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Trikes - Features
 

( Click on a picture for a detailed view )
Please note, page under development - pictures are a combination of 2007 / 2008 trikes.
Check back soon for updated views.
If in doubt, contact your dealer or ICE, thanks.

The Trice Q and T benefit from years of experience building custom trikes and now include many great features developed on the more expensive machines. Rear suspension and a folding rear frame section are standard on the Q and T so there is now even more reason to take advantage of these great value Trikes.

The Trice Q and T come with REAR SUSPENSION so now you can enjoy an even more comfortable ride no matter how rough the roads are. We've also made these trikes easier to store and transport as they can all be partially FOLDED quickly and without tools. Read on to find out about all the other useful features we've managed to cram in which make a Trice the number one choice.
         

Click on a feature, or scroll down, to see details of the latest developments.



  
 
 

ICE Custom wide range derailleur gears - NEW
Ever found yourself running out of gears? - legs spinning wildly down hill or struggling to turn the pedals around on a monster climb...
Don't want to resort to the expense, weight and drag of various combined hub gears or hub and derailleur combinations on offer?
We'll you're not alone and over the years we have experimented with all kinds of gear systems but keep on coming back to the simple, light and efficient derailleurs. We have offered alternative chain rings that push the derailleur systems to the limit of capacity but these don't give improvements in both high and low gears together.

It would be relatively easy to fit a larger than standard front chainset with bigger rings but these only make the gears bigger and their large size does not suit the compact nature of the Trice. A smaller chainset would give the lower gears but you would then spin out at speed on the flat and down hill.

The Shimano Capreo cassette (9-26T) brought some improvements for bigger gears from small wheels and standard size chainrings. It has a smaller cog range down to 9T but then only goes up to 26T so the low gear is compromised. The cassette can ONLY be used with a special Capreo which is not available with a disc brake fitting.

Here at ICE we have taken the 9T concept and created a custom 9 speed cassette with a wide range of 9-32T. These have been used by custom Trice owners over many years on heavily loaded tours with great success. This kind of cassette still needs a special hub due to the very small cog sizes and perhaps the weakest link in the system was the relatively low end Shimano Capreo hub with it's non sealed cup and cone bearings and rather heavy weight. we also wanted to offer the option of a disc brake rotor mounting. Our new custom hub overcomes these issues with quality industry standard sealed cartridge bearings, CNC'd I.S. 6 bolt disc brake rotor mount and a top quality QR Skewer.

To get the perfect range of gears for a touring trike we have combined the new cassette with a Truvative Firex compact MTB chainset which has an integrated axle and external BB bearings for a rigid setup. The result is a fantastic super wide range, easy shifting and reliable all derailleur gear shifting system... as standard! For more information please click here

 

 

Frame
Trice Q and T frames are a combination of steel for the main frame cruciform and Aluminum Alloy for the front boom and rear suspension. The cruciforms are brazed in our own workshops in the UK using ICE custom made lugs. All main frame joints are super smooth brazed. All frames have detail braze ons for cable guides and other mounts as required. Our main tubes are made from Cro Mo. Using steel for the main cruciform gives a strong yet compliant ride adding to the overall comfort.

The front boom and rear suspension section are both made from heat treated aerospace Aluminium alloy for light weight and stiffness.
 
Frameset Only
If you would prefer to customize the build up of wheels, tyres and transmission components on your trike then we offer a frameset only.
Red Frame
Black frame
 

Frame colour choices
As standard, the Trice Q is supplied in Red and the Trice T in Blue and these are our stock colours. Also we can generally offer alternatives of Blue, Red and Gloss Black . We aim to keep some of these alternatives in stock but there may be a small delay from order.
 We are now also able to offer a range of special colours for all models but these are to order and will incur a delay in shipping of up to approximately 4 weeks. An extra processing charge for these special colours is applicable.
 

Seats and Seat Angle Adjustment
The tubular aluminium seat with mesh fabric on the Q and T gives excellent comfort and ventilation. The fabric is laced onto the aluminium seat frame with adjustable straps. The seat is clamped onto the main frame with QR levers and can be removed easily and quickly without tools for transport. The seat angle is quickly adjustable to 3 settings and can even be done at the road side in seconds if desired.

