Catrike FAQs
Are Catrikes Built In the USA?
Catrikes have been hand built in Orlando, Florida for over a quarter century! Catrike is the only brand -the ONLY- that actually makes trikes. All the others outsource manufacture -mostly to Asia. Why is that important? As you’ll see in the Catrike factory videos, there are names and faces to your Catrike: Partners Mark Egeland and (Catrike Founder) Paulo Camasmie. Mark implements Paulo’s founding vision: overseeing design and manufacture of ALL Catrikes according to Toyota Production method lean manufacturing.Â
Mark’s in the factory all day EVERY day with the welders, fabricators, painters, assemblers that he personally hired, trained and supervises.  He knows every inch of that factory and NOTHING escapes his notice.Â
Our factory tour video is pretty amazing. Mark demonstrates Catrike’s zero-defect manufacturing -every step is quality-checked before moving to the next process.  The result? RPDX has sold over 1000 Catrikes. We’ve never had a customer defect. Not one.Â
CATRIKE
GM Mark Egeland tells us a bit of The Catrike Way! Catrike is the only American-Made trike. More importantly, Catrike is the ONLY trike brand that actually manufactures -All the others outsource. Catrike keeps high-paying skilled jobs right here in the USA and produces the world’s best trike!
Catrike’s Mark Egeland tours the factory-adjacent bike path Janet and Mel. Mark explains the Catrike Way
This is it! American-made manufacturing at its peak!!
Catrike GM Mark Egeland walks us through the super-lean fabrication process YOUR Catrike undergoes
What Components Are Common to All Catrikes?
- Hand-welded Aluminum Frame available in eight stunning colors!
- 3×10 SRAM Drivetrain offering the LARGEST gearing range of ANY trike brand – So, you’ll get a fabulous gear for hill climbing, but also a suitable gear for gaining speed for downhills.Â
- SRAM Bar End Shifters -indexed rear shifter ensures perfect gear changing every time
- SRAM Disc Brakes -the durable, lightweight SRAM BB7’s guarantee reliable stopping power.
- Padded Seat -Foam removeable seat pads on Villager, MAX, 559, Trail and Dumont. Lightly-cushioned mesh seat on Pocket, Expedition and 700
- Wrist Rests -a nice little detail standard on all Catrikes!
- Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires are lightweight and super durable. The MAX offers the larger Schwalbe Big Apples .
- SPD Compatible Pedals -Catrikes come standard!
- RPDX Purple Sky Flag from Portland’s own TerraCycle. Big, beautiful and rockin’ the RPDX logo!
- Front/Rear/Side Reflectors – Plus lots of lighting options
- Rear mirror on left side for a full traffic view
Is There an Adorable Video of Janet Describing Catrike Components?
Do Catrikes Have a Warranty?
We have a fuller description in our Store Policies page, but here are general terms: Catrike frames carry a five year warranty against defect. All other Catrike components have a one year warranty. We noted before that we’ve sold over 1000 Catrikes and we’ve NEVER had a single customer warranty issue. That’s impressive, huh?
Can I Add a Motor to a Catrike?
You CAN add a motor. RPDX offers both Catrike’s factory Bosch Smart System as well as the Bafang motor kits that RPDX imports directly. All our motor kits carry UL listing or equivalent and are covered by a two year warranty. We talk more about motor kits on that page
Can Catrikes be modified for riders with limitations?
Our Adaptive Success Stories page is our showcase for accommodating riders of all needs, but we’ve got pedals, assist arms, cane holders, pedal choices, motor kits, left or right-side only controls (shifting, hydraulic brakes, etc). In short, we’re the place to bring your triking dreams to reality!!
Can I Add Accessories to my Catrike?
We’re experts at helping you accessorize your trike. Storage options (for multiday touring, commuting or lunch, but also cameras, dogs, cats -you name it!), hydration packs, supplemental cushions, neck rests, lights, (more) flags & mirrors for safety and puncture-resistant tires for, well, less tire changing!
