Why a Dual Motor E-Trike Is a Game Changer for Heavy Riders: A Real Hill Climb Test

Why Every Heavier Rider Should Know About Dual Motors

I've spent 20 years in the bike and e-bike industry, and one question I hear from heavier riders more than almost any other is some version of this: is an electric trike actually going to get me up the hills where I live? It's a fair question. It's also one I take personally, because I'm a heavier guy myself. I'm about 230 pounds, and I live and ride in San Clemente, California, a beach town with a lot more hills than people expect when they picture the coast.

So I decided to answer it the most honest way I know how. I took our Simple Glide dual motor e-trike, which has a 750-watt motor in the front and a 750-watt motor in the rear, and pointed it at the steepest, longest climb I could find. I filmed the whole thing. And I'll admit up front that the hill turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be. More on that later.

Before we get into the ride itself, I want to lay out why this matters, who I think this kind of trike is really for, and what having two motors actually changes about the experience. If you're a bigger rider, or you're shopping for someone who is, this is the conversation I'd want to have with you if you walked into our shop.

What extra weight does to a climb

Here's the simple reality. Everything on the trike has to be carried up the hill: the frame, the battery, whatever you've got in the basket, and you. On flat ground, the difference between a 160-pound rider and a 280-pound rider is pretty small. The trike rolls, the motor helps, everyone's happy. Tilt that road upward, though, and the whole load is working against gravity for every foot you climb. The heavier the total package, the more work it takes to keep moving.

That work has to come from somewhere. It comes from the motor, from your legs, or from some combination of the two. When the motor does less, your legs have to do more. When your legs can't do more, you slow down, and eventually you stop. Anyone who's ever ground to a halt halfway up a hill knows how discouraging that feels, and it's one of the biggest reasons people give up on riding altogether.

None of this is a knock on any particular motor. It's just physics, and it's why I talk about rider weight so openly. Pretending it doesn't matter doesn't help anybody pick the right trike.

Being fair to the single motor

I want to be honest about the single 750-watt motor, because I ride one regularly and I like it. At my weight, on a single 750, I can do the hills around San Clemente. I'm not stuck at the bottom. But it does require real effort on my part. I'm pedaling, I'm working, and on the steeper stretches I know I've been on a ride.

For a lot of riders that's perfectly fine. Some people want that workout. It's a different story, though, if you're heavier than I am, if you're just getting back into riding, or if the hills where you live are steeper and longer than the ones I deal with day to day. That's where the gap between "I can make it" and "I can't make it" starts to show up.

The real difference: you choose how hard you work

If I had to boil this whole article down to one sentence, it would be this: with dual motors, I get to pick how hard I work. That's it. That's the game changer.

On a single motor, the hill sets the terms. On the dual motor, I set them. If I feel strong and want to push, I can pedal hard and let the motors fill in. If I'm tired, or the grade gets ugly, I can lean on the motors and take it easy. The hill doesn't get to decide how my ride goes anymore.

I really do think it's a game changer, especially for riders who are 250 pounds and up. That's the point where, in my experience, some of the more intense hills go from "maybe, if I really grind" to genuinely feasible. If you're shopping with your weight in mind, our electric trikes with high weight capacity are a good place to start, and you can always browse our full lineup of electric trikes to see how everything compares.

Who I made this for

I made this video with a specific person in mind. Maybe you're 280, 300, 340 pounds. Maybe you've decided you want to get back into shape, and a trike feels like a more comfortable, more confidence-inspiring way to do it. And maybe you live somewhere with hills, and there are places you want to go: a lookout, a friend's house across town, a coffee shop at the top of a grade you've been driving up for years.

You might not be able to take on all those hills under your own power yet. That's not a failure; it's a starting point. Getting your body there is something you build up to. The dual motor is what lets you start that process now, on real roads, instead of waiting until you're "in shape enough" to ride. I'll talk more about the fitness side later, because I think it's one of the most misunderstood parts of riding electric.

One of the things I like most about the Simple Glide dual motor is that it doesn't force you into one way of riding. Having two motors on board doesn't mean you have to use both of them all the time. You can switch between running both motors and running just one, and you can ride on throttle alone if you don't want to pedal at all. Those options sound small on paper, but on a long ride they make a big difference.

Throttle only: when you just want the trike to do the work

Let's start with the throttle, because it's what I used for a big chunk of the climb in the video. With the throttle, you don't have to pedal at all. Feet off the pedals, thumb on the throttle, and the trike carries you. I did exactly that on one of the steepest parts of the hill, and with both motors working, we kept climbing at my weight with no pedaling from me.

