Trailsnet’s First Recumbent Trike Review
I’m not sure what took Trailsnet so long to review recumbent trikes. They’ve been on our radar from day one. In fact recumbents were one of the first personal transportation vehicles to catch our attention and help us decide to make PTVs a focus area for Trailsnet, and we’ve always had a dedicated category for recumbent trails on Trailsnet.com. Although the following review is specifically for ICE Trikes, it can also serve as an introduction to recumbent trikes in general.
ICE Recumbent Trike Introduction
ICE stands for Inspired Cycle Engineering. ICE Recumbent Trikes is one of the leading brands for recumbent trikes. Among trike recumbent fans, ICE has a sort of cult following. ICE Trikes are not usually the first recumbent trike that recumbent followers own, but they are often the last. Recumbent riders tend to be a loyal bunch of folks, and once they find a brand they like, they often stick to that brand for life.
ICE Recumbent Trike Highlights
So what’s to love about an ICE Recumbent Trike? Let me count the features:
- Precisely engineered – ICE Trikes are built to last. They are sturdy and stable.
- Compact – Whether you need to transport your recumbent trike or store it at your house, the foldable frame of an ICE Trike comes in handy when you have space limitations.
- Selection – ICE carries three lines of recumbent trikes. They are the Adventure, the Sprint and the Vortex.
- Customizable – Within each of the three trike models listed above, there are numerous variations such as the Adventure, Adventure RS, Adventure FS, Adventure FS+, Adventure HD, Adventure RS HD, etc. Then, on each of the specific models, you can add such options as a neck rest, a rack, side pods, front light mount, chainring guard and more.
recumbent trike on trail
ICE Recumbent Trike Dealers
ICE distributors may not be the most visible PTV (personal transportation vehicle) sales staff on the planet; but they are quite knowledgeable about their product. I was fortunate enough to interview Chip Stern, owner of Colorado’s Recumbent Trike Store. Chip definitely knows his recumbents and is one of ICE’s leading distributors. He has long been a fan of recumbent trikes and distributes them both nationally and internationally. His enthusiasm for trikes becomes evident from the start and his knowledge of the industry is voluminous. Like most ICE representatives, he is glad to accompany customers on a test drive and offers a steady stream of tips, tricks and trike tales. Even though I was mainly interested in learning about recumbent Trikes in general and ICE Recumbent Trikes particularly, I found myself wishing I had more garage space for “just one more personal transportation vehicle.” My PTV bucket list just expanded by at least one more toy. It’s not a matter of if I’m going to get a recumbent trike someday soon but whether it will be the Adventure, the Spring or the Vortex.
Why I Like Recumbent Trikes
Above all else, recumbent trikes are incredibly comfortable. It’s as if my body was telling me, “Now this is the way to ride trails.” Two particular trike qualities contribute to the aforementioned comfort:
- position – I’m not the first to notice that riding a recumbent bike is like viewing the world from the vantage point of your favorite reclining chair. My weight was evenly distributed throughout my entire back rather than just being centered over my buttocks. That weight distribution makes a huge difference over the course of a typical ride. Having ridden recumbent bikes on both the Withlacoochee Trail in Florida and the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia, I can vouch for the added comfort of the reclining position whilst navigating a long-distance trail.
- freedom – Those of you who follow Trailsnet realize that I’m all about relaxation, scenery and fitness when it comes to riding the trails. Recumbents allow all three of those qualities plus freedom. The increased stability of recumbent trikes afford the freedom to enjoy the scenery without worrying about every bump & rut in the trail. The freestanding frame allows for the freedom to stop and rest or take pictures at will without worrying about balancing a bike. And the added (potential) cargo space allows for the freedom of long, comfortable trail journeys; and everyone knows that Trailsnet is all about long, comfortable trail journeys.
Best for use on:
| Paved trails or roads | Gravel trails | Level to moderate trails |
Best used for:
| Commuting | Recreation | Exercise |
| Touring |
1 comment
The bicycle gearing that I decided that I wanted after experimenting is a geometric double step. That calls for a14/16/18/21/24/28 geometric
freewheel and 36-48 or 40-52 geometric double step chainrings. You can use a triple crank for lower gears. If you search for the most agreeable gear of the moment you will get used to the gears you normally use. With the geometric double step the gears match where the ranges overlap and you can minimize chain deflection. Why don’t you gear a trike that way and try it out over terrain that includes both hills and flats and search for the most agreeable gear of the moment while minimizing chai deflection and see what you think.