When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
Carlos's story begins with a moment that should have ended everything. On December 18th, 2008, he suffered a brain bleed that, by all accounts, should have killed him. After emergency surgery at Emory Hospital in Atlanta on January 6th, 2009—an operation that should have left him wheelchair-bound—Carlos defied the odds. By February 23rd, he was back at work.
But the surgery left its mark. While Carlos maintained his independence and his sharp technical mind (he's spent over 35 years in IT support), he occasionally experiences balance issues. "I can be standing, and sometimes walls are my friend," he explains with characteristic humor. "I'll just reach over and grab the wall because I feel my balance going, and I don't want to be on top of a bicycle and have that happen."
This balance challenge would eventually lead Carlos to discover something he never expected: a deep passion for cycling.
The Path Back to Two (Actually Three) Wheels
In 2023, more than 35 years after his last bicycle ride, Carlos discovered recumbent trikes through a hospital rehabilitation program. The Prisma hospital system provided recumbent trikes for people with physical limitations, giving Carlos his first taste of what would become an obsession.
"It had been over 35 years since I had ridden anything with pedals when I first sat on that Kent trike on July 2nd of 2023," Carlos recalls. "I went for a 5-mile ride, and I was thinking, I wonder if I'll be able to walk tomorrow, since it's been so long since I used my legs to push pedals. Something about sitting on a trike versus sitting on a bicycle is just orders of magnitude more comfortable."
That first ride changed everything. Carlos bought a used Kent Nova trike from Facebook Marketplace and "rode that thing so long, I broke it in half twice." Eventually, he upgraded to a Performer JCR trike, and the miles began accumulating rapidly.
The Numbers Tell the Story
In just over two years of recumbent triking, Carlos has logged more than 4,000 miles. His typical rides range from 10 to 15 miles, although he has completed rides as long as 36 miles. Living less than a mile from Greenville's Swamp Rabbit Trail—a converted railroad trail that stretches nearly 20 miles from Travelers Rest to south of Greenville—has made regular riding convenient and enjoyable.
The health benefits came immediately and dramatically:
- Resting heart rate dropped from the 80s to the 60s
- Blood pressure improved significantly
- Weight loss and muscle gain
- Overall energy and wellness increased
"Apparently, he must know something," Carlos says of his doctor's exercise recommendations, "because when I started riding that trike, my health has improved greatly."
Adding Electric Assist: The Game Changer
While Carlos could keep pace with groups of e-assist riders on his manual trike, the addition of his dog Saff's trailer changed the equation. The extra 40-50 pounds made longer rides challenging, leading him to explore electric assist options.
Carlos discovered the Falco eDrive system through a group ride connection. "There's a bike shop in Spindale, Grumpy's Bike Shop," he explains. "He had purchased a trike that had a Falco motor on it, and he sold me that used motor."
What attracted Carlos to the hub drive system over the more common mid-drive motors was both practical and technical: "When I looked at that, the first thing that I realized was you lose your front shifter because the mid-drive motor just has the one sprocket. And then, whatever that motor is doing, all of its torque is going through the top of the chain back to your derailleur... I thought, well, that can't be good for the chain."
The Falco system's hub-based design meant no stress on the bike's drivetrain, allowing Carlos to retain all his existing gearing. "I didn't have to adjust anything with the alignment of my rear shifting at all," he notes. "The 10 months or so of riding without the assist, and the different habits that I had learned on how to shift, I didn't have to change any of that."
The Beauty of Seamless Integration
Carlos describes the Falco system as "set it and forget it." The five positive levels of assist match all his riding needs without requiring constant adjustment. The torque sensor in the motor responds naturally to his pedaling effort, assisting only when needed.
"When I'm just sitting there and I'm pressing on the pedals, it's sensing torque, but there's no motion, so the motor is waiting. Once there's motion and torque... the motor will switch on, and I can feel that. I can feel a very, very slight thump as the motor starts to help."
The regenerative braking system adds another layer of sophistication. On long descents, Carlos can control his speed without wearing out his brake pads, and the system even helps recharge the battery.
Range and Reliability
Despite his battery having approximately 1,800 miles on it (Carlos bought the system used with 200 miles), he continues to get excellent range. On aggressive, high-speed rides, he might use a significant amount of battery, but on leisurely 20-25 mile rides at 10-12 mph, he typically uses only about 25% of the battery capacity.
"I have over 1,600 miles additional," Carlos reports, "and I don't have any real problems" with the battery performance.
Beyond Transportation: A Lifestyle
For Carlos, the electric trike has become more than transportation—it's a ticket to adventure and social connection. He regularly rides to restaurants along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, treating longer rides as earned rewards for good meals and sampling craft beer. "I figure if I ride anywhere between 6 and 8 miles to go to one of these places, round trip, I've earned the calories to go have a nice meal and a beer."
He's even used his trike for practical transportation, riding 11 miles each way to dental appointments and 10 miles to his doctor's office. "My doctor thought I was crazy for riding my trike to his office," Carlos laughs.
The trike also enables him to share adventures with his dog Saff, who has her own trailer and gets excited whenever she sees it come out of the garage.
The Technical Mind at Work
Carlos's background in electronics repair and IT shows in his thoughtful approach to the Falco system. He's added a longer torque arm for added security and appreciates the system's engineering. "You can't fix it if you don't understand it, and explaining it helps you understand it," he says, reflecting a lifetime of troubleshooting complex systems.
His only minor complaint involves cable management—he wishes some cables were longer or shorter for cleaner installation. But these are the observations of someone who cares about details, not significant issues.
Looking Forward
As Carlos puts more than 1,000 miles annually on his electric trike, he's already planning for the future. He's purchased a new rim and spokes to rebuild his wheel when needed and continues to fine-tune his setup.
"If there's one thing that I would like to complain about riding a recumbent trike," Carlos says with a grin, "it's that no one warned me how addictive it would be. I thought, Oh, hey, this might be a fun thing to do on the weekends. I ride that thing every day I can if the weather is half decent."
The Bigger Picture
Carlos's story highlights an important aspect of adaptive technology and the role of electric assist in expanding cycling access. The Falco eDrive system didn't just add power to his trike—it restored confidence, enabled new adventures, and supported his health journey.
For someone whose balance challenges could have limited his mobility options, the combination of recumbent trike stability and intelligent electric assist has opened up a world of possibilities. From tentative 5-mile rides to 36-mile adventures, Carlos has transformed from a reluctant participant in hospital rehabilitation to someone who logs over 4,000 miles and rides in all weather conditions.
"Every day that goes by that I learn something new is a great day," Carlos reflects, echoing the curiosity that has driven him from childhood camera disassembly to modern electric bike systems. At 62, with a brain surgery behind him and thousands of miles ahead, he's proving that the right technology can do more than accommodate limitations—it can unlock potential we never knew we had.
The Falco eDrive system and Three Wheels of Magic recumbent trikes represent a convergence of thoughtful engineering and human-centered design, creating solutions that don't just work around challenges—they eliminate them. For riders like Carlos, the technology isn't about the motor or battery specifications; it's about freedom, health, and the simple joy of rolling down a trail with the wind in your face and adventure ahead.