Simple Glide Fat Tire eTrike Review: A 51-Year-Old First-Timer Takes It for a Spin

Meet Brian, and Meet the Simple Glide

Brian Staer is 51 years old, and until recently he had never owned an electric trike. He is not a cyclist in the spandex-and-clip-in-shoes sense of the word. He is the kind of rider a lot of people will recognize in themselves: someone who wants to get outside, cover some ground, run an errand or two, and come home feeling better than when he left, without being wiped out by the effort.

For this ride, Brian took out the Simple Glide in its fat tire configuration. It is a three-wheeled electric trike with a wide, supportive seat, a throttle on the right grip, baskets front and rear, and a fold-down platform where you can rest your feet when you are not pedaling. On paper, that is a list of features. On the road, as Brian found out over the course of an afternoon, it adds up to something simpler: a ride that feels relaxed from the first minute.

This article follows his ride from start to finish. We have cleaned up the running commentary from the video, kept the moments that actually tell you something about the trike, and filled in the context a first-time buyer would want. If you are trying to decide whether a fat tire electric trike belongs in your garage, Brian's experience is a useful place to start, because he came to it with the same questions and the same nerves that most new riders have.

We will look at the seat, the steering, the fat tires, the throttle, the speed, the cargo space and the little details like the footrest that only start to matter once you have been riding for a while. Along the way we will talk honestly about who this kind of trike suits best and what to think about before you buy one.

One thing worth saying up front: Brian did not come into this as a reviewer looking for flaws. He came in as a newcomer who was a bit unsure of himself, and the most telling part of the video is watching that uncertainty fade as the ride goes on. By the end he is joking about pedaling like Fred Flintstone and talking about riding for hours. That shift is really what this trike is designed to produce.

First Impressions Before the Wheels Even Turn

The first thing Brian pointed out, before he had gone anywhere at all, was the footrest. The Simple Glide has a platform that folds down in front of the rider, so when you are cruising and do not feel like pedaling, you can put your feet up and simply ride. He demonstrated it in the opening seconds of the video, almost giddy about it, and promised that this was going to be a fun one.

It is a small thing, but it says a lot about what kind of machine this is. A traditional bicycle asks you to stay engaged the whole time: balance, pedal, steer, repeat. The Simple Glide is built around the idea that you should be able to settle in. The footrest, the seat and the throttle all point in the same direction. This is a trike for people who want to enjoy the ride rather than work at it.

Walking around the trike, the other obvious features jump out quickly. The tires are noticeably wide. There is a basket up front and another one in back. The seat is not a narrow saddle but a broad chair with a backrest. And the layout is the classic delta arrangement: one wheel in front, two wheels behind.

If you have only ever ridden two-wheeled bikes, that combination can look a little unusual at first. But every one of those choices exists to solve a problem new riders run into. Narrow saddles get uncomfortable. Skinny tires feel twitchy on rough pavement. Two wheels require you to hold yourself up at low speeds. Backpacks get sweaty and heavy. The Simple Glide answers each of those with a fairly direct fix.

Brian's verdict before he had even settled in was that the fat tires were the feature he liked most. As the ride went on, the seat gave them a serious run for their money. But both, as we will see, earned their place.

If you are browsing the wider range of electric tricycles, it helps to start the way Brian did: look at the trike as a whole and ask what kind of riding it is set up for. The Simple Glide in fat tire form is clearly set up for comfort first, convenience second and a bit of fun on top.

If there is one detail Brian kept coming back to throughout the ride, it was the seat. He described it early on as a lumbar seat that is almost like an office chair, and he repeated some version of that several more times as the miles rolled by. At one point he said flatly that he could sit in it for hours if he needed to.The chair is so comfortable, too. My back.

That is not a throwaway comment. For a lot of riders in their fifties, sixties and beyond, back comfort is the single biggest factor in whether they actually ride or whether the bike ends up parked in the garage. A traditional bicycle puts you in a forward lean with all your weight on a small saddle and your hands. Over time, that position works the lower back, the wrists and the shoulders, and it can make a ride that should be pleasant feel like a chore.

A full seat with a backrest changes the posture entirely. You sit upright, your weight is spread across a much larger area, and your lower back has something to lean against. Brian specifically mentioned that the lumbar support made a difference when riding longer distances and on ups and downs, which is exactly where a poorly supported back starts to complain.

There is also a psychological side to it. When you are comfortable, you relax. When you relax, you ride more smoothly, you look around more, and you are less likely to tense up and overcorrect if something unexpected happens. Brian talked about getting the wind in his face and just enjoying it, and that kind of easy enjoyment is much harder to come by when you are perched on a hard saddle wondering how much longer you can stand it.

