After a 30 minute ride to Clyde my seat cushion was already “not dry”. The two “not wet” spots are a mystery.

With today’s 14.6 mile ride on the trike giving me a total of 1257 miles I’m over the half-way mark toward my goal of 2500 miles.

On the Catrike Speed
To Clyde Depot and back
• Average speed: 14.1 mph
  (would be slow for 2 wheels, not bad for 3)

• Maximum speed: 22.4 mph
  (seems faster riding so close to the ground; a slight down grade helped)

• Avg Heart Rate: 121 bpm
  (In this portion of my training I have been trying to keep my heart rate low)

• Calories: 1023 cal
  (I’ll get this back)

I Vaned (as in “trucked”) the Catrike Speed to the USM station and started riding about 9:11. It was already getting hot and by the time I reached Clyde Depot around 9:45 it was 93 degrees. I had planned on going further but decided not. I’ll start out earlier when I ride Thursday, maybe 7:00 AM. And Wednesday? I’m going to Mobile to set up my sister Jen’s DSL. Don’t anyone tell her how easy that is; I’m expecting a big-hug reward.

We are evaluating the Speed for Jeanne’s use. She rode it Sunday and did fine but I don’t think “it calls out to her”. It is too laid back and she has to hold her head up at an uncomfortable angle. She might could get use to it but the right trike will adjust to her. The seat angle works a little better for me but overall the bike is too small. I’m now thinking we will try other models and eventually sell the Speed. I paid $1400 as I remember and will probably ask $1200. Anyone? I prefer a pick up or delivery rather than shipping.

Look at Jeanne’s legs. They are really firming up.

Scheduled rides are often categorized by their speed and distance difficulties, i.e. Class A through D. These classes are not universal but tend to be similar from club to club. Here is a typical example:

Class A: Difficult
45 to 100+ miles> 18 to 20 mph average on flat terrain
16 to 18 mph average on rolling/hilly terrain
15 to 16 mph average on very hilly terrain

Class B: Advanced
25 to 90 miles 15 to 18 mph average on flat terrain
13 to 16 mph average on rolling/hilly terrain
12 to 14 mph average on very hilly terrain

Class C: Moderate
15 to 75 miles 12 to 15 mph average on flat terrain
10 to 13 mph average on rolling/hilly terrain
9 to 11 mph average on very hilly terrain

Class D: Easy
5 to 20 miles 5 to 9 mph average on easy terrain

I am currently class C, the “smell the flowers” level.

This example from here on the Catrike forum.

Ordered this behind-the-seat bag last week and received it Wednesday. I’m hoping the aerodynamic shape will give me a little boost at the higher speeds, i.e. higher than 20 mph. I don’t expect the effect to be as pronounced as for the fairing. The somewhat-general mounting instructions did not work for me as I would have had to cut slits in my seat mesh and I did not want to do that. I mounted it somewhat like a backpack with shoulder straps. Here is the question I asked on BROL.

Quote
Best way to mount AeroTrunk on Stratus XP?
I just received an AeroTrunk for my SXP. I’m not sure how best to mount it. I currently have the straps over the upper seat corners somewhat like shoulder straps on a backpack. The long strap runs diagonally over one upper corner then down to a lower D-ring and around the adjustable seat-back braces and through the other lower D-ring and then snapped into the other strap which runs diagonally over the other seat corner.

How did you do it? A picture would be nice.
Gary

Unquote

And here is an excerpt from the post of my impression after the ride Tuesday of 32 miles (Click the Bike Log on the right for details).

Quote
First ride with the AeroTrunk (AT); my impression

I like it. It is very well designed and made.

The ride? It does not seem to affect bike handling and made no noise I detected.

Effect on speed? My average speed today (about 16 mph over 30 miles) was a little faster but I allowed my heart rate to rise to the 130’s instead of my recent 120’s training level. So I will reserve my opinion about the AT’s effect on speed but it was obvious that it did not slow me down.

Storage? There is a lot of room but I am not sure how you should distribute the weight.

There is a compartment near the front were I put the heavy stuff and the bag did not sag with the few things I carried. If I ever load it down I think I’ll figure out some way to support the rear end.

The zipper? I really like the way the reflective strip completely covers the zipper (in the event of a wet ride). The strip is turned up in this photo.

