New (to me) Catrike

DIscuss anything relating to non-standard cycles and their equipment.
belgiangoth
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Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by belgiangoth »

... the Cat is more like a VTX.
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by [XAP]Bob »

squeaker wrote: 16 Apr 2021, 12:57pm
nobrakes wrote: 16 Apr 2021, 12:09pm Interesting. I had 3 studded tyres on my Sprint this winter. Climbing anything above 10% was frustrating and slow due to all the wheel spin.
I think this calls for a weight distribution measurement, as I suspect that the rear wheel of a Sprint 26, with longer wheelbase, might see
a lower % than a Q (which I recall Bob had/has). Then there's the dynamic effects: Q being suspended rear (?) and Sprint rigid (?).
I had a ‘93 pre-ICE trike, with a ?26”? Rear wheel, narrow racing tyre and narrow 451 front wheels and overtook a gritting lorry at the bottom of a hill, then all the line of cars holding him up, and got to within a maybe ten yards of the top of the hill before spinning up the rear (interestingly it as the slope flattened off, maybe due to weight moving forward?). That was several tens of yards further than the cars who where struggling (failing really) to climb the ungritted road.

I have spikes for my ICE sprint 2RS, and never had an issue, other than creating my own aero deep section rims with the buildup of snow in the wheels. :mrgreen:

I do recall one wet uphill hairpin on a WWC audax which required three wheel drive, and the same has been needed on loose surface hills as well.

I have also had fun powersliding the trike, and doing donuts in the snow on an unused car park - but that required leaning forward to reduce rear wheel traction.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
nobrakes
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by nobrakes »

I wonder why my setup sucks so much more then yours did :)
hercule
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by hercule »

From photos the 26” ICE Sprint and Adventure trikes have the rear wheel quite a way behind the seat: they always look to me to have an unnecessarily extended wheelbase. The older Trices with 20” rears seem to have the back wheel much closer and have a shorter wheelbase. On my VTX the rear wheel is right behind my head and the seat is also further behind the cruciform than my QNT: if anything it climbs steep hills better than the QNT.
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by [XAP]Bob »

nobrakes wrote: 17 Apr 2021, 12:07pm I wonder why my setup sucks so much more then yours did :)
Pannier loads?

Not heavy, but laptop and lunch over the back wheel probably didn’t hurt.

Seat at max recline? Maybe I’m just heavier?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
nobrakes
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Joined: 9 Jan 2020, 10:17am

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by nobrakes »

I have the mesh seat but as far back as possible (which isn’t very far by my other bike standards). I didn’t have any stuff on the back rack during the snow and did have a fairing on the front, so maybe more front heavy than your setup. I have noticed that the fairing by itself is enough to reduce rear wheel traction on steep damp climbs.

It was crazy good fun coming down hills in the snow with the rear and sliding from side to side though!
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Yeah, the control whilst sliding sideways was always confidence inspiring, though I usually drifted at high speeds rather than due to low absolute traction.

It probably doesn't take all that much change in the weight distribution to make the rear end a bit less sticky.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
belgiangoth
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Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by belgiangoth »

So, taken the trike out for a spin for ~1 hour last two days mid-day. Observations
*Short trip (yesterday) there/back on cycle route: comment from a cyclist that they had spotted my flag, I was not able to keep up with the regular cycle commuters, which could be bent legs or lack of familiarity (meaning that I didn't "go for it") or just that I cycle slower in shared use (cycle/ped) spaces (aggravated by being about twice as wide). I did notice that I was not at all tired/didn't feel it in the legs (maybe more significantly different as I am used to the fxg). Some riding half on/half off grass was no issue. Did a hill climb in local park and then tried the downhill "how fast can I go" - turns out when I'm going FAST downhill is where I start to notice some brake steer. Cornering is fine, but giving the steering a wobble is NotGood on a trike.
*Short trip (today) on quiet roads: A fast big road to cross, much easier than on the SPM as I don't have to balance and try to angle so that I can look into the junction. Being low down meant that I couldn't see over the hill. Being clipped in and both feet pedal ready meant that I got across roads from standing much faster than expected. I can get through narrower gaps than I expected to fit through. I am starting to adjust to rolling round potholes (as opposed to the classic pothole in the middle of the front wheels - oops). I went by some speed bumps because I was concerned about my ability to go over them being so close to the ground - turns out speed bumps are longer than I remember them and are not an issue. Did some fast cornering, which was good. Also did some downhill where I discovered just how much faster you can break when you are low down and have two front brakes.

