Recumbent - Look What Followed Me Home

I went to look at the Burley Canto, and the Catrike Pocket this morning and this is what came home with me.

It's pretty much loaded with everything I need. It came with the rear rack, bag, new tires and tubes installed, tool kit, bottle holders, lights, mirror, bar extentions, headrest, flag and fenders. the seller threw in two new tubes as well.

I'm not sure of the year maybe 03 but the seller could not remember the exact year he bought it. It's pretty fast and comfortable. I thought it might be too small but it's just right. I only have the boom extended 1/2" from fully closed (I have short legs). I think I'm going to have some fun this spring. I took it for a five mile ride today but it's a bit cold. Well, here it is.

http://img859.imageshack.us/img859/3928/img4108e.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/859/img4108e.jpg/)

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Is the rear wheel smaller than the front ones?

Nice ride! You should have some fun on that.

Semper Fi

Is the rear wheel smaller than the front ones?

No it must me the angle of the photo.

I like the bars...never seen some like that.

I like them too, but I have nothing to compare them to as this is my first trike:D

Awesome bike! Wave of the future. I'm guessing it's not very twitchy at slow speeds :innocent:

Awesome bike! Wave of the future. I'm guessing it's not very twitchy at slow speeds :innocent:

Not twitchy......... This trike is awesome, I'm happy with my decision. I did take the Burley Canto for a ride at the same timme I tried the trike out, and it was very nice as well. The guy I bought this trike from also had the Burley, and he spet a good part of the morning over 2 hours with me showing them and answering all my questions, we even went for a short ride (he was great). He ended up selling me the trike all set up with all the extras for $500.00 I don't know if it was a great deal, but I'm happy.

A functional bent - especially a trike - for $500 is a great deal!

He ended up selling me the trike all set up with all the extras for $500.00 I don't know if it was a great deal, but I'm happy.

Are you kidding us? You oughta be HAPPY. Congrats.

Yeah, that's an incredible deal. Woulda been a fair deal at 2x or even 2.5x the price. Congrats!

Yeah, that's an incredible deal. Woulda been a fair deal at 2x or even 2.5x the price. Congrats!

Well, I'm sure glad I got a great deal. I'm totally unfamiliar with these bents, and was really on the fence as I was looking at them and trying them out. It really is in fantasic shape, and everything on it works great, shifts, and brakes like new. I didn't even try to talk the guy down cause he spent so much time with me.

Yeah, that's an incredible deal. Woulda been a fair deal at 2x or even 2.5x the price. Congrats!


+10¹° . A Catrike with all the trimmings? Sweet!

For perspective, I know you're not selling, but I'd give you $600 cash money, and handle the cost of getting it to me, don't even need to think about it. How close to Ohio are you?

A very sweet deal~! Congrats to you Sir.

For perspective, I know you're not selling, but I'd give you $600 cash money, and handle the cost of getting it to me, don't even need to think about it. How close to Ohio are you?

A very sweet deal~! Congrats to you Sir.



WOW! I am now certian it was a GREAT deal........ I live in Massachusetts, and if I find it's not for me I'll let you know.


Now, how does everyone feel riding their trike down the road? I'll admit, I was a bit nervous on the road yesterday but I did settle in and get more comfortable. I felt as though I was out of the sight of drivers and was going to be run down. I'm sure this will pass with time.

You need one of those long flags on the back of your bike. Might I suggest Old Glory?

I have a large Purple Sky Flag, and am well-pleased with it. 16 (or more?) color choices, 3 sizes, different ribbon colors too.

My first month, to be honest I was convinced I had screwed up, and blow a whole lot of money for nothing. My trike felt flimsy when compared to my bike. On my comfort bike, nothing flexed, everything was solid. on my trike, everything could flex, seat, steering arms, etc... I could feel it tail-wagging as I rode, and was plain unhappy. The trike maker, TerraTrike was (and is still I believe) offering a 30 day try it, if I don't like it, send it back - would get a refund on all but shipping. I was very close to shipping it back.

But I sent lots of emails, and made phone calls, and was assured that since I was under the weight limit, that the warranty would take care of anything that didn't hold up to my use.

I believe now that it was just a big change, I tend to worry, I was bout 360lbs when I bought my Rover (about 320lbs now), one year and some 500 odd miles later, I have sold my bicycle, have made a few mods to my trike, and now wish I had bought it earlier than I did. So, for me it was not love at first sight, but rather I felt boxed into a corner, that it was this or nothing, and I *NEED* to ride to save my life~!

Long story short, I have OA badly, and most of my weight-bearing joints are toast, so no activity, so become fatter, then got heart issues, was bad enough to have weekly heart DR APPTS...nine knee surgeries over 30 years, 11/2009 had my left knee replaced, bought my comfort bike, started taking my life back - 650 miles in 2010 got the trike 12/2010, shoulder surgery 07/2010, right hip replaced 06/2011, 3 other long hospital stays on top of those listed, dropped from a high weight of 387lbs in 2009, have done some 500+ miles in 2011.

So for me the trike was a growing process. At this point, the pluses so outweigh the minuses, that I will not be on anything but a trike now. I can go as slow as I like, I've been on 9hr rides that were over too soon, and I plan to do a few mini-tours this spring and summer.

I highly suggest that you give it a good 90 days of *riding* (not just owning, but riding), before you decide anything~! When you get bored, I'd like to suggest looking at my Photobucket page which shows all the different mods I have made, a link is in my signature.

Tires, bling (fun stuff that makes you smile that is not a need - horn, dinger bell, stuff like that), trike computer, clothing - not so much *bike*-type clothes, just comfortable shirts and shorts, etc, some kind of rack or bag to carry stuff with you when riding, tool kit, fl@t repair stuff, and so on.

