Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Non food Related => Topic started by: slaga on May 21, 2020, 01:32:51 PM
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I just got a recumbent trike and I am enjoying it a lot more than I ever did my bicycle. Any others riding trikes?
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I would love to hear more about this. I used to ride a road bike when I was a teenager and could do 30-50 miles like it was nothing. When I got married, I traded my low end (but bike shop quality) road bike in on Hybrid bikes for the wife and I and it was a struggle to go 5-10 miles. Before we had kids, we would still get out and ride regularly even though I hated the bike itself, then we hadn't ridden them for a few years now. Last month we replaced them with newer hybrids that are more efficient and better quality with decent road tires for the paved trails around. We like the new bikes and have been getting out every 2-3 days, but I still don't see at this point ever eclipsing 30 miles on it. However, as much as I am liking it, I'm having some issues. I'm getting some pain and numbness in my not to be named areas. I've tried 2 seats already with a third on the way, tried playing with seat angle and height, etc. Because of this, I was just looking at the recumbents this morning online until I saw the price tag.
So, how does it compare to a hyrbrid or road bike in terms of efficiency and keeping a pace? Not that it totally matters as you can take the differences in efficiency into the workout and ride less distance but the same amount time. However, I'm thinking more in terms of riding with others and being able to keep up. Also, how do you haul the things short of a pickup truck?
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Pretty cool looking machine, and would be interesting to ride. Sorry, can't help with the question as I am still riding my road bike these days (or at least the days I can get out).
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I had a mountain bike that I bought about 6 or 7 years ago. I would never have considered myself an avid biker. 45 minutes on the bike is probably my longest ride. Every time I rode it, that saddle soreness always took most of the fun out of every ride. I also had minor back surgery back in September. Since my surgery I have been walking somewhere between 3 and 5 miles most days and as things have been heating up, I wanted a little more wind in my face so I got the mountain bike back out. I rode it twice, each time about 30 minutes and between the saddle soreness and my back, I was done riding bicycles, hunched over the handle bars. Enter recumbent. I decided to give them a look and like you, I was a bit shocked at the price. I went to a local trike shop and tested out a few models and got a decent understanding of what things I wanted. While listing my mountain bike for sale, I found 4 trikes that were supposed to be fairly local. One was in CA (20 hours from me), 2 were about 6-8 hours from me and this one which was about 1.5 hours from me. If price did not mean anything, this would not have been my first choice, but it was up there. This one is a Catrike Villager. It is more of a comfy cruiser. It sits higher (seat 12.5" high), has a shorter wheel base and a wider track width, than the sportier trikes more focused on speed. The incline of the seat is also adjustable, which makes my back and neck happier too. This one focuses on comfort, maneuverability and portability. It does have 30 speeds and disc brakes. I have ridden it 3 times in the last week or so, about 30 minutes on each ride and for about 5 miles or more each. On the rides I have recorded, I averaged just over 10 mph and had a top speed just shy of 30 mph in a very hilly area. Like I said, I would not consider myself to be an avid biker, so your results my vary. The saddle soreness is non existent. None whatsoever. My back feels great at the end of each ride too. No issues there either. I have no regrets. I am planning my first 10 mile ride tomorrow morning. I have already ridden this more in the last week or so than I did my bike in the last couple years.
This one weighs 33 lbs. It is about 72" long with the boom (the thing that supports the front gears / pedals) set up for my legs, but I can push the boom in some if I needed to. I have a Nissan Murano and it fits inside with the back seats folded down quite easily. From my research, a hitch carrier starts at about $400. I think I can fab something up and put it on my $50 hitch platform thing I already have for a lot less.
Mine is about 8 years old but in great shape. I paid below 1/2 of what a new one would run you. Here are the specs for a current version of what I have. If you look to the right side about 1/2 way down, there is a graph that tells you what that particular trike is designed for. Its lowest rating is speed. Speedier trikes will be longer, lower to the ground, have a larger rear wheel and the seats are usually much more reclined, and not adjustable.
https://www.catrike.com/villager
Lastly, Catrike is the only major trike manufacturer here in the US. That was kind of important to me so I was happy that the only one I could find fairly locally was a Catrike. The model 700 is their speedy model.
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I've been trying to talk my wife into one of these for years. She's had 3 back surgeries, and just can't ride long. We used to take rides down our extensive trail network here, and had a lot of good times stopping at restaurants and shops along the way. It's been a few years since we did that. She just can't bring herself to even look at one. I'm not sure why.
