Water on a Catrike
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,547
Likes: 797
From: Middle of da Mitten
Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed
Water on a Catrike
My 2003 Catrike Speed only has bottle brazeons under the seat. That might be OK for a spare bottle or a pump/tool kit, but I sure can't reach that while I'm riding. Even mounting it on the boom in front of me would be awkward because I'd have to lean forward to reach it. Where do you mount your bottles?
#2
Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,944
Likes: 254
From: Sin City, Nevada
Bikes: Catrike 700, Greenspeed GTO trike, , Linear LWB recumbent, Haluzak Horizon SWB recumbent, Balance 450 MTB, Cannondale SM800 Beast of the East
Newer Catrikes have the water bottle holder mounted on the boom with the bottom of the holder about 6" in front of the seat. I don't find it awkward to reach forward on my 2013 CT700 and reach the bottle. I can't see any other place to mount it where it would not interfere with something (like the steering).
#3
Senior Member


Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 30,225
Likes: 649
From: St Peters, Missouri
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Newer Catrikes have the water bottle holder mounted on the boom with the bottom of the holder about 6" in front of the seat. I don't find it awkward to reach forward on my 2013 CT700 and reach the bottle. I can't see any other place to mount it where it would not interfere with something (like the steering).
So far I've had good luck with:
1. Blackburn Chicane cages, mildly bent upward at the tip and using a chain roller under the front bolt to sweeten it's angle a bit.
2. Bottles that I bought from Connecticut Yankee in Chariton Iowa. Those bottles have a fortuitously placed dip that matches the Chicane cage well.
__________________
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
My greatest fear is all of my kids standing around my coffin and talking about "how sensible" dad was.
#4
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,606
Likes: 703
From: Layton, UT
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
Can you use a seat bag on your trike? I've only ever used a seat bag with a camelbak in it for water. I can't even think of how I would mount a regular bottle holder anywhere and be able to use it.
#5
Senior Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 957
Likes: 205
From: Austin TX USA
Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem
I no longer have my Catrike, but when I did, I used a 3-liter Camelback unbottle, slung behind the seat with a couple of webbing straps. I kept the hose clipped to my jersey when I was on it. This worked well for me.
#6
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,547
Likes: 797
From: Middle of da Mitten
Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed
I need to be able to get to the bottle without breaking cadence, and I'm afraid that if it were mounted to the boom I'd have to stop pedaling and sit up to reach it. Bladders are an option, but not at the top of my list because I'd prefer to not be attached to the trike. Plus, bladders can be a pain to refill and to clean. I have a nice Ztto cage mount and I had it on the rear stay, behind my shoulders. This position works well for my carbon shell seats, but on the trike it's so far back that I can barely reach it. Maybe I'll end up not using the Ztto in favor of a couple of high-tech hose clamps.
#7
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 12,547
Likes: 797
From: Middle of da Mitten
Bikes: Trek 7500, RANS V-Rex, Optima Baron, Velokraft NoCom, M-5 Carbon Highracer, Catrike Speed
For now, it looks like I can mount a bottle to the crossbar at the top of the seat. That'll place it about shoulder height, a bit further back than the headrest. Adam, are you able to put the bladder inside the webbing for the seat, or do you have to strap it on the outside of the webbing?
#8
Senior Member

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 957
Likes: 205
From: Austin TX USA
Bikes: Bob Jackson 853 Arrowhead; Felt VR30; Kinesis UK RTD; Hujsak tandem
It might have been possible to slide it between the frontside and backside, but it frankly never crossed my mind to try—that would have been a pain to wrassle with every time I needed to refill it (also, I had to have a piece of high-density foam between front and back, because the seat fabric stretched enough that my vertebrae were resting directly on the buckles, which got to be a real problem). I had the unbottle slung on the outside. A couple straps of 1" webbing ran around the seat to hold it. I never noticed the straps when I was in the seat.
#9
Senior Member

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 2,529
Likes: 1,976
From: SW Ohio




