Staff Review – Catrike Villager (27 speed)
“On Saturday (September 19), I got to take the Catrike Villager out on our Bent Bike Boogie in Heber. We started at the city park in Heber and followed the bike path through Midway, climbing the small hill by the golf course at Soldier Hollow before turning back. All in all, we covered about 14 miles in fair weather.
The Villager was a blast to ride. Now, you could say that about any trike. But I got a lot more out of the Villager than I thought I would. The handling on it is great. It makes nice, sharp turns, and responds quickly to shifts in weight and steering at normal speeds. Parts of the bike path had been torn up for construction and consisted of either packed dirt or loose gravel. Mixed in with that were the occasional pothole and manhole cover. The Villager took everything in stride. I thought that I might lose traction on the dirt/gravel, but found that after gearing down a bit, the trike powered through with no problems. And the sharp cornering ability came in handy in encounters with those pesky manhole covers and grates that dotted the first section of the path. One definite advantage to the Villager is that the rider sits up a bit straighter and higher than with other Catrike models, so I was able to see the potholes far enough in advance to avoid a nasty collision.
Next came the straight-away section. To be honest, I didn’t think I would be able to get much speed out of the little Villager, but once I got into the rhythm, I managed to pass a few other riders. OK, OK, so they weren’t really trying to prevent me from passing. But I still cranked out more speed from it than I thought I could. Because of the higher seating, the pedaling did get a bit wobbly at higher speeds. Every time I pedaled with my right foot, the trike swayed slightly to the left, and vice-versa. Other models which are more reclined in their seating position do not necessarily have this drawback, as the pedal stroke is all forward, with no downward motion involved.
Then came THE HILL.
To a rider on a boring . . .excuse me . . . diamond frame bike, this hill would not have required much in the way of standing and pedaling. This was no Everest. But for a trike, it did require me to gear down quite a bit. The hill passed fairly quickly, though, and soon enough I was at the top. After we regrouped, the riders began the thrilling descent back down the hill.
From the factory, the Villager comes with 9 speeds. This is perfect for heading down the bike path at a leisurely pace or enjoying a peaceful ride through town. But this hill required some higher gearing, and I’m grateful I had it. At the mid-point of the hill, I did get passed by a couple of other riders (most notably one on a Catrike 700, so I didn’t feel bad). This is the Villager’s downfall. With a high seating position, there was more wind resistance. Others may guffaw and say “Pish posh, a few degrees in angle make no difference”. And they would be wrong. Higher seating equals more wind resistance equals slower speeds. Period. Towards the bottom of the hill, the road curved a bit. I had to slow down a little to take this curve, because, again, the higher seating position changes things. Being sat up higher means that the center of gravity is higher, which increases the chances of tipping at high speeds.
The ride back was pretty much the reverse of the ride there. To give a conclusion, I will say this: the Villager is very comfortable and has more speed (at least 27 speed version does) than some people might think, but it is NOT a high speed racer. At higher speeds, the stability in pedaling and steering does drop off a bit, so be aware of these things before you rip around a corner at 35 MPH. The higher seating does come into play with downhills and fast corners, as well as with braking. A sharp pull of the brakes can pitch the rider forward (and out of the seat, if he or she is not careful). Other models have less of this tendency, as the rider’s weight is leaned back more.
Don’t get me wrong, though, it was a fun trike to ride. It’s quick to respond, gives you a good heads-up view of the road, and is comfortable for short- and mid-range rides.”
- Luke
