Great video and assessment. The old adage that quality is a great value holds true. They are fabulous and dependable trikes. I’ve had the same experience with my two Catrikes…..a 700 and a 559. Absolutely zero system failures in over 30,000 miles in the last 4 years. Still have original chain on my 700 after 8:14 14,000 miles. The 559 is heavier so I had disc brakes replaced this year and bearings on cranks were worn. That’s it. Normal wear and tear. No unscheduled unplanned system failures. I picked up a huge twig riding this fall on a trail when all the New England leaves were down and the trail hadn’t been swept so my derailleur was bent and fixable but I replaced it anyway. I ride Schwalbe Marathon plus tires and have gotten 9-10,000 miles on the last sets. The 700 came with slick Schwalbe Duranos and were fast but wore out in 2200 miles so I replaced them with the marathon plus. A little slower but the cushioning of the tire was well worth it as one feels the road a lot in the tight light 700. One forgets the price very fast when these trikes last forever. Driving down to Florida next week for the winter. We had a spectacular spring, summer and fall then reality hit this week. Temps in the 20’s with 15-30 mph winds. I’m outta here. Sayonara. Have a fabulous holiday season. I love your videos. Keep up the good work. Have a fabulous holiday season and a happy healthy new year to you and your entire family.
Hey, Mark! Great to hear your trikes have been as reliable as ours have. I’m running Duranos, but they do wear pretty quickly so it may be time to switch to something like the Marathon Plus. I ran Big Apples on my Ice Q and really liked them but they may be a little much on a VTX. Sounds like you picked the right time to head south! Now, as long as you don’t get any more hurricanes down there, you should be set for the winter! :) My cousin lives down there and she’s still cleaning up after the recent storms. Have a great holiday season and many happy miles pedaled!
@@bikestrikesrazors thanks for the reply. Rode 20 miles in 28 degree temps and 15 mph winds today. I’m outta here in a few days. I’m not a big fan of now crowded and expensive south Florida but it sure beats New England in the winter. I sold my home in west Palm a few years ago and find it much easier just to rent for a few months and not be hassled by storms, insurance and the generally craziness that is occurring down there. The Marathon Plus are a little slower than Duranos but much more comfortable and reliable. I got tired of spending $200 every few months and the work. It’s a good trade off. Happy holidays and thanks again for your great videos.
Good video , watched quite a few of your videos in the past couple of years , and your ice trikes always look nice , and like high quality trikes . 16000 miles with minimal issues , thats very nice indeed , and i`m sure a lot of the credit goes to the owners that look after their gear ;) . All the best to you guys .
Got an ICE VTX with Di2 recently. Loving it. Average trip times similar to Di2 equiped £5500 road bike I had. It is faster than the bike down hills by quite a bit though. I use the Sprint X Tour 26 as a runabout and the VTX for excercise
Sounds like a sweet set-up! Yep, I've noticed the same thing- The VTX runs just about the same as my road bikes on the flats, a little slower going uphill, but as you said, these are like greased lighting on the downhills. So far my downhill speed record is 52mph on the VTX, but I've been getting a bit smarter (Older? Wiser?) lately so I doubt I'll hit those speeds again. :)
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks for taking the time to film and edit these videos. I'm new to recumbents and enjoying learning about them and planning future adventures. I'm curious about your thoughts/recommendations regarding helmet brands and styles. I've hung up my mountain bike and the dirt (that ship has sailed I'm afraid) so I'm shopping for a road bike helmet to replace my rather large visor MB helmet. Cheers!
@@gary8639 Hey Gary. I wear Giro, Bell and Kask, but I've heard that the shape of your head will work better with certain helmets. My head must be "average" because most helmets seem to fit me fine. :) The most expensive helmets will usually be lighter, but you can get great deals if you find out what the top-of-the-line helmet was a few years ago and look for that on sale.
Glad to see you two again. My thoughts were with you and all those around you as the bomb cyclone hit Northern California. I knew ICE trikes were good but your review informed me that they’re great (Tony the Tiger reference was intended)
Thanks for the positive thoughts, Oly! Looks like we may get lucky and the rain could start to let up by tomorrow morning. May even be able to sneak in a ride. Good riding and thanks for watching!
