My Catrike 700-Sold

FOR SALE SOLD

2013 Catrike 700 

$700 

Not a typo and trike is in great condition and well maintained. I want a fast sale and a good home for a trike that as served me well.

Pick up only in Thousand Oaks, CA

One of the first 700s with the 20” wheels and still equipped with chrome-moly steel spindles (not the aluminum ones that cracked). 

Mileage  - 5,054

Includes an extra rear wheelset. An American Classic with 23/622 Schwalbe Durano and a 32/11 cassette. Also a couple of extra front wheels equipped with Chris King hubs.

Photo from earlier in the year taken in the Central Coast Wine Country

Sale does not include lights, frame bags, flag and of course helmet. But does include some extras listed at the end of this post.

After 6 years of enjoying my 700 it’s now time to change course. I’ve spent enough time on my new ICE Sprint FS Steps E8000 to know I won’t be using my 700 enough to justify having it take up space in my garage. 

Her are the details

53/39/30 Crankset with FSA carbon cranks.

DT-Swiss rim and Hub. 35/622 Kojak for a softer ride.

 Extra long boom. Easy to cut if a shorter boom is needed.

28/406 Durano front tires

 Wired CatEye computer

Only one small section of chain tube to route chain under frame

10 speed 36/11 Cassette

 Inner and outer chain guard

10 speed Sram index rear shifter and non-indexed front shifter

 Extra front wheels with Chris King hubs

 Finer Recliner headrest for Catrike mount. Not used.
Tubes for 700 tires.

Extra wheelset. American Classic wheel and hub with a 10 speed 36/11 cassette and a 28/622 Durano tire.

Catrike 700 Along the Central Coast

Taking the 700 out for a fast short ride today.

Looking out onto Morro Bay and Morro Rock
On my Instagram

Estero Bay

Lighthouse Ride

I joined in with the Lighthouse Century riders just long enough to have my picture taken by the event photographer before I rode off on my own. 

The Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is waaaay off in the distance. 

October On the Central Coast

Escape from reality, riding the Central Coast. 

The 35mm Kojaks are becoming my favorite tire for the varied conditions along Hwy 1.

Looking out to Morro Bay and Morro Rock

Lunch break at Cayucos 
The rock in the middle is my usual place to dine. 

Is It Me or the Sprint

I left the Sprint in the garage and took the 700 out for a ride today. It seems that the Sprint mesh seat may not be working for me after all. I had to make sure it was the seat of the Sprint and not something else that was causing low level discomfort from my titanium hips. More specifically the muscles of the hip.

So the 700 went for a ride today. Good news, I was 100% comfortable, no hip muscle pain. Bad news, the Sprint seats are not comfortable for me. I wonder if the ICE Adventure seat with it's longer seat base might work. I'll have to find out. 

Lunch with the 700

I'm Keeping Both Trikes

I've come to my senses and I'm keeping both trikes. I thought that once I made my mind up on keeping the ICE Sprint 26fs to handle the rough roads on California's Central Coast I would let my Catrike 700 go. NO, can't do it. There are a few roads where I can still take out the 700 for a quick ride. Roads that are well maintained. 

It'll be short rides on smooth roads with good downhills. I won't need the extra weight that I used on longer rides. I can have some fun dedicating the 700 to one purpose, speed. No more cruising on the 700. I'll leave the cruising to the Sprint 26fs.

I striped the 700 down to it's bare minimum ride ready weight of 32.8 lbs (4.8 kg) as seen in the picture below. Any other weight I add to the under seat storage will be optional personal stuff and tools. 

The ICE Sprint 26fs will be my main ride on the Central Coast and I'll take out the 700 for a quick downhill spin when a adrenaline rush is called for.

Why ICE Instead of Catrike

I feel Catrike makes some the best trikes on the market. You get a quality trike without having to dig too deep into your piggy bank.

BUT there's a gap in their product line that doesn't allow for riders like me. When I heard that Catrike would soon have a fully suspended model I imagined a sub 40 lb (18 kg) trike with the attributes of the Catrike Expedition. What came out instead was a hefty 43 lb (19.5 kg) trike with a cushy seat that seems to ignore ergonomics and an adjustable seat angle of only 42 to 49 degrees. A great trike for some riders but not for me.

Catrike doesn't have a suspended performance trike. Catrike has the unsuspended 700 and Expedition at the top of there performance lineup. Then their model selection jumps right to the cushy and heavy Dumont. 

A fully suspended ICE Sprint 26fs weights in at 36.9 lbs (16.7kg) with a mesh seat. The seat angle can be adjusted to as low as 37 degrees. Lower if you opt for the carbon seat. The ICE Sprint 26fs is still a performance trike with the added benefit of a minimalist full suspension system that provides enough comfort with minimal sacrifice in performance and speed. The ICE Sprint 26fs fills in the gap between ICE's high performance VTX and the Adventure model.

