Ridewave Wallaby Plus Review: The Fat Tyre Electric Trike for Rough Paths and Nervous Riders

Some riders don't live next to a smooth bike path. They live near a gravel rail trail, a grassy reserve, a beach track, or a street where the footpath is more root than concrete. The Ridewave Wallaby Plus is the Wallaby built for them: same folding frame, same brakes and motor, but on 20 x 4.0" fat tyres.

What fat tyres actually do

Four-inch tyres run at lower pressure and put a bigger patch of rubber on the ground. On a trike, that does two things you feel immediately. First, the ride is more cushioned: cracked paths, grass and gravel get absorbed rather than transmitted up into your hips and back. Second, it feels more planted. There's more grip in corners and on loose surfaces, and the whole trike feels calmer and wider underneath you. For riders who are nervous, that extra sense of being "stuck to the ground" is reassuring.

The trade-off is slightly heavier steering than the standard Wallaby, and a couple of extra kilos (47kg with the battery). If the rider has weak grip or sore shoulders and mostly rides sealed paths, the standard Wallaby or the Quokka will feel lighter. If the ground is rough, the Plus is worth it.

Riding it

You sit upright on a wide comfort seat with an adjustable backrest, with a suspension fork and suspension seat post doing the rest of the bump work. The 65Nm rear hub motor with pedal assist takes care of hills and headwinds, and the half-twist throttle with start assist gets you rolling from a standstill at walking pace, so you're never relying on leg strength to pull away on a slope.

Hydraulic disc brakes on all three wheels with an integrated parking brake mean it stops confidently and stays put while you load up. The rear differential keeps turns smooth, and front light, horn, brake light and indicators are all built in.

Getting on, storing it, moving it

Step-through is 39cm; the seat adjusts between 80 and 90cm. Like the standard Wallaby, the frame folds at the centre, the bars collapse and the front wheel is quick-release, so it packs down to roughly 112 x 77 x 76cm for the shed, a caravan or the back of an SUV. The battery is removable and lockable.

Who it suits

• Riders whose local routes include gravel, grass, sand or rough footpaths
• Nervous riders who want the most planted, stable feel possible
• Riders who want more cushioning for a sore back or hips
• Rider capacity 150kg; rider height roughly 150-190cm
• Rear basket rated to 45kg; front basket optional

For OTs, physios, support coordinators and support workers

The Wallaby Plus is the pick when a participant's community access goals involve unsealed paths, parks or beachside tracks, or where confidence is the main barrier and the extra sense of stability from wide tyres will help. We can bring one to the participant's home for an at-home test ride on their actual local routes, do a joint visit with you, and provide a written quote and supporting information for the plan.

We're not an NDIS-registered provider, so we work best with self-managed and plan-managed participants. Agency-managed? Get in touch anyway.

👉 Book an at-home NDIS test ride
👉 How we work with NDIS participants and support teams

Key specs

Full specifications, colours and current pricing: Ridewave Wallaby Plus Fat Tyre Folding Electric Trike.

Try it

Every Wallaby Plus is built, tuned and test-ridden in our Alphington workshop before it leaves, with the first follow-up service included and warranty and parts handled here. Delivery is available around Melbourne, and freight to the door Australia-wide.

📍 2 Wingrove Street, Alphington
📞 (03) 8542 9500
📧 info@graceandpace.com.au

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