It was great as, not only did we have dinner with family, but we were able to sneak in a ride before dinner! :) Hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well, Gary!
I always look forward to your videos! I'm at two years on my Greenspeed Magnum but no where near as many miles as you guys. Hard to believe though. Here's to many more years and miles of recumbent riding!
Same here with my Magnum Big Wheel- 3 years roughly but only 3600km. Front tyres are bald now but the back tyre is as new. Brake drums needed slight adjustment around 800km, nothing needed since. One flat, then put thornproof tubes in. Great unit, will outlast me!
Enjoyed the video. Looking for a fast trike to keep up with my roadie fans, VTX was on my list but opted for the Spyder ATC due to availability One thing I'm shocked you have neither front or rear lights. They're lifesavers and should be used.
@bikestrikesrazors 👍🏻Spyder, ATC model is great. Carbon seat and wheels. Less than 30 lbs. I customized it a bit. Swapped rear wheel with my road bike Zipp, added Di2, 50/34 front, 11/34 rear ; Shimano XTR pedals, YBN chain. Faster than roadie friends downhill and on flats, slower uphill due to weight and inability to stand on pedals. Very stable on turns. Front wheels 20".
Thank you for yet another of your inspiring videos. Watching these make me want to jump on my GT20 and go out and about. One question: you mentioned going from index shifting to friction shifting for the rear derailer. How do you know that your shifting is correct when you cannot see the chain running over the cassette (lik on an upright bike)? Is there a simple trick or is it just listening to the sound of the chain over the derailer. Kind regards from The Netherlands.
Ah, good question! :) You can feel the chain as it moves on the cassette and you both feel and hear if something isn't aligned quite right. Sometimes it does take some trimming, but after a while it becomes second nature and you don't even think about it. Thanks very much for watching!
Thanks for another great video. I always enjoy your viewpoints. I am not able to afford the VTX, but I do have a Spyder from Terra Trike. It's a fast, fun ride for me. It definitely "suffer" from triker's grin every time I take it out. I also enjoy a Terra Trike GTS and have, between them, ridden about 2500 miles this year here in West Michigan. Not sure if I'll get much more before the end of the year. Happy Thanksgiving to both of you!
I LOVE my ICE VTX. That bike has opened so many adventures for me; Rio Grande RailTrail 3 times already. Several triahlons too. Mine has been bulletproof. I have changed out the gear train though to a lower range overall. do ride with a flag, lights and GoPro/ Insta360. (Been coal rolled once too many) Those trails look very familiar. Are you in the denver CO area?
Hey, Legborghini! Nope, we’re in Sacramento and most of the trails you see in our videos will be in Folsom (Humbug-Willow Creek) or the American River Bike Trail. Nice to know others are enjoying their VTX’s as much as I am! Thanks for watching!
Great video, have you considered a rear wheel upgrade? I remember we were talking about a spoke cover disc wheel , I know they can get pretty spendy ,, I have a carbon trispoke on my rear its very light and I have spoke cove discs on front , I feel it gives about 2 to 4 mph increase in average speeds . Plus it sounds different especially riding near a sound refleting surface like a wall or building .
Hey, Jason! I’ve thought about it, but I’ve been happy enough with the stock rear wheel that I haven’t had the motivation to swap in something more aero like a disc. I do go to lots of bike swap meets, so if I do ever find the right wheel for the right price, I may be tempted. :) Thanks for watching and happy riding!
Hi! I’ve ridden an Adventure 26FS. Nice comfortable ride. I’m wondering at your fitness level if you would dare to state an approximate, level road/trail, zero to light wind, avg mph speed? On the Adventure I saw 14 mph, but the avg for 10 and 16 mile rides was around 8mph. Not really pushing, just enjoying the ride. BTW, this included stoplights and stop signs so likely a little faster. I’m 72 with stage IV cancer so I am just trying to have some fun. Thanks for the video.
