Catrike 2007 Trail User manual

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Contents
04 Safety and Riding Tips
06 Maintenance Tips
07 Assembly Instructions
20 Road Suspension Assembly
26 Limited Warranty
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing a Catrike! You made a great decision
by buying a fine quality product that performs well and will bring
you fun and good times for years to come.
Please take a moment to read through this document, especially
the sections on safety and riding tips. You may find that the most
comfortable place to be while you're doing this is sitting
(stationary) on your trike!
We hope you enjoy owning and riding your Catrike!
Happy Trails,
Paulo Camasmie,
CEO Big Cat HPV, LLC

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Safety and riding tips
Safety tips
Riding safely depends on many things, from proper equipment to alertness to your attitude on the road. Above all, use common
sense.
The ideal place to ride your Catrike is bicycle trails & paths. Catrikes are probably the best choice in that setting. You will enjoy
the view, relax and socialize. You will have the most comfort, peace of mind and fun. If you elect, however, to ride on streets,
you will have to do it at your own risk and know that whether it is a regular bicycle, a recumbent or a tricycle you have to be very
careful. Because a trike is low to the ground you have to be extra careful with cars and trucks. Therefore you have to take great
care to make yourself visible. In part, you do this with equipment such as brightly colored clothing and helmets, use of the safety
flag that comes with every Catrike, and also with blinking lights and reflective stickers. But you also have to ride in such a way
that you engage the attention of motorists, making eye contact, signaling your intentions, being courteous, smiling and waving.
Use your voice to get attention. You also pay a lot of attention when riding in traffic and you obey all traffic laws and rules of the
road. The positive side is that recumbent tricycles are very much a novelty, and once you make sure that you are being seen,
you generally find that motorists leave you more room and respect when you're on our Catrikes than they do when you're on
upright bicycles. Nevertheless, always assume that they don't see you.
Reflective and high-visibility gear is great (and we use it all the time), but it's no substitute for lights when riding at night or in
low-light conditions. The new super-high-output LED rear lights are very effective. Any small headlight (those that look like
flashlights) may be enough to help oncoming motorists see you, but it's not sufficient to actually light your way. If you're going to
ride at night, spend the money and get a good headlight.
While it may seem silly to wear a helmet on a low-slung tricycle, you should always do so. It's very hard to tip the trike over, but
it can happen. Also, if you have a close encounter of the worst kind with a car or stationary object, chances are you won't stay
on the trike. Always wear a CPSC-approved cycling helmet when riding your Catrike. A brightly colored helmet also helps
motorists see you.
You're very low, and it's possible for road grit to get whipped up by the wind or kicked up by passing cars and hit you in the
face. This is especially true in the spring in areas where sand is used on the roads in winter. It's a good idea to wear sunglasses
to protect your eyes. You may also want to wear gloves. It's easy to reach the ground on your Catrike, and getting a palm full of
sand and ground glass is no fun.
We strongly recommend the use of a mirror. Don't rely entirely on it. Turn and look before changing lanes or turning across the
line of traffic.
Riding along a line of parked cars presents a particular danger for those on low-slung bikes and trikes. Motorists have a habit of
opening their doors suddenly without looking behind them…and even if they do look, they're concentrating on looking for
oncoming cars, not a low trike. When riding along a line of parked cars, look for occupants inside as you approach. If you see
someone sitting in the car, give them a bit of extra room.
Pedestrians, too, often aren't looking where you are. Use caution when approaching crosswalks and use your bell, horn or your
voice to alert those who may be stepping into the street.
If you carry loaded panniers, avoid putting the weight too high and too far aft, or it can cause poor, even unsafe, handling.

