Catrike's Recumbent Tadpole Tricycles
Catrike makes 7 models of Recumbent Tadpole Trikes and they are all
Made in the USA. The Catrike trikes are some of the best values
around. Starting with the easy-to-get-used-to "Villager"
9 speed for under $1600 up to their "700”; probably the fastest trike on
the market under $3000. The Catrike integrated seat/frame design makes
them lighter than their competitors. I’m pretty sure every Catrike model
is more than 2 lb lighter than any other trike in its price range. Their
design also eliminates the possibility of folding them for transport and
makes them more rigid than some other recumbent trikes, you may notice
bumps more on a Cat. One after another of the Catrike models has won the
prestigious BROL trike of the year award in 2003; 2004; 2005; 2006; 2007
and 2008! We have been a Catrike Gold level dealer for a several years
now and in 2008 Catrike told us we were the third largest Catrike dealer
in the world.

Keith checks out a new Catrike Road
One of the
things I like about Catrike is that they stick to their strengths. Paulo
Camasmie designs simple, light, quick, aluminum trikes. Then he designs
his own tooling to build them efficiently in his own factory. He doesn’t
seem to copy other trikes, he doesn’t experiment with different
materials. He doesn’t prototype here and then import his products.
Because of this all Catrike trikes have several similarities:
-
They
have aluminum frames cut, bent, machined, welded and painted in
America.
-
All are
Tadpole trikes with two front wheels and one rear wheel.
-
Because
all Catrike seat frames are a welded part of the frame, none are
foldable for transport, none have adjustable seat recline.
-
All
Catrikes are similarly light, from 29 to 35 lb.
-
All
Catrikes have direct steering.
-
All
Catrikes have mechanical disk brakes, one on each front wheel.
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All
Catrikes have 27 speeds with front and rear derailleurs.
-
All
Catrikes have very little or no brake-steer, less than many/most
other trikes.
-
All
Catrikes have slight pedal steer, sometimes more than other trikes.
-
All
Catrikes are the lightest & probably fastest in their price range.
I also like
the way the Catrike line demonstrates that US producers can compete with
Taiwanese imports, at least in a niche market.

Catrikes Made in the US
Apparently other recumbent enthusiasts like them too, a Catrike was
voted BentRider Trike of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007.
Here are a few things you might not like about Catrikes:
-
They
don’t fold. If you need folding check the Greenspeed GT1, GT3 & GT5.
-
They
are pretty rigid, you may feel road bumps a bit more than on some
other trikes.
-
The
chain tube clamps may slip. This can be easily fixed with a piece of
inner-tube.
-
I’m
6’2” with a long torso; I sometimes find the seat backs to be a bit
low.
-
At 20+
MPH you need to relax your arms. If you are tense the steering can
be touchy. It takes very little input to steer a Catrike. When I’m
relaxed they steer by just thinking about it. A sneeze at high speed
could be exciting… I find the steering on the longer wheelbase
Catrike 700 and Expedition more relaxing at higher speeds.
-
Twist-shifters detract from the Trail & Pocket. They are
replaceable.
I don’t
like twist shifters much on any USS (Under Seat Steering) recumbent.
Twist shifters are designed for mountain bikes where you operate it with
your stronger index and middle fingers. On a USS recumbent trike or bike
with vertical handlebars you shift with your less robust pinky and ring
fingers. On a direct steer trike it can take some practice to twist the
shifter without turning the whole trike or bike. We have had several
customers who find their hand strength is not up to the task. I’ll admit
twist shifters do leave the top end of the handlebar available to mount
a rear view mirror. I think this is the nicest place to mount a mirror
on moist trikes (though the Greenspeed mirror mount is excellent too.)
If you don’t want twist shifters we can install Shimano Dura Ace bar end
shifters and a Shimano LX rear derailleur on a new Catrike Trail or
Pocket for $145. The Shimano Dura Ace bar end shifters are standard
equipment on the Catrike Road, Speed, Expedition & 700.
The chain tubes are held in place with steel band clamps that
occasionally slip. Putting a piece of inner tube as a friction inducing
shim is easy and works well.
All
Catrikes have a stiffer boom tube now, a welcomed improvement. They all
come with 165 mm crank arms too which I think is a good idea for most
riders.
Catrike won the BentRider Trike of the Year award in 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006 & 2007, they must be doing something right.
Stop in for a test ride, we try to always have a variety of Catrikes in
stock so you can try before you buy.
Catrike Recumbent Tadpole Trikes from the Bicycle Man ~ the State's
Largest selection of Recumbent tricycles (trikes) from Catrike
including; Catrike 700, Catrike Expedition, Catrike Pocket, Catrike
Road, Catrike Speed and the Catrike Trail in stock and available to test
ride.
In our experience Catrike trikes have been more reliable than
average and they have honored their warranty without a hassle.
Catrike
Owner's Manual for the 700, Expedition, Pocket, Road, Speed & Trail
(pdf 2.95Mb)
Peter visited
the Catrike factory in March of 2005 and Paulo Camasmie - (Owner of Catrike Recumbent Trikes)
took a
Linear Recumbent on a test ride
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