4: Delivery and Assembly

In the reviews I read, people were surprised by the small size of the box. Still, when the UPS driver didn't open the back of the truck but pulled the box out of the side door I was a bit taken aback. Alright, I was actually worried. Did they forget something? Did they forget most everything? This box is small. I mean small. But everything was in it, well packed, wrapped and bagged for safety.

When I first placed my order the gentleman at ICE offered to set up a viewing with an Oregon shop that sells this trike. I could also have them make the sale and handle the assembly. I opted to take home delivery without seeing it as the closest shop was in Portland and I'm near Medford, several hours away. Also I had a lot of confidence as some of the reviews suggested that the assembly wasn't difficult even if you had no bike building experience, which I don't.

The printed manual is quite good though it's a bit out of date on a couple of items. I'll cover these in the event you buy a Q prior to them updating it.

Assembly took about 5 1/2 hours as I took my time.

First impression of the trike pieces, great. Everything looks very high quality. The welds are clean, smooth and strong. The powder coat finish on the main part of the frame is flawless. The color is deep and rich. Everything goes together well, no forcing needed.

Things to keep in mind.

First, if you opt for the bar end shifters, the manual suggests the cable to the rear derailleur has different routing which is mentioned in other documentation. This is no longer the case. Use the standard routing.

Second, there is the ability to adjust the alignment of the front wheels. It is not documented but is quite self evident. Most of the things you adjust on the trike are "eyeball" adjustments. This alignment is not. I eyeballed it and on my test ride was very unhappy with the ease at which the trike moved. It seemed to take a lot of effort the climb the slightest hill and the free rolling wasn't, well it wasn't free at all. Finally, I found the problem was the wheel alignment. A careful measurement showed my eyeball adjustment to be very far off. Once corrected the problem disappeared completely.

Finally, there is no longer a rear "finger" mud guard shipped with the trike. They told me that it really didn't perform any function and so they now have a very nice full wrap fender that matches the front fenders available as an option.

If you are new to building up a bike I'd like to suggest a few things. Most importantly, don't rush. Take the time to do each step exactly as outlined. Stop to verify your work as you go. It's worth the time to get it right. Also, don't be afraid to do it. It's a learning experience that will pay off down the road. I now have complete confidence that I can make basic roadside adjustments and repairs. You'll also know what tools you'll need to take with you on the road. It's a nice bit of piece of mind.