Catrike works hard at trying to address the needs of it's diverse customer base. I hope Catrike will follow ICE's lead and develop a sub 40 lb (18kg) suspended performance trike with a more aggressive seat angle than the Dumont. Also no over padded seat.

Catrike 700
Catrike's top of the line performance trike with a seat angle of 25 degrees. Unsuspended and fast.

Catrike Expedition

An unsuspended hybrid with a higher seat angle of 37 degrees. It can be configured for speed, or loaded up with creature comforts for cruising or touring. The Expedition was my first trike and I had a lot of fun putting miles on it. Many of those miles was with my dog in tow.

Catrike ???

A sub 40 lb Full Suspension trike with a 37 degree seat angle that can be configured for light and fast rides or configured for touring with a dedicated rack system that is hung on the suspended main frame. Folding or non-folding either option works for me. 
Another idea, re-design the Expedition with a minimalist suspension and I'd be on board to be the first in line to try it out.
Someday, maybe?

Catrike Dumont

Catrike's entry in the fully suspended folding trike market.  A comfortable 43 lb trike with a high seat angle range of 44 to 51 degrees. Weight and seat angle alone keep the Dumont out of the performance trike category. At the present it's lacking a integrated rear rack system that would allow it to be considered a touring trike. The only options I see for a rear rack are from the secondary market with the rack being attached to the rear dropouts and chain stays. 

How I make the decision to choose a ICE Sprint 26fs

Go to Part 1, September 9th

Go to Part 2, September 12th

Go to Part 3, September 13th

Go to Part 4, September 15th.

It's All In The Seat

I took the 700 on ride down the coast today to make sure it was the hard shell seat on my new ICE that was a pain in my hip and not something more ominous. Good news, bad news. Good news, my hip is no worse or better then it was before. The mesh seat on my 700 is oh so comfortable. I've never really appreciated the comfort of my 700. The bad news, the cool carbon fiber seat on my new ICE Sprint 26 FS has to go. I tried to customize the seat with the diamond pads that come with the seat but they didn't solve the problem. After about 5 miles the muscles in my right hip protest.

Now I'll have to check out the ICE mesh seat. I wasn't comfortable with it when I initially tested it some time ago. If that still holds true then I'll have to consider selling my brand new ICE.  I'm also thinking that the 25 degree seat angle of the 700 takes some of the pressure off my hip muscles. The max seat angle on the ICE Sprint 26 is 37 degrees.

Here's a couple pics of my ride today on the 700

Looking out over Morro Bay.

Morro Bay and Morro Rock

Old and New Catrike 700

I was looking at some old pictures of my first Catrike 700. Here's a little visual comparison between the old and the new Catrike 700.

The new stretched out Catrike 700 with 20" wheels (post 2013)

The old Catrike 700 with 16" front wheels (pre 2013)

Beat the Heat on My 700

The heat is threatening, it's a spring day but it"s acting like summer with temps headed for the high 90s. I'm on the road by 7:30AM and back before 9:00AM after a short 15 mile ride and 1400' gain. 

This is the kind of day when riding the 700 is an absolute pleasure, fast and fun and back home before the heat kicks in. 

New vs Old 700

See Final Impression Catrike 700/20 May 19th 2013

Since my initial impression I've had enough time riding the new Catrike 700 with 20" wheels to be able to say...if I had it to do over again I would not spend the money to upgrade from the "old" 700/16 to the "new" 700/20.

Bottom line...I would without a doubt buy a new 700/20 if I didn't already own a 700/16. What I would not do is spend the money on upgrading from an 700/16 to a 700/20. Regardless, I'm having fun showing off and riding the 700 / 20!!

"New" Catrike 700 / 20 

The 700/20 has some definite improvements over the 700/16. I like the 20" wheels allowing for more tire choices and the extra ground clearance, beyond that both trikes are equal in my mind. It would take some careful analysis to determine if one trike is faster or handles better then the other.

"Old" Catrike 700 / 16

New 700 at Bent Up Cycles

I dropped off my old 700 at Bent Up Cycles today. By tomorrow it will be my "new" 700 with reconfigured frame and 20" wheels. Stay tuned for more details.


Dana Lieberman, owner of Bent Up Cycles, holds up the new 700.






Dana wastes no time and gets started on transferring components from the old 700 (on the right) to the new 700.

Catrike 700 - 2013

As soon as I read on BROL about the new Catrike 700 with 20" front wheels I wasted no time giving Dana at Bent Up Cycles a call. Even though Catrike does not have a final speced out 700 - 2013 for sale they do have the frames. Dana ordered me a black frame set and custom 20" wheels. When the frame set arrives in a couple of weeks my old 700 will be striped and all the components on it will be put onto the reconfigured 700 frame. Stay tuned......

