ICE Sprint X Tour 26, Posted on January 14, 2020

While there are faster trikes out there and trikes with more suspension travel, ICE has positioned the Sprint right down the middle between comfort and all out performance. The ICE Sprint is available in a variety of configurations. First, is a rigid frame with a 26 inch rear wheel. Second, is a rear suspension and rigid front end with either 20 inch or 26 inch rear wheel. Third, is a front and rear suspension with either 20 inch or 26 inch rear wheel. ICE offers all three configurations in an “X” version, an “X Tour”.  The ICE Sprint is one of my favorite trikes, the workmanship in all ICE trikes are second to none.

Frame: The main frame on the ICE Sprint X is 100% 4130 Chro-moly steel TIG welded together. I would have to say the welds are beautiful and of the highest quality in the industry. You will not be able to find any manufacturer building a better quality frame than ICE.  ICE prefers the durability of Chro-Moly main frame which offers more shock absorbing ride than frames made of aluminum.

Paint: The ICE paint jobs are fantastic. The paint jobs are just perfect. It just not possible to do anything better. ICE offers the Sprint X Tour in any color you want as long as it is Gray. I guess ICE likes to give you options on the components rather than colors.

Drive Train: The shifting is superb on the Sprint. ICE chose a wide variety of drivetrains starting with a Shimano Clairs 24 Speed Drive Train. Ice also offers a Shimano Deore 30 speed and a Shimano Ultegra 33 Speed.

Brakes: ICE has three brake systems to choose from, the first is the super reliable Sturmey Archer Drum Brakes. Drum brakes offer good reliable stopping in both wet and dry conditions and require the least amount of maintenance. Second is the Avid BB7 which are one of my favorite mechanical disc brake system, the Avid BB7 brakes are reliable and easily adjustable. A super convenient feature of the Avid mechanical brakes is that each brake pad can be adjusted independently, so you can really dial in your brake adjustment.  Third is the new Calipso Disc Brakes which can be used with front suspension where the Avids will not work with the ICE front suspension. I have used all three brake systems over the years and have found all of them performed well enough. ICE has a quick release wheel kit which makes removing the wheels a snap. ICE trikes use a rear “V” brake and a remote lever for it’s parking brake. The parking brake works very well and is very easy to use.

Seat: The seat height on the Sprint X is a low 8 inches and the angle is adjustable from 37 to 44 degrees. Sprint seat fabric is the best in the industry; they are way ahead of their competitors. The seat mesh is breathable on the back, so your back does not get too hot and sweaty. The bottom is breathable as well. ICE put in a breathable foam pad in the bottom of the seat to give you some extra support, plus extra comfort. The sides of the seat mesh have just the right amount of extra padding to not only cushion you from the seat frame, but also helps hold you in the seat a bit. ICE is now offering an upgraded, padded seat mesh which has been a huge huge success. The new padded seat mesh is breathable, vented and offers good support.

Ride: There is a lot of good trike manufactures out there building premium trikes and ICE is one of the companies at the top of that list. The ride and handling on the Sprint X Tour is simply awesome. Riding the full suspension Sprint, you will instantly notice the suspension smoothing out the ride. Both the front and rear suspension is easily adjustable. The rear suspension can easily be adjusted by moving the elastomer up or down on the swing arm. The elastomer also can easily be changed out to one that is stiffer or softer, depending on your personal needs and wants. I have rode both the ICE Sprint X and Sprint X Tour models and they both feel glued to the ground around corners, even the full suspension version. I thought how can I test the ICE Sprint’s front suspension in the most extreme condition? Let’s just do everything that you should not do on a trike. So I went out to find a down hill section and headed down. When I got some speed built up, I turned hard and braked at the same time knowing just what could happen. I was very surprised, the trike seem to know that I was about to do something stupid. I thought the front suspension would dive under during hard braking, especially going down hill and into a turn but that just never happened. The Sprints full suspension was just super stable and gave me a very confident feel after my test. The indirect steering that ICE offers is precise and accurate.  The feeling is light and you do not have to use much effort to make the trike go where you want it to go. Living in the Midwest, our roads and paths are quite bumpy. I like the full suspension trike with 26 inch rear wheels best, it give you a smoother ride over a 20 inch wheel especially if you are going fast. Yeah, the full suspension is more money and Yeah, ICE trike can get expensive, but man you can’t take that money with you to the grave. So what are you waiting for? You should live large.  Treat yourself to something way cool every now and then.  You will be happy you did on down the road.

In conclusion: ICE hit the nail in the head with the Sprint X. The Sprint is lively, fun, comfortable and handles fantastic. Everything you would want in a trike. The Sprint X is very stable and is a top drawer quality trike.  If you are a person who wishes to ride the trike like you stole it, you will really like the sprint.

Accessories: ICE is one of the best companies when it comes to accessories. ICE has just about everything you would ever want to add to your trike.

Pros: Fantastic handling, and comfort with some of the best build quality in the industry.

Cons: This trike is fantastic. There is not one thing I can knock this on trike. The seat height of 8 inches may be to low for some people.

Best place to buy: Your local ICE bike dealer or www.industrialbicycles.com
One might compare the ICE Sprint to the HP Velotechnik Scorpion FS 26 or Catrike Dumont