Very sorry to hear about the cancer! Hopefully modern medicine will be able to work one of its miracles. So far, my family has experienced brain cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and oral cancer and luckily we’ve managed to survive. Average speed is a tricky thing, as, like you say, it’s dramatically affected every time you slow down for a road crossing and such. I can tell you that on a normal, flat stretch of trail, I can hold between 18-20mph for maybe an hour, but I’m really killing myself to maintain these speeds. For reference, on my Wattbike, I can hold around 190 watts for a hour, so this is the kind of wattage needed to hold those speeds. Frankly, I have no idea why I do ride at those speeds as I’d likely be enjoying the ride much more if I just slowed down a little!
Keep an eye on the local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I’ve found all my recumbents second hand at a serious discount from new. And if you pay used prices and don’t like it, you can always sell it for what you paid. Best of luck and thanks for watching!
Hey, Gary! We have a big Ford E-350 van that we bought for business but it works equally as well for trike/bike transport. It has just about eight-hundred-thousand miles on it right now, so when she blows we’ll either have to get another van or get creative with trike transport. :)
It is a very relevant video. My wife is on her 4th year of her ICE VTX.
Thanks a million.
I hope your wife is enjoying her VTX as much as we are, Evan! That four years went by fast! :)
It still turns heads that for sure.@@bikestrikesrazors
Always good see your productions.
Thanks for watching, Peter!
Great video and assessment. The old adage that quality is a great value holds true. They are fabulous and dependable trikes. I’ve had the same experience with my two Catrikes…..a 700 and a 559. Absolutely zero system failures in over 30,000 miles in the last 4 years. Still have original chain on my 700 after 8:14 14,000 miles. The 559 is heavier so I had disc brakes replaced this year and bearings on cranks were worn. That’s it. Normal wear and tear. No unscheduled unplanned system failures. I picked up a huge twig riding this fall on a trail when all the New England leaves were down and the trail hadn’t been swept so my derailleur was bent and fixable but I replaced it anyway. I ride Schwalbe Marathon plus tires and have gotten 9-10,000 miles on the last sets. The 700 came with slick Schwalbe Duranos and were fast but wore out in 2200 miles so I replaced them with the marathon plus. A little slower but the cushioning of the tire was well worth it as one feels the road a lot in the tight light 700. One forgets the price very fast when these trikes last forever. Driving down to Florida next week for the winter. We had a spectacular spring, summer and fall then reality hit this week. Temps in the 20’s with 15-30 mph winds. I’m outta here. Sayonara. Have a fabulous holiday season. I love your videos. Keep up the good work. Have a fabulous holiday season and a happy healthy new year to you and your entire family.
Hey, Mark! Great to hear your trikes have been as reliable as ours have. I’m running Duranos, but they do wear pretty quickly so it may be time to switch to something like the Marathon Plus. I ran Big Apples on my Ice Q and really liked them but they may be a little much on a VTX. Sounds like you picked the right time to head south! Now, as long as you don’t get any more hurricanes down there, you should be set for the winter! :) My cousin lives down there and she’s still cleaning up after the recent storms. Have a great holiday season and many happy miles pedaled!
@@bikestrikesrazors thanks for the reply. Rode 20 miles in 28 degree temps and 15 mph winds today. I’m outta here in a few days. I’m not a big fan of now crowded and expensive south Florida but it sure beats New England in the winter. I sold my home in west Palm a few years ago and find it much easier just to rent for a few months and not be hassled by storms, insurance and the generally craziness that is occurring down there. The Marathon Plus are a little slower than Duranos but much more comfortable and reliable. I got tired of spending $200 every few months and the work. It’s a good trade off. Happy holidays and thanks again for your great videos.
I've had mine from new in 2016. Time flies and so does the VTX. I'm still on the original SRAM mechs and shifters with no problems with any of it .
Glad to hear it, Four! Good to know there are other VTX owners out there enjoying their sleds as much as I am! :)
Good video , watched quite a few of your videos in the past couple of years ,
and your ice trikes always look nice , and like high quality trikes .
