A Fresh Look at the Catrike Villager

Welcome back to another Utah Trikes article. Today we are going to take a look at the Catrike Villager. The Villager is one of our favorites here at Utah Trikes so we’re really excited to tell you guys a little more about it. So let’s get into it!

Manufactured by Catrike the Villager is the perfect day to day trike. The Villager features the highest seat height out of all of the Catrikes at 12.5 inches, making it the easiest to get in and out of. And with its 5.5 inch ground clearance curb transitions are a breeze.

The Villager also has 20 inch wheels all around, This allows for it to have a wider and more stable wheel track while bringing its center of gravity lower to the ground. So you don’t have to be concerned about stability when you’re out riding

Catrike has been in the trike business for a long time. Catrike was founded in the year 2000. Catrikes founder said that he always dreamed of designing, engineering and manufacturing new quality products to improve people's lives.

Well, we here believe he was able to do just that. Catrike offers many recumbent tadpole trikes such as the Dumont and the Expedition, but now let’s focus on the Catrike Villager. The Villager was put into production in 2008 and since then it has remained one of Catrikes most popular trikes.

To this day we recommend the Villager for any first time recumbent rider or for anyone interested in entering the world of trikes. With its combination of an accessible and adjustable seat, incredible steering geometry, and competitive price point, it is the best beginner trike experience we offer.

The Catrike villager has only become more and more popular over the years and its uses have ranged from being a touring platform trike to a comfortable daily commuter trike.

The higher seat height of the Villager and the adjustable seat angle allows you to sit more upright if you desire. So that you can enjoy the view while you’re riding. The adjustable seat allows you to customize your trike to fit you more comfortably. The seat angle can be adjusted easily to accommodate your riding style with the quick release brackets on the back of the seat. The stock adjusters allow for the seat angle to be set to any of the 4 positions from an angle of 47 degrees upright to 58 degrees fully reclined. If that range is not enough for you, we do also offer our UTCustom Catrike Seat Extensions which are a direct swap and will allow the seat to adjust to just about 90 degrees upright and 35 degrees fully reclined.

How to Adjust the Seat on the Villager

Now, to adjust your seat you will start at the back of your trike. Once there you will loosen the quick release on the back of the seat enough to slide the brackets up and down. Then, once you’ve moved your seat to the desired position, retighten the quick release and then you’re good to get back to riding.

In addition to the seat’s adjustability, the comfort doesn’t stop there. The Villager comes with a padded and breathable seat mesh. The seat mesh on the Villager is very comfortable and washable. The pad is secured to the seat mesh with velcro so if it gets too hot you can actually take off the padded portion of the seat and use the mesh underneath instead.

Now, unlike the Catrike Dumont, the Villager does not come with suspension. If suspension is something you’re looking for or you’re interested in the Dumont you can check out the video we did about it here.

The Villager is equipped with the same 30-speed gearing that comes standard on a lot of the other Catrike models. With the 3-speed FSA Gossamer crankset in the front and the 10-speed cassette in the rear, the stock gearing gives you a wide range of gear combinations that will allow you to explore almost anywhere your adventure takes you.

The stock gearing is usually enough for most riders, but we carry a variety of different gearing options to match your riding needs. In the front we have options for a Schlumpf mountain or high-speed drive, a Pinion internally geared crankset (which ranges from 6 all the way up to 18 speeds).

The Catrike Villager is one of the most versatile trikes available and turns into one of our most popular electric trikes with the addition of the Catrike eCat Bosch motor system or any one of our Bafang middrive motor upgrades. These motor systems will replace the front crankset so your gearing choice may be different if you choose to go with a motor.

With its lightweight frame and multiple gearing options getting up to speed is no issue, but it's always good to have the piece of mind that you can stop on a dime. The Villager, like all Catrikes, comes with the industry standard Avid BB7 160mm disc brakes which boast amazing braking performance.

The BB7 brakes are easy to adjust at the caliper by using the red dials or by adjusting the cable at the brake levers. The Catrike-branded brake lever features a locking pin to function as a parking brake and, when locked, keeps the trike from rolling.

You'll notice there is no rear brake on the Villager and like we mentioned on our recent video on the Dumont no Catrike has had a rear brake until the latest version of the Catrike 700. For most riders a rear brake isn't going to be needed or wanted, but if you do feel that you need one, we do make a brake caliper adapter for the Villager which will allow you to have a rear brake as long as a disc-compatible hub is also chosen.

Riding the Villager is definitely a blast but like with riding all recumbents you want to know that you are riding as safe as possible. Catrike helps by includes some key safety features that will help you see and be seen.