If seat comfort is near the top of your list, it is worth browsing sixthreezero's collection of the most comfortable electric trikes to see how different models approach it. And if you already own a trike and want to upgrade what you are sitting on, the sixthreezero seats collection is a good place to look.

For Brian, though, the stock seat on the Simple Glide was already the highlight. By the end of the video it had clearly become his favorite feature, mentioned almost as often as the tires.

Why One Wheel in Front and Two in Back Makes Life Easier

Brian brought up the wheel layout early, and his reason was simple: it makes the trike very easy to steer. With one wheel up front and two in the back, the front end turns lightly and predictably, while the rear pair provides a wide, stable base.

That stability matters most at the moments where two-wheeled bikes are hardest to manage. Starting from a stop, crawling through a parking lot, pausing to look both ways at a crossing, making a slow tight turn on a narrow path: all of these ask a bicycle rider to keep their balance at low speed, which is genuinely tricky, especially if you have not ridden in years. On a trike, you simply do not have to think about it. The machine stays upright whether you are moving at fifteen miles an hour or sitting still.

Later in the ride, Brian put it this way: on a two-wheeler you have to balance it yourself, but this one balances it for you. That is the whole case for a trike in one sentence. You get to focus on where you are going, not on staying upright. I know a lot of times when you're on a two-wheeler, you got to balance it yourself. But this one really sort of balances it for you.

It is worth being honest that trikes handle differently from bikes, and riders coming over from two wheels should take a few minutes to adjust. You steer a trike rather than lean it. On sharper turns, especially at speed, you want to slow down and let the front wheel do the work rather than throwing your body into the corner the way you might on a bicycle. Brian did not have any trouble with this, but it is a good habit to build in your first few rides.

For riders who are specifically looking for that sense of security, sixthreezero groups a number of options under electric trikes for seniors, though plenty of younger riders choose trikes for exactly the same reasons. Stability is not an age thing. It is a confidence thing.

There is also a practical benefit that often gets overlooked: when you stop, you do not need to put a foot down. You can sit at a crosswalk, chat with a neighbor or check your phone at a corner without holding the trike up. It sounds minor until you have done it a few times, and then it is hard to go back.

Fat tires are the defining feature of this version of the Simple Glide, and Brian mentioned them so many times that they almost became a refrain. He liked how they looked, but more importantly he liked how they felt. With the fat tires, he said, he felt comfortable and in control, and he could feel the balance of the trike underneath him.

So what is actually going on? A wider tire puts more rubber in contact with the ground, and it holds a larger volume of air. That bigger air cushion soaks up bumps, cracks, expansion joints and rough patches far better than a narrow tire. On a trike with no front suspension, the tires are doing a lot of the shock-absorbing work, so going wider makes a noticeable difference in how smooth the ride feels.

The larger contact patch also helps with grip and a planted, stable feel. That is what Brian was describing when he talked about feeling in control. On loose surfaces like packed dirt, gravel shoulders, grass or sandy paths near the beach, fat tires are much less likely to dig in or skitter than skinny ones. He even mentioned the beach and the mountains when talking about where you might take this trike, and those are exactly the kinds of places where wide tires earn their keep.

There is a trade-off, of course. Fat tires add a bit of weight and rolling resistance compared to slim road tires. On a purely pedal-powered bike that would be a meaningful downside. On an electric trike, the motor makes up the difference, which is why fat tires and electric assist pair so naturally. You get the comfort and traction without paying for it in leg effort.

Brian summed it up near the end of the ride, saying it was a very comfortable bike with the fat tires and that he loved them. If the comfort of the ride is what you are after, it is hard to argue with that.

If you want to compare options, sixthreezero has a dedicated collection of fat tire electric trikes. And when it comes time to replace rubber down the road, you can find replacement tires and tubes in the parts section. Keeping fat tires at the right pressure is one of the easiest things you can do to keep the ride smooth, so it is worth getting in the habit of checking them every week or two.

The Throttle, and Why It Helped a Nervous New Rider

This is the part of the ride that will matter most to a lot of readers. Brian was candid about it: at 51, new to e-trikes, he was a little nervous at first, and his main worry was acceleration. Anyone who has tried an electric scooter or e-bike that surged forward unexpectedly knows the feeling. A sudden burst of power can be startling, and for a beginner, startling quickly turns into scary. At 51 years old, I'm new to the e-trikes and I was a little nervous at first, mainly because of the acceleration. I know sometimes acceleration can scare you.

