A tadpole trike with a focus on comfort as well as stability with fat 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, full triple suspension all around
A nice SRAM GX derailleur, triple ring setup for 21 gearing combinations, 2 mechanical disc brakes, a parking brake, motor inhibitor, and reliable electrical system
The display panel is mounted more securely but you have to glance away from the road to read it, suspension not made for large bumps, and it is somewhat heavy and hard to maneuver in tight spaces
Video Review
Introduction
Make:
Electric Bike Technologies
Model:
Electric Fat-Tad Trike
Price:
$2,962
($250 Shipping, Fully Assembled Ready to Ride)
20 mph (32 kph)(Adjustable Speed, PAS Sensitivity, Current)
Written Review
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 Electric Fat Tad Trike, a tadpole style trike made with stability and comfort in mind. Part of that are these Chaoyang fat tires. These are 20” x 4” with some knobby tread and punched out rims to save weight. These go a long way to produce a comfortable ride. If you can believe it, there is also full suspension all around! Each wheel has its own which I might say is more of a coil-over type suspension. These each have about 40mm of travel and help the steering and ride smooth out. However, because this is intended more for balance and steering, I wouldn’t take it over any massive bumps or do some downhill mountain biking or anything. The trike has the pedals sit higher than the waist… this combined with the recumbent style seating means more pedal torque and power from the rider. 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 durability, 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. The pedals here are a metal and plastic combination which works well… 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 an 8 magnet 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 quite interesting. You have a total of 21 gear combinations, due to the 3 chain rings in the front as well as the SRAM X4 derailleur. The setup uses a 22 tooth, 32 tooth, and 42 tooth rings in combination with a 11-34 tooth cassette in the rear. 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 Electric Fat Tad Trike was a ton of fun. I love recumbent style trikes and making one that focuses on stability and comfort 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, in total it weighs around 90lbs. 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 ($3,248). 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 Electric Fat 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 Ebike 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 comfort as well as stability with fat tires, recumbent seating position, and adjustments to get you dialed in
The Chaoyang fat tires included are 20” x 4” with some knobby tread and punched out rims to save weight, these go a long way to produce a comfortable ride
The pedals sit higher than the waist, this combined with the recumbent style seating means more pedal torque and power from the rider
I love that it features fat tires and multiple gears… it has a robust and powerful feeling that is very smooth to ride
A big win here is full suspension all around! Each wheel has its own which I might say is more of a coil-over type suspension, these each have about 40mm of travel and help the steering and ride smooth out
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
You get 21 gear combinations to pedal with on this trike (along with an extra large 11-34 tooth sprocket in the back), whether you’re climbing or going your max speed, those gears will make it easier
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
An 8 magnet 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 Fat 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
The triple full suspension is fantastic, but it really benefits steering and stability with comfort really only kicking in on light roads, definitely not something I would take downhill mountain biking
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 heavy (90lbs in this case), large, and are not the easiest to maneuver around a tight garage or to travel with
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You oversold the stability. Yes it just sits there on 3 wheels. BUT, there are riding situations where it will go over very easily, and very quickly. I have 1,000 miles on my EBT Fat Tad and have been over 3 times. One of those I was on my head and the trike was on top of me. Luckily, all three were at very low speed. 1st roll over was sliding on snow and one front tire hit a ridge on the concrete, 2nd was a U-turn on an angled trail, and 3rd was on the side of a ditch to get around a fallen tree on the rail trail. The trike stopped with the uphill tire hitting a branch, I added torque to the pedal, and I was instantly on my head. With your legs extended out in front, it’s very difficult to react quickly and lean. Another thing you should have mentioned is the gearing. I don’t think anyone can pedal fast enough to go 20mph. I’ve changed the big chainring twice for larger tooth count, and still pedal out around 17.5 mph. In stock form, 15 mph is really fast pedaling. Also pedal too fast, and you can get a fish tailing wiggle. The 20ah battery pack should get a stronger recommendation. At the trike weight and easy riding position, the 10ah pack would give a disappointing result. I’ve added a second 20ah pack and semi-slick tires for long distance rail trail riding. One last comment. They allow setting PAS levels to either 5 steps or 9. The 9 steps are very nice for fine tuning. It’s great for extending the range.
Hi Scott! I believe that the most stable three-wheelers are the tadpole trikes (the ones with two wheels up front) because they can corner faster without tipping. Delta trikes (the ones with two wheels in the back) are prone to tipping at higher speeds when turning sharp. Now, with dogs… you could get pulled directly from the side or back and side, which could tip a tadpole, so this is a tossup… also, having two wheels up front means that the dog would run directly towards one of the front wheels or be forced further out to the side. With a delta trike, they would have to be staying ahead of the rear wheel, which sticks out. There are some cool dog walking attachments for bikes that position the leash further out to one side. Check these out, they usually have a pole that clamps onto the seat post or other part of a bike and some have a spring at the end… so it elevates and extends the leash so the dog is positioned away from the wheels and the leash isn’t getting run over or caught in the wheels ;)
Richard Coers
5 years agoYou oversold the stability. Yes it just sits there on 3 wheels. BUT, there are riding situations where it will go over very easily, and very quickly. I have 1,000 miles on my EBT Fat Tad and have been over 3 times. One of those I was on my head and the trike was on top of me. Luckily, all three were at very low speed. 1st roll over was sliding on snow and one front tire hit a ridge on the concrete, 2nd was a U-turn on an angled trail, and 3rd was on the side of a ditch to get around a fallen tree on the rail trail. The trike stopped with the uphill tire hitting a branch, I added torque to the pedal, and I was instantly on my head. With your legs extended out in front, it’s very difficult to react quickly and lean. Another thing you should have mentioned is the gearing. I don’t think anyone can pedal fast enough to go 20mph. I’ve changed the big chainring twice for larger tooth count, and still pedal out around 17.5 mph. In stock form, 15 mph is really fast pedaling. Also pedal too fast, and you can get a fish tailing wiggle. The 20ah battery pack should get a stronger recommendation. At the trike weight and easy riding position, the 10ah pack would give a disappointing result. I’ve added a second 20ah pack and semi-slick tires for long distance rail trail riding. One last comment. They allow setting PAS levels to either 5 steps or 9. The 9 steps are very nice for fine tuning. It’s great for extending the range.
ReplyGPBraaten
3 years agoRichard, which brand of Semi-Slick tires did you go with? Thx.
ReplyScott
4 years agoWhat type of 3 wheel bike would be best for 2 dogs running along side… 2 wheels on back or front? Another words, which would be more stable.
ReplyCourt
4 years agoHi Scott! I believe that the most stable three-wheelers are the tadpole trikes (the ones with two wheels up front) because they can corner faster without tipping. Delta trikes (the ones with two wheels in the back) are prone to tipping at higher speeds when turning sharp. Now, with dogs… you could get pulled directly from the side or back and side, which could tip a tadpole, so this is a tossup… also, having two wheels up front means that the dog would run directly towards one of the front wheels or be forced further out to the side. With a delta trike, they would have to be staying ahead of the rear wheel, which sticks out. There are some cool dog walking attachments for bikes that position the leash further out to one side. Check these out, they usually have a pole that clamps onto the seat post or other part of a bike and some have a spring at the end… so it elevates and extends the leash so the dog is positioned away from the wheels and the leash isn’t getting run over or caught in the wheels ;)
Reply