Full Suspenion Fat Tires on a Catrike: The Fat Cat D3

Welcome back to Utah Trikes! Often we hear, "I want fat tires, I want full suspension, I want folding, and I want a Catrike." Many people might think, "That’s a lot! There’s no way you can combine all of that in one trike." Well, that’s why we created the UTCustom Fat Cat D3!

The UTCustom Fat Cat D3!

Meet the UTCustom Fat Cat D3! The D3 is a full-suspension, full-fat-tire, full-comfort trike built on the Catrike Dumont frame. You asked, and we delivered. Let's dive into it!

We've been putting fat tires on trikes since the beginning of Utah Trikes! Starting with our UT Custom endeavors, as fat tires became all the rage and more popular, we began modifying more trike models to include fat tire variants. One of the first places we looked was Catrikes. Our first venture into fat tire trikes for Catrikes was our lifted Villager model called the V3. The V3 remained popular for quite a while, and we love the Villager. However, there was one thing that people really wanted out of something like the Fat Cat V3, and that was all-around suspension. The only other fat tire trikes with suspension were the Fat Tad CXS and the ICE Full Fat, both great options, but Catrike fans had something else in mind.

Why couldn't there be a custom trike like the V3 but built on the Dumont frame? This brings us to the Fat Cat D3, a Catrike Dumont frame modified to have three 20x4-inch tires and, of course, still with the Dumont's fan-favorite suspension paired with these all-new wide tires. The ride is extra soft. Unlike the V3, the D3 comes with all-around 20-inch diameter tires instead of 26-inch. This is due to the optimization of the suspension with 20-inch wheels. The D3 has much more stability and support, making this trike the best for a comfortable ride. The wider wheels also give it better traction and allow for light off-road use. If you're riding on gravel, dirt, or grass, it’s really no problem for the D3, and with suspension, it's as smooth as ever. The D3 is an amazing road trike optimized for a smooth ride. The low ground clearance makes it difficult to get over rough terrain, but it makes your ride more stable and aerodynamic. You can cruise through the streets with little to no resistance and tackle any light off-road terrain you need to, all with the power of the stock 1000W motor and the 14-speed Rohloff hub. The higher friction of these tires will be no issue as you ride, allowing you to utilize the full power of this trike without breaking a sweat. With all of this custom power, it’s a blast to take out for a ride.

Why The Dumont?

After seeing the D3 in action, you may be asking, "Why the Dumont?" Well, the biggest reason is the Dumont's popularity. The Dumont is one of Catrike's most recognizable trikes because of its suspension and folding capabilities. Many people have been asking for suspension on our custom big-wheel trikes, and it was a no-brainer to bring the big-wheel format to this trike. Being built on the Dumont frame takes all the quality features from the Dumont and puts them on big wheels. If the standard Catrike build wasn't secure or comfortable enough for you, the D3 fixes that, providing great support and a wider platform to keep you stable and absorb bumps in the road. The main focus of this build is the suspension, with a RockShox air shock behind the seat for big bumps and two rubber elastomers on the front wheels soaking up road vibrations and small bumps.

The folding feature stays intact on this upgrade too, making it easy to store and transport, even with these bigger wheels. And that’s all present along with the amazing seat height, comfort, and quality that you can always find on the Dumont. More than just big tires come equipped on the D3. There are plenty of amazing upgrades that really bring this trike up to a whole new level.

The biggest changes come with the gearing. Threaded into a 20-inch rear wheel, we have the world-famous 14-speed Rohloff internally geared hub, giving you a wide gear range and smooth shifting unlike any other hub on the market. With this hub, you can even shift while stopped—no more getting stuck at a stoplight in a high gear. This Rohloff is paired with the front gearing mounted with the 1000-watt motor, giving you intense cadence-sensing pedal assist and high-torque throttle-powered control options, so you can get a little help as you pedal or just cruise through the streets at a top speed of 20 mph. These two gearing replacements provide a great base for any kind of riding.

The standard Dumont is a touring trike built for long road riding, and taking the 26-inch rear wheel away and replacing all the wheels with 20x4-inch tires makes it a lot harder to get up to speed and keep a consistent speed, especially compared to the original build of the Dumont. So, with that limitation, this upgraded gearing and motor combo makes up for that, allowing you to maintain high speeds and get going as fast as you'd like easily.

Then, the last upgrade to the D3 is the handlebars. On the stock configuration, you will find that instead of the vertical handlebars found on the standard Catrike, they have been raised up and converted into horizontal handlebars. This keeps your hands away from the big moving tires and also gives you more torque when turning. On this build we're showing today, the customer wanted a particular build with the standard vertical bars.

This is not a usual change that we do on the D3, so it's not on the configurator. But there are many custom options you can easily find when building your trike on our configurator. The biggest one to highlight would be motor upgrades. We have three motor options available for the D3: the stock Bafang 1000-watt, Bafang 750-watt, and the Bafang Ultra 1400-watt. Depending on the amount of power that you need, we have the motor option for you to choose from.

The tires are super customizable as well, with 12 options to consider, from different brands to various widths (from 3 to 4 inches) and considering the terrain you'll be riding on, allowing you to craft your ride to whatever you see fit. There are so many other configurations like fenders, rear brakes, brake levers, flags, headlights, and so much more. You can find all these options and pricing on the D3 page on our website. Explore all of the custom options with our all-new interactable configurator. See all of your options side by side and compare pricing with a live price view at the top of your screen. Go play around and build your dream trike because it’s never been easier. The D3 is a full-suspension fat tire trike with elevated gearing and a build that lets you go full throttle. Tear through the roads with 20x4-inch fat tires, a 1000W Bafang motor, and a 14-speed Rohloff to tackle any terrain possible, all built on the foundation of the fan-favorite Catrike Dumont.

You can find this trike for sale exclusively at UtahTrikes.com, built entirely in-house in Springville, Utah. The stock configuration is $9,200 with a 1000 watt motor. So, if you're interested, head over to our page and take a look at this decked-out Dumont.