If the lid is unzipped all the way back it is difficult to get the zipper started again. There is extra zipper material that is probably necessary to allow the top to open all the way. I found it much easier to place the top almost vertical in order to get the zipper started.

Other:

There is a handle and a detachable shoulder strap to help carry the bag when not on the bike.

There is a net with tie-down straps in the larger compartment area.

There is an outside pocket (net mesh) on the front (between the bag and the seat back) that would make maps and other small items accessible without stopping. Because of the design of my seat and the placement of it’s adjustable seat-supports the AT does not fit flush/flat against the seat. I could easily reach back and slide my hand between the two.

The instructions mention placing a water bladder inside and a hole provided in the lower left corner for the drinking tube. I didn’t verify.

The AT makes my bike a little longer.
Unquote

The AeroTrunk came from Angletech in case you have to have one too.

I will reserve the red bag I removed for use on the Rocket but will keep it indoors and just slide the mounting pocket over the top of the seat when I ride.

In answer to this question I recently posted the following on the BROL forums.

I am 65 years old and retired this past Friday.

I am 5′ 10.5″ tall and weigh 245#. A few years ago I weighed about 280# which I gained during years of undiagnosed Sleep Apnea.

I last rode a common bike on a regular basis almost 30 years ago and then just to work in Turkey while in the US Air Force.

I started riding recumbents last summer; BikeE, then a Rocket, then a Stratus XP, and recently a Catrike Speed.

My goal this year is for 2500 miles.
(With work I was not sure how much I would be able to ride and commuting does not help as I live .7 miles from work.)

Next year I plan to set my goal to 5000 miles; after that, who knows.

I bought a 2004 Catrike Speed on 27 March 2008.

Here are my recent trike rides on the Long Leaf Trace in Mississippi:
(Garmin set for moving average)
31 miles - 14.0 mph
82 miles - 12.02 mph *
22 miles - 14.4 mph

* I discovered the “some gear combinations don’t work” problem on the 2004 Speed but didn’t know the nature of the problem at the time, so, slowed down to go easy on the rear end.

On these and my other recent rides I am not riding for speed but to develop an aerobic base. Using the Garmin 305 wireless heart monitor I try to keep my heart rate in the 120’s. Before this effort my best speed with some distance involved was 18.5 mph for 11 miles on the faired Stratus XP.

I alternately ride all my recumbents but ride the Rocket the most (It was my commute bike but now it is my jump-on-and-go bike). And it is true for me and my 3 main bikes that my favorite is the one I’m riding at the time. I reserve our two BikeEs for guests since they are so easy to setup and ride. My next bike purchases will most likely include an Expedition or 700 for me (if my wife rides and likes the Speed as I want to ride with her on trikes) and definitely something like an Aero (if they come back) or Corsa SS (as soon as I lose 20 pounds).

Gary
My journal on BikeJournal.com.

Had a great ride Thursday, my third and longest on the Catrike Speed, 82 miles. I not only took my time to "smell the roses" (someone on the Catrike forum says that on a trike you are at the right level to smell the roses) but I left the trail several times to create adventures. The "haunted house" above is just a couple of blocks north of the trail in Bassfield. As with most such houses there is a haunted tale. I’ll let Danny tell you about it shortly.

Before the ride I made a couple of modifications to the Speed.  First, there was a problem with the mirror. Well, the problem was that there was none, and not even a place to mount my preferred model.  The mirror I like attaches to the end of the handlebar. However, my trike uses bar-end shifters as you can see here. Following a suggestion made on one of the recumbent forums I mounted an extra bar-end just for the mirror. Click for a better view.

The pipe insulation you see around the left kingpin was added to ease the rubbing of my outer thigh on the hard metal. I’m just a little wide for this model’s frame. I ended up taking it off and placing a cushion in the seat which raised my bottom just enough for clearance. I also moved the boom in and, thus, sat a little more upright which provided a little more clearance.

I also added some pipe insulation to the T-shaped, original headrest. I may use this instead of the car-headrest until I can order and receive the nice one I imaged in an earlier post. You can see the original headrest and the seat cushion in a photo below.

The weather was great and so were the views. There were many plants in bloom but the azaleas were especially nice.

