Meet the Simple Glide Dual Motor: Two Motors, Two Batteries, 1500 Watts
I have been in the bike and e-bike business for 20 years, and in that time I have learned to be a little skeptical whenever someone tells me a trike can “fly up hills.” Most three-wheelers I have ridden can get up a hill. Flying is a different story. So when we got the Simple Glide dual motor, dual battery model in at the shop, I knew exactly where I wanted to take it: the same steep San Clemente climbs I have used to test trikes for years, plus a few trails I had honestly never ridden before.
This is a recumbent e-trike with two motors, two batteries, and up to 1,500 watts of power on tap. I am 230 pounds, which matters for everything you are about to read. A heavier rider is the real test for any electric trike, because extra weight is exactly what exposes a motor that is working too hard. If a trike can haul me up a steep grade without me pedaling, it is going to feel effortless for a lot of riders out there.
Below, I will walk you through the setup, the features I think matter most, and then every climb, trail section, and descent from the ride, including the moments that did not go perfectly. I would rather you see the whole picture than a highlight reel.
What “Dual Motor, Dual Battery” Actually Means
Let me start with the headline feature, because it is what separates this trike from the typical single-motor three-wheeler you will see in our electric tricycle lineup.
The Simple Glide dual motor has a hub motor in the front wheel and a motor driving the rear. When both are running, you have one motor pushing from behind while the front wheel pulls you forward at the same time. On a steep or loose climb, that combination is what keeps the trike moving when a single motor would start to bog down. You will hear me talk about torque on the front wheel a lot in this review, and that is why.
Feeding those motors are two batteries with a combined 30 amp hours of capacity. More battery capacity is what lets you lean on two motors without worrying about running dry halfway through a hilly ride. On this test I spent a lot of time in the highest assist level and on the throttle, which is the most demanding way to ride any e-trike, and I was not watching the battery gauge nervously the whole time.
Switching Between One Motor and Two
Here is a detail I think a lot of people will appreciate. You can switch between running just one motor or running both motors together. That flexibility matters because e-bike and e-trike rules are not the same everywhere. Depending on what is legal in your area, and where and when you are riding, you may need to keep things to a single motor on certain paths or streets.
My approach is simple: ride on one motor where the rules call for it, and save dual motor mode for the places where it is allowed and where you actually need the extra muscle. For this video, we headed out to trails where we could use the dual motor setup, so you could see what it can really do. Before you ride, please check your local regulations. That is your responsibility as a rider, and it keeps trails open for everyone.
Comfort Features That Matter on a Long Ride
The Simple Glide is a recumbent-style trike, which means you sit back in a supportive seat with a comfortable backrest instead of perching on a narrow saddle. If you have never ridden a recumbent before, our recumbent electric trike collection is a good place to see how that seating position works. For a lot of riders, especially anyone dealing with back, hip, or balance issues, sitting back like this is the difference between a 20-minute ride and an all-afternoon ride.
It rolls on 4-inch-wide fat tires. Those wide tires give you more rubber on the ground, which helps with stability and traction, and they soak up a lot of the small bumps you hit on rough pavement or dirt. If you like the idea of a trike that does not panic when the pavement ends, take a look at our fat tire electric trikes.
The trike I rode also had dual rear suspension. I almost forgot to mention it at the start of the video, but it ended up being one of the most important features of the whole day once we got onto the dirt. Between the fat tires and that rear suspension, the off-road sections were a lot less jarring than I expected.
Storage, the Canopy, and the Cockpit
My test trike was set up with a front basket and a rear basket, so there was plenty of room for gear, a jacket, or a grocery run. It also had a canopy on top. The canopy is optional, but on a sunny Southern California afternoon it is a nice thing to have. You can browse sixthreezero canopies and sixthreezero baskets if you want to set your own trike up the same way.
Up front you get a full color display that shows what you need while you ride. You can twist the throttle and let the motors do the work, or pedal and use pedal assist. Either way is fine, and I switched between both all day. When you do pedal, you have seven gears to work with.
Stopping comes from hydraulic disc brakes. On a trike this capable, good brakes are not optional. Later in this review I hit around 25 to 28 miles per hour on a long downhill, and that is exactly the moment you want strong, predictable braking under your hands.
That is the setup. Now let me show you what happened when we pointed it at the hills.
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That history is exactly why I wanted to start there. I know how that hill feels. I know where it starts to bite, and I know what it takes to get up it. It is the closest thing I have to a controlled test.