The Simple Glide has its throttle on the right hand. Twist and the trike moves; let go and it stops pushing. Brian found the acceleration responsive, and he said several times that it accelerates really well, but the key for him was that it felt manageable. He got used to it quickly, and what reassured him most was knowing exactly what would happen when he let go.

In his words, if he takes his hand off the throttle, the trike slows down for him rather than continuing to push forward the way some other electric devices do. That predictability is everything for a new rider. Once you trust that letting go means slowing down, you stop riding tense. You stop hovering over the brakes. You start enjoying yourself.

This is a good moment to separate two things that sometimes get lumped together. Releasing the throttle cuts the motor, and the trike will coast and gradually lose speed. That is not the same as braking. When you need to stop, and especially when you need to stop quickly, you still use the brakes. Brian's point was about confidence in the motor's behavior, and it is a good one, but every new rider should practice braking in a quiet spot before heading into traffic.

If a throttle is high on your wish list, sixthreezero has a collection of electric tricycles with throttle control that is worth browsing. And if strong, consistent stopping power matters to you, take a look at the electric trikes with disc brakes as well.

The broader lesson from Brian's experience is that the fear most people have about electric assist usually comes from not knowing how the machine will respond. Ten minutes in an empty parking lot, getting a feel for the throttle and the brakes, does more for your confidence than any spec sheet ever could.

About two and a half minutes into the ride, Brian decided to see what the trike could do. He opened up the throttle, and a few moments later he called out that he was at almost 15 or 16 miles an hour. He was clearly enjoying it.

It is worth putting that number in context, because speed on a trike feels different from speed in a car or even on a bicycle. You are sitting low and upright, out in the open air, with nothing between you and the breeze. Fifteen miles an hour on a trike feels brisk and lively. It is plenty fast for neighborhood streets, bike paths, beach boardwalks and errands around town, and it is a pace at which most riders still feel completely in control.

Brian mentioned more than once that if you like those top speeds, you will like this trike. But he paired that with comments about how controlled and stable it felt at speed, which is the important part. A trike that is fast but squirrelly is no fun. A trike that gets up to speed smoothly and stays planted, thanks in part to those fat tires, is a different story.

For anyone thinking about speed, a bit of practical advice. First, check the rules where you live. Local regulations on electric bikes and trikes vary, and some paths have posted speed limits or restrictions on motorized use. Second, remember that a three-wheeled vehicle is wider than a bicycle, so give yourself extra space when passing pedestrians or other riders. Third, slow down before turns rather than during them. Trikes are stable, but physics still applies, and taking a corner too fast is the most common way new trike riders get surprised.

Finally, wear a helmet. It sounds obvious, but a lot of people who ride trikes for comfort and leisure skip it because the ride feels so tame. At fifteen miles an hour, it is worth protecting your head. The sixthreezero helmets collection is an easy place to start.

Brian clearly got a kick out of seeing what the Simple Glide could do, and he made a point of saying how well it accelerated. But the real takeaway is that the speed was fun without ever being intimidating. For a rider who began the day nervous about acceleration, that is a big shift in a short time.

Crossing the Street: Real-World Riding

A short but telling moment in the video comes when Brian has to cross a street. He slows down, says he is being mindful of the traffic, and then crosses smoothly. It takes just a few seconds, but it is a good illustration of what everyday riding on a trike actually looks like.

Street crossings are one of the places where trikes really shine for new riders. On a bicycle, approaching a crossing means slowing down, possibly unclipping or putting a foot down, balancing while you wait, and then getting moving again from a standstill, which is the wobbliest moment of any bike ride. On a trike, you simply roll up, stop, look both ways and go. There is no balancing act, and the throttle gets you moving from a stop without having to push hard on the pedals.

Brian's comment right after the crossing was that the trike accelerates very well. That quick, smooth start is useful in exactly this situation. You want to clear the intersection without lingering, and being able to roll away cleanly from a stop makes crossings feel much less stressful.

A few habits make street riding on a trike safer. Make yourself visible: bright clothing, lights for dusk and early morning, and a bell to let pedestrians know you are coming. Remember that a trike is wider than a bicycle, so you may need a little more room on narrow paths and at curb cuts. And do not assume drivers see you. Make eye contact when you can, and ride predictably.

It also helps to plan routes that suit the trike. Quiet residential streets, protected bike lanes, multi-use paths and boardwalks are ideal. Busy arterial roads with fast traffic and no shoulder are best avoided, not because the trike cannot handle them, but because those roads are not much fun on anything without a roof and airbags.

Brian made it look easy, and on a trike like this, it mostly is. The combination of stability, upright visibility and a responsive throttle takes a lot of the anxiety out of the moments that tend to make new riders nervous.

