ICE Recumbent Trike Wheel Size Options

The wheel size of the trike can have a big effect on the gearing and the look of the trike. It has a smaller effect on the way the trike handles and the speed in different situations. The Adventure and Adventure HD models are available with a choice of 20” and 26” rear wheel sizes. The VTX, Sprint X, Sprint X Tour and Full Fat each have a model specific rear wheel in one size only. The VTX and Sprint X share the modern aero-profile tubeless ready 700c lightweight race wheels. The Sprint X Tour comes with a 26” rear wheel and the Full Fat has a fat 26” wheel.

20"

20” or 406 wheels are great for people who need low gears. People who are touring with heavy loads, live in very hilly areas or have reduced power can benefit from the low gears which can easily be achieved with a 20” drive wheel. They also accelerate well as they have a lower weight so they are good for people who have to stop and start frequently on their rides. 20" wheels also allow a 20" trike to fold into a slightly smaller size. This makes trike storage and transport a little easier on a 20" wheeled trike.

26"

26” or 559 drive wheels give good high gears easily and have a good range of tyres available to them in everything from off road to racing specs. Larger wheels can hold speed a little better on rough surfaces so for riders who don’t carry heavy loads, live in flatter areas or are powerful enough not to need very low gears on the hills the 26” rear wheel option can be very good.

700C

700c wheels are aerodynamic and have a modern aero-profile. We fit a 700c rear wheel on the VTX and the Sprint X. This is the standard racing bike wheel size which means the widest range of fast tyres are available. It’s large size also allows easy access to high gears for fast riding. The 700 is roughly a 28” wheel in the inch based measuring system. Tubeless compatible as standard.

26” Full Fat

On the ICE Full Fat we fit extra wide 26” wheels with 4” tyres. These wheels have wide hubs and rims to give stability to the fat tyres and allow you to run very low pressures for traction on soft and loose surfaces such as snow, mud and sand.

Front wheel size

Our trikes are designed around a specific front wheel size, all our trikes except the Full Fat are optimised around 20” front wheels. The front end geometry is designed for this wheel size to eliminate brake steer and make the handling a perfect blend of responsiveness and self-centring. We strongly recommend against fitting other front wheel sizes to our trikes as it will change the geometry and introduce unwanted characteristics such as brake steer and very heavy handling.

20" Front Wheels

Our 20" front wheels come in two kinds. Lightweight modern aero-profile race wheels, for the more sporty trikes and are tubeless ready. And our touring wheels that are strong, sturdy and ideal for more relaxed touring and carrying heavier loads. Both are available in reliable low maintenance drums or powerful light weight disc brake options.