From my Instagram "Crazy_On_Three"
Since 2017
Staying active for the last 13 years on recumbent trikes and for the last three years on my ICE Sprint FS 26 E-Assist. Keep moving…adapt.
#icetrike #icetrikes #recumbenttrike #recumbenttrikes #adaptivecycling #shimanoe8000 #e8000 #etrikes #electricassist #peopleforbikes #ridewithgps #clubrideapparel #crazyonthree
I've been enjoying the performance of the Continental Contact tires (37/406 and 47/559) but the Fall road debris is back and so is the occasional flat tire. Acorns, pine cones, endless twigs with jagged points and the occasional downed branch. And of course piles of leaves hiding who knows what. It's time to put on Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. I have the skinner 35/406 Plus on the front and this time I'm trying the skinner 35/559 Plus on the rear. I'll see if having the 35mm tires all around helps with performance. Time will tell.
In late Winter or early Spring the road is usually clear of most of the debris from the trees and I can go back to the lighter faster and better handling Continental Contacts.
 |
| Acorns...usually they just crunch as you roll over them but hit them just right and the hard shell turns into a weapon that wants to stop your ride with an untimely flat. |
The new 11 speed MicroShift I installed in July (post here) was working acceptably well but precision was not it's strong point. The new SRAM 1190 is precise. I'll keep the MicroShift as a backup.
The SRAM 1190 is a click back or a click forward to change gears and then the carbon level returns to a neutral position after the shift. The neutral position can easily be changed. You can also shift multiple gears at a time and the shifter will still return to its neutral position when done.
 |
| The little white lines showing the gear I'm using are hard for me to see. I put pieces of white tape on so I can more easily visualize the gear. |
I noticed that the new ICE Sprint X 365 has a seat mount to store an extra battery. Unlike current secondary market battery seat mounts the clamps on the new spare battery mount looks robust enough to handle the weight of a battery hanging upside down. I want one!
I emailed Andy at ICE and below are the emails. Bottom line, hang in there for 12 months if you want a mount that looks like it will perform well.
______________________________
My email to Andy at ICE Trikes
Andy,
Email reply from Andy at ICE Trikes
Hi Mark,
Yes the newer seat mount is available these are 04527 which are $245 + shipping. We do not currently have any available as we are waiting on a delivery of parts for these however we should hopefully have some available in around 12 month.
Thanks,
Andy
When I bought my first trike in 2009 it came with Schwalbe tires. I stayed with Schwalbe up until recently only because I just got used to buying Schwalbe. That changed recently when I decided I wanted a better looking tire without the reflective stripe (I don't ride at night). The Continental Contact was one of the few if not the only name brand touring style tire that comes without the reflective stripe.
I've been riding with the Continental Contact tires for over 500 miles and they have become my favorite tire. They satisfy my want for a cool looking tire but more important they are fast, comfortable and hold the road beautifully. My very unscientific measure of tire speed can be seen on my Tire Speed page. So far they seem as tough as any Schwalbe tire other than the heavy Schwalbe flat resistant tires like the Plus and Marathon.
As Fall and Winter come around and the tree debris accumulates in the street I'll probably change over to Schwalbe Marathon Plus for awhile.
 |
| Continental Contact 37/406 (20"x1.45") |
 |
| Continental Contact 47/559 (26"x1.75") |
Updated September 2022
I'm now using an SRAM 1190 bar end shifter. Post Here
I installed a new MicroShift indexed bar end shifter after putting 2,150 miles on the old MicroShift. Good enough for a $50 shifter.
After replacing my worn out chain and adding a new cassette (post here) I couldn't get the gearing tuned. Either the top few gears were tuned or the bottom gears. But never the whole gear range. The problem had to be with the old MicroShift shifter. And it was. All gears are now perfectly tuned with the new MicroShift indexed bar end shifter.
For $50 I have no problem replacing the 11 speed shifter at around 2,000 miles. I would prefer a Sram indexed shifter but I can only find them sold in sets for front and rear derailleurs and they are expensive. My experience with them is that they last longer. But unlike my Catrike 700 and Expedition days I don't need a front shifter. I don't want to pay the added expense for a front shifter I don't need.
The original MicroShift was added September of last year replacing the Di2 electronic shifter (that post here).
 |
| September 2021. A new MicroShift indexed bar end shifter and cable actuated derailleur replaced the Di2 system. . |
