Every Mooncool Folding TK1 and Mooncool TK1 Fat Tire e-trike provides three options for using its exceptional power. If you are not familiar with the Mooncool brand, it has a strong emphasis on quality, value, and customer service. Visit the Mooncool website and notice the beauty of design and exciting variety of models and colors.
The first option is to simply pedal the Mooncool TK1 using entirely your own muscle power. This is not the best option for most riders, as the pedaling can be quite difficult. However, it can be a very nice option to have if you primarily ride for vigorous exercise. Most e-trikes are heavy, and average riders rarely want to pedal without assistance from the motor.
The second option is to use the high-quality Mooncool throttle. The Folding TK1 has a twist throttle next to the right-side handlebar grip, and the TK1 Fat Tire model is equipped with a thumb throttle as shown below. The thumb throttle is also conveniently located adjacent to the right-side handlebar grip and brake. For both of these exciting Mooncool e-trikes, just a slight turn of the twist throttle or downward push of the thumb version allows you to add as little or as much assistance as you desire.
Option number three is the high-tech Pedal Assist feature. Commonly known as PAS, this is also provided on both the TK1 Fat Tire and the Folding TK1. The Pedal Assist feature on both e-trikes works best with a little experimentation from the rider. This is to discover what combination of gear and PAS level works best for you. The Pedal Assist (PAS) feature uses information provided by the cadence sensor, and then sends the requested level of power assistance making pedaling very easy.
This is a fairly simple and very effective method of automatic power assistance to make your pedaling as easy or as difficult as you desire. It consists of a disc that spins as you pedal. Evenly spaced around the disc is a series of small magnets. When you begin to pedal, the disc begins to spin immediately.
As the disc spins, the attached magnets move past the electronic sensor. It is only a split-second until a magnet passes the cadence sensor. This immediately notifies the Mooncool controller that you are pedaling. The controller then knows that you are pedaling, but it does not know how fast you want to ride or how hard you want to pedal. That’s where the Pedal Assist System takes over, and does all the “heavy lifting” for you.
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Pedal Assist System
The cadence sensor notifies the controller that you are pedaling, and the controller then sends power to help you pedal. How much power? That depends upon the PAS level that you select on your Mooncool TK1 display. The TK1 Fat Tire model has 3 PAS levels and the Folding TK1 has 5 levels.
That’s the beauty of owning a Mooncool e-trike. The level of exercise is completely in your control. If you want a lot of exercise, you can ride at Pedal Assist Level 0 and get no help at all from the motor. And if you want no exercise at all, you can ride with no pedaling at all, using only the throttle!
But what if you want just a little exercise? What if you feel the need to exercise without tiring yourself too much? Simply select PAS level 1 and ride using 1st gear. For the best exercise, avoid long downhill riding…or at the bottom just reverse direction and pedal up the same hill! The Mooncool Folding TK1 and the TK1 Fat Tire have strong motors and excellent brakes, so you don’t have to worry about the steep hills.
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Customizable Exercise
Whether you choose the Mooncool Fat Tire TK1 e-trike or the Mooncool Folding TK1, it’s easy to accommodate your needs for exercise and recreation. For example, you might select PAS Level 3, meaning that as you pedal the Mooncool motor will do most of the work. Or you may decide you want a little more exercise, so you select Level 1 and now you are putting more of your own effort into the pedaling. And here’s what’s really nice — if at any moment you decide you’re working a little too hard or getting a little too sweaty, you can just stop pedaling and let the Mooncool throttle feature do all the work…sweat a lot, sweat a little, or don’t sweat at all – it’s up to you!
In other words, whatever your level of fitness, you can customize your exercise to be perfect for you. This is true even if you have physical limitations, such as arthritic knees or leg pains. A properly used combination of PAS and gear selection often allows physically limited riders to get the exercise, sunshine, and fresh air they crave. Remember, it’s always prudent to check with your doctor! Your doctor may well recommend e-trikes as the best exercise when dealing with various joint pains.
As you exercise, your muscles get stronger, which allows them to better support your bones and surrounding tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic. This, in turn, helps ease the stress that’s placed on your knee joint, helping your knees to feel better.
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Trike Riding May Significantly Aid Joint Problems
The best exercises for many knee problems are those that strengthen the muscles located above the knee. This includes the quadriceps, those long and large muscles on the front side of the thigh. It also includes the gluteus muscles located in your buttocks. Cycling is perfect for strengthening these critical muscles. Mooncool’s cadence sensor and PAS let you accomplish this gradually and easily, at your own pace.
E-triking is a superb activity for people with knee issues because it strengthens the correct muscles and does so safely. In fact, the forces of compression that run through your knees while e-trike riding are much less than those experienced while walking! Additionally, many people find that cycling exercise is much easier to “stick with” than many other forms of exercise. It’s fun!
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Rely on Mooncool Quality for Performance
The vast majority of riders will use the PAS most of the time…only a few will rely primarily on the throttle. Fewer still will choose to pedal frequently with no assistance from the powerful Mooncool motor. This makes the quality and reliability of the PAS is very important. Fortunately, quality control is a key characteristic of Mooncool products. Mooncool is one of the very few e-trike brands that insists on the best manufacturing techniques and high-quality components.
Every Mooncool TK1 e-trike begins with the Mooncool Design Team, originators of the amazing frame design that makes their TK1 e-trikes visually appealing and reliably strong. When a Mooncool TK1 is delivered to a new owner, the sturdy shipping box contains a Mooncool e-trike that will last a very long time, providing reliable service and a safe riding experience year after year. Quality matters — don’t settle for an e-trike from a brand that does not practice excellent quality control.
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Maximize Your Riding Experience
And if you want to keep things very simple, the Mooncool Folding TK1 pictured below is an exceptionally easy-to-ride e-trike. At the same time, it is very powerful with a 350 pound payload and it can climb any hill you are likely to encounter, including 20% grades.
Now that you know more about your PAS, cadence sensor and how they work with your controller, you are ready to take your exercise to the next level. As your health and strength improves, you will find yourself saying “Thanks, Mooncool!”
