We rode two Catrike Villagers on Ragbrai this year and I was quite please with how they performed. We really only had one problem with them an it had to do with how they were setup according to Catrike. The problem we had was that both Catrikes, wore out the left tire extremely fast. The tires were only a month old. We first noticed this after having to pull over to fix a flat on one of the trikes. I replaced the tube, checked the tire for anything sharp and filled it back up again with air. Within five minutes, there about, suddenly the tire blew again. This time it was easy to see why. The tube blew a whole right through the tire. Further inspection revealed the rubber on the tire was pretty much worn off, but only on the left tire. So we decided to check the other trike and sure enough the other trike's left tire was also pretty well worn out. After managing to get another tire from another trike rider who had a spare, we fixed the one bad one, and nursed the other one until we could pick up another tire at a road side repair shop. The new tires held up fine for the rest of Ragbrai.
Just a word, I'd like to thank all the people who stopped by to help and the guy who gave us his spare tire. It sure was nice and because of it I ended up stopping to help others because of it. I figured one good favor deserves another. It was the first time in eight years that I have ever had to stop for a flat. Even though I didn't really need the help, it still made the experience a whole lot nicer. Thanks guys, we really appreciated it.
Ok, back to the trikes. I did think of some minor changes one might make for doing Ragbrai. I think putting skinnier tires on the bike might help give you a little more speed.
Our Catrikes used a verelco strap on the hand brake for a parking brake. You squeeze the handbrake and wrap a strap over it to keep the trikes from moving when your not on them. I'd like to see a better way to do it then this. Your always having to take strap on and off, and you have to be very careful not to loose it or you have no parking brake. You can wrap it around one of the frame tubes, but it gets to be a pain after awhile. I just ended up putting it in the back pocket of my bike shirt, but sure enough, by the last day, I had lost it.
The seats aren't really adjustable, but are quite comfortable, still after hours of being in the seat you tend to need to stretch, or you get restless. Me I would get a kink in my back from leaning more to one side I guess. This would come and go, but I figure it was my own doing.
I carried bags on the back of my trike and I really didn't even notice they were there. I really liked that. Other bikes, you will notice them a lot more especially on two wheel bikes. Trikes are so stable, you just don't notice them.
The waterbottle holder is a bit far. It would be nice if they could somehow make it easier to reach.
When riding a trike make sure to use suntan lotion. Because of the way your laid out on the trike your exposed more to the sun. I got sunburned and I already had built up a tan.
Bike shoes with spd clips, I think that's what they are. Really are a big help on the trikes. They make climbing those hills so much better. You can climb faster and it helps to spread the work over to other muscles on your leg. Your legs don't slip off the pedals and you don't have to worry about falling with them either since your on a trike.
Another thing about these Catrikes is they attract a lot of attention. We were always being asked how we liked them, how they rode, are the comfortable, and more... We would park them and come back to see people looking them over and talking about them. They even got us on KMIT3 Live for a little interview during the weather and a live interview on a radio station in another town. People just can't resist checking these trikes out.
Transporting two trikes, takes a good trailer hitch. We had one that would stack them kind of on top of each other. The rack wasn't exactly cheap, but did a very good job. The rack itself is very heavy and can be installed by one person, but it's much easier with two. As far as the make of the hitch I'll try to update this with the exact rack after I get the info from my sister.
Well I hope that helps any of you considering a Catrike. I like them a lot, but I think for long distance riding you might want to consider a model with a bigger back tire for more speed.