tricerider the blog

Recumbent Veltop For Sale

2010-12-12T09:12:00.000Z

The actual recumbent Veltop featured in Velovision issue 39 is now for sale. It has only been used for my review and was brand new when supplied by Veltop earlier this year. Comes boxed complete with a Trice fixing kit. If the mounting kit cannot be adapted for use with your machine, Veltop provide a range of fixing kits to suit other recumbent trikes. If you are interested, please let me know...I will forward all offers to the owner.

Santa came early this year

2010-12-08T16:35:00.065Z

Just over a week ago, I got an early gift from Santa! That gift was a brand new Panasonic DMC-GF1 camera + Lumix 14-42mm lens. Amazingly Santa also provided a genuine Panasonic leather case to put it in - Lucky me! Well not really, at 55 I am probably a little old to believe in lovely ideas like Santa Claus. The truth is I funded the camera by selling most my existing camera equipment and my wife and daughter paid for the remainder. Perhaps there is a Santa after all? In addition to still images, my new camera also records 720p video, so you may even see movies posted on this blog. My plan is to ride with this kit in my bicycle panniers throughout 2011.

ICE Vortex 2 Road Test...An Update

2010-11-06T17:37:00.001Z

The owner of this lovely and much modified machine has decided he does not want to see it used during the coming winter months. Therefore my planned road test will be in warm and dry conditions sometime next year. I have to say that if I owned a Trice of this specification, I would feel exactly the same!

Recumbent Veltop Review

2010-11-02T10:19:00.055Z

Issue 39

My Recumbent Veltop Review has been published in Velo Vision. A version in .pdf format can be found here - Both the cover image shown on the left and the .pdf version of my review are courtesy of the editor Peter Eland...For those of you who don't know this excellent cycling magazine, Velo Vision can be found by clicking this link.

ICE Vortex 2 Road Test

2010-09-17T14:42:00.001+01:00

I will shortly be doing a road test on a modified ICE Vortex 2. Unlike the standard version of the Vortex, the machine I will test is fitted with front and rear suspension...watch this space!

Veltop...What's it really like? Recumbent Veltop Review

2010-09-03T11:45:00.004+01:00

I have now completed my Recumbent Veltop Review and it has been submitted for possible publication to a national cycle magazine. If they do not wish to publish, I will definitely post links to the review from this blog...

Prees Trice Weekend Pictures

2010-07-09T10:09:00.003+01:00

Images from this event can now be found here - If you would like copies of any of these pictures, please contact me by using the comments feature below this item. My sincere thanks go to Pat Douglass at Xpanding Horizons for allowing me to use many of the pictures she took over that weekend.

Prees Trice Weekend by Mike Hessey

2010-07-05T10:12:00.052+01:00

What a great event! Congratulations and thanks to all those involved in organising the event, and also to Abigail who managed more than twice her previous highest mileage, and on a heavy KMX while the rest of us were on Trices - and at 10 she is only 1/6 of my age, which is depressing, and I would never have even considered such a ride when I was her age! I really enjoyed the ride, and it was particularly satisfying to see a younger rider take part, and complete the ride. I think Abigail did really well - congratulations to her. I thought Abigail did very well towards the end; the time I was getting quite concerned was at around 40% of the distance - she obviously picked up later, while I was suffering from heatstroke by then (my excuse)! I was horrendously sunburnt on the legs when I got back (I forgot to take any cream with me), but I was sufficiently tired that it did not affect my sleeping, and although it still looks horribly red, it is not all that uncomfortable.

Note added by Tricerider: On the left is a GPS generated map of the Saturday Prees route. For Mike, Abigail (my daughter) and myself the ride was a total of 37 miles (60 Km). On our return journey, we unfortunately missed a turning that would have taken us directly to the campsite at Green Lane. However, I doubt that more than a mile was added by our unplanned detour.

(Please click on the map to see a larger image)

Prees Trice Weekend itinerary

2010-06-30T23:22:00.002+01:00

Clicking the following link should give you the itinerary for this forthcoming event in .pdf format Prees Trice Weekend T2 - Please let me know if you experience problems when attempting to open this document.

Prees Trice Weekend T2 - An update

2010-06-10T20:27:00.030+01:00

We visited Green Lane Farm this morning. They have asked that we provide definite numbers by Sunday 13/06/10 - So if you wish to attend this event and have not yet contacted Pauline, please do so ASAP. We have been told that due to the limited space available, it is unlikely the campsite will be able to accept more riders after this coming weekend. Pauline's contact details are directly below.

