Recumbent & Tandem Rider Magazine Review #35

Sun EZ-3 Trike I Can Ride!
By John Axen

I was nine years old and had been exploring my small world by bicycle for about four years. It was early summer and the maps of the neighborhoods near and far were strewn about the garage where I kept my favorite steed and my level of anticipation was overwhelming to say the least. I had dreamt of the roads that would lead me to new discoveries and maybe others who shared my love for pedaling as well. It was perfect! Then the worst possible thing I could imagine happened. The doctor's statement still rings in my ears as if it was yesterday"Son, you have to have surgery to remove a growth and you won't be able to ride your bike for at least three weeks." Three weeks! I was devastated! Three weeks! What was I to do? Obviously, I survived because the journeys continue today but I still feel the hurt. I have my friend Grace to thank for reminding how badly I hurt at that time. Grace and her family attend the same church as we do and it was at our annual Harvest Festival for the children that she shared with me about her unrealized dream. I had decided to take one of the RTR test recumbent trikes for a ride and ended up at the festival. I kind of fit in with all the other costumed "kids" as I was all dressed up in Lycra with a headlight mounted on top of my helmet. One of the littlest kids asked: "What type of alien are you supposed to be?" I guess I did look a bit strange At this point Grace came outside to get a bit of air and saw the trike. I could see something in her eyes that I had not seen in anyone for a long time. It was a longing"Come on Grace and try it out." She answered with some hesitation: "Oh, I've never been able to ride a bike." "Sure you can, it's a trike and you don't have to balance at all." After some convincing, she decided to give it a try. This particular recumbent trike was quite low to the ground and a bit difficult for her to bend down and sit as she has had a knee injury in the past. Finally, she did get situated on the trike and tried a few strokes of the pedals. She was quite apprehensive as she rode only a straight path of about twenty feet but she did ride! I could see that this was not the trike for her but that is what started this whole trek into my cycling past. I couldn't imagine never learning to ride a bike and how much of a longing she had. It was that dream never achieved that motivated me to start the search for a recumbent trike that Grace could ride. Most of the adult trikes on the market are just blown up versions of what you and I grew up riding. They are very heavy, unstable, lack any practical gearing, and can't stop safely. In other words, I was not going to stick my friend on something that was potentially dangerous and give her a bad experience. It took a few months to find a good solution but when it came, the EZ-3 Trike had Grace's name all over it Gardner Martin, of Easy Racer fame, has been working with J&B Imports to build a whole fleet of good, functional, and economical recumbents including the EZ-1 and EZ Sport. It was only a natural progression that they would develop a trike of the same quality. The EZ-3 Trike shares many of the distinctive traits of its cousins: Compact long wheel base, sixteen inch front wheel, twenty inch rear wheels, long sweeping handle bars, and the signature EZ-type recumbent seat. In addition, a triple crank set and an eight-speed cassette provide the power and front vee-type brakes and a cable operated rear disk provide the speed control. Top this with Gripshift controls and a functional rear cargo basket you have a very nice package, but can Grace ride it? For the first time since writing for Recumbent and Tandem Rider magazine I have broken a self imposed rule. Normally, I will ride a bike at least one hundred miles before I write a review. There are a variety of reasons for this. First, I need to get to know the characteristics of each bike over a wide variety of conditions. Second, I might have just gotten off the worst bike I have ever ridden and ifthe next is just slightly better I might give it a better review than it deserves. Or, just the opposite might occur, if the bike I just finished with was the very best I have ridden, the next bike I ride might get a poor review due to my attitude toward the first. And just because a bike rides differently doesn't mean that it is not as good as any other, It just rides differently! So the safeguards that I created for myself are meant to give each bike a very fair review. Sometimes it takes one hundred miles to realize the subtle differences. Sometimes much less. I only rode five miles before I realized that it might be the answer for many peoples' long lost dreams, however, I didn't want my attitude to affect the outcome of the review. At this time I want to introduce my friend, Grace and let her tell you about her experiences. "My name is Grace Watford and I am in my late forties. I am a professional nurse since 1974, registered in the British Isles and California. I have a Bachelors' degree in Health Sciences and Management and a Masters' degree in nursing. I have supervised hundreds of employees across America and England but I can't ride a bicycle! I was born in Trinidad in the West Indies to a wise and very strict mother who has since departed this life. I have six brothers and two sisters. My mother allowed my brothers to ride, play various sports and be adventurous but the girls were to be ladylike and learn gentile tasks. I am a great cook, I can sew, create arts and crafts if need be, and I have read a phenomenal amount of books, but I can't ride a bike! When I drive past our local bike trails in Santa Clarita, I admire the cyclists. I become envious when I see whole families riding together. I would love to be able to go on rides with my children, but I can't