Name: 2016 Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Review
Item: 2016 Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle
Author: Court Rye

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2016 Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Review

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Worksman

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle 750 Watt Hub Motor

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Back View Reflector

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle High Rise Handle Bars Large Display

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Old Plastic Basket

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Battery Key Ignition

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Removable Battery Pack

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Charger Manual

Liberty Trike Short Battery Pack New Model

A compact, folding (and separating!) electric trike designed for easier transport, fitting through doors and modular repairs or replacements
Partially built in America, solid one year comprehensive warranty, uses a powerful 750 watt hub motor in a cast hub motor casing to improve strength and reduce noise
This trike can support up to 400 lbs (passenger plus cargo), it has five power levels and an easy to use twist throttle, the display is large and easy to understand, there's a walk mode and reverse!
Heavier Steel frame, cheaper cranks, tight seat tube and head tube, a few quirks with the first edition have been fixed including a loose controller, quirky power-on sequence and brittle plastic basket

Make:

Liberty Trike

Model:

2016 Electric Tricycle

Price:

$1,498

Body Position:

Upright Relaxed

Suggested Use:

Neighborhood

Electric Bike Class:

Throttle on Demand (Class 2)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

1 Year Comprehensive

Availability:

United States

Model Year:

2016

Total Weight:

80 lbs (36.28 kg) (Rear Half is 41.2 lbs, Front Half is 27 lbs)

Battery Weight:

10.5 lbs (4.76 kg)

Motor Weight:

14 lbs (6.35 kg)

Frame Material:

Steel

Frame Sizes:

13 in (33.02 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

10" Seat Tube, 14" Stand Over Height, 23" Reach, 26" Wide, 55" Length

Frame Types:

Trike

Frame Colors:

Teal, Pink, Yellow, Black, Red, Navy Blue, Orange

Frame Fork Details:

Custom Chromoly Steel 124 mm

Attachment Points:

Rear Rack Bosses

Gearing Details:

1 Single Speed

Cranks:

Steel

Pedals:

Generic Plastic Platform

Stem:

22.2 mm Diameter

Handlebar:

High-Rise Steel, 26" Long

Brake Details:

Coaster Brake in Rear (Pedal Back), Promax Mechanical Disc with 160 mm Rotor in Front, Wuxing Lever with Motor Inhibitor on Right

Grips:

OGK Semi-Ergonomic

Saddle:

Velo, Oversized Sprung

Seat Post:

Steel

Seat Post Length:

350 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

25.4 mm

Rims:

Cast Aluminum

Spokes:

Stainless Steel, 13 Gauge, Black

Tire Brand:

16" x 2.5"

Wheel Sizes:

16 in (40.64cm)

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

Steel Chain Cover, Rear Reflector, Pedal Reflector, Micro USB Port on Display, Chain Tensioner, Parking Brake Latch for the Front Brake, Motor Cable Protector

Other:

Frame is Made in Brooklyn NY, 1.7 lb 2.5 Amp Charger, Max Weight Flat Ground ~400 lbs, Max Weight on 18% Grade (Wheelchair Ramp) ~300 lbs

Motor Type:

Front-Mounted Gearless Direct Drive Hub

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

750 watts

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

10 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

360 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

5 hours

Estimated Min Range:

15 miles (24 km)

Estimated Max Range:

20 miles (32 km)

Display Type:

Fixed, Backlit LCD

Readouts:

Battery Level (5 Bars), Power Level (1-5), Current Speed, Max Speed, Average Speed, Odometer, Trip Distance, Ride Time, Time Clock

Display Accessories:

Reverse Button, Walk Mode

Drive Mode:

Twist Throttle

Top Speed:

12 mph (19 kph)(4 mph Walk Mode)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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The Liberty Trike is a truly liberating electric bicycle designed for people who want improved stability, weight capacity and comfort over more traditional two wheeled bicycles. Adding to the mobility aspects of a trike, you get electric throttle power here so climbing, hauling and simply going further is less of a challenge. I have been super excited to review this e-trike for quite a while… ever since I heard about the custom design from the founder and saw mockup images. This is one of the only folding trikes I’m aware of and it goes one step further with complete separation of the front and rear portion of the frame making it so much lighter to lift (in parts) and compact to store. It comes in a surprisingly compact box but it isn’t what I would call light at ~90 lbs. Once unpacked and setup the weight drops down to ~80 lbs total (with the battery attached) but this isn’t terrible, many electric trikes weigh in excess of 100 lbs and are much wider… and don’t break apart. These are all huge points, being able to ride through most standard door widths means you can take this inside for charging easier or even go into some stores for tasks like grocery shopping. The rear basket isn’t huge and, the demo unit I reviewed here had the older plastic design, but it definitely gets the job done for about two grocery sacks worth of cargo. I was really impressed to hear that the maximum load capacity of the trike is 400 lbs. This is great for larger riders or those who truly want to haul stuff.

The Liberty Trike isn’t perfect, especially the first version that I got to test ride here. Most of the frame parts are Steel which is sturdy but heavy, the crank arms felt a little short, there’s only one gear so pedaling at different speeds isn’t as comfortable as it could be and there was a quirk with the throttle button where if you turned the bike on and the throttle button was set for reverse the twist throttle itself wouldn’t activate consistently (you’d have to coast back to zero mph to use the throttle again). But this and most other shortcomings are being or have been addressed! For a first iteration, this thing impressed and delighted me. You’re getting a powerful 750 watt durable gearless hub motor up front in a cast Aluminum hub for improved protection and strength. The motor power cable is protected by an axle cap, there’s a chain cover to keep your pants clean and the key was modified to avoid snags and bumps as your feet pass by. The latest versions have a shorter (but still similar capacity) battery with a key that folds so it’s completely out of the way and the controller box (that you can see mounted to the bottom of the downtube) is connected with sturdy metal brackets vs. plastic and rubber.

This trike has five levels of power so you can control just how fast you go. There’s no pedal assist mode, just a simple twist-throttle and it’s variable speed so you really get a lot of precision. The lowest level will get you up to ~3 mph while the highest can reach just about 12 mph with the throttle all the way turned. There’s an easy-to-reach control pad mounted near the left grip that includes an “i” button to change readouts and this is what turns the bike on after you’ve inserted the key into the battery and twisted to the “on” position. Activating the bike is a two step process that requires you to bend down and mess with the key (and leave the key in) but the trade off is more standardized parts and removability of the battery pack. At ~$2k with a sub $100 standard shipping cost you get a lot of value here. Update! The trike has dropped in price to ~$1,500 now so it’s even more affordable… Some other improvements have been made as well. The Lithium Manganese batteries in the first batch have been replaced with more compact Lithium-ion cells but both perform well and don’t develop a “memory” as easily if left uncharged and are stable. You should get 1,000+ cycles but rest assured, replacement packs are available for ~$540.

At the end of the day, this is one of the most unique and custom built electric trikes I’ve seen. The Worksman Cycles Liberty Trike aims for value with its price and some of the parts reflect that but it doesn’t sacrifice some of the values customers might appreciate like the made in America frame and good customer support. It made me smile and went way above and beyond with an LCD display vs. the more common LED indicator and this gives you lots of feedback (hold the up arrow to turn on back lighting). I could see myself zooming around on one of these and using it for more than just fun outings, it really can haul and with the fun colors it’s the kind of thing you could enjoy with a friend. From what I’ve heard, the trikes are selling well and are now available at ElectricTrike.com alongside some larger models (if you want to haul more stuff) and some recumbents (if you prefer a more sporty leaned back style). I hope the company continues refining the offering but it seems like they hit the 90% mark and are trying to keep that price reasonable. Reviewing trikes is a rarity for me so judging between models over long periods of time can be difficult, I’ve included more thoughts below but welcome you to chime in with your own feedback, especially if you bought one of these yourself :) Big thanks to ElectricTrike.com for partnering with me for this review.