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Riding tips
If you don't have experience with recumbent tricycles, you may find that for the first few rides you experience noticeable pedal
steer (pushing hard on the pedals makes the trike swerve) and brake steer (grabbing one brake harder than the other causes the
trike to swerve). These two phenomena become much less noticeable as you gain experience. Pedal steer is minimized or
eliminated by pedaling smoothly at a fairly high cadence, rather than mashing hard. Brake steer is minimized by braking
smoothly and evenly…if the trike lurches under braking you're overdoing it (it's like driving your car…you don't stand on the
brakes every time you slow the car; rather, you learn to modulate the pressure so that the car does not lurch).
The smoothest, most enjoyable ride comes when you learn not to over control the trike. The steering is very responsive, and
does not require much input at all to make the trike change direction. The less you try to steer, the smoother the ride will be.
It's possible to get the trike up onto two wheels, but this should be avoided. It puts a lot of stress on the components and can
cause loss of control. Bicycle wheels, hubs and tires are not designed for heavy lateral loads, and if you go up on two wheels
you're asking them to do something they were never meant for. Your Catrike is wonderfully responsive and handles very well,
but it's possible to overdo it. Use common sense. You'll find that the trike stays more firmly planted when going around a corner
at speed if you lean to the inside of the turn.
CAUTION: The brakes on your Catrike are very powerful. It is quite possible to do a “stoppie” on the Catrike (lock the front
wheels and lift the rear wheel off the ground by jamming on the brakes). In extreme cases, you can hit the chain rings on the
ground and damage them. Use common sense. Don't use maximum braking unless you really need to. (At high enough speeds,
the trike won't lift the rear wheel…it will just skid. And at very low speeds, there isn't enough momentum to hit the chain rings on
the ground.)
CAUTION: Brake Steering: Our frames are designed for a diminished brake steer effect. However keep in mind that the
trike is not a heavy vehicle such as a car. It does not have hydraulic, electronics or self correcting mechanisms either. It is
instead, a very light recreational vehicle with a mechanical steering linkage that carries a rider sometimes over 8 times its weight.
Therefore the weight & dynamics of the driver can exert total control over the capabilities of the vehicle. It does demand that the
rider develops proper riding skills, such as smooth pedaling, smooth steering and smooth breaking and that it is always
conscious when riding. The Catrike has front brakes only, since in a breaking situation 90% of the weight is transferred to the
front of the trike. The front brakes are also independent, meaning that you can break the right wheel only, or the left wheel only.
Therefore, especially in high speed or downhill situations, it is mandatory that you pull both brakes at the same time and with the
same intensity. If you elect however, to brake only with one brake, this could cause the trike to steer out of your path and cause
serious injury or death.
CAUTION: Our peace boom and boom clamp is designed for high pressure clamping and has an indexing system to keep
the boom from twisting more than a few degrees. Make sure the boom clamp is tight enough, so the boom will not twist while you
pedal. The indexing tab should be used as a guide; it is not intended to keep the boom from twisting under pressure. Just like a
bicycle seat post clamp, it is the rider's responsibility to check the boom clamp for tightness. There is a plastic shim included
between the boom and the main frame to eliminate any gap and to increase clamping action. Make sure the plastic shim is
correctly placed before riding your Catrike. If for any reason, you are unable to install or tighten the boom clamp or are missing
the boom shim, please do not ride your Catrike and contact your Catrike Dealer. Failure to do so might cause the boom to twist
and cause serious injury.

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Maintenance tips
Make it a habit to inspect your trike from time to time, especially when new. Fasteners have a habit of working loose at first and
this can cause a safety hazard. Also, you'll find that the right front wheel tends to pick up debris from the edge of the road faster
than the left front wheel, because it's running closer to the curb. Catrikes come with Kevlar-belted tires for puncture resistance,
but this does not mean they're immune to flats.
Keeping your trike clean will maximize its life. Wash it from time to time, but avoid the use of pressure washers. They do a great
job of getting dirt out of tight spaces, but they do an equally good job of driving lubricant out of where it needs to be. It's better to
use a bucket of water, mild detergent and a soft brush.
Many new owners tend to over-lube the chain. It should not be dripping with lube. A properly lubricated chain looks dry and
clean, and while it may leave a bit of a mark on your hand if you grab it, it should not be a gloppy mess. Use your favorite lube
and follow the instructions.
Always keep your tires filled to the recommended pressure (printed on the tire sidewall). The tubes are not entirely airtight, and
the tire will lose pressure over time. Trikes by nature will scrub the tires a bit, so they may not last as long as they would on a
bicycle. Overly aggressive riding will shorten tire life.
Your seat mesh will stretch a bit and settle in over time. It's not meant to be drum-tight…it's meant to support you comfortably.
Pull the straps tight from time to time when the trike is new…eventually the mesh and straps will settle into a stable configuration
that you'll find is quite comfortable.
If you've purchased the optional neck rest, we recommend placing the pad so that it's behind your neck, just under the lower
edge of the helmet, and in a position that lets you rest your neck on it if you need to but which doesn't force you to have your
neck on it all the time. The neck rest is nice and soft, but it does transmit road vibration.
If you're adjusting the trike to fit another rider, make absolutely certain that the chain is of the right length. In order to get the
maximum possible gear range, the Catrike drive train pushes the derailleurs close to their maximum capacity. The chain must be
long enough to handle the big chain ring/big cog combination…if it's too short; it's possible to severely damage the drive train by
shifting into this gear combination and applying power. You can get away with a slightly slack chain, but NEVER ride with a
chain that's too short.
Improper toe can cause extremely rapid tire wear. Toe is set by the mechanic during installation of the tie rod. We've heard
reports from the field of improperly set toe, with resulting excessive tire wear. Don't assume it's been done right! Check it
yourself. Toe is checked by measuring the distance between the front tires at approximately axle height ahead of the axle, then
comparing this measurement with the distance between the tires behind the axle. The difference should be no more than 1/16
inch with the front narrower than the rear. See the section on toe in the assembly instructions to learn more.
Serial numbers for the trikes are as follow:
CTV# for Villager
CTT# for Trail
CTP# for Pocket
CTR# for Road
CTE# for Expedition
CT7# for 700
It is very common among Catrike owners on the net to
identify themselves with their names followed by their
trike models and serial numbers. Welcome to this nice
group.
You will see on the bottom of your trike your frame serial number.