Prees Trice Weekend T2

2010-06-04T22:42:00.020+01:00

Please Read Due to circumstances beyond our control, the provisional booking at Wem is cancelled. Now for some good news! The venue has been changed to Green Lane Farm at Prees nr Whitchurch and it's cheaper too! Tents = £13 per night, caravans with electrical hookup = £15 per night (8 of these available). All other details remain the same. Showers and loos have been checked and they are very clean - Nothing else onsite. However there is a hotel, a cafe, a shop, a Post Office, a bakery and Indian food within two miles of the campsite.

Campsite details:
Green Lane Farm, Prees nr Whitchurch
Postcode: SY13 2AH
Tel No: 01948/840460

I have received a number of comments regarding the cost of camping at Green Lane Farm. In fact their overnight charges are actually less than the original venue at Wem. If you wish to book, please contact Pauline at the campsite quoting "Trice weekend" and whether you require electrics...

D.Tek HPV

2010-06-02T13:18:00.004+01:00

Yesterday with two friends I visited D.Tek HPV near Ely in Cambridgeshire. For those of you don't know them, D.Tek is a warm and friendly specialist recumbent dealer run by Kevin Dunseath. Kevin has lots of knowledge, which is freely given...He also has lots of amazing stuff, both new and used. In my opinion, D.Tek is well worth a visit. But please ring first a arrange an appointment: 01353/648177

Veltop...What's it really like? Yet another update!

2010-05-30T12:59:00.001+01:00

I've just been told by Cyclo-System that their test recumbent Veltop will be here in time for the Wem Trice Weekend T2. I really hope this product generates lots of interest amongst recumbent trike riders. It should be noted that the Veltop is designed to fit many different types of recumbent trike, however the fixing kit provided for my product review will be specific to ICE/Trice machines.

Veltop...What's it really like? Another update

2010-05-28T14:50:00.000+01:00

I haven't heard from Cyclo-System in France, so I contacted them this morning. I've asked that, if possible, a recumbent Veltop be made available for the Wem Trice Weekend T2 on 3/4 July. It would be great to have a Veltop at Wem for other trike owners to see and try...Who knows, it may even generate sales! If it is fitted by then, I am happy for other owners to test ride my machine if they wish...

Wem Trice Weekend T2

2010-05-27T19:49:00.007+01:00

PROVISIONAL BOOKING CANCELLED
An update - We've been over to the proposed venue this morning and it looks ideal for a Trice event. We will be staying about 1.5 miles from the small town of Wem, at a campsite called Lower Lacon Caravan Park. They have showers, a shop, a swimming pool and even hot food! The place is large, clean and friendly and the staff we talked with were really helpful. A provisional booking has been made for a 2-night stay commencing Friday 2nd July. So that they know just how many people to expect, the campsite have asked that we provide numbers within ten days of today (27/05/10) - Please let me know if you are interested.
PROVISIONAL BOOKING CANCELLED

Possible Trice Event

2010-05-26T10:08:00.010+01:00

With the help of a friend, I am currently planning a Trice event over the weekend of 3/4 July. This will take place at a campsite in Wem, Shropshire.

Weekly mileage log

2010-05-17T16:04:00.014+01:00

I have decided to try and keep a weekly mileage log. Hopefully this will start shortly and include maps compiled from GPS data and the occasional picture. Details of my journeys and any trike maintenance issues I encounter may also be added. The plan is to travel, almost exclusively, along the many quiet country lanes around my Shropshire home. My current weekly average is just under 40 miles (64Km) per week. With good weather just around the corner, will this improve? You will have to read the blog over the coming months to find out...

Veltop...What's it really like? An update

2010-05-11T12:36:00.016+01:00

I have just been told by Stéphane Delery at Cyclo-System (the Veltop manufacturer) that they are happy to provide the recumbent trike version for review. The test Veltop will come complete with fixings for my ICE QNT and should arrive sometime in the next few weeks…Watch this space for details!
Copyright of the included image remains with Cyclo-System.
Please do not use without permission.

Peter Ross Interview

2010-05-08T09:21:00.004+01:00

Paul Lowing's illuminating interview with Trice designer Peter Ross is now published on the Tricerider blog. Please click here to read this page.

Veltop...What's it really like?