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My wife is not interested in the biking or trikes. Here in San Antonio, Texas, we have a tour company that takes tours of downtown San Antonio with trikes that they provide. I am hoping I can talk her into one of these tours to see if it might pique her interest some.
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Is each wheel independently steered?
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No. There is a tie rod attached to the back of the spindle. Ackerman is built into the steering as well, so the inside tire turns a shorter radius than the outside tire, like cars.
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slaga,
Where did you see the used Catrike Villagers listed?
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slaga,
Where did you see the used Catrike Villagers listed?
I live in San Antonio, Texas, home of the Alamo. I found it on a Facebook group called Alamo Bikebay, which is a group that is based on buying and selling bicycles and bike parts here in the Alamo city.
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slaga,
Thanks, I don't use Facebook, but will try to look at that page.
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Marcia and I used to ride our suspensionless mountain bikes 50+ miles every other day on limestone surfaced reclaimed railroad beds or the same distance on our road bikes on hard surfaced trails (the road bikes were faster). I even dabbled in age-group road racing. But after my third back surgery and the onset of an arthritic neck, the posture created too much lasting pain. So we quit about 5 years ago.
I’ve been thinking that a recumbent road bike may be the answer, but I’ve not discussed it with my bike shop or club members.
How do recumbents do on hills? I often had to stand, even with 30 gears to choose from.
Is there room on most paved trails to ride side by side on three-wheelers?
I have a pickup, but its bed is a foot shorter than typical at 5½ feet. I don’t see how I can haul either a two or three-wheeler. Then, too, lifting it in and out would be awkward.
Does anyone know of a quality recumbent trike forum? I’ll probably lurk for a while.
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I would love to hear more about this.
Ok, I went for a ride this morning and got the data on it. There were a couple times I stopped because the trail was not well marked, another time a rider had an accident and I waited to find a route around her incident, I stopped for a phone call, and those were the times in my splits where I dropped in my average speed. One last caveat, I chose to start at the top and go downhill. It appears the trail dropped about 290 feet in 12.2 miles so my pace was helped a little by it being downhill some, but my splits tell me my average mph was in the 14 mph range when I was able to proceed without interruption. I am happy considering this is probably my 1st 10+ mile ride since I was a teenager, and I have no saddle soreness or back pain at all. I was never an avid biker...
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How do recumbents do on hills? I often had to stand, even with 30 gears to choose from.
Is there room on most paved trails to ride side by side on three-wheelers?
Take my non avid bike riding experience with a grain of salt. I lose a lot of speed on hills, considerably more than I did on my bike. Today I dropped down to the lowest rear gear but I do not recall coming off the highest front gear at all. You cannot "stand on it" because your weight is in the seat, not above the pedals. You gear down and take what you can get. That said, the no saddle soreness, and minimized back discomfort, far outweigh any issues I have losing speed on hills, in my opinion.
My trike is a little wide by trike standards at 33". 2 trikes side by side will take up about 1/2 of a 12' wide trail. I lifted the inside tire on a corner and decided since it was already in the air, I biked it another 30 or 40 feet. If you push the limits at all, i would not suggest riding side by side. If you are just cruising and seeing the sites, it should not be an issue, depending on the width of the trail.
Lastly, when you stand on it in low gears you have balance too on a bike. Even when you are in the lowest gears, balance is not something you have worry about on a trike, which is nice when your feet are clipped in.
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Thanks for sharing info. I actually went to the bike shop today to return a seat and get a pair of padded liner shorts. While I was there, I took a Catrike Expedition out for a test spin. I think I could keep up with my wife and ride saddle pain free, but the thing I didn’t love was the ride itself. It sent every bump rattling my skull. I’m going to try the shorts and a different saddle, but still may have to consider this if it doesn’t work. However, the model with suspension is over four grand ???
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You pay a weight penalty when you add suspension to a bicycle. I suppose the same is true on a trike.
Bicycles with aluminum frames typically ride more harsh than steel frames that flex and somewhat absorb bumps. IDK how the composite frames ride.
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Thanks for sharing info. I actually went to the bike shop today to return a seat and get a pair of padded liner shorts. While I was there, I took a Catrike Expedition out for a test spin. I think I could keep up with my wife and ride saddle pain free, but the thing I didn’t love was the ride itself. It sent every bump rattling my skull. I’m going to try the shorts and a different saddle, but still may have to consider this if it doesn’t work. However, the model with suspension is over four grand ???
