A tadpole trike with a focus on value as well as stability with efficient tires, recumbent seating position, and adjustments to get you dialed in
Open platform allows you to swap battery sizes, adjust the top speed and amp flow to change performance vs. efficiency, large bright display panel is easy to work with, nice efficient road tires
A 500 watt motor, 48v 10ah battery pack, mechanical disc brakes, a parking brake, motor inhibitor, and reliable mechanical system
The display panel is mounted more securely but you have to glance away from the road to read it, tires suffer on non-paved trails and roads, and it is somewhat heavy and hard to maneuver in tight spaces
Video Review
Introduction
Make:
Electric Bike Technologies
Model:
Electric Eco-Tad Trike
Price:
$2,338
($250 Shipping, Fully Assembled Ready to Ride)
Body Position:
Recumbent
Suggested Use:
Neighborhood, Urban
Electric Bike Class:
Throttle on Demand (Class 2), Speed Pedelec (Class 3)
Promax Mechanical Disc with 160mm Rotors, Wuxing Levers with Motor Inhibitor and Parking Latch
Grips:
Flat Rubber, Locking
Saddle:
Alloy Frame, Padded Mesh
Seat Post:
Rans Style Seat Slide
Rims:
Alloy, 20 x 1.5, 36 Hole
Spokes:
Front Stainless 14 Gauge Black, Rear Stainless 12G Silver
Tire Brand:
Kenda Kwest, 20" x 1.5"
Wheel Sizes:
20 in (50.8cm)
Tire Details:
40 to 65 PSI, 2.8 to 4.5 BAR
Tube Details:
Schrader Valve
Accessories:
48v 9Ah Battery in Soft Bag (-$286), 48v 20Ah Battery in Soft Bag (+$366) Adjustable Angle Seat with Removable Cover, Adjustable Length Boom, Plastic Chain Guide, Heavy-Duty Dual Torque Arms for Motor Mount
Other:
Locking Removable Battery, 1.5 lb 3 Amp Charger, KMC Z Chain, Hold Up Arrow for Backlighting, Max Weight ~300 lbs
To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Electric Bike Technologies. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Electric Bike Technologies products.
Electric Bike Technologies has definitely become a leader in trikes thanks to products like the Eco Delta and Liberty Trike. Today we are looking at the Eco Tad Trike, a tadpole style trike made with stability and value in mind. Right off the bat, you will notice the efficient tires. These are a 20” x 1.5” Kenda Kwest set that do great on the road and get that stand-over height nice and low at 15”. The trike is kind of stripped down to save money, but you still get a lot of comfort with the steel frame… this combined with the recumbent style seating means more pedal torque and power from the rider as well. The trike is very easy to mount with its recumbent design and even keeps the handle bars within easy grasp since they are mounted up in front. It is quite an impressive design with an overall focus of adjustability, comfort, and reliability. As I just mentioned, the handlebars are uniquely mounted, they sit independently from each other on separate head stems, but this allows the rider to get on and off very easy and positions them for this seating that thankfully resembles more of a lawn chair than a narrow bicycle seat. As a matter of fact, I love the laid back seating position… this makes it low impact on the joints, gives it great balance, and is very approachable, especially for people with physical considerations. Once seated the you can see the display on your left and throttle on the right. The seat here is very comfortable… it features mesh backing with a lot of bracing and has a feel akin to that of a hammock. The seat is adjustable in reclining positions, but the real adjustment is going to be the pedal extension which is done at the ‘boom’ of the trike (the front crank arm section). I love all the other little touches here like the tubing around the chain to keep your clothing and legs clean from grease, really such a simple touch that goes a long way. There are plenty of bottle cage bosses, even some on the seat… and I have to call out this separate controller. This helps keep maintenance costs down while making battery replacement cheap and easy as well. Also, Electric Bike Technologies dials this trike in when you buy it, it can be sized up for specific customers and comes fully assembled. The version we tested has a rack that comes with the battery, another handy feature if it suits your needs.
Driving the trike is a rear hub-drive 500 watt geared motor. This works great in this application and gives it a smooth handling feel, thanks to that long wheel base. You get a throttle override and 5 modes of pedal assist. The pedal assist is powered by a cadence sensor, so as you apply gentle pressure to the pedals, the electric motor will quickly jump in and take over. The top speed is 20mph out of the box, but you can configure it to go faster and Electric Bike Technologies will even help you with that. Mechanically, the trike is operated by a 7 speed system with 14-28 tooth cassette and a 38 tooth chain ring in the front. Actual shifting is done via the grip shift on the right handlebar and feels quite natural. Stopping the trike is done in the front, you get 160mm mechanical disc brakes and a motor inhibitor in the right brake handle. There is no brake in the back, but that is not needed as much with a tadpole style trike like this. I should also mention the parking brake that is included too.
