the independent suspension working, and that if you want to take it on trails that allow it, this is a good machine for the job. He was careful with that qualifier, and we would echo it: always check the rules for any trail before you ride it, since many trails restrict motorized vehicles or e-bikes by class.

Tires play a role here too. Wider, grippier tires spread the load, roll over loose material more easily and add a layer of cushioning before the suspension even comes into play. If you like the idea of riding on sand, gravel or packed dirt, our fat tire electric trikes are built with that kind of surface in mind.

"You're Going to Feel the Road"

Victor was careful not to oversell the ride quality, and that is one of the reasons his opinion is worth listening to. Partway through, he said that this is a mountain bike of sorts, so yes, you are going to feel the road, and that this is what the machine is for.

It is an important distinction. Suspension built for rough terrain is not the same thing as a plush, pillowy ride on pavement. A trail-oriented setup is designed to keep the wheels in contact with the ground and keep the frame stable over irregular surfaces. That means you still get feedback through the seat and handlebars. On smooth pavement, you notice the texture of the surface more than you would on a cruiser-style trike tuned purely for comfort.

For many riders, that feedback is actually a good thing. It tells you what the ground is doing, which makes it easier to pick a line and adjust your speed. Victor seemed to enjoy it. He talked about the stability being his favorite thing about the trike and described the build as very sturdy, which is the other half of that trade: a machine that lets you feel the ground also has to feel planted, or the feedback just becomes noise.

If you mostly ride on smooth bike paths and neighborhood streets and you care most about a soft ride, that is a reasonable priority, and there are other trikes in our lineup better matched to it. If your riding includes dirt roads, park trails, gravel shoulders or uneven beach access paths, the All-Terrain's character starts to make a lot of sense.

When Victor stepped back to say what he liked most about the trike, it was not the speed or the climbing. It was the stability.

That is a telling choice. Stability is the whole reason most people consider a trike in the first place. Three wheels mean you do not have to balance at low speed, at a stop, or while starting off. You can pause at a crosswalk without putting a foot down. You can ride slowly through a crowded area without wobbling. You can look over your shoulder without the front wheel drifting.

What Victor seemed to appreciate is that the All-Terrain keeps that stability on ground that would unsettle a lot of trikes. Rough surfaces tend to expose weaknesses in a frame: flex, rattles, a sense that the whole thing is shaking itself loose. He called it ergonomic and sturdy, and in the same breath said it was just a beautiful ride. He also called it very sturdy on its own a few moments earlier. For a rider in his late sixties who has clearly ridden a lot of different machines, that kind of repeated, unprompted praise for the build is worth noting.

Ergonomics deserve a quick mention too. A comfortable, upright riding position reduces strain on the lower back, wrists and neck, which makes longer rides possible and makes short rides more pleasant. If you want to fine-tune your comfort, accessories like a different seat can make a noticeable difference on longer outings.

Picking Up Speed on the Descent

On the second downhill stretch, Victor put the trike through a more demanding test. He said that you have the gears to handle the descent, and then called out his speed as he went: 13 miles per hour, then 15. He said that was fine, then said he needed to slow down a bit, and did. His description of the result was smooth, as smooth as can be. Then he came to a full stop to prove the point.

For a downhill run on a trike, 13 to 15 miles per hour is a brisk pace. It is fast enough to feel lively and fast enough that you want confidence in your brakes and your chassis. What matters here is less the top number and more the fact that he was able to scrub off speed exactly when he wanted to, in a controlled way, with no drama.

A few moments later, he picked up speed again, announced he was going to start slowing down, and said it slowed down beautifully before he guided it into another corner. That rhythm of speeding up, braking in a straight line and turning at a sensible pace is good technique on any trike, and it is clear the All-Terrain makes it easy to ride that way.

A practical note for anyone planning to ride downhill regularly: check your brakes before every ride, keep an eye on pad wear, and make sure your tires are at the recommended pressure. Brakes that feel strong on a flat test loop can feel very different at the bottom of a long hill if they have not been maintained. If you need replacements down the road, our tires and other parts are available directly.

Toward the end of the ride, Victor discovered something he clearly enjoyed. He said you can lean back and forth and asked the camera to look at the suspension and see how it moves side to side, calling it fantastic.

This is the independent suspension doing something more than soaking up bumps. When the rider shifts their weight, the suspension responds, which gives the trike a more natural, almost bicycle-like feel in turns and on uneven ground. Instead of feeling like you are sitting on top of a rigid platform, you feel like you are part of how the machine moves.

It is also, frankly, fun. Victor's next line was "I love this bike," and a minute or so earlier he had laughed and said the cornering reminded him of his motocross days. There is something to be said for a mobility vehicle that makes you grin. Fun is what gets people out the door on a cool morning when they could just as easily stay in. A trike you enjoy riding is a trike you will actually ride.

At one point he got distracted by a little kid nearby going back and forth on their own ride, and pointed it out with obvious delight. It was an unscripted moment, but it says something about the mood of the whole test. He was not grinding through a checklist. He was out riding and having a good time.

Where It Belongs: Lakes, Beach Roads and the Back Country

As the ride wound down, Victor started thinking out loud about where he would take the All-Terrain. His first answer was a lake, then the beach, and specifically the roads that run along and up from the beach. He pointed out that you cannot really do that kind of riding on a mountain bike without a lot of leg work.

