Semerm12

Catrike question- i have a new to me catrike and am looking to have woth me supplies and tools if i get a flat. I know ill need tubes, wrenches, tire irons. Whats a good small pump? The guy i bought from said the valve stems are not the old school ones but upgraded ones? Any help with a good small pump id is appreciated.

VegasTriker

Catrikes come with presta valve tubes. My Catrike 700 has two different size tires so I carry two of each size tube. You have pouches under the seat that will hold four tubes. All I have ever needed on the road was a pump that fits in the pump holder underneath the seat, a set of tire irons, and a multitool. The multitool and a locking cable are held in a bag that I hand off the side of the frame behind the seat so I can get at them easily. The pump is a 75 gram (~3 oz) 9" long mini-pump costing around $10 on eBay. It comes in a variety of brand names. Mine has "Air Supply" on the pump. It will pump my 700C tire up to at least 100 psi. One caution if you use a mini-pump, always cradle the valve with your hand wrapped around the adjacent spokes so you aren't putting a lot of force directly on the valve. It is possible to snap off a valve if you don't cradle it. It is similar to this one for $11 https://www.ebay.com/itm/125463755769
I happened to look at the pump this morning and saw GIUO on the end of the pump and the date code 12/10 so this pump that cost me around $8 has been in use for 12 years. One advantage is that a mini pump fits securely in the pump holder that is part of the seat.

linberl

Whatever pump you get, just a tip. Every so often take it out and use it to make sure it works. Last flat I got, turns out the pump seal was shot and I had to call a friend to bring me my big pump from home; had not had a flat in 6 months prior. Bought a new pump (a bigger one that has a foot peg because size and weight doesn't matter on my trike but ease of pumping does, lol) and I test it regularly now. I carry tubes, a tube stick, a patch kit because sometimes a rear flat can be fixed by just pulling that part of the tube out and patching rather than removing the wheel (which can be done later in the comfort of home), and a mini wrench bike tool kit.

Leisesturm

Reading the o.p. it sounds like the seller was not a dealer. It behooves the o.p. to establish a relationship with a recumbent shop or LBS that is recumbent trike friendly. As for flats ... tire irons went away in the 90's. Either the Pedros or Park Tool tire levers (plastic) OR a tire bead jack (forget make) are what people use these days. Topeak makes a line of 'mini-blaster' portable pumps, but they really are at their best with 25mm size tires. Chances are good the trike has 1.5" (40mm?) clinchers and will require many, many strokes from a mini-blaster to get even to 80ish psi. Try not to get flats. This is easier to do than one might think. I no longer carry pumps, tubes, or patches, etc. because I am using Bontrager H2 (Hardcase Series) tires and they just don't flat. For lesser tires (Schwalbe Big Apple) there are "Rhynodillo" or "Mr. Tuffy" tire liners that add a significant amount of flat proofing to tires without killing the road feel entirely. Wrenches should not be necessary to remove the wheels from a modern trike. Quick releases should be standard equipment. Any 'wrenches' are Allen wenches in fairly specific sizes (5,6,7 maybe 8) but I can't think of the scenario where you would be using Allen wrenches. I also recommend going through a 'flat repair' right now, before it is actually necessary! Not everyone that wants to help you will understand trikes so you will want to know all about your craft so you can explain it to them.

Jeff Wills

I swear by my Topeak Road Morph pump(s). I've put one on each of several bikes. The nice thing about it is that it has a hose and a foot peg so you can brace it on the ground and easily get good high pressures (100psi+). If you have fatter tires, get a Mountain Morph- higher volume, tougher to reach high pressures.

As above, check it every year in your garage. It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it work.

linberl

I just bought the mtn morph because of the foot pump and easy strokes to fill my big ben tires! It's so much easier than the very nice and expensive lezyne I previous had (which finally died from dry seals); so much easier to be able to stand and pump. And with a trike, unlike my previous 2 wheel Bike Friday, I don't care nearly as much about the weight and size. Front tires are a 60 second fix, pop one side check for glass or whatever, and toss in a new tube. It's always more pleasant to deal with tubes at home ;-). Since I have a hub motor on the rear, it's not nearly as simple, so pulling out the tube and patching is my go-to. However, i do have rhinodillos on the front big bens and a marathon plus (which did get 2 flats) filled with Flat out on the back. So far so good, but if you ride in a city you're gonna get flats.