In my book the only reasons to not like the trike * experience* is:
It's too slow - you gotta ride fast
It's too bulky, and you can't get past it
You love riding with others, but they can't handle you and the trike
You are using it to commute, and it's not fast enough

Trikes tend to be more about the ride itself, and less about bragging about speed - you'll be 2-3mph slower on a trike than on a bike. Trikes take up more room, both for storage, and for transporting. but the comfort level is very high, whenever you stop, you have a comfy chair to sit in. Roadies will not like you at all.

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g475/Peter_CC/Peter_C%20Trike%20Album/Rides/ride-12-11-2011003.jpg
From my last ride.

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g475/Peter_CC/Peter_ride_04-17-10_007.jpg
My 2010 Giant Suede DX comfort bike

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g475/Peter_CC/Peter_C%20Trike%20Album/Peter-Rover-07-07-2011001.jpg

3 weeks after my right hip was replaced last June, starting my rehab by riding 2-3 miles per day, am now some 35lbs smaller, and slowly shrinking.

http://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g475/Peter_CC/Peter_C%20Trike%20Album/Trike%20Mods/Wike%20DIY%20Trailer%20Kit/WikeTRLpart3-013.jpg
My "Wike DIY trailer" I built, my good girl Miss Nyla (74lb GSD), and my Rover.

nice looking trike you have there...you got a great deal on it...hope you enjoy riding it as much as the rest of us enjoy riding our recumbents...

Capecodder, I see from this thread that you ended up with the trike and not the canto. I know others have said this but to get a catrike for $500 is a steal. Actually to get any trike for $500 is a steal. Congratulations. I have a rans v-rex and only ridden it twice. Not sure if it is for me or not. I plan on buying a trike as well. Wish I could find something like what you got even close to the money in the Washington, D.C. area. Keep us posted on how it works for you as weather permits. And I will pay you $700 plus shipping if you decide it is not for you. :lol:

. . . I have a rans v-rex and only ridden it twice. Not sure if it is for me or not. I plan on buying a trike as well . . .

If it is your first recumbent be sure to give your V-Rex a good shot at worming it's way into your affections and work hard at riding relaxed. For many bent riders the first few hundred miles were something of a challenge.

My first recumbent was a V-Rex. It took me 2 or 3 25-mile rides before I had enough control to feel comfortable riding with anybody else. I'm sure that would have been true no matter which recumbent I started with.

I like the bars...never seen some like that.

Now who are you kidding:lol:
You would not be caught dead down there on that hospital gurney.

Now who are you kidding:lol:
You would not be caught dead down there on that hospital gurney.

Never seen a recumbent before, huh? You gotta get out more.

Now who are you kidding:lol:
You would not be caught dead down there on that hospital gurney.

Communist.

Here is what I did for flags on my trike. Two long ones crossing in the middle, it gives a better visual indication of the width of my trike to the sleepy drivers. Now they can just aim for the middle!
https://public.bay.livefilestore.com/y1p4Genv0vQai1GHu1wZcr7i4QPc7a2F_rEe-GJsRQprnPXgiLFGoliwmCThwgUn9gX0VJMl6L5mnQQ7PJeH7P4Rg/P1020841.JPG?psid=1

MSRP for the current year's model is $1950 plus shipping. You should not have revealed what you paid for the trike because lots of trike wannabes are going to hate you because you found it first! It looks to be in great condition. I wouldn't worry about when it was made. Catrikes have a reputation for excellent durability and for perfecting the trike before marketing them. What you paid is less than I often see entry level models like the much heavier Sun EZ-3 being listed for on Craigslist. Congratulations.

WOW! I am now certian it was a GREAT deal........ I live in Massachusetts, and if I find it's not for me I'll let you know.

/cough
/cough

Well? Have you found that it's 'not for you' yet? Just checking <GRIN>

/cough
/cough

Well? Have you found that it's 'not for you' yet? Just checking <GRIN>

LOL:roflmao2:..... It's working out very well so far:D

Good deal then! I just didn't want you to feel stuck with something you might not like...

Enjoy it, and come visit on BROL sometime. http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/forumdisplay.php?f=13

Awesome trike! I lucked out on a used Catrike Road for 700 Cdn, about two months ago, and I'm loving it. I put a small freewheeling geared hub motor on the back, and with solid pedalling can maintain 26 mph on the flats with no problem. And I still get tons of exercise, riding it up to 50 miles per trip on weekends. Be prepared to make quite a few small adjustments to dial in the trike, at first, like measuring your toe-in (set it to 1/16') when the trike is fully loaded with you on it. They will all help. Tighten up your headsets if you've got them to reduce any shimmy. Another good thing are "Silver" bar-end shifters which reduce turning moment on gear shifts that you might experience with the SRAM shifters. You can find them on ebay - from "Rivendell"...enjoy your new ride! There is a good catrike user forum here... http://catrike.yuku.com/directory with lots of helpful catrikers.

Catrikes have a reputation for excellent durability and for perfecting the trike before marketing them. What you paid is less than I often see entry level models like the much heavier Sun EZ-3 being listed for on Craigslist.

What is that I heard about getting out more? I had nearly an identical Catrike Pocket (yellow). Toughest trike I ever sold, even after advertising cheaper and cheaper prices for 2 years. Many times on Craigslist, BROL, and with a For Sale sign by the bike path. The main reason it sold was I sold 3 trikes as a package deal (EZ Tad, EZ 3 delta, Catrike) and sold all 3 for $500. each. Trikes have nearly vanished in popularity over 30 years in my town. Sad!