The dogwoods had bloomed earlier and now their flowers were falling, covering the path in places. Seeing them flutter down reminded me of snow flakes.
I mentioned the wisteria in my last ride report. They were still blooming with some blooms at eye level and others in the tree tops. If the last ride was perfect this one was perfect with more mileage. On some of the climbs I would travel about 5 mph, lean my head back on the headrest and look up at the sky. Sometimes it would just be sky and at other times the trees would overhang. I would glance forward under my glasses to stay on the trail.

Sorry, major bike ride distraction! But this was not just a bike ride, it was an adventure.

The ride

I went to work from 8:30 to 9:30,  my scheduled office hours for Thursday, as they are for Tuesday. I recently changed them to give students with conflicting schedules a chance to see me. Or, was it so that I could get longer rides in? Maybe one is the rationale and one is the reason. After hanging around the office for a little over an hour (and no students showed up) I drove straight to the USM (Hattiesburg) station in my van, like before. Since I left the building a little late, 9:45, I ended up pedaling off at about 10:00. The goal was to be in Sumrall at lunch time, which I was.

I took snacks to eat but thought I might actually eat at La Tori’s. Again! However I did neither. I remembered that the community center serves lunch to seniors during the week. It was good, especially since they only charge $1.25. Here is the crew that fed me and entertained me. After the picture the lady in the blue hat kept telling everyone that they were all going to be in the Hattiesburg American (for you non-residents that is the local news paper).

It was a happy meal (sorry McDonald’s, not that kind). The guy with the big smile talked to me while I ate. Here is some of the conversation, paraphrased.

I had my bike clothes on and he assumed I was riding a bike without asking, So the topic  went to the trail and specifically to people liking to ride their electric carts on it. I had observed this several times myself. I recall once meeting a group that had left Sumrall headed to Hattiesburg to have lunch at Stricks. At that particular time I was riding from Hattiesburg to Sumrall to have lunch at La Tori’s. For some reason we found that amusing, at that time. Back to this conversation. There seems to be a lot of interest in Sumrall over riding what I call golf carts. Enough interest and disagreement to fight over it. Someone even wanted to start a business  selling and servicing  the carts. (The idea of an electric-cart-friendly city reminds me of where my sister in-law lives, i.e. The Villages, a golfing community in Florida.) The Mayor is/was against the whole idea (is against it, was the Mayor). Why? Because the carts will not pass the state inspection for road vehicles. The Mayor and the city council have been fighting over this. The Mayor just up and resigned. My lunch companion then told me that the Mayor had been a professor at USM. Either I had already told him that I was on the faculty myself or I did then. He suggested that maybe I should move to Sumrall and run for Mayor. I told him "No thank you" but said I thought I could explain the source of all the misunderstanding. So I did, and that being that "Professors are use to making things up and having people believe them. When people don’t, such as possibly the good people of Sumrall didn’t, it is not only a surprise it is also confusing and irritating." My companion seemed to be entertained by my explanation but not enlightened.

On the way out I met a few others arriving. They seemed to think my trike was “something else”. The red-headed lady was particularly taken with the fact that it had a rear-view mirror (and I was particularly taken with the red-headed lady). As it turns out she is running for the Mayor’s office in the upcoming special election.

She is also starting a new business called Ginnovations in what I thought was the old pickle factory but was in fact the old cotton gin, thus the name. Not sure what she will sell but will surely check it out.

Here is the building, just to the side of the trail as you enter Sumrall. I learned that the "pickle vat" was just to the east of the cotton gin. I don’t know what a pickle vat is so I’m going to figure that out and then get right back to this trail tail.

No, not the March of Dimes …

… my new trike. Put it in the back of the van, again, and drove to the USM station. My first ride, the other day, was only 8 miles and, thus, not much of a shakedown. At the station I found a March of Dimes walk-a-thon and my first opportunity to evaluate the trike in a crowd. Results: Great. I didn’t even have to unclip when stopping and easing forward slowly. Some people acted as martials, moving others out of the way. It seems that everyone looked. My apologies to the speaker for the dissuption. There was a lot of attention and many comments. The wording escapes me but one man wanted to know if I was comfy and a woman wanted to know if she could get on with me. This must be what driving a sports car is like. I eased on by, smiling a lot, and headed on up the trail. It comes up to speed really fast and I was in the upper teens in no time. For the same heart rate it is at least as fast as the unfaired Rocket, maybe even faster. Up the trail the attention continued. I get a lot of attention when on any of my recumbents but not like this. It is not uncommon for a car to stop at a crossing to give me the right of way but this happened 3 times yesterday. I don’t know; were they just curious and wanted a better look, or did they think I was handicapted or otherwise special, or just being curtious? No idea.

