ICE VTX v ICE Sprint X 26 Tour

[jrs665]

What makes the ICE VTX so fast?

The ICE VTX is apparently on average as fast as a bicycle being slower uphills but faster on the flat and downhill.

Have an ICE Sprint Sprint X 26 Tour with 47mm marathon plus tyres, but is quite a bit slower than my bicycles such as a Ribble Endurance Ti with 32mm gp5000 tyres by about 25%. The rohloff hub will account for 5%.

What makes the VTX so much faster than my Sprint X 26 Tour such that it is as fast as a bicycle? Is it thinner tyres or something else?

Would an ICE VTX be as much fun as my titanium bicycle or feel heavy like the Sprint X Tour?

Is the ICE Sprint X about as fast as the ICE VTX or closer to the ICE Sprint X 26 Tour

[yostumpy]

May be this would be better in the Non Standard section, further down the page

[UpWrong]

There are significant weight and aerodynamic differences. Perhaps also the seat type. The VTX is around 7lbs lighter, a couple of inches narrower, 10 degrees more laid back and has a hard shell seat to improve power transfer.

[cycle tramp]

Deleted

[Psamathe]

Does suspension make a difference? (X Tour can have none, rear and/or front - mine rear only)

Rear wheel on VTX is 700 (vs the X Tour 26")

Different tyres (I suspect most X Tour riders go for something with some puncture resistance vs VTX riders who maybe go for something faster)

Ian

[cycle tramp]

Deleted

[jrs665]

You could be right. I wonder though whether tire width difference from 32mm to 47mm makes a big difference or is it marginal.

[UpWrong]

Does suspension make a difference? (X Tour can have none, rear and/or front - mine rear only)

Rear wheel on VTX is 700 (vs the X Tour 26")

Different tyres (I suspect most X Tour riders go for something with some puncture resistance vs VTX riders who maybe go for something faster)

Ian

I have wondered how much having front suspension reduces the rolling resistance of the small front wheels. The Sprint X model has the lowered seat and hardshell seat of the VTX but must be 10lbs heavier with the suspension.

[UpWrong]

You could be right. I wonder though whether tire width difference from 32mm to 47mm makes a big difference or is it marginal.

I'm sure it would make a noticeable difference changing from M+ to say Conti Urbans on the front and a Conti Grand Prix on the rear. Still won't be a VTX though.

[Psamathe]

Does suspension make a difference? (X Tour can have none, rear and/or front - mine rear only)

Rear wheel on VTX is 700 (vs the X Tour 26")

Different tyres (I suspect most X Tour riders go for something with some puncture resistance vs VTX riders who maybe go for something faster)

Ian

... The Sprint X model has the lowered seat and hardshell seat of the VTX ...

My Sprint X Tour has the hardshell seat (as per VTX). It's a configuration option (or bup/down grade later) and I chose the hardshell (or whatever ICE call it). But I've never ridden any of the other seat options so can't comment on the power transfer differences (which would only be my impression anyway).

Ian

[UpWrong]

My Sprint X Tour has the hardshell seat (as per VTX). It's a configuration option (or bup/down grade later) and I chose the hardshell (or whatever ICE call it). But I've never ridden any of the other seat options so can't comment on the power transfer differences (which would only be my impression anyway).

Ian

TBH, I'm not convinced with regards to the power transfer argument. I think a hardshell seat provides better support when the seat angle gets below 37 degrees just because of the shape of it rather than because it is "hard".

[Tigerbiten]

It's not so much about the width of the tyre, it more about what tyre you fit.
I like a nice light tyre with flexible sidewalls on the front of my sprint, they roll well but will pick up punctures easy. Being on front puncture are easy to fix.
On the back I'll fit a heavier duty tyre for more puncture resistance due to the PITA fixing punctures on it, but it doesn't roll as well.

As for the hard/mesh seat.
I found when I started on my first ICE trike that I kept sliding forward on the mesh seat so I could never get the front boom dialled in to the ideal length. Either it was right when I set out but worked a little short after a few miles or to long at the start so just wrong and I had to do a few miles to get it right.
Didn't like/get on with it so swapped to the hard shell seat.
Found it a lot better as it holds me in one place, so no sliding down in the seat.
Plus I pulled the back boom out a few inches so I could go for maximum recline.
Upside of max recline is it lowers air resistance, downside is slightly lower max power output so you need slightly better bent legs to climb hills as fast.

Luck ......

[jrs665]

What made you go for a Sprint X rather than a VTX?

[Grldtnr]

Hmmm..
I remember trying 3 ICE back to back at D.tek , the Adventurer, Sprint ( unsuspended) and the suspended, ,of the 3 the unsuspended Sprint felt the fastest, but certainly the top notch Sprint with the suspension felt very good, but that would have been out of my pocket. Predictable I thunk ,the Sprint might have nicked it had I bought an ICE, but I didn't think it suited camping and touring which the Adventurer did, there were a mixture of wheels 20" 26" & 700 c , i thought the 700c felt best handling over all but i cant remember which Sprint It was ,the basic one had 20". I had also tried the HP Velotech, but that was in London at Dulwich, it didn't inspire confidence ,wanting to lift a wheel easily, I don't think the surface helped,being a bit greasy, something that the ICE did too.
In the end I didn't buy the ICE, as I couldn't get hold of Kevin Dunsheath to buy,,I had a Shimano 11 SPD hub gear I wanted to put in ,so I really wasn't looking for speed.
A friend of a friend let me try his VTX, That for sure is a nice ride, it felt very fast, on thin slicked tyres, it accelerated fine with the 700c rear, I sometimes see him with the group I ride with.
But as I said ,I didn't buy ICE ,in the end but a AZUB, Ti-tris ,just on the spec àlone,unridden mail order, a big risk , but going on industry awards, i don't regret it, it does what i want it to do, I might get narrower tyres for it , to see if i can get more speed out of it, ,47mm all round ,with the 26" rear.
I would like to try with 26" all round, but I am not a fan of suspension, I like to 'feel' what the bike is doing.
I would say the minor tweaks between the ICE Sprint and the VTX make the difference ,plus the bigger 700c, perhaps the hard shell gives an advantage too, but I couldn't say for sure, but definitely the friend of the friend made the right decision with regards brakes, he chose drum brakes over disc, far more usable, ,they work better in the wet.


But all this doesn't help the OP.

[jrs665]

I am the OP.

The Sprint X 26 Tour with rear suspension. feels heavy and sluggish compared to my bicycles. Got it for touring, but going to put a motor in it and just use it as comfortable runaround instead.

For touring will just use my Kona Sutra touring bicycle.
For fun , have a Ribble Endurance Ti with Ultegra Di2 gears.

I may get a VTX for fun and light touring.