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Teach me about the Catrike Eclipse

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Teach me about the Catrike Eclipse

Old 03-05-23, 10:32 PM
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VegasJen
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Teach me about the Catrike Eclipse

I'm a conventional road biker, and that's where all my limited knowledge is. However, my best friend knows pretty much nothing about bikes but just bought a used Catrike Eclipse. She has been asking me questions about biking, but I don't know much about recumbents.

Since it's not mine, I haven't been really keen to do a lot of research. Anyone want to give me a quick down-and-dirty review of the Eclipse? Just looking for advantages, things to be aware of, routine maintenance that differs from a regular bike.

I know it's a pretty vague request but I literally know nothing about how these bikes work.
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Old 03-06-23, 07:50 AM
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The Eclipse is not, nor has ever been, a Catrike model, as best as I can tell.

There is an elliptical trike called the StreetStrider Eclipse. Not a recumbent, of course.
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Old 03-06-23, 08:02 AM
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Did you mean a Catrike Expedition? I would be surprise to find Catrike had an Eclipse model unless some sort of one off that did not go commercial. Anyway go to the Catrike web site and check out the KNOWLEDGE tab which has basic safety and maintenance information for new riders, it should get you started,.
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Old 03-06-23, 09:51 AM
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Yes, there is no such Catrike and you can verify it here: https://www.catrike.com/ You have way more than enough posts to take a picture of the trike and post it here. That's a much more reliable way to get an answer to your question.
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Old 03-06-23, 09:08 PM
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Originally Posted by easyupbug
Did you mean a Catrike Expedition? I would be surprise to find Catrike had an Eclipse model unless some sort of one off that did not go commercial. Anyway go to the Catrike web site and check out the KNOWLEDGE tab which has basic safety and maintenance information for new riders, it should get you started,.
You are correct. Told you I don't know anything about these.

As far as posting a pic, it belongs to my friend who lives on the other side of the country. I only saw a couple of the photos from the seller but it looked like a really nice one, at least so far as I could tell. I have no idea what kind of gear these things have. For instance, do they use Tiagra or Sora shift hardware? Other kinds of components?

I'm actually kind of excited to try it next time I go visit. I'm guessing it's not going to be as quick as my Cervelo, but probably a lot more comfortable!
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Old 03-06-23, 09:30 PM
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Jen, my Expedition is a 2018 with FSA Gossamer triple crank, SRAM 500 TT Bar End Shifters, SRAM 11/36 10 Speed and Avid BB7 Disc Brakes all excellent. I use it for bad arthritis days that come and go and it is a great relief for back and hand/wrist issues. It is 35# w/o my loading it up which makes it slow on inclines but your not bent over bars so the view is much more expansive and I find pleasurable if your riding in a lovely spot and you have a seat to stop and smell the roses.
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Old 03-07-23, 08:51 AM
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The components will depend upon what year the trike was made. Catrike never used budget level components like Sora. Prior to 2013 Catrike used Shimano Dura-Ace bar end shifters and a compatible 9 speed Shimano rear derailleur on the Expedition. In 2013 they started using 3X10 SRAM and again did not use cheap crap components. Everything back to at least 2010 used the same Avid BB7 disc brake set. Catrike made a lot of changes beginning in 2013 so there may be a difference in the frame dimensions for pre 2013 trikes. The newest models use thru axles in the rear so there were even more changes since I bought my 2013 Catrike 700. I have a friend with a 2011 Expedition. He has owned it since 2012. He's one happy owner. The MSRP back in 2011 was $2350 so this was never a budget model trike.
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Old 03-07-23, 09:03 AM
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Originally Posted by VegasJen
I'm a conventional road biker, and that's where all my limited knowledge is. However, my best friend knows pretty much nothing about bikes but just bought a used Catrike Eclipse. She has been asking me questions about biking, but I don't know much about recumbents.

Since it's not mine, I haven't been really keen to do a lot of research. Anyone want to give me a quick down-and-dirty review of the Eclipse? Just looking for advantages, things to be aware of, routine maintenance that differs from a regular bike.

I know it's a pretty vague request but I literally know nothing about how these bikes work.
Encourage your friend to sign up to bikeforums.net and join the fun.
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Old 03-07-23, 11:01 AM
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Originally Posted by FBOATSB
Encourage your friend to sign up to bikeforums.net and join the fun.
Ya, she has an aversion to online forums. And to be frank, this is not the place I would recommend to someone new to online media.
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Old 03-07-23, 11:05 AM
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Old 03-07-23, 11:08 AM
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Originally Posted by easyupbug
Jen, my Expedition is a 2018 with FSA Gossamer triple crank, SRAM 500 TT Bar End Shifters, SRAM 11/36 10 Speed and Avid BB7 Disc Brakes all excellent. I use it for bad arthritis days that come and go and it is a great relief for back and hand/wrist issues. It is 35# w/o my loading it up which makes it slow on inclines but your not bent over bars so the view is much more expansive and I find pleasurable if your riding in a lovely spot and you have a seat to stop and smell the roses.
Originally Posted by VegasTriker
The components will depend upon what year the trike was made. Catrike never used budget level components like Sora. Prior to 2013 Catrike used Shimano Dura-Ace bar end shifters and a compatible 9 speed Shimano rear derailleur on the Expedition. In 2013 they started using 3X10 SRAM and again did not use cheap crap components. Everything back to at least 2010 used the same Avid BB7 disc brake set. Catrike made a lot of changes beginning in 2013 so there may be a difference in the frame dimensions for pre 2013 trikes. The newest models use thru axles in the rear so there were even more changes since I bought my 2013 Catrike 700. I have a friend with a 2011 Expedition. He has owned it since 2012. He's one happy owner. The MSRP back in 2011 was $2350 so this was never a budget model trike.
Thanks guys. Glad to hear it is higher grade components. I'm not sure what year it is, but I don't think it's particularly old. Pretty sure 10 years or less. She lives in SW Florida so it's relatively flat and hills are minimal.

She decided to go this route because she has a conventional bike and has found it to be uncomfortable in her back now. I'm excited for her because I want her to be able to enjoy getting some exercise. We all need to get more exercise and it's always more fun when you don't hate what you're doing. Her biggest issue right now is her neighborhood is pretty much garbage for bike paths. She has a good, dedicated MUP a couple miles away, but there's no way to get there without being on narrow roads with no shoulders. It's one of my complaints any time I ride out there.
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