Some people hear "throttle only" and assume it's cheating. I don't see it that way at all. There are plenty of moments when the throttle is exactly the right tool: getting rolling from a stop on a grade, giving your legs a breather halfway up a long hill, or simply getting home when you've used up your energy for the day. If having a throttle is important to you, take a look at our electric trikes with throttle control.

Pedal assist: working with the motors

Pedal assist is the other half of the picture. When I kicked in my pedaling partway up the climb, things changed. I'll be honest about one detail: when I started pedaling, I actually went a little slower at first, and then I built up to a nice speed. That's partly down to the gear I was in, which I'll get to in the hill section. The bigger point is that I was contributing, the motors were contributing, and I wasn't winded at all.

That's the sweet spot for a lot of riders. You're moving your legs and getting your heart rate up, but you're not crushing yourself. The trike meets you where you are.

One motor or two: why the switch matters

Here's a feature I think gets overlooked. You can choose to ride with both motors or with just one. Why would you ever run on one? Because as you go farther on a ride, you may want to avoid using both motors the whole way. Maybe you're on flat ground and simply don't need the extra push. Maybe you'd rather save some of that energy for later.

And let's face it, towards the end of a ride you're tired. You've been out for a while, your legs are done, and you just want the trike to do most of the work. That's when it's nice to have the second motor waiting for you. You can switch back to both motors and let them carry you home. Having that choice on board, wherever you happen to be, is a big deal when you're far from the house and the last stretch has a hill in it.

A simple way to think about the modes

When I explain this to riders, I usually frame it around how you feel and what the road is doing:

• Feeling strong on flat ground: run a single motor with pedal assist and let your legs do a good share of the work.
• Rolling hills or a moderate climb: use both motors with pedal assist, so you're contributing without grinding.
• A steep, long grade, or you're simply tired: use both motors and the throttle, feet off the pedals if you need it.
• End of the ride, running on empty: whatever combination gets you home comfortably. That's what the motors are there for.

Those are my habits, not hard rules. The whole point is that you get to decide. Nobody knows how your legs feel on a given day better than you do.

Why choice matters more for heavier riders

For a lighter rider, the difference between modes is often a matter of comfort. For a heavier rider, it can be the difference between finishing a ride and calling for a pickup. If you're carrying more weight, your margin on a hill is smaller. A single motor plus tired legs might not be enough on a grade a lighter rider wouldn't think twice about.

Having two motors gives you that margin back. You can ride conservatively early on, knowing there's more power available when you need it. That's a confidence thing as much as a performance thing. When you know the trike won't leave you stuck halfway up a hill, you start saying yes to rides you would have skipped.

It changes how you plan your routes, too. Instead of mapping out the flattest way to get somewhere, you can just go. If the most direct route has a hill in it, fine. If the place you want to see is at the top of a climb, even better. Battery capacity still matters on longer outings, of course, so if range is a big part of your decision, it's worth comparing our electric trikes with long-range batteries as you shop.

Talk is cheap, so let's get to the ride. I wanted to show you a real hill, not a gentle slope that looks impressive because of a clever camera angle. San Clemente has no shortage of climbs, and I picked one I knew I would not be able to get up without the dual motor at my weight. What I didn't know was just how long it was going to keep going.

Starting out on the throttle

I got set up at the bottom and started on throttle only. One honest note first: if you watch the video, you'll hear some clicking. That's the canopy on my trike. It needed adjusting, and I hadn't gotten to it before we rolled out. It has nothing to do with the motors or the drivetrain. I mention it because I'd rather you hear it from me than wonder about it. If you're thinking about adding shade to your own ride, we carry trike canopies too. Just make sure yours is snugged down before a big climb, unlike mine.

The road started as a good little grade, a bit windy as we climbed. Right away I could feel the difference. On a single 750-watt motor, this section alone would have been substantially more difficult for me. On the dual motor, we were just going up.

When it got steep

Then the hill got serious. I said it a few times in the video, and I'll say it again here: I hope you can tell on camera how steep this was, because cameras are terrible at showing grade. It was a very decent climb, the kind you feel in your chest just looking at it.

Here's what I want you to notice. Even on that steep part, I was still using my legs when I chose to. And when I took my feet off the pedals and ran throttle only, we were still climbing. At my weight. On a hill I'm honestly not sure I'd get up at all with only 750 watts.

