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I've had my Catrike Villager now some 10 months and am very happy with it. After a number of years of surgery and rehab, it has provided the opportunity for me to get out on a bike again, and enjoy fresh air and exercise. Some of its PROs:
1. low entry cost;
2. it is stable and the higher seat makes for (relatively) easy ingress and egress. With the Baby Boomers in decline, Catrike might wish to consider being more receptive to the needs of this group (egress/ingress and comments below)
3. it seems well-equipped for most road and trail riding, and
4. it is light enough that you can manhandle it for short lifts.
Some of the CONS I've found:
1a. unless you live in a very flat area, the 9 speed gears may be a limitation, with even small hills being a problem. I needed the upgrade to SRAM Dual Drive (which provides a 3x boost) just to get out of my apartment building parkade comfortably! (I know, my motor wasn't "up to scratch"!)
1b. being in effect a stripped down model, you need to find a creative bike shop to put on front lights, and attach water bottle etc. Rack for the rear is easily done, and with visible yellow panniers, some degree of visibility is provided to others.
2. while it is stable and great fun racing down hills and zig-zagging along, it is a hard ride. No one told me how damn hard the ride would be, when you have no suspension, and ones legs are not doing any cushioning at all. Could this be designed as an add-on for later installation?
3. while lights etc can be added later, it would be nice if Catrike provided some advice and possibly pre-drilled holes etc.
The folks at Catrike are super, if you have any dealings with them, and they support adventurers and their admirers. A great bike; a great manufacturer.
Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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