The 31 miles was most enjoyable and my average speed was about 14 mph. At no time did I tire and wish the ride would end. The trail was in great shape and starting to bloom all over. The wisteria was beautiful. There were several bunches hanging from trees on both sides of the trail, the least of which is pictured here. However, that is the last photo I took as my camera’s battery did get tired (discharged); I must have left it on when connected to the computer all night.

I planned on turning around in Sumrall after a quick snack and a trip to the bathroom (old man!). I had packed a Boost drink and a zip bag with two hand-fulls of pecons. Of course I also had the ever present water which I didn’t drink any of at a rest stop since I didn’t stop anywhere and I forgot to drink while riding even though I could have reached back over my head and grabbed the bottle, although putting it back may have been a challenge. If drinking on-the-fly proved to be a problem I may mount the bottle between my knees on the boom. Another day, not a priority. As it turned out I didn’t eat any of my snacks but went to La Torie’s instead. There I had a very good catfish sandwitch with small fries and a coke. I sat near a window where I could looked out at the trike, parked at the bike rail. Great day. I sat near a young couple, obviously not married as they were flirting too much. They were exchanging comments as fast as they could talk, agreeing completely with what the other said and beginning their own comment or reply with "yea" or "yes". As I said, not married. There were so many yes’s and yea’s that I begin to wonder where they were from. Then I focused on a conversation a little further away and I heard a man using a lot of yes’s. I wondering if it was a Sumrall thing. Then I looked at the trike some more, finished my lunch. Afterwards I rode around the residential area a bit before going on to the Sumrall trail station. I got the attention of one small dog whom I greeted with "hello doggy" in a most condisending tone. He (she?) did not seem to object to the tone and just wanted to play, following me for about half a block. Back at the Sumrall station a young fellow, maybe 10 years old, and his dad were getting ready for a ride. The youngster was already standing on the trail with his bike when I pulled up along side. I asked him if he thought I was too old to be riding a tricycle. He smiled and said "No".

Only a couple of miles on the way back I heard a soft thump. Was that me? What could it have been? I looked in my mirrow, the quarter sized one mounted on my eye glasses stem. There I could see what looked like a bag on the side of the trail about 100 feet back. Did I hit it? I unclipped and, staying on the bike, pushed myself backwards. The trike glides easily. As David said it almost goes on its own. As I approached, ah, recognition. It was my headrest.

The mate to this one, before I introduced it to a hacksaw. It was on the passenger side of our old Dodge Caravan  but I don’t think Jeanne will miss it. (We don’t drive the Caravan and I’m about to give it away) In the photo above it is propped on top of the original headrest stem, just for the photo. During the ride I had it zip tied to the stem. I’m going to have to come up with a mount, maybe a new stem. The original foam rest was a casualty to use and time. David said it looked like a large piece of industrial pipe insulation, not unlike the consumer product with a slit down it entire length for wrapping around your home water pipes. I’ll see what I can find but may still go with the Caravan rest. I propped the head rest behind my head and made a point of not lifting my head the rest of the trip. The curve helped it stay in place the rest of the way.

The shakedown’s goal, other than being an introductory ride, was to figure out what modification, additions, or adjustments I need to make in the near future. As far as my opinion about the Speed, my likes and dislikes, that will have to wait for a few more rides; to be fair. However, I do know that I need to give attention to:

Speed: "I never knew 12 mph could feel so fast." Someone else said that and I agree. On this ride I took it easy, staying below my 80% max HR. My speed was close to my speed on the unfaired Rocket. My average was 14 mph and max was about 20 mph. At higher speeds I might do better than on the Rocket.