Pros:

Unique folding-separating design makes the shipping and transporting size smaller, I found it much easier to lift each part than the entire heavy thing (the front is ~27 lbs the rear is ~41.5 lbs and the battery is ~10.5 lbs), re-assembling the trike seems like a two person job so keep that in mind before taking the thing apart on your own ;)
This is one of the most narrow upright trikes I’ve ever tested and that makes it easier to roll or ride through doorways, the widest part of the bike is the handlebars at ~26″ but the rear wheels are only ~24″
I love that the Liberty Trike has reverse mode, this could be useful for parking in tight spaces… there’s also a walk mode that helps to move the bike forward for you if you’re not riding, just hold the button in for several seconds and it goes
The display is large, mounted in a well-protected spot at the center of the handlebars and is backlit so you can read it at night or early morning… just hold the up arrow for a few seconds to activate the light
The design is being improved and refined with a more sturdy controller mount, lighter battery pack, folding key on the battery and a metal basket, these are all areas that were alright on the original but maybe not as easy to use or sturdy
I love that the trike comes with coaster brakes (where you pedal backwards a bit to activate them) as well as a mechanical disc brake in the front! The front brake lever has an integrated parking hold and an electronic motor inhibitor… make sure the brake isn’t on when you try to ride or the motor won’t respond (this happened to me in the video)
The smaller 16″ wheel size keeps this trike super low to the ground and larger 2.5″ tires add some cushion and stability, it’s a decent setup and one that empowers the front hub motor through a mechanical leverage advantage vs. 20″+ tires
The frame is made in Brooklyn NY USA, you get a solid one year comprehensive warranty and shipping is only $98 anywhere in the contiguous USA (not bad considering the ~90 lb shipping weight)
Charging the trike is easy because you can leave the battery on or off, the charger itself is a 2.5 Amp medium-fast charger and it’s in an aluminum shell that seems sturdy… even has a fuse, decent stuff
I didn’t love the seat because it felt a little hard but it does have springs to reduce the impact of bumps and it is oversized to help support larger riders, the handlebar grips felt decent and the high-rise handlebar put me in a relaxed body position with my head up and alert… good ergonomics overall :)
The motor is quite powerful at 750 watts, it’s a gearless design that’s built into the front wheel casing for added strength and reduced noise, the trike was able to take me up to the top speed of ~12 mph with no problem
I like the cast Aluminum front wheel and thicker 13 Gauge spokes on the rear wheels designed to accommodate heavier passengers, I was told that the maximum load capacity for the trike is 400 lbs

Cons:

The plastic basket isn’t as large as you’d see on some other electric trikes, I was surprised that it still felt sturdy and was easy to load, it’s tempting to lift the rear end using the basket but I think that’s a mistake… glad they are switching to a metal basket for the latest versions
There has been a quirk in the system for the early builds of this trike where if you powered it on (with the key in the battery) but had the reverse button depressed the trike would respond oddly, like you could accellerate with the throttle but if you let go and tried to add more power with a second twist it wouldn’t work… you’d need to coast all the way down to zero then start with the throttle again, to avoid this make sure you power the bike on in forward mode not reverse, I’m told this issue is fixed with newer models
This trike only offers one gear, the cranks are a little short and the pedals are kind of cheap… that’s not a huge deal because the throttle works great and a less complex drivetrain will require less maintenance and weigh less
There’s no front reflector included with the trike (or lights), I’d recommend adding some lights for sure if you plan on riding in dusk or dark conditions… I love that there’s a large rear reflector and pedal reflectors and that you can choose from several different colors that are more visible than the black one I reviewed :)
Just like a lot of ebikes with the metal slide-on battery boxes, you have to leave the key in this one to power it up and that means more jingling and potential for snags BUT I like that they positioned the key further back and now offer a folding key to limit how much it sticks out… it’s less of a big deal on this trike than some other models I’ve seen
The head tube and seat tube quick release levers are very difficult to use and tight, this was one of the least fun parts about assembling the bike and adjusting it later, I like the mid-fold quick release lever more but it’s also a little cheap

Resources:

Official Site: http://www.libertytrike.com/
More Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/d6Fu59DC7znQoUVbA

January 29, 2024 (10 months ago)

Liberty Trike Electric Tricycle Review

MSRP: $1,498
MODEL YEAR: 2019

A value priced mobility style electric delta trike with a lot of practicality, while remaining simple and keeping thoughtful considerations. Made to fit through narrow doorways and aisles, able to remove the handlebar and fold…...

