YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

How far does your battery go?

Almost impossible to answer! There are so many variables that all we can do is to quote our customers who use our trikes day in and out. One leading London courier company covers up to 60 miles per day with 2 batteries so we can only assume that each battery will cover at least 30 miles in a city.

Hills and weight are a big factor in reducing range as well as constant stop/starts in traffic.

How long does your battery take to charge?

Using a standard 240V 3-pin plug a nearly flat battery will take up to 8 hours to charge. AES batteries use slow charging, and this extends the charge life to an amazing 8 to 10 years.

Are your batteries likely to burst into flames?

No. AES batteries use a slow charge regime to prevent unwanted fires and to vastly extend battery charge life. AES do have battery charging cases for better organisation and also offer the Swobbee battery exchange units for large fleet operators.

www.akkuenergiesysteme.de

www.swobbee.de

What is Swobbee?

Swobbee is a battery exchange unit that is modular so can be extended infinitely. It occupies around one square meter of floor space and charges batteries ready for convenient on-street use. The Swobbee unit is air conditioned and also contains fire extinguishers (multiple battery makes and types can be accommodated by arrangement in a Swobbee unit. 

www.swobbee.de

What does your trike weigh?

Around 120kg. We use light but very strong aircraft quality steel for the main chassis and mild steel for the cargo chassis area.

What load can your trike carry?

Up to 200kg regularly and 250kg with care. This excludes the rider.

Are your trikes road legal?

Yes. Our trikes conform to the UK’s laws on e-bicycles in so much as they have 250W average maximum power and they are limited to 15.5mph/25kmh.

Do your trikes have a horn and lights?

Yes! We have a loud horn, lights with variable power beam, indicators with warning buzzers and brake lights.

Can I ride it without pedalling?

Yes, but only up to a walking pace of 4mph as this is the UK law. This is done using our ‘start-assist’ feature which gets the trike moving away from traffic lights or up hills. To ride faster the rider needs to pedal so our pedal sensor can assist speed up to 15mph/25kmh.

Is the motor powerful?

Yes, certainly! In terms of power, the Heinzmann motor conforms to UK laws by having just 250W maximum average power.

Do your motors have lots of pulling power or torque?

Yes, our Heinzmann motors are some of the most powerful with 113Nm peak torque – roughly the same generated by a large motorbike. This torque is available throughout the speed range, so our trikes are extremely capable load carriers.

What’s your delivery time?

Due to the current global crisis, we are experiencing long delays on the receipt of many parts.  We are also experiencing large price increases in raw materials such as steel and aluminium and these price fluctuations will be reflected in our quotations. 

Transport and logistical costs have risen massively throughout the world which has exacerbated the above situation.

Fortunately, this situation is in resolution, but we expect it to last for many more months.

In summary, we are therefore not able to give accurate delivery dates or projections. 

So, what’s your delivery time?

In preference to standard lead time quotes we will accept limited batch orders, along with our standard 50% deposit, and honour these orders in the order of receipt.

Iceni Cycles Ltd. is doing all that we can to increase production capabilities within the uncertain status of supplies. We are very grateful for your patience and understanding.

Is it hard to ride a trike?

Some people take a while to get used to trikes as they behave differently to a bicycle for instance. The sideways forces are new to most riders who’ve not been on one before, but most people learn to enjoy the new experience.

Why a trike?

Trikes are the simplest way to carry heavier loads than most two-wheel cargo bicycles can carry.

Having one wheel at the front is also the simplest design so this helps keep expense down and makes life simpler when needing spares. Trikes with two wheels at the have complicated front geometry.

Our trikes are fairly unique in having a low loading bay so our centre of gravity is very low, and they can carry more goods as a consequence.

Why three wheels and not four?

Four-wheel cargo bikes are more complicated than a simple trike and usually heavier. With smart design trikes can handle corners very well and feel safe to ride, as well as being good fun!

Can I have the frame in any colour?

Of course – so long as it’s bl……. The answer is a reserved “yes” as we can powder coat to most standard available colours. Matching frame colours to computer-generated colours is virtually impossible and colours always look very different on round tubes as the light catches them in many ways.

Custom colours will cost more and may add time to your build, but the handlebars, forks and frame can all be coloured to match your wishes.

What tyre pressures do you advise?

Our tyres have an operating range between 40 and 60psi. Running tyres ats higher pressures will allow the trike to roll well but will also give a harsher ride. Running tyre pressures too low runs the risk of impact punctures when the rim squashes the innertube against the edge of a pot-hole or kerb. We advise 45psi and checking tyre pressure each week as air pressures naturally fall.

Can your trikes be ridden without electric-assistance?

Yes, but this must be done with the battery set to zero power to prevent the motor from generating power as it is turned by the rider. If the trike is ridden with a flat battery, then serious damage can occur as the motors are not designed to be passively ridden.

We strongly advise all owners to carry a spare battery to prevent this situation from happening.

Do you export your trikes?

Not yet. We are concentrating on supplying the UK at present due to having a good network of independent bicycle shops to maintain our trikes and also having relatively a easy postal service for spares distribution.