Throttle Only, Zero Work
I put both motors into play, twisted the throttle, and did absolutely nothing else. No pedaling. I just sat back and let the trike climb.
Partway up, I had my camera operator ride alongside so you could see the front wheel. That front tire was gaining traction and actively pulling. With the rear motor pushing and the front hub motor spinning, the trike just kept going at a steady pace, and I never felt it straining underneath me.
I will be honest: this was kind of a dream come true for me. I have climbed this hill a lot of times, and it has always been harder than this. Watching it happen with my feet doing nothing was the moment I understood what dual motor really means on a trike.
A Little Rattle, and an Honest Moment
Right around this point, something started banging on the canopy. I do not know exactly what it was, and I did not stop to fix it on camera. I mention it because I want you to see the real ride, not a polished commercial. Any accessory that mounts above you can pick up a rattle over bumps, so it is worth checking that everything is snugged down before a ride on rough ground. I made a note to sort it out later and kept riding.
Pedal Assist on a Steeper Grade
Next we turned onto a short trail section that climbs at a decent grade. This time I shifted into pedal assist and started pedaling, and that is where the trike surprised me again. Pedal assist with two motors behind you is a very different experience from pedal assist on a single motor. I was moving up that hill with very little effort.
We came around a turn, and I could not help myself, I said “go, speed racer.” It was that kind of moment. The grade kept going, and I was not doing much at all.
On one stretch I switched over to pedaling and checked the display. I was climbing at about 15 miles per hour. On a grade like that, on a trike, carrying a 230-pound rider, that is a genuinely impressive pace. Around the next turn I really opened it up, and the display showed about 20 miles per hour.
If you are a heavier rider, this is the part that matters most. A lot of trikes will technically get you up a hill, but they slow to a crawl doing it, and you end up working hard just to keep moving. Our high weight capacity electric trikes are built with riders like me in mind, and two motors sharing the load is about as good as it gets for keeping your speed up on a climb.
An Off-Road Climb With Real Bumps
After that, I wanted to show you a dirt hill. I rode down it first, and right away the rear suspension earned its place. The descent was bumpy, and the suspension made it a lot easier to stay comfortable and in control.
I turned around near the bottom and pointed the trike back up. This is where you could really feel the front motor. There was a lot of torque on that front wheel. You have the rear pushing and the front hub motor spinning, and on loose ground you can feel both of them working to get you up.
There were plenty of bumps on the way up, and the trike handled them. I got to the top, let out a “woo,” and I will admit I laughed a little. That is not a climb I would have expected a trike to make so casually.
What I Learned About the Front Motor
One thing I want to be clear about, because I think it is useful: on loose dirt, the front motor does not do all the work. Depending on how steep the grade is and how loose the ground is, you are relying on the rear motor for a lot of the push. The front tire can only put down as much power as it has traction for.
But that front motor helps quite a bit. It keeps the front of the trike pulling forward instead of just being pushed, and on uneven ground that makes the climb smoother and more controlled. That is the real benefit of having two motors instead of one big one. You are spreading the work across two wheels.
The Steepest Grade I Have Ever Climbed on an E-Trike
Then we found another hill, and this one was severe. I looked at it and said, no chance am I getting up this without dual motor. Absolutely no chance.
I went for it anyway, with both motors running. It took a bit longer, and it was not graceful the whole way, but we made it. When I got to the top I said it out loud: wow, this was crazy.
I can tell you with 100% honesty that this was the steepest grade I have ever made it up on any e-trike. And I had never ridden that trail before. I did not know what was waiting at the top. That is the kind of confidence two motors gives you. You start looking at hills differently, and instead of turning around, you start wanting to see what is up there.
So that is exactly what we did. We kept going to explore.
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A Word About Trail Signs
Not long after the big climb, I came up on a sign that said to stay on the paved trail. I want to be upfront about that, because I did roll onto a short stretch of wood chips just to show you how the trike handles loose ground. It was a quick demo, not a ride through the area.
When you are out on your own, always follow posted trail rules. Respecting signs is what keeps paths open to e-trikes and e-bikes in the first place, and it is part of being a good neighbor to hikers and other riders. If a trail is paved-only, keep it paved.
Wood Chips and a Fallen Branch
The wood chips were a good test. Loose surfaces like that can make a narrow-tire bike squirm, but on 4-inch fat tires the trike stayed planted. I was using just the throttle, no pedaling, and it rolled right through.