Read Review

Sandra Traweek

8 years ago

I am 5’2″ tall and will need to lower the seat. I imagine you are taller than me judging from the seat position. When I lower the seat, will the handle bars be too high for me to reach comfortably?

Court Rye

Hi Sandra! I’m about 5’9″ and the bike felt alright but I do not remember exactly how high the saddle was (judging from the pictures and video here it was pretty high). I believe that lowering the seat post into the seat tube is the appropriate thing to do if you’re struggling to mount or pedal the Liberty Trike. From what I’m seeing the saddle could go much lower and that would solve your problem hopefully :)

Thanks for your reply. I guess I’ll just have to ride one and try it out. I was trying out an ebike and I got the seat down to where I could reach the ground and pedals while I sat on the seat. The handlebars were okay. So, guess I’d have to see what range the seat can come down to be comfortable. I was looking through a pictorial review of the Pedago tricycles and saw one lady about my size and she fit it just right. I appreciate your reply, Court.

Norma Swanson

7 years ago

I ordered your trike while spending the winter in Florida. I am an above knee amputee with prosthesis. The battery back up is the best thing ever for me. I am easily able to go up the many inclines and small hills while back in Illinois also. It is such good exercise for my good knee, as well as a good overall aerobic exercise. I even ride it to church or other activities that I cannot walk to, even if not too far. I get so many compliments on it. Thank you so much for a great sturdy mode of transportation.

Hi Norma! I’m so happy to hear that the Liberty Trike is working well for you. Just being outside, getting a bit of movement, and enjoying activities like church is wonderful. Thanks for sharing your story here and good luck with future rides :)

dfuser

I bought this trike on Kickstarter, originally for my dad, who wouldn’t use it. So I have been riding it for a while – about 700 miles, on and off with my regular bike.

It’s a nice trike, comfortable, if heavy. Yes, it is really hard to adjust the seat and handlebars – they are just too tight a fit. The original battery weighs 20 pounds or more, although the newer models have a lighter one. The slimmer profile is handy for going through doors, and even around stores. Not that I would suggest riding a bike through stores, but our local supermarket doesn’t have a bike rack or even a handy pole to lock a bike.

Customer service is pretty good. Alec, in particular, talked me through several issues. Handy videos are available.

I should point out that I am not the target demographic for this trike – I am an active cyclist, not looking for a “mobility scooter”. As such, I’d like the bike to be faster. It has the motor and the battery for greater speed, and I am looking for advice on how to do it.

Thanks for chiming in with your story and thoughts on this trike, it was nice of you to try and help your Dad out. I don’t know if or how the bike can be made to go faster but Alec might, he’s a nice guy. Another possible route would be to sell your Liberty Trike used locally and consider a different model which is designed for speed to begin with. The ElectricTrike.com website has many choices and they are the same company that makes Liberty Trike so Alec would know about all of the models, which ones could be dialed up in speed ;)

David

Enjoyed your review. So I bought one. Assembled it in 20 minutes. Pulling all the shipping box staples took 5 minutes.

I was surprised to see that the rear wheels are not symmetrical and wondered why. The left wheel cl frame to cl wheel is 11″ the right wheel is 10″
Indy cars have offsets to the right because they only turn left. Hopefully trikes turn L & R! There is no differential. However, only one wheel is driven so that’s not it. Any ideas?

Jon Neet

They don’t ship to Hawaii. Leaves me out.