From what I have read, you can change the width of the tires somewhat to adjust the ride some. A wider tire running a little lower pressure would be a little more forgiving, but may cost you some speed. Mine has 1.5" wide tires and I run about 70 psi. I do not find the paved trails or streets around my neighborhood uncomfortable at all, but they are smooth and in good shape.
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In the last 9 days I have ridden about 3-hours / 33-miles, which is more than I ever rode the bike. The absence of saddle soreness, combined with how my back does not hurt after a ride makes riding a lot more enjoyable, compared to my mountain bike. Yesterday, I passed a Mother and her son (4-ish on a tricycle) and said you start on a trike and end on a trike, and got a good laugh out of her. In retrospect, I think I am liking the more upright sitting position of "cruiser" type trikes than the more laid down position of the trikes made for speed. I laid the seat all the way back for a short ride and my neck was hurting after the ride. The next time I moved the seat back to a more upright position and it was a lot more comfortable for me. I am glad I did not get a trike built more for speed, which was not how I felt originally. Anyway, I am surprised no one else here has a recumbent bike / trike.
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Well, my seat experiments and padded shorts did not solve my issues, so I will be joining your club. My Catrike 559 is being delivered today. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any decent used trikes within a few hours of me, but I did convince the place I bought the trike from to give me all but $25 of what I paid for my 2 wheeler in trade-in (even though I didn't buy the 2 wheeler from them).
There's a really nice shop that specializes in Trikes an hour away. I was able to test ride a Trident, HPV Gekko, and Catrike. Unfortunately, my wife wanted to keep a two wheeler, so my choices were very limited needing to have a 26" rear wheel to have any chance of keeping up with her.
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>This one weighs 33 lbs.
That would be tough going up hills, luckily you live in a mostly flat area. I live in the hills and most of my rides are 3000Ft of climb or more.
Hope you have fun with the trike, it looks nice.
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Hills are not fun on the trikes for sure, but for me it’s trike or not riding. Luckily, I’m not in the mountains and plan for most rides to be 10-20 miles.
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Congrats on the trike. Pro of the 26" rear wheel is it is a little faster. Con is if you want to carry a spare tube, you will have to carry 2 sizes.
I am hoping to go for a 15 mile or so ride this afternoon, weather permitting.
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Got a Harley trike. I agree, trikes are a blast to ride!
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Have you ever ridden a Can Am Spider?
Got a Harley trike. I agree, trikes are a blast to ride!
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I was looking for real world experience from someone that might have ridden both, to see it they felt one handled better then the other. Will be happy to PM MOLSON if you would like me to remove my post?
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I was looking for real world experience from someone that might have ridden both, to see it they felt one handled better then the other. Will be happy to PM MOLSON if you would like me to remove my post?
I removed my message. Dealing with hail damage and insurance, put me in a bit of a mood last night.
While researching human powered trikes, the trikes with 2 wheels in front, which are called tadpoles, are inherently more stable than the trikes with 1 front wheel, called delta's, especially under emergency braking with any kind of turn involved. I do not see how adding an engine would make any difference. Lowering the center of gravity of either design makes them even more stable.
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So, I went for a cruise this morning. I only expected to go about 15 miles and when I got done I had no idea I rode for over 2 hours, and went 26+ miles. I am a 5'-10 1/2", 235 lb fat boy, that is 48 years old, that was never an avid biker, and I enjoyed the ride so much that I will do a longer ride sooner rather than later. Considering I was cruising, not trying to go my fastest, I am happy with my results, even though I was gased at the end. I had trouble getting up off of the trike.
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That's a great ride and a great pace. All without a sore bottom and stiff neck.
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That's 26 miles farther than I would go but I bet it was a lovely ride! That's a beautiful area of San Antonio. And don't let Slaga fool you. He ain't fat. Especially now.
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That is correct. The day after and no saddle soreness and my neck is fine. I don't think I have ever ridden a bike more than 10 miles, ever. This is all kind of new to me. I've never felt this "OK" after a what I consider a long ride. I saw 4 other trikes on that ride. 2 cruisers, similar to mine. 1 that that was a built more for speed, larger rear wheel, lower to the ground, etc. The last one was different. The rider had no legs, and it had a hand crank. He was flat out moving and keeping up with the bike group he was in. I was thoroughly impressed.