A little further along, there was a small tree branch down across the path. I stopped, moved it out of the way, and kept going. It is a small thing, but it is a reminder that real rides are not perfectly groomed. You want a trike that can handle the odd obstacle and a seat position that lets you hop off and on without a struggle.
Honestly, this trike has so much power that you can throttle through that kind of terrain without thinking about it. That stretch was just plain fun.
Using the Throttle the Smart Way
The throttle on this trike is one of my favorite things about it. You can get all three wheels rolling with a twist, ease through tricky spots at whatever speed feels right, and then start pedaling once you are moving. If you are curious about trikes that let you ride this way, have a look at our electric tricycles with throttle control.
On loose or uneven ground especially, being able to feed in just a little power, rather than pedaling hard to get going, makes the ride smoother and more controlled. That is something newer riders tend to appreciate right away.
Turning Around and Dialing Back the Power
Eventually the trail ran out of places to go, so I turned around and headed back. Up to that point I had been riding in pedal assist level five, which is the highest setting. On the way back I turned it down a bit. With this much power on tap, you do not always need to be flying, and dropping the assist level made the ride more relaxed on the easier sections.
That is something I tell everyone who buys an e-trike: use the levels. High assist for the hills, lower assist on the flats, and you will get a calmer ride and stretch your battery further. Having 30 amp hours to work with gives you plenty of room, but there is no reason to burn through it on flat ground.
Getting a Little Lost
At one point, I genuinely did not know where we were going to come out. We stopped, looked around, and figured we might as well head up a little side path to see what was there. Why not?
That led to a funny moment. I started up a slope still in the lower assist setting and immediately felt it. Oh, that is why we need level five. I bumped it back up, and the trike took off again. Now we were cruising.
I left that moment in on purpose. It is a good real-world reminder that the assist level you choose makes a big difference, and if a hill suddenly feels harder than it should, check your setting before you blame your legs.
Back Into Traffic
From the trail, we came out onto the road. There was a car stopped, and I made sure the driver saw me before I went. They did, and I gave them a thank-you as I rolled past.
This is where I said something I meant: I really need to get my mirrors put on this trike. A trike is wider than a bike, and when you are mixing with cars, being able to see what is behind you is genuinely helpful. If you plan to ride near traffic, put mirrors on your list. It is a small upgrade with a big safety payoff.
Why Suspension and Fat Tires Matter Here
Looking back at this whole section of the ride, the two features that made the biggest difference were the dual rear suspension and the 4-inch fat tires. The motors got me up the hills, but the suspension and tires are what made the rough stuff comfortable instead of punishing.
If you ride on anything other than smooth pavement, whether that is gravel paths, packed dirt, or just old, cracked city streets, those features are worth paying attention to. They make a long ride feel shorter, and they make the trike feel more confident when the ground changes under you.
Next up was the part of the ride I had honestly been looking forward to: hills I usually avoid.
","id":"d6ce72a5-2c4f-45fc-a173-722e8d6001fd"},{"layoutId":"full-width-image-with-out-bleed","variants":{},"image":{"assetId":"3V9gbtWkbi9ttnB8pgj7bi","options":{"backgroundSize":"cover"},"mobileAssetId":"","mobileOptions":{"backgroundSize":"cover"}},"id":"03c03312-8ab0-4353-99c8-386cf78156dd"},{"layoutId":"paragraph-section","variants":{},"heading":"Downhill Speed and the Final San Clemente Hill Climb","body":"Here is something that does not get talked about enough when people shop for an e-trike. A lot of riders skip certain hills, not because they cannot get down them, but because they are worried about getting back up. I am guilty of it too. There are routes around San Clemente that I normally avoid on a trike, because the climb back out is a lot of work.
With the Simple Glide dual motor, I decided to take those on. If the motors could get me back up, there was no reason to avoid them.
A Long, Fast Descent With an Ocean View
We dropped into a serious downhill. I was rolling at about 25 miles per hour, and then I looked over and saw it: a full ocean view. That is one of the best parts of riding in this area, and it is a view you only get if you are willing to go where the hills are.
Further down, I was going about 28 miles per hour. I want to be very clear about those numbers. That speed came from gravity on a long, steep descent, not from the motors. Downhill speed on any trike is something to respect. Three wheels are stable, but they behave differently from a bike in a turn, and at speed you want to brake before corners, keep your weight centered, and stay in control.
That is also why I keep coming back to the brakes. With hydraulic disc brakes on this trike, I had confident, smooth stopping power the whole way down. If you plan to ride hilly terrain, I strongly suggest looking at trikes with strong braking. You can browse our electric trikes with disc brakes to see the options.