The Villager comes with a left side rear view mirror. The mirror allows you to safely see what’s behind you. This will be sure to help you stay safe on trails or when riding around traffic. An optional right side mirror and mount are available if you desire it.

Every Catrike comes with a flag and flag mount that you can use to increase visibility. When you're so low to the ground we also recommend an added headlight and taillight to increase visibility even farther. The Villager comes stock with the Schwalbe Marathon Racer tires which are the industry standard. The reflective strips on the tires provide excellent nighttime visibility and definitely help to be seen on the road.

In addition to these main safety features, Catrike’s patented boom has an accessory mount on the derailleur post which makes for easy mounting of a headlight. We recommend equipping your trike with a headlight and taillight to increase your visibility especially if you will be riding when dark.

The Villager is the widest of all the Catrike models so is a great option for riders that need a bit more room in the cockpit. The Villager comes with Catrike’s two-piece adjustable handlebars. The lower handlebars can be adjusted in or out by loosening the two-bolt clamp above the headset. The upper vertical bars can also be adjusted forward or backwards as well as tilted to provide you with the most ergonomic fit. The vertical bar is also where you will find the adjustable hand rests which keep your hands supported while riding.

The Stock Villager weighs in at just 34 pounds allowing for a smooth and light riding experience. Its lighter weight also comes in handy when you're going up steep hills, giving you less weight you need to haul with you.

The Villager has a great stock price for what you get. As of February 2024 the base price of the Catrike Villager is $2825 for current pricing visit our website at Utahtrikes.com. This low price is a great value for beginner riders, and with how customizable the frame is it leaves you with lots of room to upgrade as you find what riding best suits you.

We here at Utah Trikes love the Villager. We love it so much that we actually made it the platform for Our Annihilator V-Series, the FatCat V3, as well as our Cat-4 and Fat Cat 4 quads.

Utah Trikes has been making Custom Quads since 2008 and one of our first uses of the Villagers custom capabilities was with the Cat-4. This platform is the culmination of our experience. Our custom Cat-4 rear end interfaces with the Catrike villager frame adds two-wheel drive to the trike. For the Fat Cat-4 we are using our own freewheel posi-traction geared differential and hardened steel axles. We can attach multiple drive interfaces to the differential including a cassette, internally geared hubs, and even an electric motor system.

Based off of the villager frame. The Cat-4 Quad turns the Catrike Villagers versatile recumbent trike platform into the ultimate utility vehicle. For those of you who love the look of the villager frame, but enjoy more off road riding we've created a fat trike that is higher, lighter, and provides all the comfort expected of a Catrike.

We built the Fat Cat V3 with the Catrike Villager as the base model. The Fat Cat V3 can handle the asphalt, but off-road is where it can show its true power. The 26x4-inch knobby tires ride easily over dirt, gravel, sand, grass and snow. Running them at a lower PSI will offer extra suspension on the trail. If we're being honest, fat tires make any trike look like a beast and the Fat Cat V3 is no different.

There are really a never ending amount of upgrades and options you can choose. It's such a versatile base that almost anything can be done to make yours truly unique. Catrike offers 8 fantastic powder coat colors from the factory, but if you really want to go custom you can start with any of our 40+ colors from the UTCustom Color Shop. Other popular options not yet mentioned include larger wheels, Front fenders, headrest, and cargo racks.

Speaking of upgrades you may decide that you want a motor. We are building more and more electric trikes and the Catrike Villager is a great candidate for a motor. All of our motor kits allow you to choose the level of assistance you want. That means that as you pedal the motor kicks in automatically providing additional power to your own pedaling efforts.

Our Bafang Middrive motor upgrades also provide a thumb-actuated throttle with our motor systems that act like the gas pedal in your car. Don't want to pedal? No worries, just push the throttle and go! As with all the trikes we offer, Utah Trikes can motorize your Villager with various options that can be paired to your gearing needs.

Whether you decide to have your Villager be custom to your liking or have it stock as is all of these accessories work together to give you the best trike experience.

As of February of 2024 We have the Catrike Villager in stock and readily available and depending on how custom you decide to make your Villager we can have it shipped in just a couple days and ready to ride within a few weeks.

If you're interested in the Catrike Villager you can visit our shop in Springville, Utah or check out our website at Utahtrikes.com. We ship and deliver trikes nationwide and have more available options than anyone else.

In the meantime, If you already have a Catrike Villager leave a comment down below on what your custom setup is, we love to hear from you guys. We'll see you next time remember to relax, spin fast, and ride trikes.