Catrike 700: North Oregon Coast, from Columbia River to Florence

Touring the north Oregon Coast on a Catrike 700 speed trike is fun and full of adventure ... along with a LOT of steep mountain grades! It's 195 miles of coastal ocean scenery and physical challenge, a worthwhile experience of FAST and LIGHT touring.
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"TAKE IT EASY ... TAKE A TRIKE!" - trike hobo
Steve's current recumbent trike is a 2021 HP Velotechnik Scorpion fs26 Enduro, outfitted with Schwalbe Marathon PLUS road tires instead of the stock knobby off-road tires. He has also owned a 2015 ICE Full Fat off-road trike, a 2014 Catrike 700 speed trike, and a 2007 ICE Qnt trike ... not to mention three bikes (Specialized Roll Elite - Motobecane Night Train fat tire - Easy Racers Gold Rush recumbent)
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Other websites by Steve:
trikeasylum.wordpress.com
silentpassage.wordpress.com/
trikegypsies.wordpress.com/
trikephantoms.wordpress.com/
mojavetraverse.wordpress.com/

[@tomboyd9053]

Great pics along the Oregon coast! Thanks for sharing. Keep on Triking!

[@EZSteve]

You're welcome Tom! Thanks for watching. steve

[@MikeFLHT]

Nice photos of great trip. Thanks, Steve.

[@EZSteve]

It is a beautiful ride Mike! But man, is it ever a big challenge physically, because the Oregon Coast is loaded with very steep mountains along its route. However, there are more miles of flat beachy terrain to make up for it. Anyway, yep, it's memorable and worth the pedaling for anyone considering it! steve

[@The-GreenHornet]

Great demonstration of the Catrike 700's. 😊

[@EZSteve]

Fast and Light ... a FUN way to trike tour!

[@rdkuless]

I didnt realize you still had your 700.. :). before i bought my Catrike Expedition, i really wanted the 700 because they are so light and fast.. (and they are narrower ad fit thtu a standard doorway.) LOL.. Glad to see you enjoying your lovely 700.. Rob PDX

[@EZSteve]

A 700 works well for an Oregon Coast ride due to all the stores and campgrounds along the way, so a triker can get by with minimal gear on board in small panniers. This ride was really fun on the 700 because of three reasons: 1) the super laid-back riding position is super comfy 2) the trike is super light so hills and mountains are much easier 3) the low rolling weight is a joy compared to typical trike touring While the 700 works well on a ride such as this, the trike is really best suited for fast and fun day rides locally, where a rider wishes to blow away road bikers. The 700c rear wheel flexes laterally with each pedal stroke because the wheel is large, so making a habit of touring on a Catrike 700 would probably not be good for the mechanical aspects of the trike over time. steve

[@EZSteve]

By the way Rob, I neglected to answer you regarding my Catrike 700 ownership currently. You are correct that I no longer have my 700. I sold it a few years back for a newly offered ICE Full Fat, and it helped me finance the new monster trike. The reason that this video is coming out just now is that I realized I had a bunch of photos of this trip I had not yet shared with viewers, so I put this together (late, but I had fun making it). steve

[@terrysilverback8604]

W Ish could have been with you 😊 thx

[@EZSteve]

You would have loved it Terry! It was a blast. steve

[@The-GreenHornet]

@ 1:29 that motor home is really off on the shoulder of the road. You'd think he would be more conscious being he has bicycles strapped to the back of his motor home. Gees, especially after he just passed you riding.

[@EZSteve]

Yeah, who knows why he is driving on the shoulder ... at least he gave me plenty of room happily (and I was on a low-slung Catrike 700, no less). steve

[@The-GreenHornet]

@@EZSteve Yeah good thing. 👍

[@The-GreenHornet]

This video has become my favorite video of yours, for obvious reasons. 😊

[@EZSteve]

@@The-GreenHornet I'll try to figure out why, haha. 😂

[@willgilliam9053]

how long were you out on the road with your trike

[@EZSteve]

This ride was five days in length. It was a minimalist tour with very little gear because on the Oregon Coast, there are many stores and campgrounds, making resupply and camping easy. I would not recommend this trike, loaded this light, for any touring way out in the middle of nowhere, but it is SUPER fun lightly loaded where resupply is not an issue. steve

[@The-GreenHornet]

​@@EZSteve I now plan on testing your subjective theory regarding using my 2024 Catrike 700 for touring; and not just for short ultra minimal gear touring. Sometime after summer time here is over, I plan on going out on a 3-4 night tour where there is going to be only one resupply stop in a 176 mile round trip. Traveling FAST and LIGHT, but not "Weight Weenie" light. My total rolling weight, including food and 4 one liter Smart water bottles = 1 gallon, plus camping gear and all types of scenarios clothing; To simulate a much longer multi week tour. All my gear/clothing is ultra lightweight, including my camping gear. My rolling weight total will be around 215-220 lbs. That's way under the gross weight maximum of 275 lbs capacity. A total of 55-60 lbs under the maximum weight limit. Plus Catrike has improved the rear axle dilemma of rear wheel sway since ten years ago. Concern would be IF one was flirting around the gross max weight limit. However if one packs smart and utilizing top quality lightweight clothing & all gear; Along with keeping the total rolling weight of 40, 50 lbs or more under the max weight. I see zero problems in touring on a Catrike 700, all things considered.

[@EZSteve]

@@The-GreenHornet Document the adventure on your channel ... I'd love to hear all about it. Yes, the 700 is the most fun a rider can have on a recumbent trike tour if the rider is athletic and fit, well under the max weight limit of the trike. Having a rolling weight under the trike's maximum stated load limit is excellent! Some riders exceed the trike weight limit with just the weight of their bodies alone! You have it all figured out quite well, and will be successful in your upcoming adventure! steve

[@The-GreenHornet]

@@EZSteve It is 111° degrees today here. So this test will not be real soon. Haha. Next week it's supposed to cool down to a bone chilling temps in the mid to low 90°s. Haha. If the weather forecast is correct I will do a local gear video. I just picked up my Nemo Dragonfly bikepack 1p tent yesterday. 2 lbs 6 oz. without tent stakes and poles; which the one's which came with the tent are ultra lightweight. So...still under 3 lbs for tent and compression sack. Thanks for your reply 👍.

[@EZSteve]

@@The-GreenHornet Thunderstorm and heavy rain here yesterday afternoon, out of the blue, continuing into the night, really a surprise, otherwise sunny and upper 60s and low 70s.