The Trice Q and T are available with an optional hard shell seat. This seat has the same simple seat adjustment method but is a hard shell type as opposed to the standard mesh seat normally supplied. The hard shell seat is a more performance based unit giving improved power transmission and rigid back support. This seat comes with our own custom made adjustable side supports to help prevent the rider sliding sideways in fast corners. The hard shell seat comes with a luxurious breathable comfort cushion as standard and the package is available in a Medium or Large size.

We also have a selection of adaptor brackets for the seats to increase the range of adjustments for short or tall riders and for improved off road traction.

For more information on the seats options please click here

 
 

Rear Suspension
Standard on the Trice Q and T in heat treated Aluminium the rear suspension gives a superbly comfortable ride by smoothing out any bumps coming up from the rear wheel.
The suspension pivot also has the double function of allowing the simple folding of the swing arm once the rear wheel is removed by the wheel quick release lever.
 

Design Features
The entire suspension unit is built using aerospace aluminium alloy.  The CNC precision-machined parts and custom-extruded tubes are TIG welded together, heat treated, and then finished with a tough anodised coating

We started with a clean sheet of paper, or more exactly, a clean computer.  Using the latest 2D & 3D CAD technology, we drew on five years of experience with the custom TRICE optional suspension to develop a completely new rear section.

After exploring the many possibilities, we opted for a clean, cantilevered design, which exploits a pair of large-diameter swing-arms for an optimal combination of light weight and stiffness.  The result is a rear suspension which easily meets out exacting design criteria, which includes no-pogo geometry and 3 inches (75mm) of travel, as well as being aesthetically pleasing and easy to manufacture.

Developing the design using precision 3D CAD allowed us to build in all the necessary standard features during the design phase, including:

  • A simple and extremely reliable main swing arm pivot with self lubricating bearing bushes bearing on a precision-ground hollow Stainless Steel pivot pin.
  • Mounting points for full rear mudguard
  • Fittings for suspension carrier rack
  • Quick seat adjustment
  • Soft Velcro retaining strap, which is quiet, positive, and lightweight
 

Elastomer Springing and Damping
We looked long and hard at suspension systems, and decided on an elastomer-based system.   The benefits of an elastomer over an air shock are:

  • Elastomers are lighter in weight than an air shock, as well as resulting in a more compact installation.
  • Elastomeric materials provide a natural damping that is ideal for suspension.  There is also no initial stiction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiction) to overcome (often found with more complicated gas or oil damped units., resulting in a more responsive suspension over coarse road surfaces and small bumps.
  • Elastomers are zero-maintenance, with no seals to maintain or air pressures to check.
  • Using a combination of 3 different compounds and 5 different mounting positions, a single design can be flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of body weight, rack loads, and rider’s preference.  The suspension can be quickly and easily adjusted on the road by the rider without the use of tools.

The trike is shipped with the medium - RED elastomer, harder GREEN and softer YELLOW elastomers are available to order if you are heavier or lighter weight.

If you are setting your trike up with a heavy touring load then we recommend adjusting your suspension correspondingly to get the best results.

Also if you are lighter weight then we recommend the alternative YELLOW elastomer.

 

Folding / Split Down Features
One feature we were adamant about was incorporating the ability to fold the trike to varying degrees, to allow it to be transported or stored where most trikes simply couldn't fit.  It was essential that the trike should be able to be folded in a matter of minutes or seconds without tools, otherwise much of the utility of this feature would be lost.  To this end, we developed our design to allow a quick-fold which significantly reduces the size of the trike and allows it to fit in the back of many modern cars.
The standard trikes have a range of completely TOOL-LESS FOLDING / splitting features:- (est fold/split times shown for each part in seconds)

  • Quick release rear Mudguard as standard (integral with carrier if carrier is fitted).  Clipping on and off in seconds, it is lightweight (130 gm.), height adjustable, and suitable for all tyre widths (15 sec removal)
  • Rear Carrier (optional) is removable with QR levers (15 sec).
  • Seat is removable with standard quick release levers (20 sec removal).
  • Rear frame section folds under main frame (removing the QR rear wheel, and releasing the Velcro retaining strap) greatly reducing overall length of trike (30 sec removal and fold).
  • Sub total 1min 20sec
  • The quick release kit (optional) allows the owner to remove the front mudguards, remove the front wheels, shorten the boom, and fold the handlebars, all without tools (2 mins)
  • Total complete fold and split approx 3 mins 20 sec - this will vary with experience (we can do it here in a fraction of this time).
  • Once folded and split down the trike will fit into most standard bicycle bags such as this one.
 