ride a bike! My decision on that cool autumn evening to share with John my feelings of inadequacy at not being able to ride a bike was the catalyst of a life- changing event "That evening, he convinced me to try the recumbent trike he had ridden to the festival. I did try but because of recovering from recent injuries to my right ankle and left knee, it was difficult for me to get on to the bike and be comfortable enough to relax and ride. Subsequently, panic escalated and I quickly and unceremoniously removed myself, much to the amusement of those around. I was even more convinced that I would never learn to ride a bike. One of my life long goals continued to seem unattainable. I can't ride a bike! "On Sunday, February 18, 2002 John called and we chatted awhile and then he dropped the bombshell. He had this EZ-3 trike he wanted to bring over which he was doing a review for the magazine. He said he thought of my desire to ride a bike. He said it was simple to ride and very maneuverable. At first, it did not sink in and then excitement grew as I realized that he was trying to help me accomplish a life long desire. Maybe, I can learn to ride. I quickly said that I was game. On Presidents' Day I returned from errands to find the coolest looking metallic blue EZ-3 recumbent trike parked at my front door. I could barely contain my excitement. I was giggling as I hurried to inspect the trike and thought, "Yeah, I can do this". Well, we went outside and he gave me some basic and vital instructions. He demonstrated the brakes, steering, and how to safely get on and off the trike. After the initial adjustments and finding a helmet to fit I was ready. It was easy to get on to the EZ-3 and the high backrest gave great back support. The level at which my knee rises with each stroke of the pedal is not stressful. I took off slowly and thought to myself: "Ummmm, not bad""I'm not panicking." I had good control while riding down the street. After the third time up and down the street I thought: "Yeah baby, this is wonderful and I'm hooked!" As I made the turns I didn't feel any sense of falling, joy swelled in my heart and I felt like I had hit the "Jackpot" As I rode up and down the street I gained more confidence. I could not keep the biggest smile off of my face. Riding a bike was every bit as wonderful as I thought it would be I could not thank John enough for allowing me this privilege of riding the EZ-3 trike in order to enjoy this feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment. I began to explore my neighborhood and saw it in a different light. The houses look much different. I guess when I speed by in the car I miss the details that I am now able to enjoy while leisurely exploring on this recumbent trike. It is also wonderful how most people I meet want to discuss the beauty and comfort of the EZ-3 trike. My son calls it a "chick magnet" and a "pep-mobile"My daughters' teenage friends want to buy one and my neighbor wants to trade his bike in for an EZ-3. Personally, I am having the best time and now I am able to exercise and get my heart rate up without the pain I experience when I walk on the hard sidewalks. I have even ventured onto the bike trails with my children. It is the greatest feeling in the world to do this as a family and not be left behind. My children are so proud of me for this accomplishment. My husband is supportive and thrilled for me. He thinks that I have lost my mind and often can't find me because I now take off on my own through the neighborhood. Riding this trike is very therapeutic and the time flies as I am having fun. I catch myself humming "Ain't no stopping me now" because I am on the move." Sounds great doesn't it? Grace got to use the EZ-3 for about ten days and was riding for at least an hour each day, We figure that she rode it between forty and fifty miles in that time. Mutual friends saw her on the trails with a huge smile always. They said she was miles from home and having a ball with her children. The time had come for the test to end as this particular EZ-3 trike was on its way back to the J&B warehouse. I came one evening with my trailer to retrieve the much-loved trike and as I was loading it in the trailer Graces' neighbor came out to watch. With a tone of disappointment in her voice, she stated "Oh, he came back for it"I felt like I was public enemy number one I must admit that it was hard taking it away from someone who obviously rode it well. I thought about my three tortuous weeks off the bike compared to forty plus years of never being able to ride at all and I found it hard to digest. Can you imagine what it was like to finally to be able to get out and explore under your own power after all those years? It was probably like a life sentence being commuted. That's an amazing amount of power that the EZ-3 trike has if it can give that to someone. So please forgive me for not putting in the required mileage for this particular test. I am sure that Grace Watfords' test is worth thousands of miles and is just as qualitative, if not better. Much thanks to Gardner Martin and J&B Imports for building yet another winner and even greater thanks to Grace for reviving my love for riding. Who is the person that should buy the EZ-3 recumbent trike? Just about anyone who has a dream and wants to realize it. Go find your Grace and take her out on the trails. You will be greatly rewarded by knowing that you have contributed to the riding community and allowed the world to be seen from a different perspective. Easy Riding and be safe out there. (Editor's Note: A group of Grace's friends and neighbors got together and raised the money to buy her a Candy Apple Red EZ-3 Trike of her own. When last seen, she was pedaling enthusiastically aboard her trike).

Contact: Sun/J&B Importers, P.O. Box 161859, Miami, FL 33116. Phone 305-238-1866. www.jbimporters.com