I wanted a trike sooo bad but we have no bike trails where I’m at and very little shoulders so I bought a two wheeled recumbent. So here I am years later looking at trikes videos still. Lol
My wife and I had never been on trikes until today, and we loved test riding the Villager. Perfect for old people who will always ride slowly on paved trails. Thanks for your well done review.
Great information regarding stability!! I just bought a Caatrike Dumont and have only had a chance to ride it about 2 miles. It's going to be a looong time until spring!
You’re spot on with the review. I’ve had a villager for a few months and have about 200 miles on it. I can’t do the rougher trails I did on my mountain bike. Gravel is tough. There’s no suspension which makes it extremely rough on the forest roads. Also, the derailleur, in the lowest gears is so close to the ground, it can strike uneven gravel. On asphalt and packed fine cinder (many rail trail surfaces I’ve found) it’s wonderful. After 4-5 hours riding, it feels like I’ve been relaxing in my easy chair all day. While I’d gotten to begrudge my traditional bike rides because of age related issues, I look hard for every opportunity to get my trike out. New trike riders be aware of logistical issues with trikes. We travel to events a good deal with our bikes and have to load, unload, store and access the bikes. You just can’t put your trike in your hotel room. So there’s a storage and security issue there. I’ll be learning what hotels might be able to accommodate a trike but I don’t expect many, if any. I had to buy a new rack. It fits in my truck but not my car. Just some consideration for new riders. Having said all that, I don’t regret my villager selection for my first trike. It’s down right pleasant and relaxing to get on the improved trails and I can stand up straight after a days ride.
You are so right on all counts! I never thought about the suspension issue. My mountain bike is a hard tail, but you know that front fork soaks up many bumps!
Thanks for the video, helps seeing you go pretty quick there at the end and talk about your speeds in the video. I've been looking at recumbent trikes and I think I want something that folds and I want something with the shorter wheel base because here in North Carolina we have quite a few trails, bumps in the road and hills. I'm kind of leaning towards a Catrike Road AR since it's full suspension but that doesn't fold unfortunately. Anyways, loved the video and the points you made on trike stability. Keep making videos! :)
Catrike is discontinuing the Road AR, I believe that leaves only the Dumont with suspension. The trail folds, but no suspension and the seat height is a few inches lower than the villager. I don’t mind not having suspension and I don’t need it to fold so the villager works well for me. Catrike makes a really good product.
Great review, about the only one I could find that wasn't a marketing pitch. It convinced me, I took my first ride on my new Villager today. It was a good workout with no sore rear end or sore wrists, pretty comfortable. And no sweat in your eyes because your head is vertical. :-) I put my regular bike away last year after crashing and ending up with an AC shoulder separation. Pushing 69, I bought the Villager for its stability, and it's looking good so far. One thing that really surprised me; I live in Minneapolis which is a bike oasis, tons of trails, but it's a trike desert, hard to find any dealer with more than one low-end trike on the floor. Fortunately one dealer in a 60-mile radius had a Villager. I can't figure out why trikes aren't more popular.
Glad it worked out...I love them. I was at a family party this weekend and I was trying to tell my cousin about all the good things...and you hit on all of them! Enjoy!
I just bought my Catrike My retirement gift for myself. And all I can say the investment was well worth the price. I absolutely love it. And I'm so amazed how easy it is to climb hills .I cat wait for a cooler day to ride a paved trail near me. There's Not olot of shade. And you're so right about riding on a gravel trail. All Im goi g to say about that is "Ouch"..
Good review. The one I ended up buying is very similar, with the higher seat. Can't wait to try it out, but I need adjustments first. I'm a paved-trail sightseer, plus I will sometimes be riding in the desert, so I think the higher seat will be better. No user reviews for mine, either, so I need to get on it and do one, too. :)
Thank you for the review. I have damage to my neck muscles due to radiation so it is difficult for me to lift my head. I sit in a recliner a lot to get gravity off of my head. Test road a Villager & Expedition yesterday & I believe this is going to allow me to get some exercise. I think I’m going with the Villager due to the higher seat, even though I like the degree of recline on the Expedition a bit better than the Villager. I’ll be pulling the trigger on a trike purchase next week.
I’ve had a villager for 10 years, bought it the first year it came out. I ride on all types of terrain and I love this trike. It is not a speed demon, but then neither am I. Hills are slow, that’s the nature of trikes, and who cares, it’s just plain fun to ride.