Can I Test Ride a Catrike?
OF COURSE you can test ride a Catrike. We’ve got an entire dropdown on this website where you can read all the Test Ride FAQ’s (yup. More FAQs!), view each of our demos, watch test ride videos and view our favorite test rides through Ladds Addition, up Mt Tabor, across the Tilikum Crossing and along the bike route through Portland’s historic Riverview Cemetery. If you prefer something quieter with no cars or pedestrians, we’re happy to meet at the Hinson Church parking lot
Do You Have Videos of Catrikes on the Road?
Yes, we do!
Catrike Videos
Dumont
700
Villager
Expedition
No music. No jump cuts. Just an unedited close up of the front suspension on the all suspension Catrike Dumont as we drop through 450 vertical feet of twisty winding pavement at speeds up to 35 mph. The combination of front and rear suspension smooths any pavement riding without sacrificing Catrike’s sporty responsive feel
Catrike Co-owner and GM Mark Egeland give us our first look at the Dumont at InterBike Las Vegas in 2016
First things first. First, we get our first Dumont. Then, we build our first Dumont. Then, we test ride our first Dumont. Did we go easy on this sweet new beauty? Of course not! We subjected her to the worst rutted and potholed roads our Southeast Portland neighborhood can offer.
First impressions of our first Dumont? Smooth as a magic carpet ride
Our Magic Carpet Ride got a nice musical lift from Formula Five
There’s absolutely nothing we can add to this title. A twisty high-speed 450 foot descent featuring tightly-linked s-curves, sweeps and 25 mph hairpins. The Dumont’s direct steering allows turns that no other trike can match (how do we know? We tried. The results were comical and -by the shop owner’s edict- unavailable for viewing).
Trio Shalva provides its own twist to the Dick Dale classic Misirlou
We mounted multiple synchronized cameras to show the Dumont’s suspension action on both smooth and pot-holed pavement at high speeds. The front and rear suspension do all the work -making for a smooth controlled ride!
Speed and stability through both smooth and potholed pavement show why the Catrike 700 is Mel’s favorite! It holds the road like no other trike -offering fantastic control at all speeds and road conditions with a definite “sporty” ride (read: you’ll feel every bump!).
Danny Sanderson and Friends plays us through
Washington Park -just a short climb from downtown- is one of Portland’s most beautiful rides. The ride down is fun at any speed -but it’s a riot on a Catrike 700! Smooth pavement and hairpin curves at 30 MPH make this one of the best ways to show off the 700’s capabilities. The late great New York musician Walt Harper and his Quintet rock Herbie Hancock’s Watermelon Man
Boy! Are we having fun now! We have some new cameras, so we shot some test footage -a 95 second 300 foot elevation drop taking curves at 39 mph! No trike (NO TRIKE) has the high speed stability of a Catrike 700.
Mechanic Paul and Mel enjoy a 460 foot descent on Portland’s finest windy downhill! We start where Skyline Road meets Fairview (45.514934, -122.727020, if you want to put into your map) and meander down to Kingston Road near the Zoo tennis courts (45.51985, -122.70648). Argentina’s Alma Negro provides the soundtrack.
Friend of the shop and TerraCyle, Inc owner Pat Franz shows off the super-comfy upright-seating and nimble ride of the Catrike Villager. There’s a reason Boss Lady Janet calls this The Crowd Pleaser
For the those who ask, we shot this with our gimbal-equipped camera trike. It’s cool, but too much work to duplicate! Oh, and the music was Tremé Brass Band’s version of the Philemon Hou classic Grazing in the Grass
A cruise through Tabor with a Rohloff-equipped Catrike Expedition. Lightweight and comfortably laid back, the Expedition is the perfect touring trike
Do You Also Have Videos of All Those Fantastic Catrike Tours to Hawaii and the San Juans?
YUP!
