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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Performance and comfort; recumbent riders generally experience no neck, shoulder, or back pain that is common to cyclists. Your weight is comfortably distributed throughout your back and the seat. Conventional bikes produce a lot of pressure on your seat, hands, arms and shoulders. Anyone can ride a Catrike. There are no balance issues, they are lightweight, low to the ground, and have a small frontal area so they are very aerodynamic and efficient. It is a different cycling experience; Catrike have a go-cart feel and can be very fast.
The use of high-powered Serfas headlights and tail lights, along with Wheel Brightz wheel lights produce a great deal of visibility. This configuration may equal or exceed daylight visibility. Our headlights are either 500 lumens or 650 lumens. “The ideal brightness for a bike light is between 300 to 600 lumens.” The Geeky Cyclist.
Riding on bike trails is the first choice. “Deserted” streets are the second choice. Catrikes are the width of a wheel chair. Most everywhere a wheelchair can go, a Catrike can go. If you are not on a bike trail and the street is busy, ride on the sidewalk. Of course, take care of pedestrians. Please know that, in some large cities, riding on the sidewalk is illegal.
Yes! It seems counterintuitive since Catrikes are so low to the ground. However, since they are so unusual, drivers see them better than anything else on the road. Additionally, 7-foot tall Spinnies spin while providing greater visibility.
With three wheels, there’s no balancing. No special skills are required to ride. You can be immediately successful. Riders can go as slow as they like or just stop. your focus is just pedaling and steering. Essentially, there is no falling off. (CAUTION: if you go around a corner too fast, you can tip over). Riders spend more time looking up and around. Conversely, bicycle riding requires more attention to the roadway.
Stability is greatly enhanced with two front wheels. It is almost impossible to flip over. When one wheel encounters a bump or hole, the other wheel usually moderates the resultant affect.
We provide helmets that protect your head
Electric-assist systems provide a boost while you are peddling. Different levels of assist match the needs of the rider and/or the situation. Riders can keep up with the group, or go hills more easily. Counterintuitively, riders with electric-assist are not “cheating”, nor are they lazy. This study concluded that these riders rider farther and more often. They are as fit as other riders. https://www.bicycling.com/news/a28819663/e-bike-fitness-levels-study/
700 25°
Expedition 37°
Pocket 41°
Trail 45 – 52º (adjustable)
Road AR 38 – 45º (adjustable)
5.5.9 41 – 57º (adjustable)
Villager 47 – 58º (adjustable)
Catrikes “want to go straight”, and don’t need to be balanced. Riders don’t have to hold the steering grips tightly. Hands are in the ready position for incremental steering adjustments, and for occasional shifting and braking. Your wrists can relax on the hand rest pads, while your hands are ready to move.
The inclined-seating position takes pressure off of the hands, arms, shoulders and necks. Because you’re not looking down at the path, more time is spend enjoying your surroundings.
Some riders prefer resting their head against the headrest the entire ride. Others use the headrest only when stopped. Some do not use the headrest, at all.
Yes, they adjust to be comfortable for both your head and neck.
Yes! The mesh seat supports a rider’s posterior and back. Weight is much better distributed. The bottom does not get sore. Some Catrikes have an additional seat cushion. Gel seat cushions can also be placed on the seat.
Riding low, either fast or slow, is pure fun! Speed gives the sensations of riding on a go-cart. Riding slower allows you to enjoy your surroundings.
YES. The seat back bag, pannier bags, storage bags and cell phone bags provide storage for cell phones, tools, wallets, keys, light jackets and pants, hats, snacks, speakers, spare inter-tubes, pumps, extra water, etc.
There are brake levers in front of each steering grip. Squeeze both of them to apply both brakes. Avoid slamming on the brakes. Avoid applying only one brake at a time.
At the top of each steering grip is a bar shifter. Pushing the bar forward and backward shifts to higher or lower gears. Shifting backwards, on the right bar shifter, lowers the rear gears; conversely shifting forwards raises the rear gears. The opposite result occurs on the left bar shifter: forwards is a lower gear, backwards is a higher gear. Please watch the videos on our Instructional Video Page. http://99i.3a4.myftpupload.com/instructional-videos/
Most of the time, we ride with the chain in the middle gear upfront. Subsequently, most shifting occurs in the rear gears. Please avoid using the highest gear with the highest gear combination, or the lowest gear with the lowest gear combination. Cross chaining can occur and cause damage to the chain and derailleur. The preferred combinations are large/small and small/large when not in the middle gears. (see this diagram /#shiftingtechnique. Eight combinations of gears are almost identical to another eight combinations. If your feet are moving like a hamster, push the right shifter forwards. If your feet are moving like a glacier, pull the right shifter backwards.
Since there is no balancing, you can easily steer, brake and shift with one hand. This is key for riders with challenges. Most of the time, your wrist rests on the wrist pads, hands are always ready. The trike wants to go straight, slight adjustments to the steering is sufficient.
There are brake levers in front of each steering grip. Squeeze both of them to apply both brake, simultaneously.
Catrikes place very little strain on knees. Electric-assist systems place very little strain on knees while allowing you to easily “keep up” with the group.
Ride for aerobic exercise and/or anaerobic exercise. The rider determines the intensity. Going up hills is work, going down hills is a blast.
No. Since there is no balancing involved, one can ride as slow as they desire.
Pocket 33 pounds
Villager 34 pounds
Expedition 35 pounds
Trail 37 pounds
Road AR 39 pounds
5.5.9 39.5 pounds
Dumont 43 pounds
“You can put down some serious speed, taking advantage of the natural aerodynamics.
Or you can just cruise along.
And when you are cruising along, you see so much more of the world, compared to conventional cycling.
Heads up, eyes scanning 180 degrees (and one eye in the mirror), taking in the environment, which is largely why we’re there in the first place.”