16000 miles with minimal issues , thats very nice indeed , and i`m sure a lot of the credit goes to the owners that look after their gear ;) .
All the best to you guys .
Thanks very much for watching, Mikldude! We certainly take better care of our trikes and bikes than we do our cars. :)
Got an ICE VTX with Di2 recently. Loving it.
Average trip times similar to Di2 equiped £5500 road bike I had. It is faster than the bike down hills by quite a bit though.
I use the Sprint X Tour 26 as a runabout and the VTX for excercise
Sounds like a sweet set-up! Yep, I've noticed the same thing- The VTX runs just about the same as my road bikes on the flats, a little slower going uphill, but as you said, these are like greased lighting on the downhills. So far my downhill speed record is 52mph on the VTX, but I've been getting a bit smarter (Older? Wiser?) lately so I doubt I'll hit those speeds again. :)
Always enjoyable and informational videos. Thanks
Thanks very much for watching, Gary!
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks for taking the time to film and edit these videos. I'm new to recumbents and enjoying learning about them and planning future adventures. I'm curious about your thoughts/recommendations regarding helmet brands and styles. I've hung up my mountain bike and the dirt (that ship has sailed I'm afraid) so I'm shopping for a road bike helmet to replace my rather large visor MB helmet. Cheers!
@@gary8639 Hey Gary. I wear Giro, Bell and Kask, but I've heard that the shape of your head will work better with certain helmets. My head must be "average" because most helmets seem to fit me fine. :) The most expensive helmets will usually be lighter, but you can get great deals if you find out what the top-of-the-line helmet was a few years ago and look for that on sale.
@@bikestrikesrazors Thanks! Just ordered the Bell XR Spherical. Looking forward to seeing if it will fit my jar. 😊
Looking forward to your next video. In the meantime, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and great New Year!
Happy Holidays to you and yours, Gary!
Glad to see you two again. My thoughts were with you and all those around you as the bomb cyclone hit Northern California. I knew ICE trikes were good but your review informed me that they’re great (Tony the Tiger reference was intended)
Thanks for the positive thoughts, Oly! Looks like we may get lucky and the rain could start to let up by tomorrow morning. May even be able to sneak in a ride. Good riding and thanks for watching!
👍 Hope you’ve had a great Thanksgiving. All the best for the holidays.
It was great as, not only did we have dinner with family, but we were able to sneak in a ride before dinner! :) Hope you had a great Thanksgiving as well, Gary!
I always look forward to your videos! I'm at two years on my Greenspeed Magnum but no where near as many miles as you guys. Hard to believe though. Here's to many more years and miles of recumbent riding!
That Magnum is quite the amazing trike! Here's wishing you many years and many miles on it! :)
Same here with my Magnum Big Wheel- 3 years roughly but only 3600km. Front tyres are bald now but the back tyre is as new. Brake drums needed slight adjustment around 800km, nothing needed since. One flat, then put thornproof tubes in. Great unit, will outlast me!
@@rossbrumby1957 Yep, I've got a GTO and it will be around long after I'm gone! :)
Hey Guys!! Always good to hear from you-Enjoying your update on your recumbent still having a great time riding- me to 🤗- Have a happy Thanksgiving 💫
Happy Thanksgiving, Doug! And many more happy miles of riding to you! :)
Enjoyed the video. Looking for a fast trike to keep up with my roadie fans, VTX was on my list but opted for the Spyder ATC due to availability
One thing I'm shocked you have neither front or rear lights. They're lifesavers and should be used.
Hey, B! I do have lights but for rides on a bike trail, like this one, I don’t use them. I’d love to try a Spyder some day. What do you think of it?
@bikestrikesrazors 👍🏻Spyder, ATC model is great. Carbon seat and wheels. Less than 30 lbs. I customized it a bit. Swapped rear wheel with my road bike Zipp, added Di2, 50/34 front, 11/34 rear ; Shimano XTR pedals, YBN chain. Faster than roadie friends downhill and on flats, slower uphill due to weight and inability to stand on pedals. Very stable on turns. Front wheels 20".
