ICE Blog

In his characteristic style Peter Ross took all the conventions of bicycle geometry and through them out of the window. A new approach was required to develop a revolutionary cycle, so Peter decided to start from first principles. This is called doing it the hard way but it is the only way to come up with truly ground breaking design. After a number of prototypes the design was finalised and the Speed Ross bike was born. This was soon followed by a stream of ever faster bikes as racing once again took its grip on Peter.

Demand for the new Trice grew so in 1986 Peter established Crystal Engineering to manufacture his designs. Peter was determined that recumbents should be available to everyone, not just the elite, so he ensured that the Trice was very good value for money.

The Trice design continued to develop and the range expanded. 1987 saw a move to 16” front wheels and a racier look and in 1988 a 24” rear wheel and a triple chain set - giving a total of 15 gears - was introduced to meet the demand for those living in hillier parts of the UK. The square tubing was dropped in favour of a 2” diameter round tube with a super thin 1mm wall thickness, making these the lightest Trice to date.

Production had moved to Cornwall in the far South West of the UK and development continued apace. Demand was growing for Trice around the world and in response to this production under licence started in the USA.

Peter felt the need for a better ventilated seat. By 1993, after much experimentation, the now ubiquitous stretched mesh fabric seat was standard equipment on the Trice and Speed Ross bike. The curved frame of the seat was contoured to fit the rider’s body and the slight stretch of the fabric provided the best possible comfort and ventilation.

The final major piece in the Trice design jigsaw was the introduction in 1994 of the split frame. The rear end of the trike frame slid inside the front end and was secured with a clamp. This cured the problem of international shipping charges as the Trice could now be packed into a reasonably small box. Production was now concentrated in Crystal Engineering’s Cornish home, where the company would flourish and grow.

Next month in ICE Ages: Chris Parker joins Crystal

During the 1950’s Peter Ross, a young aeronautical engineer drawn by the thrill of motor sport, spent his spare time as a volunteer draughtsman to Lotus helping design their racing cars. He was a regular follower of the early Grand Prix and raced his own Lotus 11 until a catastrophic crash; Peter retired from racing after waking up underneath his car with his head in a ditch.

Peter’s appetite for excitement compelled him to compete in other fields. In  the 1970’s he broke several British records in motor gliding, and by the 1980’s was racing electric cars and then pedal assisted electric cars.  When Peter won one race - despite the car’s electrics shorting out on the start line - he recognised the power and reliability of legs; his mind was rethinking the future of cycling.

Peter was not alone in his enthusiasm for pedal-power. Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) racing was just getting underway in the UK and Peter found a home there. Gradually he developed his idea of a machine with two wheels at the front and one at the back, with a full seat to recline back in and feet extended forwards to the pedals.  

Peter used his new recumbent trike for commuting and recreation. Using his knowledge of aerodynamics he built a full fairing to speed up his commute to and from work. The machine was fast so he took it to the World HPV Championships in Canada and returned home with a medal!

Peter knew he had the future in his hands, or more accurately in his garage, so his next step was to put his machine into production. In 1986 the first trikes started rolling out of his modest production facility in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. This first production Trice had a robust steel frame, and three 20” wheels with two drum brakes on the front and one on the rear. The seat was ergonomically designed with lumbar support and the handlebars positioning made the trike feel safe and easy to ride. Derailleur gearing helped make short work of the hills. The Trice was ready for the world!

Pictures from top right: Peter Ross; Peter’s Lotus 11 (now residing in the USA); Peter’s record-breaking motor glider; Peter enjoying a spin on an early prototype; another early prototype at the Brighton Aspro Clear Speed Challenge; one of the very first Trice prototypes; Peter wowing the public on his morning commute (this journey to work wasn’t so speedy!); Peter at the World Championships in Canada; at Brighton once again; the first production Trice recumbent trike.

Next month in ICE Ages: Growing Crystals, the development of the Crystal Engineering company

For an insider’s account and thoroughly researched history of the early days at Lotus read “Lotus the Early Years” by Peter Ross 

To see the year out we are releasing 10 limited edition ICE Adventure trikes in Fire Red. The Adventure folding recumbent trike is ideal for exploring the trails or loading up for your next big adventure. With a higher riding position and more upright seating position the Adventure gives excellent accessibility and a great view of the trail ahead.

The limited edition Adventure in Fire Red has the same features, upgrade options and cost as its Marine Blue brothers:

·         High and upright riding position

·         Very easy mounting and dismounting

·         Quick and easy ICE Compact Flat Twist fold

·         20” wheel rigid rear end

·         Sturmey Archer Drum brakes

·         SRAM 27 speed drivetrain

Contact us for further information or to order an ICE Adventure in Fire Red (sales@icetrikes.co)

Please note that ICE Adventure trikes do not have suspension options: this is available on Adventure RS (rear suspension) and Adventure FS (full suspension) models.