That is a fair point. Sand, loose gravel and soft ground take a lot of energy to ride through on a conventional bicycle, even a good mountain bike. Add a hill or two and many riders simply give up. Combine motor assistance, wide tires, a stable three-wheel platform and suspension, and suddenly those places are within reach for riders who would otherwise stay on the pavement.

He also described it as excellent both for everyday transportation and for exploring the wilds, and that dual role is really the heart of what this trike offers. On a Tuesday, it is the thing you ride three miles to the store. On a Saturday, it is the thing you load up for a day at the lake. Most vehicles force you to choose one of those lives. This one is comfortable in both.

Victor even pictured some professional uses, suggesting that geologists or anthropologists who head out into rough terrain could use something like this. It is an interesting thought. Anyone whose work involves covering ground off the pavement, carrying a bit of gear, and doing it repeatedly over a long day could benefit from a stable, assisted machine that does not need a trailer or a parking space. If you are looking for places to try, our Ride Ideas articles are full of suggestions for routes and outings, and a set of bags and panniers makes it easy to bring along water, snacks and a light jacket.

Victor's closing thoughts were the most enthusiastic part of the video. He called the trike a pleasant surprise and said he never thought an electric vehicle could behave so much like a mountain bike. Then he landed on the comparison that probably sums it up best: it is like having a little Jeep.

That is a good shorthand. A Jeep is not the most refined vehicle on a highway, and it is not trying to be. Its appeal is that it will go where other vehicles will not, it feels solid doing it, and it makes the trip part of the fun. The All-Terrain plays that same role among electric trikes.

He admitted he had never known machines like this existed, which is common. Many riders assume electric trikes are only for flat, smooth paths and slow speeds, and that if they want to go off-road, a mountain bike is the only real option. Victor's ride is a useful counterexample. It shows that a three-wheel, motor-assisted machine can handle hills, loose surfaces and debris while still being easy enough to use for a daily errand.

He finished with a clear recommendation, aimed at a particular kind of person: someone who likes mountain biking but does not want to work too hard, or who enjoys getting into the hills, along streams and out into the wilderness. If you are hardy and like getting outdoors, he said, this is your bike. He thought it could probably handle a lot of serious rough terrain, and he called it quite amazing.

Who the All-Terrain Is (and Isn't) For

Pulling Victor's observations together, a fairly clear picture emerges of the rider who will get the most out of this trike.

It suits riders who want the stability of three wheels without being limited to smooth pavement. It suits people who live near trails, beaches, lakes, dirt roads or hilly neighborhoods, and who want the option to explore them. It suits riders who still enjoy pedaling and want to keep doing it, but who would like a motor to handle the hardest parts. It suits people like Victor who are healthy and active today and want something that will still make sense as their needs change. And it suits anyone who simply wants their daily errands to be a little more enjoyable.

It may not be the best match if your riding is almost entirely on smooth paths and your top priority is the softest possible ride. In that case, a comfort-focused trike will likely feel plusher on pavement. It also may not be ideal if you need to store your trike in a very tight space, in which case a folding model could serve you better. There is no shame in choosing the right tool for the job, and we would rather you end up on the trike that fits your life.

Weight capacity is another thing to think about if you plan to carry a lot of gear or if you are a larger rider. Our high weight capacity electric trikes are worth comparing alongside the All-Terrain, and our Buyer's Guide lays out what to look for across the whole range.

Victor had the advantage of trying the All-Terrain in person before forming an opinion. Not everyone can do that, but there are ways to get close.

Start with fit. A trike that is the wrong size for your body will never feel right, no matter how good the suspension is. Use the Get Fitted tool to match your height and riding style to the right models, and pay attention to seat height and how easy it is to get on and off.

Next, think honestly about your terrain. Write down the three or four rides you expect to do most often. If most of them involve gravel, sand, hills or rough paths, the All-Terrain's strengths will show up every time you ride. If they are mostly paved, weigh that against the comfort-focused options.

Then take advantage of the trial period. Our 30-day test ride gives you a month to ride it on your own streets and trails. That is far more telling than a few minutes in a parking lot. Ride it to the store, take it up the hill you dread, try it on the path by the lake. If it does not suit you, you are covered.

Finally, check the practical details: shipping, warranty coverage, and how assembly works. Our assembly instructions walk through each step, and if spreading out the cost helps, financing options are available.

The Bottom Line

Victor came in curious and left a fan. Over nine minutes, he tested acceleration, braking, climbing, descending, cornering and rough ground, and the All-Terrain met every challenge he set for it. His favorite qualities were the stability, the independent suspension and the way the brakes and coasting behave like a familiar bicycle. His most memorable moment was rolling over a patch of pine cones without a second thought.

Just as useful as his praise were the honest caveats. He was clear that this is not the smoothest pavement ride in the lineup and that you will feel the road, because it is built for rougher ground. He was clear about where he would take it and who he thinks it suits. That balance makes his recommendation easy to trust.

For riders who want a trike that can handle both the errand run and the lake trip, and who still enjoy the feeling of being out on the trail, the All-Terrain is worth a serious look. As Victor put it, it is like having a little Jeep. For more rider stories like this one, browse our Video Blog, or explore the full electric trike lineup to find the one that fits your rides.