When I added my pedaling back in, I slowed down a touch at first and then built up a nice speed. And here's the part that surprised even me: I wasn't winded at all. On a hill like that, on a single motor, I'd have been breathing hard. On the dual motor, I could keep talking to the camera the whole way.

The hill that wouldn't end

I'll be straight with you: I didn't know this hill was this long. Every time I thought we were near the top, the road turned and kept going. I laughed about it on camera because, honestly, what else can you do? But this is a real hill, and this is real life for a lot of people. Plenty of riders live at the top of something like this, or have to get over one to get anywhere.

Now imagine you're under 200 pounds on this same climb. You'd be flying up it even faster than I was. The motors don't change, but the load does, and a lighter rider gets even more out of the same setup.

At some point I just said it out loud: this was probably the longest and steepest hill I've ever done on an e-trike, and it was never-ending. We were literally climbing to the top of San Clemente, up toward what could very well be one of the highest points in town. Even when I thought we'd reached the top, we hadn't. So I figured we might as well go all the way up.

My honest verdict on a single motor

I kept coming back to one thought the whole way up, and I said it plainly in the video: on a single 750-watt motor, I am not getting up this hill. No chance. Zero chance. That's not a knock on single motor trikes. They're great for a lot of riders and a lot of terrain. But for a 230-pound guy on a climb like this, it's simply not enough, and if you're heavier than me, the gap only gets bigger.

Almost at the top, I took a little break. Not from riding, but from pedaling. I let the throttle do the work for a stretch. That's exactly the kind of choice I was talking about earlier. I wasn't exhausted, but there was no reason to push when the motors could carry me, so I let them.

The view

Then the ocean opened up below us, and that view is the reason I wanted to make this climb in the first place. Rides like this are why people buy trikes. You want to get to the top of the hill where there's a nice view, and you want to get there without needing a nap afterward.

We kept climbing after that, and eventually I wasn't entirely sure where we were. At one point I had to stop and figure out which way to go. Left wasn't a through street, so we skipped that and headed down the other way, past some nice houses and even better views. Looking back, I legitimately think we climbed the highest peak in San Clemente. We were way up there, and we'd started way down at the bottom. That is quite a view, and it was worth every bit of the climb.

A quick word on comfort for the long haul

One thing you don't see on camera is how your body feels after a climb like that. Because I wasn't fighting the hill, I wasn't tensed up, white-knuckling the bars, or hunched over trying to will the trike up the grade. On a long climb, that matters. If comfort is high on your list, our most comfortable electric trikes are worth a look, and if getting on and off easily matters to you, browse our easy-to-mount e-trikes with a low step-thru.

Why I climbed in seventh gear

One detail from the climb that riders always ask about is gearing. For much of that hill I had the trike in seventh gear. I could have shifted down to make it easier, and a lot of riders would. I just like the power I get when I'm in a higher gear. Each pedal stroke feels like it's doing something, and the motors and I feel like we're pushing together. To each their own.

Later in the climb I did shift down, partly to show you the difference. In the lower gear I started pedaling a little faster, and it was a little bit easier on my legs. Neither choice is wrong. A higher gear gives you more push per stroke but asks more of your legs. A lower gear lets you spin faster with less effort per stroke. Play with it on your own rides and find what feels natural.

The bigger lesson is that gears and motors work together. With the dual motor, you have room to choose the gear that feels good instead of the gear you need just to survive the hill. That's the same idea as everything else in this article: more power on board means more of the decisions are yours.

"But you're just using the electric"

Now let's talk about the comment I always get. Every time I post a video like this, someone says, "Oh, you're just going to use the electric." Well, yeah. You are. That's the point. But you're still going to be working out your legs.

Look at that climb again. On the seriously steep part, I was still using my legs. I wasn't sitting there like a passenger the whole time. I pedaled when I wanted to, I took breaks with the throttle when I wanted to, and I got to the top having actually worked. The difference is that I got to the top. On a single motor at my weight, the alternative wasn't a harder workout. The alternative was not making it up at all.

That's the part I think people miss. A workout you can't finish isn't much of a workout; it's a reason to quit. A workout you can finish, and want to do again tomorrow, is how people actually get fitter.

The motor lets you get your body into shape

This is where I think the dual motor matters most for heavier riders. If you're at 280, 300, or 340 pounds and trying to get back into shape, you're probably not going to take on every hill under your own power right away. That's okay. It's something you build up to.