From Catrike:
-700: New frame. We fit this trike with 406 (20”) front wheels and Ultremo ZX tires. As an accomplishment in engineering, we rotated the rider’s body position around the center of gravity, thus achieving a more streamlined position, raising the seat, transferring weight to the rear of the trike, without in effect, affecting the center of gravity. We have dropped its bottom bracket just enough for perfect tuning of the cockpit and the balance between rider comfort, output and aerodynamics. Finally we have added 1" to its wheel base, to a total of 46" for an optimum weight distribution, front wheel clearances and impressive straight line stability. The result is a slightly more reclined and better aerodynamic position, a higher seat bottom and ground clearance to create an improved relationship between the chain line and its main frame, thus stiffening the whole frame during pedaling while still maintaining its impressive cornering ability, handling and steering forces during turn. On top of that, because we have our own CNC milling machine, we have designed and sculpted a new flanged drop out that is lighter, stiffer and just plain gorgeous that screams quality and design with a purpose. This trike is simply the most beautiful, refined and fastest Catrike we ever produced. We have coined the term of a low flying carpet for trikes and nothing is more truthful when you ride the new 700.

You are looking at the most streamlined, most laid back, longest, stiffest, leanest, meanest and yes fastest Catrike ever made, the 2013 700   

Riding the 700

Catrike 700

Since I decided not to sell the 700 I've been splitting my rides between the 700 and the Expedition. I look back and try to understand why I would even consider selling the 700. I think it comes down to when I had my heart attach ten months ago, I was riding the 700 and riding hard when it hit. The 700 became the enemy, it let me down. Other then one short ride thereafter I never really got "back on the horse".

I'm "back on the horse" and I feel no fear of being thrown. My unjustified fear was the enemy and not the 700. Both the 700 and Expedition are my allies. The fitness level I achieved before the heart attack, riding my trikes, played prominently in my speedy recovery. I was destined to have a heart attack, I unwittingly prepared for it my loosing weight  and making by body strong. 

I now take regular rides on the 700. I'm starting to challenge myself by riding more miles and increasing my average speed relative to the amount of climbing (gain). More on that as I set some goals for myself. In 14 months I'll turn 60 and I want to be the fastest kid on the block with his tricycle.

Catrike Expedition

700 Photo Op

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the 700 on a grass berm that I rode by today.

I planned on taking a longer ride today on the 700 but I realized I forgot my flag today. I was coming up to a section of road where I felt uncomfortable without a rag waving in the air so after about 15 miles I met Carrie to pick up my flag and ended up going to the local coffee joint with her. I was planning on doing 30 miles but in the end my ride was only 17 miles. I hadn't really got into the climbing section of my ride yet so my gain was a modest 920 feet with an average speed of 15.8 mph. The ride wasn't as long I planned but being with my beautiful wife made up for it.

700 Not for Sale

Updated 9/24/12

Awhile back I decided to sell my 700...well kinda. Now I've decided that I just can't let it go. Even though I cruise on my Catrike Expedition most of the time, the few times I do ride the 700 makes it worth keeping around. I may ride it only once a month but when I do it's such a blast going down the local hills at 50 plus mph that it helps to keep me young. I must admit I get a kick out of passing some of the spandex clad Lance wannabes on the flats and always on the downhill stretches. Then there are some riders who pass me on the flats that are so out of breath that they can barely manage a "how do you do". Then I'm stuck looking at their ass as they slow down to get their breath. General rule of thumb when I'm riding my 700 is, not including hill climbs, for every rider that passes me I pass one.
It's all good fun so I'll keep the 700 for those occasional times when I need a little downhill adrenaline fix. 

NOT For Sale
(but I'll keep the pictures here)

Catrike 700

Looking good!

The accessory bar on the boom mast has been removed.  This trike is for speed, not accessorizing.  My DiNotte light  was easily installed on the mast. I think it looks better as well. Front derailleur is a Shimano Ultegra.

The 52/39/30 FSA SL-K carbon is light and looks soooo good. 

Black spokes and red nipples. 

Smooth shifting. Sram XX

Avid BB7 brakes

The cassette is a super light Sram X Glide 10 speed. Seven of the cogs are CNC-machined together out of a single block of billet steel, creating an incredibly lightweight, precise, and strong cassette

Avid Speed Dial brake levers.
As you can see I have the new generation Catrike seat on the 700 (New Catrike Seats)

The top chain tube has been removed for aesthetics, weight and ease of repairing a chain on the road. I put a  heavy duty vinyl patch on the frame to protect it from chain slap. The chain never touches the frame when it is under tension.

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Video on Bent Rider Online The video shows a compact double and Sram front derailleur, I exchanged it for a triple and a Shimano Ultegra front derailleur.