2010-05-08T08:11:00.001+01:00

I've just found this interesting piece of kit from France. As far as I can tell, there are versions for both upright (Upwrong) bicycles and recumbent trikes. I'm not aware that a recumbent bicycle version is available at this time. I'd love to test the Veltop with my ICE QNT...Does anyone have the recumbent trike version that I can borrow for a road test and product review on this blog?

Crystal Engineering

2010-05-06T09:24:00.002+01:00

I am trying to research the history of Peter Ross and Crystal Engineering. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little information available on the Internet. If you have details or pictures of Peter and his machines, either two or three-wheeled, please get in touch. I also require details of the later Orbit produced Speed Ross recumbent bicycle...Many thanks

'Not too impressed with the Video Bar!

2010-05-04T07:45:00.017+01:00

For now I've finished the Tricerider blog revisions. Generally I'm quite impressed with the new look, but I'm a bit hacked-off with the provided Youtube Video Bar. The videos go in a circle, which is to be expected because I chose to link to two separate channels.
However, what I didn't expect was "undefined" content. One of these undefined videos is a lady with a rather prominent cleavage. Unless someone can suggest a solution which will effectively block content of this kind, I plan to remove the video bar in a very near future. Doing this would be a great shame because the featured Trice videos are excellent…

500 days with a Trice

2010-05-01T09:35:00.022+01:00

I have now owned a Trice* for just over 500 days. As of four days ago, it has covered 2717 miles (approximately 4300 Km). This equates to about 5.5 miles per day or 38 miles ridden for every week since purchase. I don't think this is a bad average, but it does have a downside. As we all know, the downside of using pedal power is the wear and tear that can be inflicted on the machine, it's component parts and the rider! So last week and purely out of necessity, I replaced the tyres and drive chain. My total spend was 60GBP (90USD or 70EUR). Costs were kept to a minimum simply because the chainset and derailleur block are still quite serviceable.

Helping to keep expenditure down was the fact that back in September 2009, I purchased two complete sets of almost new Schwalbe Marathon Racers from ICE designer Chris Parker. The cost of these tyres was negligible (5GBP per tyre including inner tube) so what hurt, was the cost of a new recumbent drive chain. Bought directly from ICE in Falmouth, this essential item set me back almost 46GBP (67USD or 52EUR) excluding postage. Initially I did think this was a lot to pay for a chain. However when I sat and considered the situation, I realized the chain had actually cost less than 1.7p for every mile of use. Apart from a Trice, or any other recumbent trike for that matter, where else can you have so much fun whilst getting fit for less than 2p a mile?

*My trike is a 2005 model ICE QNT and carries no Trice branding

O lucky man!

2010-03-27T16:27:00.102Z

This happy looking chap is a regular ride partner. He also happens to be the guy who introduced me to the recumbent trike world. As you can see, he has recently taken delivery of a brand new Trice Vortex 2. This version of the Vortex is fitted with a Carbon fibre hardshell seat. It is a fabulous bit of kit which weights substantially less than my QNT. If he ever wants to give this machine away, I sincerely hope he thinks of me! NB: On the day I took this picture, the trike was so new that mudguards were still to be fitted...

New ICE website online

2010-01-18T20:45:00.003Z

Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE Trikes) launched their new website this evening. The 2010 Trice comes in three distinct flavours, Adventure, Sprint and Vortex with lots of variation on each theme. Prices range from £1899 to over £3000 for a top of the range full suspension machine. The revamped website is well worth a look, there's lots of lovely stuff on there...There are 16 different models in the new Trice range and as before, each one can be customised to suit individual requirements...

Trice and Loke

2009-12-05T09:49:00.005Z

This link will take you to an interesting blog about a Trice QNT rider and a Husky called Loke. The lady concerned is actually American, but lives in Sweden with her husband...Well worth a read! Thank you to nobby on tricerider the forum for bringing this to my attention.

Folded folding Trice

2009-10-16T10:44:00.050+01:00

I recently discovered these pictures on the internet:

It seems the unfortunate rider was cycling uphill directly into the sun. Because of the very bright conditions, a motor vehicle travelling in the same direction did not see the Trice and struck the machine from behind. However, I'm told this horrific accident resulted in only minor injury...Whoever you are and wherever you are, I trust you are ok!

Pictures anyone?