Having the motors is what lets you start. You can get out on real roads, go to the places you actually want to go, and put in real effort, without the worry of getting stuck at the bottom of a hill or halfway up one. As you get stronger, you lean on the motors less. Maybe you run one motor instead of two on the rolling sections. Maybe you pedal through a hill you used to throttle all the way up. The trike grows with you.

In my experience, the riders who stick with it are the ones who enjoy it. And it's a lot easier to enjoy a ride when you're not dreading the hill on the way home.

How to build up over time

If you're starting from scratch, here's roughly how I'd approach it if I were in your shoes. It's not a training plan, just a sensible way to ease in:

• Start with rides you know you can finish, and use as much motor as you want. Early on, the goal is to build the habit.
• Pick one section of a regular route, maybe a short hill, and try to pedal a little more of it each week.
• Try running a single motor on flat stretches, so your legs do more of the work where it's easiest.
• Save the throttle for when you really need it, and don't feel guilty using it when you do.

Over time, the same hill starts to feel different. That's not the trike getting better; that's you. And if you have a health condition or it's been a long while since you were active, it's smart to check with your doctor about how hard you should be pushing before you start.

Not winded at the top

I keep coming back to this because it was the moment that stuck with me most. At 230 pounds, on what may be the biggest hill in San Clemente, I got to the top and I wasn't winded. I'd pedaled a good chunk of it. I'd worked. But I wasn't wiped out, and I could have kept riding. That's what I want for every heavier rider who's on the fence about a trike: rides that leave you feeling good enough to go again tomorrow.

There's a confidence that comes with that. Once you've climbed a hill you were sure you couldn't, the map in your head changes. The places you'd written off because of the climb to get there are suddenly back on the list. For a lot of riders I talk to, that shift matters just as much as the exercise itself.

Who should seriously consider a dual motor

After this ride, here's how I'd sum it up. If you're a heavier rider, especially 250 pounds and up, and you live somewhere with real hills, a dual motor e-trike deserves a serious look. If you're getting back into shape and want to ride now rather than someday, it gives you a way to start without getting stuck. And if you're lighter but your neighborhood is all climbs, you'll fly up those hills even faster.

If you live somewhere mostly flat and enjoy working hard on the pedals, a single motor may be all you need. There's no wrong answer, just the one that fits your body, your terrain, and the rides you want to do. If you're not sure which camp you're in, our personal fitting is a good place to start, so you can get real advice based on your size and the riding you have in mind.

Try it before you commit

I know buying a trike online can feel like a leap. That's why we offer a 30-day test ride. If you don't love it in the first 30 days, send it back. No questions asked, and no money out of your pocket. Ride it on your hills, at your weight, on your roads, and see for yourself.

We stand behind it

We also warranty everything. If anything goes wrong, we'll take care of it, parts and labor. You'll find the full details on our warranty page.

Come ride one in person

If you're anywhere near Southern California, come see us. We're right here in San Clemente, and you can come out and test ride any of our e-bikes or e-trikes to make sure you're making the right choice. Everything you need to plan a trip is on our visit our store page. Honestly, the best way to understand what two motors feel like on a hill is to ride one up a hill, and we've got plenty of those around here.

Talk to riders who already own one

One of the best things you can do before buying is talk to people who already ride. We have a Facebook group for sixthreezero riders with thousands of members, and I always encourage people to join before they purchase. Ask existing riders about their hills, their weight, and how they use their motors. Then, once you have your trike, post in the group, make friends, and share your rides.

When you're out riding, download the sixthreezero app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard. Seeing your miles add up is a great motivator, especially when you're working toward getting back into shape.

Questions? Reach out

If you have any questions at all, about the dual motor, about which trike makes sense for your weight and terrain, or about anything I covered here, leave a comment on the video or contact our team. You can email us at theteam@sixthreezero.com or call us at 310-982-2877. We're real people, and we're happy to talk it through.

Final thoughts from the top of the hill

So there you have it. The dual motor is unbelievable. I took a 230-pound guy up the longest, steepest hill I've ever ridden on an e-trike. I pedaled when I wanted to, I let the throttle carry me when I wanted to, and I got to the top with an ocean view and plenty left in the tank. On a single 750, I wouldn't have made it. On the dual motor, I didn't just make it; I enjoyed it.

If you're a heavier rider who's been wondering whether a trike can really handle the hills in your life, I hope this answers it. Thanks for sticking around, and don't forget: it's your journey. Enjoy the ride.