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Assembly instructions
Your Catrike should be fully assembled, tested and fine tuned by your Catrike dealer or local bike store. Here are the assembly
instructions in order to show how this process is done.
The first step is to inventory the parts:
A complete trike includes:
•Main frame with cups for headsets in place. The idler pulley and chain tube also are pre-assembled
and installed on the frame.
•Quick-release boom clamp.
•Boom.
•Seat mesh.
•One tie rod with two aluminum rod-end bearings, jam nuts, and tie rod bolts.
•Two spindle/axle assemblies with headsets, hollow axles, axle spacers (when required).
•Adjustable handlebars.
•A plastic boom shim.
•Quick-release rear wheel skewer.
•Brake cables and two lengths of brake cable housing.
•Gear cable housing.
•Cable ferrules and cable ends.
•Flag mount.
•Safety flag.
•Derailleur hanger with screw.
•Computer sensor mount
•Space Neck Rest (for Expedition and 700).
•Rockshox Monarch R Shock (for Road).
•Two front wheels with tubes and tires installed.
•One rear wheel with tube and tire installed.
•Disk brakes
•Brake levers
•Shifters
•Cassette
•Crank Set
•Front derailleur
•Rear derailleur
•Bottom bracket
•Chain with (1) MasterLink
•Mirror
•Pedals
•Hand rest
•Mirror mount
Other accessories such as a rack or fenders may also be in the box.

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Because we have no control over how tightly you assemble your Catrike it is extremely important for you to re-check all of the
threaded fasteners (pedals, axle bolts, and all other nuts and bolts) on the trike after you've ridden it for a couple of hours, just to
make sure everything is still tight. Periodic checks during the riding season also are a good idea. Virtually all of the trouble
reports we receive are nothing more than fasteners that have worked loose.
TIP: An easy way to estimate the proper tightness for aluminum fasteners is to use two or three fingers on the wrench. This
limits the amount of force you can apply to the tool. Use two fingers for small fasteners, or three for larger ones.
•A set of metric Allen wrenches.
•A small adjustable wrench. We strongly recommend against the use of pliers to hold and turn nuts. It only
serves to frustrate you and destroy the nut.
•A bicycle chain tool.
•A small screwdriver (to adjust the derailleurs).
•A bicycle cable and housing cutter (ordinary wire snips tend to flatten and mangle the end of the cable).
•Torx driver.
•Cassette installation tool (for standard cassette).
Tools required
To put your Catrike together, you'll need:

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Begin assembly
Prepare the wheels.
• Attach the brake rotors to the front wheels using the screws provided with the brakes.
Both the brake rotors and the tread on the tire are directional so attention must be paid to how they are mounted. The direction
of the brake rotor and tire must match!
The direction of rotation is indicated on the brake rotors.
Direction of rotation for the tires can be determined by looking at the
tread. All treads have some form of “arrow” contour to them. The
arrow is always pointing in the direction of rotation.
On the tire, the “arrows” point left, giving you direction of rotation.
Install the rear wheel.
• Insert the derailleur hanger into its recess on the right dropout and tighten the bolt.
Insert the quick release into the rear wheel, put the wheel into the dropouts, tighten and
close the quick release.
Prepare the spindles.
• First, identify the right and left spindles.
Mount the brake calipers on the spindles. The left-hand assembly has the brake caliper on top, and the right hand has the brake
caliper underneath. Use the provided M6 washers between the head of the calipers mounting brackets and the plates to space
out the bolt.
Install the spindles with headsets into the head tubes.
• Remove the top half of the head set assembly and slide the spindle up into the head tube. Replace the
Teflon bearing and dust cover on the spindle. Install the handle bar support tube onto the spindle without
tightening the bolts. For standard handlebar positioning, the handle bar supports should angle slightly up,
not down (700 probably best to install handle bar support angled down). Replace the head set top cap and
tighten it to 10 inch-pounds (or enough to eliminate play while leaving the wheels to turn freely). Now
adjust the handle bars in the proper position and tighten them down.

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Catrike FSA headset assembly