San Juan Islands
Our 2021 San Juan Islands tour was a blast. Every trip, the highlight is the 2500 foot descent from Mt. Constitution’s summit (for those of us riding without motors, the 2500 foot slog up is definitely NOT a highlight).Â
Here’s a bit of a math problem: We had about 12 hours of video spread out over 20 cameras.  Compute how much of Mel’s last remaining hair fell out editing that down to a 5 minute 30 second video.
The music is Duke Pearson’s classic Jeannine played by the amazing Argentinian Pianist Paula ShocronÂ
If the video looks like a blast, imagine how much fun the actual ride was! The absolute highlight of our year is touring with friends on the San Juan Islands. The tour’s big ride is Orcas. The early birds -Mel, Charlie, Pat Franz (TerraCyle) and Matt Galat (Jayoe) took the idiot boat (6am!) from Friday Harbor. Everyone else (AKA “The Smart Money” -read: motor kit equipped) took the 8:30am ferry. We all traversed the Island and met on the 2500 foot climb to the Mt. Constitution summit.
The music is from the album It’s All Right! with Wynton Kelly’s Trio of Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. Add in legendary Guitar Kenny Burrell and Candido Camero on Congas and you’ve got Mel’s go-to for a roaring 2500 foot descent!
Trike riding on San Juan Island is a fabulous treat. Summer is fabulous -but crowded. September’s late season beauty is absolutely unstoppable (as is the occasional rain shower). RPDX and friends rode from Friday Harbor to Roche Harbor for lunch -total roundtrip is about 30 miles with +/- 1500 vertical feet. Â
Young-Holt Unlimited’s Soulful Strut was played by Osaka Monaurail
Not all high-speed descents are created equally! For one thing, the normally-spendid summit view of both Canada and the Washington mainland was non-existent. Also, by ride’s end, we were all chilled to the bone. Â
But, OH! the exhilaration of that drop. Not a car on the route all day!Â
Hank Mobley’s Funk in a Deep Freeze by France’s Giraudo – Chassagnite 4TET seemed like the perfect musical accompaniment
Also, in 2018, we rode San Juan Island from Friday Harbor through the American Camp to Cattle Point Lighthouse! The weather was indescribably stunning! Â
Our ride down country roads was accompanied by Harvest Folk and Country
In 2016, just Janet and Mel made the 2500 foot slog up Constitution (smart money stayed in Eastsound enjoying pastries at the Brown Bear!). On the way up, we’re SO slow, we swear we were passed by nonagenarians walking small dogs! But, there’s ice cream and espresso waiting for us at the top, so we persevere!Â
Our day on Mt Constitution was accompanied by Chet Baker’s Night on Bop Mountain
In 2016, just Janet and Mel made the 2500 foot slog up Constitution (smart money stayed in Eastsound enjoying pastries at the Brown Bear!). On the way up, we’re SO slow, we swear we were passed by nonagenarians walking small dogs! But, there’s ice cream and espresso waiting for us at the top, so we persevere!Â
Our day on Mt Constitution was accompanied by Chet Baker’s Night on Bop Mountain
WHOA!!! What a fabulous ride down Janet and Mel earned!Â
Oscar Peterson Trio’s Long Ago and Far Away plays us down. Album notes don’t say, but our best guess is that’s the incomparable Lester Young’s tenor Â
RPDX and friends take a leisurely ride from Friday Harbor to Westcott Bay Oysters (a scientific poll of eight riders determined them to be the best oysters in existence).Â
+/- 25 miles with about 2500 vertical feet, there nearly were fistfights over the pedal-assist trikes (if you were wondering why we offered motors to anyone asking on more recent trips).Â
Music was Portland’s preeminent Jazz man Mel Brown’s B-3 Organ Group with Renato Caranto on sax and King Louie Pain on B-3!
She ain’t called “Slopez” for nothing! Riding Lopez -even at the height 0f summer- you might see 6 cars the WHOLE day! It’s sparsely-populated and just beautiful. What more could a triker ask for?Â
What could be more fun than Udo Lindenberg‘s cover of Otis Redding’s classic Ich Sitz den Ganzen Tag bei den Docks!!