Catrike Road Suspension Trike

The Story of this Development

The Catrike Road has been designed, engineered and built with the utmost attention to detail. Our goal was to achieve solid performance and the ride-quality expected of a Catrike, but with a layer of comfort and shock absorption. The deadline was to achieve perfection, not an arbitrary date. The result is a fast and truly stunning looking trike, weighing 38 pounds with incredible handling and comfort.

The swing arm, with a high travel rate, pivots on an oversized hollow alloy axle, actuating the air shock in a progressive manner through a linkage system that pivots through the frame, unique to this trike, providing both a total shock absorption and a very high torsion stiffness. Thanks to applying the fundamentals of motorcycle suspension design, our anti-squat geometry (intersection of the swing arm and chain line is at a proper location in reference to the line between the contact patch of the rear tire and center of gravity at wheel base length) transfers all pedal power to the rear wheel with the frame perfectly rigid. "Basically when you ride the new Catrike Road, you can't tell that there is suspension because is so efficient, but if you hit a bump you won't feel it either".

Through bold design choices and careful structural and computer analysis, we were able to design a gorgeous architectural "see through" swing arm, that is 100% CNC machined, very light weight, strong, stiff and durable. The new Road has 15 new unique CNC machined parts and the assembly is done with a total of 12 teflon coated bearings to avoid any metal on metal contact at the joints. This results in zero stitcheon (static friction), providing the silk like feel or "hidden quality" we are always striving for. All of the pivot housing is designed and machined in the style of "fork" brackets for a perfect fit and zero play between the bearings and pivots, providing a maintenance free assembly.

On top of all that, we put a lot of focus on choosing the right shock, one with a custom spring rate specifically selected for our weight distribution and suspension kinematics for a controlled jounce and rebound of the suspension. The trike comes complete with high end 100% SRAM and FSA components, including a Monarch air shock that allows adjustments for different weight and equipped with rebound dampening control (air pump for adjustments not included). It is perfect for taking the roughness out of high frequency uneven surfaces. The new Catrike Road is a truly great trike, but we think it will speak for itself, so go and try one at your closest Catrike Dealer!

As innovation continues to drive the recumbent world, electric assist recumbents are in higher demand than ever before. Falco E-Motors is one of the most popular and reliable hub-motor systems on the market today and their patented 5-phase technology is a powerful option for any trike. Choose between the 500W motor and 36V battery, or the 750W motor and 48V battery.

The Ecospeed motor transforms your recumbent trike into an ultra-efficient electric vehicle. Top speed is 20 mph without pedaling and over 30 mph with. The basic battery pack will give you 40-60 miles of range and you can add more batteries if you want to go farther. The chain-drive system allows the motor to use the gears, a huge advantage over hub-drive motors.