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You should avoid riding the trike on two wheels.
It is possible to do, with considerable practice,
but it places unfair stresses on the wheels and
you will not be able to control the trike properly.
If you lock the back wheel (using the rear
parking or disk brake), it is possible to make
the back end of the trike skid around; this is the
so-called ‘handbrake turn’. While fun to do in a
quiet car park, this maneuver can cause a loss
of control, and should not be attempted around
other vehicles. It can also scrub the tread off an
expensive tyre in a very short time.
Heavy loads should be carried as low as
possible, and as much in the middle of the trike
as you can. Heavy loads mounted high on the
back of the trike will affect its handling, especially
at higher speeds and when cornering. Do not
carry a child in a child seat over the rear wheel.
Besides affecting the trike’s stability, the trike is
not heavy enough to sufficiently support a child
without someone sitting on it (it can fall over
when you get out of the seat).
For carrying children or heavy loads, we
recommend towing a trailer. There are plenty
of 2 wheeled trailers on the market, and they
can be very heavily loaded without affecting
the handling of the trike. Crash tests done in
Germany show a child is much safer in a trailer
than in a child seat.
4.7 Brakes
The front brakes are operated independently by
each main brake lever. The left lever operates
the left brake, and the right lever operates the
right brake. Normal braking should be done with
both levers together and evenly for excellent
stopping power; you will find your trike to be
very stable under braking. Unlike other trikes,
stopping using only one brake will not result in
the trike veering from its intended course. This
‘NoBrake-Steer’ geometry is a safety feature
that is an ICE innovation and is designed into
every trike we make.
Because your weight is being supported on 3
wheels rather than 2, you will find it easier to
lock up the brakes on the front wheels. The trike
will not roll over, but it will slide. Locked wheels
are hard on tyres, and are not as efficient for
braking as a wheel which is still turning.
When you are braking into corner, you will find
the unloaded inside wheel will lock up quite
easily. It is not a problem, but remember that the
lightly loaded wheel is not contributing much to
steering or braking the trike.
4.5 Cornering
Your trike is inherently very stable under normal
riding conditions. Cornering at high speed can
cause your trike to lift a wheel, or in worse
cases, roll over. Leaning into the corner can help
this, and is a fun technique that all trike riders
learn.
Take care on corners which have a ‘reverse
camber.’ Reverse camber is where the outside
of the corner is lower than the inside. On a
corner with reverse camber, the trike will try to
move to the outside of the curve, which could
take you off the edge of the road, or into the
oncoming lane.
We recommend that you find a quiet smooth-
surfaced area (such as a car park or firm grassy
field), and get a feel for handling your trike. Try
turning at various speeds to find the point where
your trike starts to lift a wheel. It is better to learn
this in a quiet park than a busy street.
When you are negotiating a corner at speed,
remember that your weight shifts away from the
inside wheel.
You must remember that it is very easy to skid
or lock the lightly loaded inside wheel, and that
wheel is contributing less to your ability to brake
and steer.
4.6 Handling
4.3 Stopping in a low
gear
As with an ordinary bicycle it is best to get into
the habit of finishing your journey in an easy
gear so that you can pull away easily when you
start again.
4.4 Relax
Whilst riding sit back and relax.
DO NOT PULL ON THE HANDLEBARS;
just hold them lightly. The trike will tend to steer
itself in a straight line depending on the road
surface and camber.
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The steering of the
trike runs on ball bearings so
it is very smooth and requires
minimal effort to steer. The gear
cables run forward and backwards
and the spring effect in these cables
tend to make the trike slowly turn
to the left or right if you let go of
the handlebars completely.
This is normal and we don’t
recommend riding without holding at
least one of the handle bars or you will
not have proper control of the trike.
4.2 Initial test ride
Start on a flat piece of road or drive preferably
away from traffic. The front brakes are
independent so the left brake operates the left
front wheel and the right brake operates the right
wheel. Sit on the trike , clip in and make sure
you know where the brakes are and that they
stop you moving. Before you have ridden more
than a few yards, check the front brakes.
MAKE SURE YOU CAN STOP!
You should do this before each ride, as well as
checking your brakes for damage and wear.
Steering is very easy and natural and you
will soon become unaware of the movements
required.
Gear changing
As with any derailleur system you can only
change gear when you are pedalling and
moving forward. It is easier to change if you
are not putting a lot of force on the pedals,
particularly when changing from a high to a low
gear. The rear derailleur is operated by the right
shifter, and the front using the left shifter.
Do not change gear when the trike is rolling
backwards, as the chain will jam in the rear
derailleur and likely damage it. When you are
riding, you can make minor adjustments to the
indexing of the gears using the adjusters located
where the cables exit the shifters.
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Also try to anticipate hills and
change to a lower (easier) gear
before you get onto the steep part of
the hill hence avoiding changing
gear under pressure.