Last spring, after having some knee issues, I decided to add electric assist, glad I did, nice to know I can take a long ride and still get back if my legs start to get tired. I thought about upgrading to the Road AR, but decided I didn’t need the extra moving parts and I’ve never minded not having suspension. Can’t wait for warmer weather.
No they are vertical; however, I'm sure you could add some bar ends or something similar if you wanted a horizontal surface. The 559 is higher end for sure and more expensive. You will gain some speed for sure. Now that I have some experience, the 559 would be my pick, but I still enjoy the Villager, I just wished it would move and corner a little faster.
@@bgtreefrogs the fat cat v3 has the villager frame. Still haven't gotten a trike because, I can't decide. The villager seems the safest to go. By that. I mean not having to squat very low to get into seat.
i'm considering a trike. i'm a runner. i did triathlons years ago and HATED the bike; it's just not my thing and i gave it a good shot, but just couldn't dig it. however, i do want to age fairly gracefully, thus the move to the bike to ease up on the legs. QUESTION: how about the back? does anyone notice any onset of backpain with these; particularly lumbar pain?
On a normal bike, my back is killing me after an hour...I did my bike tour with 90 mile days on this thing and felt 100% normal at then end of each day...like I had been in a Lazy-Z-Boy. I can't speak for everyone, but I can have a lot of back discomfort on a normal bike, NONE here on the trike, lumbar or anywhere else.
hello, I am a former road cyclist now ultra runner looking into trike. with a road trike what kind of average speed can you run on flat ground? can you keep up with a local club group ride? thanks
Tough question...from an engineering perspective...if you match the gear ratio and rear wheel size...sure! BUT, you are likely at least ten pounds heavier AND have the road/tire friction of three tires, not two. You are sitting lower to the ground, so you MAY be slightly more aerodynamic. I'd say, real world...a trike is going to be fractionally slower. The big difference is comfort. I've done ten hours saddle time and not had a single ache or pain. If I did ten hours on a road bike...well scratch that...I'd never make it five hours!
bgtreefrogs thank you for putting in so much. It’s hard to believe with all the trikes out on the road this is such a hard topic to find info. Most of the videos I see of groups on trikes are “just making it down the road” I find it so hard to believe that road riders have never gotten into trike and pushed just like they would on 2 wheels but best of luck to find a video of a trike bridging up to a group of road riders and jumping on the pace line.
Well, I do about everything solo...and am NOT a professional rider...or anything close. I'm almost 50 and well overweight almost all the time. The Villager has to be the slowest model Catrike makes...and Day One I averaged 11.25 mph on the road over 8 hours straight. Day Two on the loose lime sand MUCH slower...only about 7.5 mph over ten hours. I ran into a group of bikers from Texas mid-day and they had to take a break for lunch...I rode on...after buying a sandwich and casually eating while riding...they caught up with me maybe 3-4 pm ish, exhausted, laying flat on the benches and concrete...I refilled my water bottles from my trike...never got up...and just sat there relaxing...in the same seat I'd been in all day. My normal training ride is all on concrete/asphalt and over 1hr 45 min, I average over 13 mph. If you are really concerned about speed, pick up a used recumbent bicycle...like a bacchetta...I bet you will be faster than any standard bike out there...that is what I was looking for before I purchased the Catrike. If you are all road, go to a Catike dealer and test ride a model 700 for like an hour and calculate your time/distance even if you just use the GPS on your phone...I'd be shocked if you were even 5% slower per hour...and maybe even faster. At the end of the day, your buddies will be crying for the Aleve and you will feel like you have been in a Lazy-Boy recliner all day. Good Luck!
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Thanks for the detailed, thoughtful comments.
I wanted a trike sooo bad but we have no bike trails where I’m at and very little shoulders so I bought a two wheeled recumbent. So here I am years later looking at trikes videos still. Lol
I so understand! I was looking at two wheels before I bought this one. They sure are easier to find used!
My wife and I had never been on trikes until today, and we loved test riding the Villager. Perfect for old people who will always ride slowly on paved trails. Thanks for your well done review.
Great, informative review! Thanks for posting.
It's a good bike, did just fine on my first 200 mile bike tour!
Great information regarding stability!! I just bought a Caatrike Dumont and have only had a chance to ride it about 2 miles. It's going to be a looong time until spring!