The footrest showed up in the first few seconds of the video and again near the end, and it is one of those features that seems like a novelty until you use it. On the Simple Glide, there is a platform that folds down in front of the seat. When you are not pedaling, you can rest your feet on it and just ride on the throttle.

Brian loved this. He talked about putting the platform down, putting his feet up and relaxing when going long distances. Later he described it as a way to coast instead of pedaling, and said that was a very comfortable way to ride as well.

Why does this matter? On a regular bike, if you stop pedaling, your feet either stay on the pedals, where they spin or sit at awkward angles, or they dangle. Neither is particularly comfortable for more than a minute or two. On a long, easy stretch, having a proper place to rest your feet lets your legs fully relax, which means you can stay out longer and arrive less tired.

It also changes how the trike feels to ride. With your back supported by the seat and your feet on the platform, the posture is closer to sitting in a comfortable chair than riding a bicycle. That is exactly the point. For riders with sore knees, limited mobility or just a preference for taking it easy, being able to switch between pedaling and resting gives you a lot of flexibility.

One practical tip: get used to moving your feet between the pedals and the platform while stopped before you try it on the move. It is easy once you have done it a few times, but you want that motion to be second nature before you need it. And when you are riding in traffic or on a busy path, keep your feet on or near the pedals so you are ready to react.

If you are drawn to the idea of a laid-back, feet-forward riding position, it may also be worth looking at sixthreezero's recumbent electric trikes, which take that relaxed posture even further. For Brian, though, the Simple Glide hit a sweet spot: upright enough to see over traffic and feel engaged, relaxed enough to put his feet up when he wanted.

Pedaling Anyway: The Fred Flintstone Moment

Not long before the end of the ride, Brian announced that he wanted to see what kind of top speed he could get using what he called the old Fred Flintstones. In other words, he started pedaling along with the motor. He was laughing about it, but it is a useful reminder that the Simple Glide is not throttle-only. You can pedal whenever you like.

That flexibility is one of the underrated advantages of an electric trike. Brian was refreshingly honest about his own preferences: he said he would rather use a motor than his legs any day of the week, and that he loved not having to worry about getting gassed or winded. Plenty of riders feel the same way, and there is nothing wrong with that. A trike that you actually ride because it is easy beats a bike that sits in the garage because it is hard. I don't have to worry about getting a little gassed or a little winded. I would rather use a motor than my legs any day of the week.

But it is also nice to have the option. Some days you might want a bit of light exercise. Pedaling along with the motor lets you move your legs and get your heart rate up a little without ever having to grind up a hill on your own. On the way home, if you are tired, you can let the motor take over and put your feet on the platform. The trike adapts to the rider, not the other way around.

This is a big part of why electric trikes have become so popular with people who had stopped cycling altogether. Maybe a knee started bothering them, or a hill on the way home became too much, or they just lost confidence on two wheels. An e-trike removes those barriers. You ride as much or as little as your body wants on any given day.

Brian closed out that stretch of the ride saying he was having no problems at all and that it was a very comfortable bike. It is hard to imagine a better endorsement from someone who, by his own admission, prefers not to pedal.

Early in the ride, Brian pointed out the two baskets: one up front and one in the back. He immediately started listing the places they would come in handy, from the grocery store to the beach to the mountains, and noted that having extra places to put things is especially useful if you want to travel a bit further.

Cargo space is one of the most practical advantages a trike has over a bicycle. On a regular bike, carrying anything substantial means a backpack, a pannier setup or a precariously balanced bag on the handlebars. On a trike, the rear basket sits between two wheels on a stable base, so it can carry a decent load without throwing off your balance. Add a front basket and you have room for a full grocery run, a beach bag and towels, a picnic, or gear for a day out.

That is what Brian meant when he described the Simple Glide as great for mobility. A trike with good cargo space is not just a recreational toy. It can genuinely replace short car trips. If the grocery store, the pharmacy, the post office or a friend's house is within a few miles, a trike like this turns those errands into something you might actually look forward to.

A few tips for loading up. Put heavier items in the rear basket, low and centered, where they sit over the rear axle and keep the trike stable. Use the front basket for lighter things you want to reach easily, like a phone, keys, a water bottle or a light jacket. Avoid stacking things so high that they shift during turns, and use a bungee net or strap for loose items.

If you find yourself carrying more than you expected, there are ways to expand. sixthreezero offers a range of baskets and bags and panniers that can help organize and protect what you carry. And if hauling is a big part of how you plan to use your trike, take a look at the collections for electric tricycles with a large basket and cargo electric trikes.