2009-10-06T10:23:00.012+01:00

If any reader has pictures of the 2009 Great Chatwell Trice event that they would like to see added my flickr set, please let me know…

Great Chatwell Trice Event

2009-09-24T15:53:00.017+01:00

Pictures from this excellent event can be found by clicking here

Great Chatwell Weekend by Mike Hessey

2009-09-24T15:00:00.013+01:00

What a wonderful weekend we had at Blymhill Common, and that area. I'm moderately local, though it is on my upper limit for cycling there and back in the day; I don't think I have ever been there and not got lost in the maze of local lanes, so I was quite pleased when our ride leader on Friday pm (a local) got lost too! It all makes it more interesting, so no hard feelings Frank. On Sunday we went to Cosford (almost half way home for me). A most enjoyable day in quite flat countryside (after what I am used to). Sunday I thought I would have to ride home, but thanks to the kindness of David Little I was able to enjoy the brilliant ride to Norbury Junction, and he took me home by car afterwards (I could not have gone to Norbury and back home in the day on the Trice at my age/fitness). A big thank you to everyone involved in the organisation of the event, and to Chris from ICE for attending and showing us a lot of very interesting equipment. I hope there will be future events of this kind. Mike

Great Chatwell Trice Event

2009-09-22T20:52:00.009+01:00

This event took place over the weekend of 19/20 September 2009 at Great Chatwell on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border. I guess 18/20 riders attended, all on Trice of various kinds. Having driven from Falmouth, ICE designer Chris Parker was there with his young son (his son was riding an unused XLNT Custom Trice). Byegad took some excellent video of the rides...these can be found here

I had a very enjoyable weekend and look forward this being the first of many more. A nice event with nice people and great weather! What more could you want? Thank you Irene and Trevor...

Body pain explained (upright bicycle riders only)

2009-08-23T09:43:00.036+01:00

Below is part of a genuine customer support page taken from a website selling upright (*UPWRONG) bicycles: If you ride an upright, you may find this information useful...

Achilles Tendons

If you have painful Achilles tendons (these are the tendons at the back of the ankle that connect the calf muscle to the heel) it usually indicates a problem in pedalling technique. Achilles tendon problems often result from ankling during the pedal stroke.

This problem can also be related to:

(1) Having the saddle set too high, therefore forcing the cyclist to point the toes excessively to reach the bottom of the pedal stroke.

(2) Having your cleats set too far forward, or otherwise pedalling with the toes. The farther forward the contact between the foot and the pedal, the greater the stress on the Achilles tendons.

Ankle Pain

Ankle pain while cycling can again be the result of "ankling" while pedalling. Pain may also result from being flat-footed, in which case orthotic shoe inserts are a likely remedy. Another possible cause of ankle pain, is a bent pedal or crank which will cause the foot to wobble back and forth as the pedals turn.

Back Pain

Back pain is usually caused by poor cycling posture. Good cycling posture is different to that required for sitting or standing. Correct cycling posture must facilitate the pedalling action, and must enable the rider to cope with the jolts that result from road irregularities. When riding a bicycle, the back should be arched, like a bridge. If the back is properly arched, bumps will cause it to flex slightly; this is harmless. If you ride swaybacked, bumps will cause the back to bow even farther in the forward direction, which can lead to severe lumbar pain. Some back-pain sufferers modify their cycles with extra-high handlebars so that they sit bolt upright. This is actually counterproductive in most cases, because a straight spine has no way to "give" when the bike hits bumps. Road irregularities will therefore jam the vertebrae together, often aggravating existing back problems. The bolt-upright posture is comfortable only if you're sitting stationary on the bike and not moving faster than a brisk walk. Riders who for any reason require such a position should use some form of suspension e.g. a sprung saddle or suspension seat post.

Foot Pain

Foot discomfort is often the result of inappropriate footwear, specifically shoes with soft soles. It can also be the result of riding in a too high a gear, which results in excessive pressure by the foot on the pedal.

Finger Problems

Numbness of the fingers is a potentially dangerous symptom, as it can often relate to carpal tunnel syndrome. This is one of many problems which can result from bad upper body posture.

The two bump problem: Like your bottom, the heel of your hand has two bumps with a sort of valley between. There are important nerves which run through this valley and it is important to avoid excessive pressure here. Beware with padding. If you use thick handlebar grips, or gloves with too much gel padding, the bumps that are best able to carry weight will press through the foam but the foam in the middle will press back at the valley. Thus, as with saddles, too much gel can worsen the problem it was intended to correct! Numbness in the hands can also be related to poor wrist positioning. Generally, the wrist should be held so that the hand is pretty much in line with the forearm. If your hand is bent upward from the forearm, the nerves can get pinched which then causes numbness.