You’re spot on with the review. I’ve had a villager for a few months and have about 200 miles on it. I can’t do the rougher trails I did on my mountain bike. Gravel is tough. There’s no suspension which makes it extremely rough on the forest roads. Also, the derailleur, in the lowest gears is so close to the ground, it can strike uneven gravel. On asphalt and packed fine cinder (many rail trail surfaces I’ve found) it’s wonderful. After 4-5 hours riding, it feels like I’ve been relaxing in my easy chair all day. While I’d gotten to begrudge my traditional bike rides because of age related issues, I look hard for every opportunity to get my trike out. New trike riders be aware of logistical issues with trikes. We travel to events a good deal with our bikes and have to load, unload, store and access the bikes. You just can’t put your trike in your hotel room. So there’s a storage and security issue there. I’ll be learning what hotels might be able to accommodate a trike but I don’t expect many, if any. I had to buy a new rack. It fits in my truck but not my car. Just some consideration for new riders. Having said all that, I don’t regret my villager selection for my first trike. It’s down right pleasant and relaxing to get on the improved trails and I can stand up straight after a days ride.
You are so right on all counts! I never thought about the suspension issue. My mountain bike is a hard tail, but you know that front fork soaks up many bumps!
Thanks for the video, helps seeing you go pretty quick there at the end and talk about your speeds in the video. I've been looking at recumbent trikes and I think I want something that folds and I want something with the shorter wheel base because here in North Carolina we have quite a few trails, bumps in the road and hills. I'm kind of leaning towards a Catrike Road AR since it's full suspension but that doesn't fold unfortunately. Anyways, loved the video and the points you made on trike stability. Keep making videos! :)
Catrike is discontinuing the Road AR, I believe that leaves only the Dumont with suspension. The trail folds, but no suspension and the seat height is a few inches lower than the villager. I don’t mind not having suspension and I don’t need it to fold so the villager works well for me. Catrike makes a really good product.
Great review, about the only one I could find that wasn't a marketing pitch. It convinced me, I took my first ride on my new Villager today. It was a good workout with no sore rear end or sore wrists, pretty comfortable. And no sweat in your eyes because your head is vertical. :-) I put my regular bike away last year after crashing and ending up with an AC shoulder separation. Pushing 69, I bought the Villager for its stability, and it's looking good so far. One thing that really surprised me; I live in Minneapolis which is a bike oasis, tons of trails, but it's a trike desert, hard to find any dealer with more than one low-end trike on the floor. Fortunately one dealer in a 60-mile radius had a Villager. I can't figure out why trikes aren't more popular.
Glad it worked out...I love them. I was at a family party this weekend and I was trying to tell my cousin about all the good things...and you hit on all of them! Enjoy!
One of the best reviews on trikes and applies to upright trikes as well.
Thanks so much, I need to get back on it, but there is too much snow out there right now!
The Catrike models are all superb.
I just bought my Catrike My retirement gift for myself.
And all I can say the investment was well worth the price. I absolutely love it. And I'm so amazed how easy it is to climb hills .I cat wait for a cooler day to ride a paved trail near me. There's Not olot of shade. And you're so right about riding on a gravel trail. All Im goi g to say about that is "Ouch"..
You will enjoy it!, I was on mine yesterday. This time of year I ride EARLY...beat the heat!
Thanks for the information 👍
Good review. The one I ended up buying is very similar, with the higher seat. Can't wait to try it out, but I need adjustments first. I'm a paved-trail sightseer, plus I will sometimes be riding in the desert, so I think the higher seat will be better. No user reviews for mine, either, so I need to get on it and do one, too. :)
Well get out there and enjoy it! My normal loop is 24 miles. I was able to get out there yesterday. All rain today, but maybe in the morning!
Thank you for the review. I have damage to my neck muscles due to radiation so it is difficult for me to lift my head. I sit in a recliner a lot to get gravity off of my head.
Test road a Villager & Expedition yesterday & I believe this is going to allow me to get some exercise. I think I’m going with the Villager due to the higher seat, even though I like the degree of recline on the Expedition a bit better than the Villager. I’ll be pulling the trigger on a trike purchase next week.
I’ve had a villager for 10 years, bought it the first year it came out. I ride on all types of terrain and I love this trike. It is not a speed demon, but then neither am I. Hills are slow, that’s the nature of trikes, and who cares, it’s just plain fun to ride.
I LOVE mine, on it every chance I get. I took it 200 miles on a little 3 day tour last fall.