Brushpopper, my doctor would disagree with you. He says I am in the obese category, although I'd put myself in the overweight category. In any case, between me and the trike, I am pushing 270 lbs up and down the rolling hills of the trail. That is a hefty load to be pushing up some of the hills. It was a lot of fun though.
glitchy, feel free to post your experience, whether you are as happy or not. The trails I am riding have rolling hills and are really smooth.
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I got 8.5 miles in Saturday morning. It's definitely a little different workout than an upright bicycle. We were riding 10-15 pretty regularly with our uprights. I'm not sure fully what I think yet as it was the first time hitting the trail with it versus just riding a couple miles around the neighborhood or test rides at the bike shops. I'm trying to hold back too much judgement until I get used to the process. It's big and awkward, so it has to get folded to get there. For the first time ever i'm running lock in biking shoes (I did run straps years ago on a road bike). So, it's a lot to get used to. My shoes are brand new and the uppers are pretty stiff yet, so that was the only discomfort I really had on the ride other than some aches from different leg muscles that haven't been used the same way on the upright over the past couple months. Some sort of foot retention is pretty much required with a tadpole trike. If your foot slips off the pedal you can get hurt pretty bad.
We had gotten a really nice upright bike rack that took seconds to load and unload, so we could pretty much park the car, slap on our helmets and go. Now the wife has to help me unload my trike, unfold it, I have to change shoes...adds about 5-10 minutes on both ends of the ride, so the first trip in my mind was just like this takes a lot of the fun out of it. I think it will get better after I get used to everything and get the shoes broken in a bit. It was also frustrating, because I was slowing down the wife instead of waiting on her the whole ride. With the uprights, I got cussed at a couple times trying to push her too fast or far. Usually, when you fork over a wad of cash, you're trying to make things more convenient instead of more work. I'm sure I'll get used to it and get a process down as well as get my muscles retrained a bit and be able to ride a little faster and further.
On the positive notes, everything worked well on the trike, my unmentionable parts were not numb after the ride and not achy for a few days following, and the wife was happy she gets to keep riding. The ride was no more jarring than the upright bike, probably a little smoother even. The trail we've been riding is decently flat, but older so has a fair amount of cracks and bumps. I also just left the trike folded when we got home and it takes up a lot less real-estate in the garage and is ready to be thrown in back for the next ride.
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A couple pics of my ride:
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What are the max rider weight limits on them?
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What are the max rider weight limits on them?
It varies by make and model. Many like mine are 275 or 300, but I’ve seen a couple that do at least 400. Trident has a 400lb model: http://tridenttrikes.com/jouta-delta/products/titan/
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That is a nice looking trike glitchy! This is my first experience with clip in shoes too. After about 4 rides I think I finally have it kind of figured where to put my foot for it to clip into the pedal fairly quickly. The max weight on my trike is 275 lbs too.
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Stupid question for either slaga or glitchy.
How do you "un-clip" when it is time to dismount?
Do you have to lean forward and do something with your hands, or do you just pull back with your legs (or something else)?
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On a regular bicycle, you cock your heel away from the bike and they unclip.
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Yeah, they’re the same setup on a trike, twist your heels outward.
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Aha, thanks.
I had no idea as I haven't been on a bike or motorcycle since sometime in 2008. I had a near fatal accident on my Harley and had enough damage that even now I have no balance (inner ear damage). I've learned to walk without falling (mostly) by learning to stay vertical by looking ahead and seeing the horizon to know where "up" is and stay upright.
Thanks...
Hence the interest in a recumbent trike.
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Everyone tells me to click my heel out and my ankle just does not work that way. I cannot get my heel far enough away to unclip it. I have position the pedal in a way to click my heel in towards the center. Either way works I guess.
I read lots of stories about people having balance issues and having good experiences with trikes. You might want to google "balance issues" and trikes and see what you find. I do not have balance issues, but it was a trend I saw.
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I have position the pedal in a way to click my heel in towards the center. Either way works I guess.
Gosh, Slaga, I've been bicycling for a lotta' years and I've never heard this. I have the feeling that somethings amiss (not your ankles). Maybe there's a right and left component to your clips and they were installed on the wrong shoes.
Clip in an empty shoe and see if it'll clip out if you cock the heel outward.