Powering the trike is a rear mounted lithium ion battery pack. As tested, we went with the 48v 10ah pack which comes in this great metal case. It is secured via lock and key and slides in and out of this rear rack housing easily. Electric Bike Technologies does offer both a 9ah version as well as a massive 20ah version on their site. The former option would be great if you want to cut overall cost on the trike while the later option will grant you more range on a single charge. It should be noted however, that the metal casing is only for the 10ah version we tested. Both the lower 8ah version and higher 20ah version come in a zipper bag rather than a metal case. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
Operating the trike is simple. Once the battery is mounted, start by turning the key in the on position. From there, the display will come to life and give you the read outs. The battery is shown across the top in 16 ticks. These ticks are in an infographic that somewhat resembles a ruler. Shown below that is you speed in MPH and the various levels of pedal assist you might be in, 0-5. To change the pedal assist, simply hit up or down on the arrow controls mounted on the left handle bar. There is an odometer readout below that and pressing the mode button will change that to display max speed, average speed, and trip set. Hold the up and down arrows together for a moment and that will unlock the deep drive menu. Here you can mess with top speed as well as other electrical power configurations to really get the setup how you want it. I think it is cool they used a special mount for the display here. It used to be in the middle and that got in the way of pedaling thighs from time to time so this new position is great. However, my only gripe with the display on this trike is that having it mounted on your left side and a bit further down means you have glance over at it and take your eyes off the road, so do be aware of that.
Wrapping up my time with the Eco Tad Trike was a ton of fun. I love recumbent style trikes and making one that focuses on stability and value is a big win. I want to mention the tradeoffs here though, so let’s go over those real quick. The trike is cumbersome, so moving it around a garage, storage, or tight spaces and corners is somewhat difficult if you are used to bikes. A minor gripe, but a lot of bikes and trikes alike are adding battery integrated lights, this would have been a great addition for safety. Also, it should be noted that the display is a bit out of the way, so much so that you may have to take your eyes off the road for a glance to read it, so do be aware of that. At the end of the day however, the trike was a lot of fun wrapped in a great price ($2,338). I love that it is backed by the same company that brought us E-Bike Kit as well as the Liberty Trike, they have quite the stellar customer service reputation here too. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to come out and check out the Eco Tad Trike.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the trike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Electric Bike Technologies forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
A tadpole trike with a focus on value as well as stability with efficient tires, recumbent seating position, and adjustments to get you dialed in
The road tires included are a 20” x 1.5” Kenda Kwest set that do great on the road and get that stand-over height nice and low at 15”
The pedals sit higher than the waist, this combined with the recumbent style seating means more pedal torque and power from the rider
The handlebars are uniquely mounted, they sit independently from each other on separate head stems, but this allows the rider to get on and off very easy and positions them for this seating that thankfully resembles more of a chair than a narrow bicycle seat
The seat is adjustable in reclining positions, and there is even more adjustment like the pedal extension which is done at the ‘boom’ of the trike (the front crank arm section)
I love all the other little touches, like the tubing around the chain to keep your clothing and legs clean from grease, plenty of bottle cage bosses, even some on the seat, and I have to call out this separate controller that helps keep maintenance costs down while making battery replacement cheap and easy as well
In addition to the 48v 10ah battery, Electric Bike Technologies offers other battery options as well, such as a more affordable 9ah version and a high range 20ah version
Decent brakes with motor inhibitors in the right brake lever and a parking latch so the trike won’t roll away
This e-trike gives you pedal assist, throttle on demand and has an open computer system allowing for integration with more after-market battery packs, you can also dial down the top speed and amp output for safety and efficiency
A cadence sensor detects pedal motion and I love that the throttle has an active override, meaning you can engage it at anytime to get out of the way or something or get some speed
I think it’s great that you can order the Eco Tad shipped directly to you ready to ride, they will even get it dialed in based on your size and needs before it gets out to you
I like the pedals they chose for this trike because they offer good traction, more surface area, they match the frame and just seemed sturdier
Cons:
My only gripe with the display on this trike is that having it mounted on your left side and a bit further down means you have glance over at it and take your eyes off the road, so do be aware of that
Although I thought the tires did great on road, these are defiantly not tires you want to take off-roading, or even on light gravel for that matter
There are no integrated lights or flag pole accessories included here, these would be nice to have because they would improve convenience while enhancing safety… but you do get reflectors and the red frame is a little more visible
The key must be left in the battery pack and switched to on when riding, it stays out of the way on this trike but might still jingle a bit if you’ve got a keychain attached
If you are used to bikes, keep in mind trikes are more cumbersome, they are heavier, large, and are not the easiest to maneuver around a tight garage or to travel with
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