Knee Pain

Cycling done properly is much less stressful to the knees than many other aerobic activities, simply because there's no impact involved. Nevertheless, knee injuries can and do occur. Again usually as a result of poor technique or position.

Gear Selection: A principal cause of knee problems is over-stressing caused by using too high a gear.

Saddle Height: Another common cause of knee problems is incorrect saddle adjustment, particularly if the saddle is set too low.

Cleat Adjustment: Some knee problems result from incorrect placement of shoe cleats. Everybody has a natural angle that their feet take when cycling. When you ride with plain pedals, your foot assumes this angle and everything is fine. However, if you use cleated shoes with matching pedals, it is important that the cleat is adjusted so as to permit your foot to be at its natural angle. If your cleats are incorrectly adjusted, the resulting twist on your lower leg will affect the alignment of the knee joint and cause problems. This is less of an issue if you ride pedals with "float" in the cleat attachment. Most new designs of clipless pedal offer at least some float.

Lateral Movement - Chondromalacia: The knee joint is basically a ball and socket joint, with the ball at the bottom of the femur and the socket at the top of the shinbone. A common cycling related injury is called "chondromalacia", and has to do with irritation of the cartilage pad in the "socket" which provides lubrication for this joint. Chondromalacia is often blamed on lateral movement of the joint, and a common prescription is to strengthen the quadriceps muscles which run along the front of the thigh and along side the front of the kneecap. It is these muscles which provide lateral positioning for the joint.

Long Cranks: The longer your cranks are, the further your knees will have to flex on each stroke. Different riders will have different amounts of flexibility, but riding with longer cranks than you are used to can definitely cause problems.

Hand Problems

If the skin of your hands gets sore, cycling gloves can often help.

Neck Problems

Neck problems are most often due to poor cycling posture. An occasional source of neck trouble is poor adjustment of a helmet. If the helmet is too low in front, the rider is forced to tilt the head upward to keep the helmet from blocking their forward view. Sharp backward bends in the neck can cause severe problems, so make sure that your helmet is properly fitted for your riding style. Riders with a more aggressive riding position need to wear their helmets farther back than those who sit more upright. Poorly fitted glasses can also cause this problem!

Posture

Many inexperienced cyclists adopt a posture which allows their upper bodies to be supported entirely by their bones. This has the advantage that it requires no muscular effort, but can lead to discomfort or injury when road shocks are transmitted through the rigid bones. This discomfort may affect the back, hands, wrists, shoulders or neck.

Posture faults are mainly found in three places:

(1) The back should be arched, like a bridge.

(2) The elbows should be slightly bent, not straight and locked.

(3) The shoulders should be pushed forward, so that the muscles in the front of the chest help carry the weight of the upper body.

Many cyclists make the error of letting their upper spine dangle forward, held up by the collar bones. Rolling the shoulders forward counteracts the bending of the arms, resulting in the same general angle of the upper body as a relaxed, bone-supported posture provides, but with the resiliency of muscles providing shock absorption.

Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is again generally due to faults in the rider's posture. It can also be caused by having the saddle angle too low in front. This tends to make you slide forward as you ride, and you wind up using your hands to push yourself back into position. If you have pain in just one shoulder, it may be due to an asymmetry. Are you bending your arms both the same amount? Are you holding one of your shoulders higher than the other? Some people have one arm longer than the other - For these people, it may help to deliberately set the handlebars slightly askew with respect to the front wheel, turning them away from the longer arm.

Wrist Pain

Wrist pain is often caused by poor upper body posture. It can also be caused by having the saddle angle too low in front. This tends to make you slide forward as you ride, and you wind up using your hands to push yourself back into position.

I experience none of these problems whilst riding my Trice, but perhaps I'm lucky? Be to honest if I wasn't doing so already, the above article is enough to make me want to ride recumbent!

*UPWRONG – A term used by some recumbent cyclists to describe the upright or diamond framed (DF) bicycle type.

ICE & Peter Ross rider forum

2009-07-22T16:20:00.007+01:00

A new forum dedicated to riders of both ICE and Peter Ross Trice machines is to be found here