Thru the years there have been a few carbon fiber trikes manufactured and sold. None of them have ever seemed to go over all that well and most of them disappeared from the market. The latest one to appear that I am aware of is made by Bacchetta, a company well known for its bicycles. Their trike offering is the Bacchetta CT 2.0 and it lists for $5995 which is not inexpensive but then carbon fiber never is. I consider them to be a “rich man’s toy”.
To my way of thinking making a bike or trike out of carbon fiber is not at all practical. As stated it is expensive and when damaged it is pretty much junk. So why make a trike out of carbon fiber you ask? Mainly because carbon fiber is light in weight while being strong. But not many people need a trike that weighs 1 to 4 pounds less than one made out of aluminum. For those who qualify to meet the restrictions of physical size and body weight the Catrike Pocket only weighs 28 pounds … only one pound more than this carbon fiber trike.
Here are some specs on this trike:
| Frame | Full Carbon Monocoque w/Internal Storage. 28 Degree Seat Angle. |
|---|---|
| Idler | Alligt 68mm w/Aluminum Drive Teeth |
| Seat | Integrated Carbon w/Vertical Seat Back Adjust |
| Seat Pad | BCT Custom |
| Handlebar | BCT Custom Aluminum |
| Rear Derail | Shimano XT 11 speed, RD-M8000-SGS (extra long cage) |
| Front Derail | Microshift FD-R58-B with 31,8mm clamp, black |
| Shifters | MicroShift BS-M11 11×2 speed for Shimano DynaSys |
| Crankset | SRAM Force 22, GXP, 50-34T 170mm |
| Bottom Bracket | SRAM Force, GXP, BSA68 |
| Headset | Tange Seiki 1 1/8″ |
| Cassette | Microshift, CS-G113, 11-42 T |
| Front Brake | Tektro M521 Gemini SL Hydraulic, black |
| Rear Brake | N/A |
| Brake Levers | Tektro Gemini SL Hydraulic (with parking brake band included) |
| Front Wheel | 406 BCT Lightweight Disc, Tubeless Ready |
| Rear Wheel | 700c BCT Lightweight Disc, Tubeless Ready |
| Front Tire | 406 Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless, 28c |
| Rear Tire | 700c Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless, 28c |
| Chain | KMC X11 11 Speed |
| Pedals | N/A |
| BB Height | 14 1/4″ |
| Seat Height | 7 3/4″ |
| Wheelbase | 47″ |
| Weight | 27 lbs. |
| Weight Limit | 275 lbs. |
| Gear Range | 21″-120″ |
| Color | Matte Black w/Clear Coat- Red or Blue Stripe/Decal Option |
| Frame Size | Standard Only |
| X Seam | 37″-48″ |
| Overall Width | 29″ |
| Overall Height | 27″ |
| Overall Length | 65″-76″ |
| Turning Circle | 19′ |
| Track Width | 27.5″ |
| Ground Clearance | 3″ |
Looking thru the specs I see some which would greatly concern me and be a real turn off. The fact that is has a very large turning diameter(19 feet) would be problematic as well as the ground clearance of only 3 inches. It could and would get easily damaged. And with only an overall width of 29 inches I would be a bit concerned as to how it corners compared to a trike of 32 or so inches. As you can see it comes with a partial rear fender .
I was just looking at the various options available when placing an order for this trike. Several hundred dollars could be saved by selelcting some of these options. In doing so weight is added to the trike resulting in it weighing as much as some of the lighter weight aluminum trikes such as a Catrike 700. With all the various options they offer one could change the final price considerably … especially upwards. The pictures show a neckrest but I noticed that it is a $130 option. I would think that at $6000 they could include a neckrest which is a necessity in my way of thinking since the seat is 28 degrees.
Naw, I prefer the Catrike Pocket … not a prema donna like this carbon fiber build. It might be a beautiful machine but not at all practical in my opinion. I only need to lose about 50 pounds to qualify for the weigh limit of the Pocket. I reckon time will tell whether or not this Bacchetta trike remains on the scene or disappears like all the others that have come along in the past. Hey, whatever you choose to ride …
ENJOY THE RIDE
A FREE GIFT awaits you!
Tadpole Rider 