...

Now, would I commute with it on local roads with lots of cars parked either side?
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
ClappedOut
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Joined: 30 May 2020, 12:43am

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by ClappedOut »

belgiangoth wrote: 20 Apr 2021, 4:58pm So, taken the trike out for a spin for ~1 hour last two days mid-day. Observations
*Short trip (yesterday) there/back on cycle route: comment from a cyclist that they had spotted my flag, I was not able to keep up with the regular cycle commuters, which could be bent legs or lack of familiarity (meaning that I didn't "go for it") or just that I cycle slower in shared use (cycle/ped) spaces (aggravated by being about twice as wide). I did notice that I was not at all tired/didn't feel it in the legs (maybe more significantly different as I am used to the fxg). Some riding half on/half off grass was no issue. Did a hill climb in local park and then tried the downhill "how fast can I go" - turns out when I'm going FAST downhill is where I start to notice some brake steer. Cornering is fine, but giving the steering a wobble is NotGood on a trike.
*Short trip (today) on quiet roads: A fast big road to cross, much easier than on the SPM as I don't have to balance and try to angle so that I can look into the junction. Being low down meant that I couldn't see over the hill. Being clipped in and both feet pedal ready meant that I got across roads from standing much faster than expected. I can get through narrower gaps than I expected to fit through. I am starting to adjust to rolling round potholes (as opposed to the classic pothole in the middle of the front wheels - oops). I went by some speed bumps because I was concerned about my ability to go over them being so close to the ground - turns out speed bumps are longer than I remember them and are not an issue. Did some fast cornering, which was good. Also did some downhill where I discovered just how much faster you can break when you are low down and have two front brakes.

...

Now, would I commute with it on local roads with lots of cars parked either side?
Good report, I wondered the same about trikes and having never ridden or spoken to an owner - I know flags are used on back, I too wonder about parked cars and how high are you sitting? Is your head car door handle height or are you higher?
belgiangoth
Posts: 1657
Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by belgiangoth »

On my Speedmachine I can't look over cars, my shoulders are level with a 26" wheel, my head a about a foot higher. On the Catrike my eyes are about level with the top of a 700C wheel.
So in both cases I am too low to see through a driver's window or above cars, possibly if I were on a highracer I might be able to see through a car window at oncoming traffic.
I have commuted on the SPM when I couldn't ride my fixed gear, the difference is that the trike is wider and lower - but I think it's mostly a psychological hangup for me.
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
nobrakes
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Joined: 9 Jan 2020, 10:17am

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by nobrakes »

I think as long as you never filter up the side of queued traffic and always assume somebody who can’t see you is about to pull out of a side street just beyond the next parked car and ride accordingly, commuting by trike is fine.
belgiangoth
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Joined: 29 Mar 2007, 4:10pm

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by belgiangoth »

Do you do much commuting along roads that are basically 1.5 lanes wide because there are walls of cars parked either side? (Sorry, not intending this to sound sarcastic/a rhetorical question).
If I had a baby elephant, I would put it on a recumbent trike so that it would become invisible.
nobrakes
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Joined: 9 Jan 2020, 10:17am

Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by nobrakes »

I used to commute through Edinburgh on the trike. Roads were mainly a bit wider than that though. I tried to take the lane whenever possible to avoid relentless close passes.
Psamathe
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by Psamathe »

I've been reading this thread with great interest as I will be facing similar challenges/experiences ("will be" is not very far away now!). Although I'll be a lot more rural my 1.5 lane roads more likely single track and narrow due to verges and hedges rather than parked cars (I wont be commuting).

Ian
nobrakes
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Re: New (to me) Catrike

Post by nobrakes »

I now live in the Scottish Borders and do most of my riding on single track country roads. They are narrow enough that traffic gets understandably nervous about trying to overtake you if you are on a trike and moving at speed. I regularly have to stop and pull in to let traffic past. I appreciate the courtesy by drivers but it can be a pain if you’re trying to keep a good pace going. Most roads are very quiet so not a big problem but if they were busy I would take a 2 wheeler most of the time.
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