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I know this thread is about recumbent bikes however does anyone ride an electric bike
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I have position the pedal in a way to click my heel in towards the center. Either way works I guess.
Gosh, Slaga, I've been bicycling for a lotta' years and I've never heard this. I have the feeling that somethings amiss (not your ankles). Maybe there's a right and left component to your clips and they were installed on the wrong shoes.
Clip in an empty shoe and see if it'll clip out if you cock the heel outward.
If anything is amiss, it is me. My shoes will twist out in either direction. When I was at the bike shop, they told me to kick my heel out and I found it difficult without twisting my hip quite a bit too (by that I mean lifting a cheek off of the seat a little), which would be quite easy on a stand-up bike, but more difficult from a reclined, seated position. And even more difficult at the end of a 20 mile ride when I am fatigued. My feet point straight forward when I walk without any effort, but I can only point my toes in, maybe 10 degrees at the most and that is pushing it. I can point my toes about 90 degrees out though with very little effort. My joints just are not very flexible at all. They twist and bend like they are supposed to, just not as far as most other people. I cannot straighten my elbows. If I lay on my side on the floor, with my arm from my shoulder to the elbow on the ground, my wrist is about 4" off of the floor, with my elbow fully extended. I have about a 5" or 6" circle in the middle of my back that I have never been able to touch with any of my fingers. I have been this way my whole life. I could be completely wrong, but the same lack of joint flexibility is probably why I have never had a bad sprain. My joints do not allow my ligaments to be stretched anywhere near their limit. I have never had an ankle, knee or elbow sprain or injury, that did not go away within a few minutes.
I just find it easier when my knee is bent a little and my heel is over/below the boom on the trike to kick my heel in, towards the center, to pop my foot out. Kicking my ankle out, I have to twist my back/hips some and lift a cheek a little to get enough twist at my ankle to get the clips to release. I am sure it is me...
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Sorry urnmor, I have no experience with electric bikes but I do see a few on my rides. I considered electric assist, but at this juncture I am content without it, although on a few of the hills I would welcome electric assist.
This is pretty much the same ride I did last time, except my start / stop points. It follows a creek and since water travels downhill, the trail is a little more uphill / downhill depending on which direction you are traveling. Last weekend I started in the middle, went uphill, came back down and went passed my starting point, and turned around and biked back up to the middle. This time I started at the bottom, went 13.4 miles up the hill, turned around and went back down the same 13.4 miles. The trail gets significantly more congested later in the ride so even downhill, my times are slowed by other trail users. It is a fun and enjoyable ride though, and I see deer each time I go.
This time I raised the seat to the most upright position and my neck feels better but my back is a little more sore. Neither is too sore though. It is a matter of being the most comfortable. I think my optimum is the second from the most upright position, which is where the seat was on my last ride before this one.
In the 3 weeks I have had this trike, I have ridden 86.41 miles, which is considerably more than I ever rode my bike, and the saddle soreness that took all of the fun of riding a bike, is non existent.
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I see headrests on some trikes. Neither of you guys have one. Do you think you might like one?
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I actually looked at them but balked at the $130 price tag, at least for now. Also, when looking at the fitment if the head rest, I saw a video about some helmets having a tightening device in the back that is exactly where the back of your head / neck is supposed to rest on it. My helmet does not have that device, but does appear to have stuff right where the head rest is supposed to support my head. After buying the trike, then spending another $300+ on new shoes (clip-in), lights, bracket and case for my phone, flag, tubes, pump, etc., I just could not justify the head rest and a new helmet at this time. If I keep riding regularly, and I have any neck soreness, I might rethink the headrest in a few months though.
Also, I am no expert, but I feel the neck rest is more important, the more reclined you ride. I ride more upright. Head rest or not, if I have to have my neck bent in such a way that my chin is close to my chest in order to see where I am going, my neck will be sore no matter what. Maybe that is my lack of flexibility thing I talked about earlier affecting my personal judgement, so take my rookie opinion with a big grain of salt.
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I test rode a couple with head rests, they are actually unpleasant to some degree, the vibrations from every bump you hit gets delivered straight to you skull. Luckily, my trike is more upright than many. If you rode very smooth surfaces, it would probably be nice to rest against one.
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Also, both slaga and glitchy have Catrikes with relatively vertical seat backs when compared to many recumbents that are nearly horizontal where you have to hold your head up to see where you're going.