Asymmetric Rear Swing Arm
The 3D CAD designed rear swing arm has a deliberately asymmetric design.  This allows a stronger, more evenly tensioned wheel to be built by placing the rim over the centre of the hub rather than the centre of the dropouts.  This is an advantage for tricycles as it handles lateral loads better.  If you look from the back of the trike you will notice that the rear wheel centre line is actually about 1/4" (6mm) to the left of the centre line of the trike. The end result is that Trice Q and T have the greater chain clearances necessary to run the largest 60mm wide Big Apple (or other) tyre.


 

Tyres
The Trice Q and T have 20 inch (406) wheels all round. The advantages of this size are:

Very large choice of tyres available, from small high-pressure racing tyres, to large comfortable balloon tyres available from all major tyre manufacturers.

  • It is only necessary to carry one size of spare inner tube.
  • More compact and lighter than larger (24” or 26”) wheels
  • 406 tyres are the standard for BMX bikes, guaranteeing excellent availability of tyres in virtually every bike shop worldwide.
  • More comfortable ride than smaller (16”) wheels)

Trice Q and T are fitted with 20"(406) Schwalbe tyres. These have proved to be very durable and reliable. We also use Schwalbe inner tubes with Schrader (car type) valves.
ICE always has good stocks of Schwalbe tyres and tubes and we can ship them anywhere in the world.
Our Q and T 20" rear frames are designed to take bigger road tyres. Some people may want to run the super comfy Schwalbe 60mm Big Apple tyre on the rear with it's air suspension ride and relatively low rolling resistance. Combine this with the standard Trice 20" rear suspension for an unbelievable experience. The front mudguards (fenders) are designed to work with up to 50mm tyres, 60mm tyres can be fitted without the mudguards. Alternatively, If you like taking on some tracks and trails then these models can be fitted with knobbly 2.25" tyres for maximum grip in wet or loose conditions.

The standard rear mudguard (included) works with all large tyres as does the mudguard integrated into the rear carrier.
 

Hubs and Brakes
The standard front hubs are Sturmey Archer drum brakes.
The rear hub is our own custom design (Shimano Capreo compatible) to work with our custom 9-32 wide range cassette and with rear disc brake compatibility. (not available from Shimano for the Capreo). The hub has 4 sealed cartridge bearings and a hollow steel QR skewer.

Front hydraulic disc brakes are an optional upgrade and if ordered then the front wheels will come with our own designed disc brake compatible hubs.
We use the Gator brake 4 piston system and 180mm diameter rotors for excellent performance in extreme situations for those that prefer disc brakes.
 
Rear Disc Brake Ready
The Trice Q and T are fitted with super reliable Sturmey Archer front drum brakes or optional hydraulic disc brakes. In normal everyday riding these brakes provide more then enough stopping power. However, some people may like to go heavily loaded touring in the mountains or maybe just like to have a phenomenal parking brake!
Whatever the case, these models come with our custom disc-ready rear hub and caliper mounting holes for a 160mm rear disc brake on the left side dropout. With a simple optional rear disc upgrade kit you can add a powerful parking brake or additional drag brake. Cable guides are included on the rear frame and the folding function is unaffected by the addition of a rear disc brake.

 
Rear Dynamo Mount
A mounting point for a conventional bottle dynamo is included under the left side rear swing arm. (use conventional left hand dynamo).
 
Replaceable Rear Derailleur Hanger
A custom CNC machined rear derailleur hanger is used so if you should manage to damage the gear changer then this item is easily replaced.
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Rohloff Ready
The left side CNC rear drop out on the Trice models is equipped with a mounting point for the Rohloff OEM2 axle plate (Rohloff No 8227) making a tidy job of a Rohloff retrofit. ICE do not supply Rohloff equipped Trice Q or T but you are welcome to contact your nearest dealer for a customised quotation.

For more information about fitting a Rohloff please click here.