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Icon Explore is an insanely awesome electric mountain trike for challenged athletes

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Doesn’t matter where you stand on e-bikes, just look at this thing. Launched at Sea Otter, it’s a massively overpowered “wheelchair” from Icon that’s built for crushing trails. It’s not just overpowered, it’s impressively overbuilt, with CNC’d architecture, articulating control arms to keep the frame leaning correctly in the corners and off camber sections, and more. As they put it, it’s “bonkers level” fun…

Their articulating arm suspension design is called Icon Carver and serves two purposes. First, it keeps the rider upright on up to a 35º side slope. Second, it keeps the seat flat while the wheels move independently over uneven surfaces, which could be a rock garden or something as simple as dropping off a curb at an angle.

The command center steers with a normal handlebar, and uses a dual hydraulic line to split one lever into working both left and right front brakes. The rider sits inside an adjustable width carbon fiber seat with a kite boarding harness to keep them in place. The frame can be 316 stainless steel, 7000-series aluminum, titanium or carbon fiber.

Click to enlarge and you’ll see how it works better. The pivot is behind the wheels axle (the upper black circle at the back of the blue piece), and the lower pivot drives the air shock. There’s 6″ of ground clearance underneath.

Driving the Explore forward is this monstrous 3000W electric motor with an 18,650 cell 52V Li-Ion battery. Retail is just under $15,000, but with options (like a carbon fiber frame or Silca titanium tool kit) it can easily top $20k…plus about $895 shipping to the USA from the company’s HQ in Denmark.

They’re also showing this push mountain trike concept on their website, which allows the rider to steer, while your friend pushes from behind. It’s aimed more at city parks and paths than real trails, but still very cool.

IconWheelchairs.com

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Travis
Travis
6 years ago

Can’t wait to see these comments! It’s almost like Bikerumor is trying to troll these e-bike haters!

Beat_the_trail
Beat_the_trail
6 years ago

It’s an 18650 cell, referring to it’s dimensions, 18mm dia by 65mm tall. Not a 18,650 cell battery, that’s more cells than are in a Tesla P90D. (Which also uses 18650 cells, but like 4000 of them)

David
David
6 years ago

I volunteer with folks that need adapted gear to snowboard, ski and bike. When it comes to biking, they’re often just along for the ride, but this could be something that allows them some independence off-road. Very cool!

Robin
Robin
6 years ago
Reply to  David

^This.

William
William
6 years ago

Im a Paraplegic. I used to be a mountain biker and big roadie. I was no slouch on the hills, infact they were my favourite bit!
If it wasn’t for the power assist that is appearing on alot of handcycles now and adapted bikes, id be left behind if i went out with my old riding buddies. They would have to wait for ages at the top.
E-bike tech and the related stuff like this will change peoples lives! Trust me on that!

Justin Wehner
Justin Wehner
6 years ago
Reply to  William

That’s all true, but these aren’t actually handcycles as far as I can tell, they’re just electric ATVs.

Robin
Robin
6 years ago
Reply to  Justin Wehner

So what? If these allow access to the backcountry, trails, et al to physically challenged athletes, what does it matter?

Justin Wehner
Justin Wehner
6 years ago
Reply to  Robin

I guess I don’t know why you wouldn’t just use an ATV if you want an ATV. Much cheaper and more capable overall. I guess if you want to spend $15-20k instead of a quarter of that, more power to you.

Handcyles (assisted or not) are bikes. This isn’t a bike, it’s a sort of go-kart with 3 wheels and a bunch of bicycle parts stuck on it. I’m all for access to all kinds of places for folks with mobility issues, but if you have the hand/arm strength to ride this, at least put some cranks on it and get a workout (assisted or not).

Robin
Robin
6 years ago
Reply to  Justin Wehner

You’re right. We should probably decided for people what’s ok to ride and what isn’t. Us able bodied people need to tell those challenged athletes what’s what. Doubly so since we of course know exactly what sort of physical challenges everyone one of them faces. Our assumptions are always right and guided by the most well developed critical thought.

Justin Wehner
Justin Wehner
6 years ago
Reply to  Robin

Actually, yes, I can call out something that’s not a bicycle. It’s an electric ATV/wheelchair – not even an e-bike, regardless of your feelings about those. I have no problem with people who want to use a vehicle like this where allowed, but it’s not even vaguely a bicycle anymore since *zero* human power is involved.

Go karts are great. They aren’t bikes. Handcycles (which can be ridden by anyone who could safely drive this) are bikes.

Being paralyzed sucks. But it doesn’t give you carte blanche to rip around anywhere you want in a go-kart. I bet this thing is rad on a motorized trail, but probably not as rad as a $500 ATV with some similar kiteboard-harness mods.

Hmmm
Hmmm
6 years ago
Reply to  Justin Wehner

I’d have a whole fleet of ATV’s if they were $500!!

Justin Wehner
Justin Wehner
6 years ago
Reply to  Hmmm

You can find them for far cheaper if you try. Hell, you can buy a brand new one for a fraction of what this costs.

Jeff Adams
6 years ago
Reply to  Justin Wehner

Justin, Jeff Adams here – one of the founders of Icon.

It’s not an ATV – it uses all bike tires and provides access to single track and similar terrain that is just not possible to get to on an ATV.

The front end also keeps the rider upright in a way that no ATV does – staying upright for a person with a disability is a make-it-or-break-it kind of thing for them to maintain their balance.

Wheeliette
Wheeliette
6 years ago
Reply to  Justin Wehner

Being paralyzed doesn’t suck. People making ignorant comments such as “Being paralyzed sucks” sucks.

By the way, I signed up, just so I could call you out on your assenine comment. I’m paralyzed, and my life is fantastic!!!!

Guess what sucks after all, is to be you….

paquo
paquo
6 years ago
Reply to  Justin Wehner

the noise factor alone is worth 10k bucks

mortimer
mortimer
6 years ago
Reply to  Robin

Yes they are fantastic for the minorty that need them. Kudos to them. It does not legitimise the use of e(motor)bicycles(bikes). This is just another attempt to lull people into the acceptance of the ebike industry. Since the ball has started rolling, I think I might start an after market business selling “hot up” kits for ebikes to unleash more power. Geez if having pedals/cranks means a motorbike can be ridden on mtb trails, and knowing mtbers like to upgrade parts, well let’s unleash that power beyond pedal assist. You know it’s all okay that a proliferation of ebikes are upon us because 0.05% or the population need them (and I’m all for those with obvious or verified disabilities having such).

Jeff Adams
6 years ago
Reply to  mortimer

15% of the North American population has a disability that affects their mobility.

Tim
Tim
6 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Adams

…& what % of the population rides bicycles?

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