Steering: I suspect that this will become my biggest criticism. When I first started I would move the hand grips side-to-side, just a tiny bit, and would get a coarse course change. And if I inadvertently shifted my upper body I would get an unwanted course change. I started off power stroking the pedals which resulted in an upper body shift. This shift translated into course changes with the front of the boom moving right and left in synch with my strokes. When I started pedaling with a more circular motion things smoothed out, so I must learn the art of clipped-in pedaling. Later I tried power stroking but with a smooth application of power and that seemed to work OK. I once hit a bump with the left front wheel, shifting my upper body to one side, which resulted in a scary shift in direction. Things did get better as I tried a few things. For one, I stopped gripping the grips as tightly. I don’t know if that helped but it felt better. Also, I stopped trying to move the grips right and left to steer. Instead, I applied straight-forward pressure on one and straight-reverse
pressure on the other and achieved a smoother change in direction. This is going to require my further attention.

Seat width: I believe the Speed is smaller than most of the other Catrike models. The seat width is a problem because I have wide thighs. Well, actually, the seat is wide enough and very comfortable, even if I overhang a little. The problem is with the structure just to the side of the seat. Part of the handlebar mount leans in near the seat edge. The corner of this mostly vertical piece rubs my bare outer thigh. It didn’t hurt at first but after about 15 miles of rubbing it started to irritate me. Sliding down a little in the seat helped but was not my preferred position. Once home I found a small red area and swollen mound. I may end up wrapping these frame grip supports with foam, or wearing longer shorts.

Headrest: I need to either order a replacement of the original, try to find some industrial-foam pipe insulation, fabricate a mount for my Caravan headrest (I have a lathe and a mill), or buy a nicer mount as in the image.

Visibility: It would help to have a rubber neck. I wonder where I could find one of those toy periscopes we played with as kids.

Overall size, weight, experience: Outstanding.

2004 Catrike Speed (s/n 248) - 27 Speed Recumbent Trike

Less than 1,200 Miles
All Alum. Frame
Approximately 30 Lbs total
37″ Wheel Base, 27″ Wheel Track, 30″ Total Width
16″ Front Wheels - Schwalbe Stelvio Kevlar Tires
20″ Rear Wheel - Primo Comet (Kevlar)
Seat Width 15.25″ - Accomodates up to a 300lb rider
X-Seam 39-46″
Sling Seat / Headrest
Shimano Deore rear derailleur
Shimano Tiagra front derailleur
Truvativ Elita triple crankset 170mm
Avid Disc Brakes
Titanium SPD Pedals
Sigma Sport Computer
Rear Rack w/ Matching REI Bag

This is my new bike, new to me.
It is the Catrike Speed (pronounced Cat Trike Speed).

Here’s David saying goodbye to the bike he delivered to me yesterday. It is a 2004 model and my buying a used one is much more economical than buying a new $2400 2008 model. It is sort of an interim retirement gift to myself. I found out that the bike I want, i.e. Bacchetta Aero (or Corsa SS), has a maximum weight limit of 230 pounds (rider and cargo). So, the Bacchetta will have to become my “I’m down to 230 pounds” reward. Well, anyway, thanks David, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. Actually, I have already taken it on a ride and I know I will enjoy it. I put it in the van, i.e. the bike mobile, and drove to the USM station and then rode the trike to Jackson Road station and back for an 8 mile ride. It’ll be a while before I ride it in traffic from home, before I am comfortable being so much lower that the American idea of transportation.

I parked near the Bike rental building. You did know you could rent bikes at the Hattiesburg trail head, didn’t you? However, not a recumbent. The trike only weighs 30 pounds and is an easy load/unload. It fits well in the van with my modified seating, i.e. one second-row bucket seat removed and the third-row bench seat turned sideways and pushed to one side behind the remaining second-row seat. So, I mounted the trike. Yes, mounted, crawled on board! It’s a circus act (my knees don’t like it). Turned on the Garmin, put it in my pocket, and headed out. My ride out was a little slow as I cautiously got use to the steering. However, coming back I was up around 18 mph or better. The overall average was about 14 mph.
* I don’t know what happened to the last mile’s worth of data. I had the Garmin under my T-shirt since I had not yet installed a mount. I first had it in my pocket but it fell out, no damage. Looks like the satellite connection was dropped.

I’ll share my thoughts and opinion about the bike as they develop. I already know there will be some pros and some cons. For example, there is a tremendous feeling of speed, probably from being so close to the ground. I never imagined that going 12 mph could feel so fast. This is probably a positive. On the other hand, the steering is really tight, a small twitch goes a long way; I hate to think what would happen if I sneezed, “Hello 360″. I’ll probably adjust, i.e. adapt, but I’ll let you know.