Last spring, after having some knee issues, I decided to add electric assist, glad I did, nice to know I can take a long ride and still get back if my legs start to get tired. I thought about upgrading to the Road AR, but decided I didn’t need the extra moving parts and I’ve never minded not having suspension. Can’t wait for warmer weather.
I use an electric assist on my mountain bike, it makes a BIG difference, you won't ever regret having that for sure.
Good review
Thanks!, you can ride it all day long and not be in any pain. Its amazing!
Can you adjust the handlebars to go horizontal? Or do they stay vertical? Cant decide between this and the 559
No they are vertical; however, I'm sure you could add some bar ends or something similar if you wanted a horizontal surface. The 559 is higher end for sure and more expensive. You will gain some speed for sure. Now that I have some experience, the 559 would be my pick, but I still enjoy the Villager, I just wished it would move and corner a little faster.
@@bgtreefrogs cant you put a 26 wheel on the back? Might help with speed but who knows about turning?
Nope no room for a 26 on this model. I can replace the front chain ring for more speed, but my gale will handle the same.
@@bgtreefrogs the fat cat v3 has the villager frame. Still haven't gotten a trike because, I can't decide. The villager seems the safest to go. By that. I mean not having to squat very low to get into seat.
@@bgtreefrogshas same frame as the villager th-cam.com/video/iO2tHAfyDFo/w-d-xo.html
i'm considering a trike. i'm a runner. i did triathlons years ago and HATED the bike; it's just not my thing and i gave it a good shot, but just couldn't dig it. however, i do want to age fairly gracefully, thus the move to the bike to ease up on the legs. QUESTION: how about the back? does anyone notice any onset of backpain with these; particularly lumbar pain?
On a normal bike, my back is killing me after an hour...I did my bike tour with 90 mile days on this thing and felt 100% normal at then end of each day...like I had been in a Lazy-Z-Boy. I can't speak for everyone, but I can have a lot of back discomfort on a normal bike, NONE here on the trike, lumbar or anywhere else.
hello, I am a former road cyclist now ultra runner looking into trike. with a road trike what kind of average speed can you run on flat ground? can you keep up with a local club group ride? thanks
Tough question...from an engineering perspective...if you match the gear ratio and rear wheel size...sure! BUT, you are likely at least ten pounds heavier AND have the road/tire friction of three tires, not two. You are sitting lower to the ground, so you MAY be slightly more aerodynamic. I'd say, real world...a trike is going to be fractionally slower. The big difference is comfort. I've done ten hours saddle time and not had a single ache or pain. If I did ten hours on a road bike...well scratch that...I'd never make it five hours!
bgtreefrogs thank you for putting in so much. It’s hard to believe with all the trikes out on the road this is such a hard topic to find info. Most of the videos I see of groups on trikes are “just making it down the road” I find it so hard to believe that road riders have never gotten into trike and pushed just like they would on 2 wheels but best of luck to find a video of a trike bridging up to a group of road riders and jumping on the pace line.
Well, I do about everything solo...and am NOT a professional rider...or anything close. I'm almost 50 and well overweight almost all the time. The Villager has to be the slowest model Catrike makes...and Day One I averaged 11.25 mph on the road over 8 hours straight. Day Two on the loose lime sand MUCH slower...only about 7.5 mph over ten hours. I ran into a group of bikers from Texas mid-day and they had to take a break for lunch...I rode on...after buying a sandwich and casually eating while riding...they caught up with me maybe 3-4 pm ish, exhausted, laying flat on the benches and concrete...I refilled my water bottles from my trike...never got up...and just sat there relaxing...in the same seat I'd been in all day. My normal training ride is all on concrete/asphalt and over 1hr 45 min, I average over 13 mph. If you are really concerned about speed, pick up a used recumbent bicycle...like a bacchetta...I bet you will be faster than any standard bike out there...that is what I was looking for before I purchased the Catrike. If you are all road, go to a Catike dealer and test ride a model 700 for like an hour and calculate your time/distance even if you just use the GPS on your phone...I'd be shocked if you were even 5% slower per hour...and maybe even faster. At the end of the day, your buddies will be crying for the Aleve and you will feel like you have been in a Lazy-Boy recliner all day. Good Luck!
What's those rear taillights called?
Oh, those were just some inexpensive tail lights from Amazon. BV Rear Bike Tail Light 2 Pack...a whole $9.98 including shipping for both!