For Brian, the baskets were part of what made the Simple Glide feel like a complete package: comfortable, quick, and ready to actually be used for everyday life rather than just a spin around the block.

Who the Simple Glide Fat Tire Is Really For

By the end of the video, Brian had a clear pitch. If you are looking for an e-trike that is very comfortable, very fast, has a basket up front and a nice seat, this is the one for you. That is a fair summary, but it is worth breaking down who is likely to get the most out of this particular trike.

First, riders who are new to electric trikes and a bit nervous about it. Brian is the perfect example. He started the ride uncertain about acceleration and finished it relaxed and laughing. The combination of three-wheel stability, a predictable throttle and a supportive seat makes it easy to build confidence quickly.

Second, anyone for whom back comfort is a deciding factor. If a regular bike saddle leaves you sore, or if leaning forward over handlebars aggravates your back, the office-chair style seat and upright posture are likely to be a real relief. Brian mentioned his back so often that it is clear this was a big deal for him.

Third, riders who want to use a trike for practical trips. The front and rear baskets make errands easy, and the fat tires handle the cracked pavement, curb cuts and gravel shoulders that come with real-world routes.

Fourth, people who like a bit of pep. Brian enjoyed the acceleration and the 15 to 16 mile-per-hour pace he reached. This is not a trike that feels sluggish.

Who might want to look at something else? If you need to fold your trike to fit in a small car trunk or apartment closet, a folding electric trike may suit you better. If you plan to carry a passenger, look at options for passengers. If getting on and off is your main concern, browse the easy-to-mount e-trikes with a low step-thru to compare frame heights. And if you are a larger rider or plan to haul heavy loads, the high weight capacity electric trikes collection is worth a look.

If you are not sure where you fall, sixthreezero's personal fitting is designed for exactly this question. It matches your body and riding style to the right model rather than leaving you to guess.

Brian's ride shows what the Simple Glide feels like, but nothing replaces trying it yourself. The good news is that buying an e-trike online does not have to feel like a leap of faith.

sixthreezero offers a 30-day test ride, which gives you a month to ride the trike in your own neighborhood, on your own routes, with your own groceries in the basket. That is a far better test than a five-minute spin around a store parking lot. If it is not right for you, the return shipping is covered.

Shipping itself is free nationwide, which you can read more about on the shipping page. The trikes arrive mostly built, and if you want to see what the final steps look like before you order, the assembly instructions walk through the process. If you run into trouble, the company's mechanics can help.

For peace of mind after purchase, it is worth reading through the warranty details so you know what is covered. And if spreading out the cost would make things easier, there are financing options available.

If you would rather see a trike in person before committing, you can visit the store and take a test ride, or use the retailer finder to locate a dealer closer to you.

And if you are torn between several models, the fitting consultation connects you with a real person who can talk through your height, riding goals, mobility needs and budget. It is the kind of advice that can save you from buying a trike that looks right on screen but does not quite suit your body or your routes.

Brian came into his ride as a nervous beginner. The most valuable thing a new rider can do is get to that same point of comfort he reached, and the test ride, fitting help and support are all designed to get you there with as little risk as possible.

The Bottom Line on Brian's Ride

Over about five minutes of riding, Brian went from admitting he was nervous about acceleration to talking about riding all day long. That is the clearest summary of what the Simple Glide fat tire trike does well. It takes the things that make cycling intimidating for many people, namely balance, discomfort, unpredictable power and the effort of pedaling, and smooths them out one by one.

The seat earned the most praise. Its office-chair shape and lumbar support kept Brian's back happy and made long rides sound genuinely appealing. The fat tires came a close second, giving him a smooth, planted ride and a sense of control. The one-front, two-back wheel layout handled the balancing for him, and the throttle delivered quick acceleration that he quickly learned to trust, especially once he realized the trike eases off as soon as you let go.

Add front and rear baskets for errands and outings, a fold-down footrest for coasting with your feet up, and the option to pedal whenever you feel like it, and you have a trike that adapts to however you want to ride on a given day. If you're looking for an e-trike that's very comfortable, very fast, it's got the basket in front, it's got the nice seat, this is the one for you.

Is it the right trike for everyone? No single model is. Riders who need folding, passenger seating or a very low step-thru may be better served by other options in the electric trike lineup. But for a rider like Brian, someone new to e-trikes who wants comfort, confidence and a bit of fun, the fat tire Simple Glide makes a strong case for itself.

If that sounds like you, browse the fat tire electric trikes, take advantage of the test ride, and see how quickly your own nerves turn into the kind of grin Brian was wearing by the end of his ride.