I’m planning on joining David and his friends on a ride from Hattiesburg to Prentice on April 5, a Saturday. However, they are going to spend the night and ride back the next day, 40 miles each way. I’ll probably just ride part way and come back for a 50 mile round trip. I have a tentative ride with Rodney on April 28. I met Rod on the trace not long ago and we later exchanged emails. He rides a trike so that will be an interesting ride if I ride mine. I will ride the Speed if I think I can keep up with him by then. If I think I can’t I’ll ride either the Rocket or Stratus XP.

OK, Frank, you wanted to come down and try different types of recumbents. Well, I have another type now; whenever you are ready. I have a clwb (compact long wheel base), i.e. Bike E, a lwb (long wheel base), i.e. Rans Stratus XP, a swb (short wheel base), i.e. Rans Rocket, and, now, a trike (trike), i.e. Catrike Speed. Among the most common recumbents there remains the lowriders and the highriders. The bike I really want is the Bacchetta Aero but I’ll settle for the Bacchetta Corsa SS. These are both highriders. I’ll probably never get/ride a lowrider. Here are some images, not to scale.

clwb Bike E feet low	lwb Stratus XP feet low	swb Rocket feet middle
trike Speed feet slightly high	highracer Aero feet high	lowracer Taifun feet high seat between wheels

And I quote
I am at 250 pounds, too heavy for the new bike I want. My current goal is to lose 30, primarily by riding and some common sense eating. I started at 270 but hit a plateau at 250. I’m hoping the bike will get me moving downward again. And my wife thinks an expensive bike would be a good reward for this goal, ha-ha. (I wonder what she wants. On yea, a new kitchen.)

The bikes I am thinking about have either a max weight limit of 220 or 230. I understand the load includes rider and cargo. How absolute are these limits? If they are strict I may have to lose more than 30.

Being 30 pounds lighter will most likely improve my climbing but what about my speed otherwise?

Also, how much have you lost, that you attribute mostly to riding?

And I stop quoting

You can read the replies here, a forum at BentRiderOnline.com. One of the replies refers to this article about an extreme weight-loss account.

The photo? After riding further than I planned I arrived home just as it got dark. Well, the ride felt so good I did not turn-around where planned. On the way back I really had to rush to beat dusk because I did not have a bike light with me. No problem next time. Before leaving from his visit with us my friend Jim ordered me a bike light and it arrived yesterday. It is very nice, very bright, and uses a single 1 watt LED. Thanks Jim. Here’s a recent picture of him enjoying my favorite po-boy.

Back to the photo above: As you can plainly see I’m a fairly husky guy. Husky? Well, if you want to use the F-word go ahead but I’m sticking with “Husky”. I’ll try for the same pose after I lose some weight, without the sweater.

500 miles this year, that is, and the turning was done by my feet.

A friend has been visiting all week and we’ve ridden several times and probably will again tomorrow. When we were out Sunday I didn’t see which way he went at a traffic light so I picked a direction and went ridding off to find him. I stopped a young couple out for a walk and asked if they had seen a guy on a strange bike. She said “Just you”, so I went the other way, but not before talking just a little (they captivated me at “just you”). They both work at Camp Shelby, a few miles south of Hattiesburg, and have impressive jobs. I thought I could remember exactly what, but not! Something to do with the environment and I was impressed with the description. Here they are. I enjoyed the conversation and lingered as long as I could but needed to catch up to Jim. I told them how to find my blog (and their picture) and only hope they did not give up on my posting the encounter, as I am late doing so.

I like this advice. It comes from Pamela Blalock along with other advice about riding your first century, i.e. 100 miles or 100 kilometers if a metric century. Pamela’s article got my interest because it writes about century rides which I also mentioned in a recent post and it gives advise on what to take during a ride which I also did in another post. A rider’s “first century” appears to be the second common milestone for new riders. The first? You probably guessed, to ride your age on your birthday of course. People sometimes ride their age in kilometers but I rode mine in miles during an organized “Birthday Challenge” on the Long Leaf Trace. 65 miles. The event is usually held in November of each year from the other end. My birthday is actually in October, but never mind, my family usually celebrates on alternative dates anyway.