How This ETrike Gave Me My Freedom Back at 74: Riding with Arthritis in a Retirement Community

Hi, I'm Vicki from Vermont, and this is my second update on my wonderful sixthreezero electric trike. I've had it for three or four months now and have already logged 66 miles! I can't express how much I love it. My Life Before the Trike

I live in a retirement community in Vermont, and my apartment is about a half a mile from the community center. I used to make the trip back and forth three, four, or five times a day. However, living with foot arthritis made those constant trips almost impossible.1

Before this, I owned an e-bike, but it wasn't from sixthreezero. It was very heavy, and I didn't feel safe on it, especially on the winding roads here in Vermont. I decided to trade it in, which led me to start looking at other bicycle companies for better options. Discovering My "Relaxed Body Trike"

I happened upon sixthreezero and was impressed by the many choices on their website. It didn't take long for me to focus on their trike options, and I eventually chose the relaxed body trike. Since getting my trike, I'm back and forth to the community center so many times a day, and every time I get on it, I just smile. It's become a highlight of the community; so many people stop to talk and ask all about it. Essential Features for Safety and Mobility

The trike has everything I could want and more:

• Derailleur: Allows me to move between higher and lower numbers, which gives me more resistance when I pedal. 
• Power and Handling: It has a lot of power and handles the hills with ease.1
• Reverse and Lights: It has reverse and a light, which I appreciate. I also added two mirrors for safety.1
• Gigantic Basket: This is essential! I use it daily for getting my mail and packages. I also call the trike my "beach buggy" because I take it almost daily, the two miles down to Shelburne Beach, where the basket perfectly holds my dumbbells for water exercise.1

The Throttle: A Game-Changer on Hills

Living in rural Vermont means the roads are quite narrow, hilly, and don't have a great shoulder, so I always wear a bright yellow vest to make sure everyone can see me.

The absolute most important feature for me is the throttle. I couldn't manage this trike without it. If I have to stop on a hill to let cars go in front of me, the trike stays still. When it's time to get going, I simply use the throttle to start until I convert over to pedaling. It’s very easy. With my old e-bike, I had to turn around, go down the hill, find a flat part, get on the bike, and start up again—it was very annoying. The throttle makes stopping on a hill incredibly easy.

I have nothing but good things to say about sixthreezero. When they didn't have mirrors in stock, I spoke to customer service, and they were very kind, sending me model numbers and advising me on what to get on Amazon. It’s been a joy to work with the company, and I've referred countless people to sixthreezero. I am going to be very sad when winter comes, and I can't ride it anymore!