Bummer to hear that Jon, I wonder if they would ship to Hawaii you offered to pay a bit extra? I have heard that it’s a bit more expensive and can take longer… but Pedego does sell electric bikes on Hawaii from what I’ve heard and they also offer a trike, here are some more details on that one. Good luck!!

mark

This was a present for my Dad’s Birthday. The expected shipping date was updated 3 times. The trike arrived with back wheels untrue and rear fixed sprocket misaligned. The trike no longer comes with an idler sprocket as expected and as seen on purchasing web page at the time of my purchase (which is fine so long as it doesn’t create a future problem – we’ll see). Fixing the rear sprocket was easy with the right tools. I’m told the bike is “fun to ride” although the rear wheels were wobbly. For the wobbly wheels I initially purchased a round metal spoke wrench to fix the issue but the wheels are too small for the circular wrench to work easily and I broke the cheap rear wheel reflector in the process. I’m now waiting on a set of the individual 4-sided loop spoke wrenches to arrive in the mail to fix the wheels (I’ll likely also need to buy or build a truing stand), so I’m not too happy at the moment. I originally thought the concept of the smaller trike to more easily navigate, for the elderly, or just in general, was a great Idea – an investment in my fathers health – but delivery on the concept thus far has failed. I may update this review in the future…

court

Aww, that makes me sad to hear, Mark. I’m sorry that your experience has not resembled the pictures and video presented here. I do my best to “show and tell” what I’m given, but I don’t have control over the end experience and rely on comments like this to provide that to other potential customers. I have known Jason Kraft for many years, and he seems like a good guy. I wonder if he has been trying to bring the cost of the product down or if this was a one-time incident? I do invite you to post further commentary and I hope the situation becomes better. I am sorry for you… please share a link to the tools you ended up buying to make the bike work (the 4-sided loop spoke wrenches) so that others might also get the right things and not break their reflectors etc. if you are able.

Mark

A follow-up to our previous post. It was NOT the wheel that was untrue but rather the axle plate where the wheel connects, It was unevenly welded. The company has been more than responsive and is sending parts to fix it and is offering to replace the entire trike if we’re unable to fix it. So all in all, our issues are being addressed. If you’re considering purchasing the Liberty Trike, I think you’re safe in placing your trust in this company. My opinion has changed from one of frustration to empathetic. It seems like a good company with good people. Capable of mistakes but they’re owning up to theirs and making amends. – the trademark of a great company.

Wow, that’s really great to hear, Mark. Thanks for following up. My experience with Jason and his team has always been very positive as well… but I can relate to having miscommunications or just limited resources as I am frequently behind on emails and sometimes miss requests. It’s good of you to post an update, and I hope the Liberty Trike works great from here on out :D

Carol Oddy

6 years ago

I would love to win a Electric Bike, have been entering the contest every day since it started ! I have MS & Arthritis and thought that my bike days were over for good until I came across your contest !! I have to live with Arthritis with out any medications because the meds would make the MS worse than it already is ! I can’t afford to buy a Electric Trike because I live on a very low income. Thanks for your time !!

Court

Hi Carol, what’s the contest that you’re referring to? Is this something that Liberty Trike is running? I just review the bikes here, I don’t sell them :)

David M Noel

I’m looking at a Liberty Trike and, thanks to a local owner of one, have been able to take a short ride and talk with her abut her experiences. Have been told that the electric motor component can still be used if the chain from the pedals was to break, thus giving a bit of back-up for still getting home. Also, was told the trike is rated as a Class II medical device and buyer receive some printed evidence of that, which can help being allowed to use the trike in some facilities, e.g. parks. Can anyone confirm or correct either of these points? Have been very favorably impressed thus far. Thanks.

Hi David, it sounds like your friend is well educated about her trike. Yes, since the motor is mounted in the front wheel, it should still operate and move the bike even if the chain breaks. This is true of all trikes or ebikes with front hub or rear hub motors, just not mid-drive systems. In my experience, chains don’t break that frequently, so this may be a marketing message more than a legitimate advantage over competing products. As for the Class II medical device stuff… it sounds like more marketing stuff to me. Most e-trikes are rated Class 1 or Class 2 electric bikes meaning they can reach up to 20mph (some only 15mph) and they either do or do not have a throttle. Having a throttle makes it Class 2. The folks at Electric Trike dot com are great marketers and may provide paperwork that you can show to a police officer or some other authority figure, but I have never been confronted about riding an electric trike or ebike in the city as long as I was riding carefully. I wouldn’t use either of these two expressed “advantages” as reasoning to choose the Liberty Trike over any other e-trike. However, I do think it’s a good product and I do like the team that makes it. I believe it offers reverse, which is kind of unique and may be useful for some owners :)