@@bfaIllini1 Sounds like a great setup!
Thank you for yet another of your inspiring videos. Watching these make me want to jump on my GT20 and go out and about. One question: you mentioned going from index shifting to friction shifting for the rear derailer. How do you know that your shifting is correct when you cannot see the chain running over the cassette (lik on an upright bike)? Is there a simple trick or is it just listening to the sound of the chain over the derailer. Kind regards from The Netherlands.
Ah, good question! :) You can feel the chain as it moves on the cassette and you both feel and hear if something isn't aligned quite right. Sometimes it does take some trimming, but after a while it becomes second nature and you don't even think about it. Thanks very much for watching!
Thanks for another great video. I always enjoy your viewpoints. I am not able to afford the VTX, but I do have a Spyder from Terra Trike. It's a fast, fun ride for me. It definitely "suffer" from triker's grin every time I take it out. I also enjoy a Terra Trike GTS and have, between them, ridden about 2500 miles this year here in West Michigan. Not sure if I'll get much more before the end of the year. Happy Thanksgiving to both of you!
I LOVE my ICE VTX. That bike has opened so many adventures for me; Rio Grande RailTrail 3 times already. Several triahlons too. Mine has been bulletproof. I have changed out the gear train though to a lower range overall. do ride with a flag, lights and GoPro/ Insta360. (Been coal rolled once too many) Those trails look very familiar. Are you in the denver CO area?
Hey, Legborghini! Nope, we’re in Sacramento and most of the trails you see in our videos will be in Folsom (Humbug-Willow Creek) or the American River Bike Trail. Nice to know others are enjoying their VTX’s as much as I am! Thanks for watching!
Great video, have you considered a rear wheel upgrade? I remember we were talking about a spoke cover disc wheel , I know they can get pretty spendy ,, I have a carbon trispoke on my rear its very light and I have spoke cove discs on front , I feel it gives about 2 to 4 mph increase in average speeds . Plus it sounds different especially riding near a sound refleting surface like a wall or building .
Hey, Jason! I’ve thought about it, but I’ve been happy enough with the stock rear wheel that I haven’t had the motivation to swap in something more aero like a disc. I do go to lots of bike swap meets, so if I do ever find the right wheel for the right price, I may be tempted. :) Thanks for watching and happy riding!
Hi! I’ve ridden an Adventure 26FS. Nice comfortable ride. I’m wondering at your fitness level if you would dare to state an approximate, level road/trail, zero to light wind, avg mph speed? On the Adventure I saw 14 mph, but the avg for 10 and 16 mile rides was around 8mph. Not really pushing, just enjoying the ride. BTW, this included stoplights and stop signs so likely a little faster. I’m 72 with stage IV cancer so I am just trying to have some fun. Thanks for the video.
Very sorry to hear about the cancer! Hopefully modern medicine will be able to work one of its miracles. So far, my family has experienced brain cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and oral cancer and luckily we’ve managed to survive. Average speed is a tricky thing, as, like you say, it’s dramatically affected every time you slow down for a road crossing and such. I can tell you that on a normal, flat stretch of trail, I can hold between 18-20mph for maybe an hour, but I’m really killing myself to maintain these speeds. For reference, on my Wattbike, I can hold around 190 watts for a hour, so this is the kind of wattage needed to hold those speeds. Frankly, I have no idea why I do ride at those speeds as I’d likely be enjoying the ride much more if I just slowed down a little!
⚔️💪👍👌(stroke)
Thanks very much for watching, Tom!
I keep thinking I want a recumbent bike.
Keep an eye on the local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I’ve found all my recumbents second hand at a serious discount from new. And if you pay used prices and don’t like it, you can always sell it for what you paid. Best of luck and thanks for watching!
I've been wanting to ask how you transport your trikes from location to location?
Hey, Gary! We have a big Ford E-350 van that we bought for business but it works equally as well for trike/bike transport. It has just about eight-hundred-thousand miles on it right now, so when she blows we’ll either have to get another van or get creative with trike transport. :)