At the bottom of one stretch I had a little moment and said to myself, oh boy, stay there. It was a reminder that even with good brakes and a stable trike, a downhill asks for your full attention.
The Final Climb: A Real San Clemente Hill
Then it was time for the payoff. We pulled over at a hill I specifically wanted to show you. It curves up and keeps going, and there was no easy entry point on our side, so I had to loop back toward the camera to line up my run.
If you know San Clemente, you know it is a very hilly area. These are legitimate hills. Unless you are a serious cyclist, you probably would not want to take this one on without an electric bike or trike. It is a decent grade, and it is a decent length, which is the combination that wears people out.
Pedaling Up in Level Five
I started the climb in pedal assist level five and pedaled. The display showed about 14 miles per hour, and I was holding that pace on the grade without much strain. Again, this is with a 230-pound rider on board.
Feet Off the Pedals
Then I did the thing I really wanted you to see. I stopped pedaling completely. Feet off. I just twisted the throttle, and the trike kept cruising up the hill. No pedals at all.
I cannot overstate how much that matters to some riders. If you have bad knees, a hip that does not like long climbs, or you are just getting back into riding after a long break, the ability to get up a real hill on the throttle alone means the hills in your neighborhood stop being a reason to stay home.
After a bit, I started pedaling again to pick up some speed, and the trike responded right away. Having both options, throttle or pedal assist, and being able to switch on the fly, is what makes this kind of ride feel so easy.
Reaching the Top
We reached the top, and honestly, it felt good. Not because I was exhausted, but because I had just climbed a hill I would normally think twice about, and I had done it at a steady pace with a smile on my face.
That is really the whole story of this trike in one climb. It takes a hill that would usually be a grind and turns it into part of the ride you actually enjoy.
What the Numbers From This Ride Tell Me
To pull it together, here is what I saw on the display during the test. On a steep climb, pedaling with dual motors, I hit about 15 miles per hour. On a flatter stretch I opened it up to about 20 miles per hour. On the final San Clemente hill, I held about 14 miles per hour in pedal assist level five, and kept climbing on throttle alone with my feet off the pedals. Downhill, gravity took me to around 25 and then 28 miles per hour.
Your numbers will vary based on your weight, the grade, the surface, and the assist level you choose. But for a 230-pound rider on real hills, those are the kinds of results I have simply never gotten from a single-motor trike.
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My Honest Verdict
You can tell this dual motor is serious. It makes life so much easier, especially for someone heavier like me at 230 pounds. I can get up hills with the twist of the throttle. That one fact changes what is possible on a trike.
It makes longer trips more realistic, it opens up different terrain, and it takes the dread out of routes you would normally avoid. Most importantly, it is a lot of fun. I laughed more on this ride than I usually do on a test ride, and I think that says something.
Who I Think This Trike Is Built For
Based on this ride, here is who I would point toward the Simple Glide dual motor:
If comfort is at the top of your list, you can also compare it against our most comfortable electric trikes. And if you are not sure what size or setup fits your body, our get fitted page is a good place to start before you buy.
A Few Tips From the Ride
A handful of things from this test are worth passing along. First, check your local rules and use single motor mode where it is required. Second, use the assist levels: high for climbs, lower for flats. Third, snug down accessories like the canopy before riding rough ground so you do not end up with the same rattle I did. And fourth, add mirrors if you will ride around cars. I am putting mine on next.
Try It Before You Buy
We offer a 30-day test ride. If you do not love your trike in the first 30 days, send it back. No questions asked, and no money out of your pocket. Every trike is also backed by our warranty, and you can read the full coverage details on our warranty page.
If you are anywhere near Southern California, come see us in person. We are in San Clemente, and you can test ride any of our e-trikes before you purchase to make sure you are making the right choice. You can find the address and hours on our visit our store page.
If you have questions or comments, leave them below the video, email the team at theteam@sixthreezero.com, or call us at (310) 982-2877. I am always happy to talk through what will work best for you.
Join the Community and Track Your Rides
Before you buy, I also recommend joining our rider group on Facebook. There are thousands of members, and it is a great way to talk to people who already own our trikes and hear how they ride in real life. Once you have your own, post in the group, make some friends, and share your rides.
Finally, download the sixthreezero app to track your rides and compete on the leaderboard. With a trike like this, I have a feeling some of you are going to be logging a lot of hill miles.
Thanks for riding along with me on this one. Remember, it is your journey or experience. Enjoy the ride.
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