Sunday, August 16, 2009

T Seat Recline



















I have this bike 3 yrs and almost 9k mi. I love this trike and have since sold my other 2 recumbents. There has been 1 little tic and that is I wished the seat would recline just a tad more. ICE came out with their new seat modifications to change from a mesh to hard shell seat. It would also have the capabilities of changing the seat angle as desired. I emailed them and asked what it would take to increase my recline on my T. They quickly replied and said the 06 model would not accept the new modifications. They did say I could slightly increase the seat angle by changing the seat recline adjustment from 45 deg to more horizontal. It has been more than a yr since I learned of this and today I decided to give it a try. The whole process took less than 30 minutes and for me the results are outstanding.
I had to loosen the rear frame bolts and pull out the frame. I was concerned about leveling the rear triangle. As it turned out all I had to do was keep the seat recline adjustment at horizontal and attached to the quick release skewer. It automatically levelled the rear triangle. All I had to do was tighten the bolts. I pulled out the rear triangle about 1 inch. This allowed for a greater seat recline and also increased the wheelbase. Increasing the wheelbase added another surprised benefit as it helped smooth out the ride. By getting the seat a bit more reclined I had to bring the front boom in a bit. The chain and gears needed no adjustment. I took out the bike for a 24 mi test ride. My recline was right on the money and my time was probably a few tenths quicker. Not sure how accurate that is. I have no way of telling how much recline was added, but, I do feel more comfortable.
It probably seems more complicated than it really was and I hope these photos help.
KEEP RIDING!!!!!!!!

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