MBW is proud to sell vehicles from
Catrike
everything we love about cycling without the discomfort, pain or need to balance
comfort first: the trade-offs of the traditional upright bike
as a shop specializing in bicycle touring (ie exploring the world under your own power) we believe rider comfort is the single most important factor when choosing your gear.
however, we must be honest with our customers: there is a limit to how comfortable a traditional upright bicycle can be. Eventual discomfort is inevitable because of the inherent upright position, which requires balancing and contorting the body to pedal.
regardless of industry advancements or how well-fitted a bike is, the discomfort eventually sets in. For some riders, it may be 30 minutes before back pain or chafing begins; for others, wrist issues (like carpal tunnel or numbness) may flare up within minutes. even the custom, high-end touring bikes we build, which are meant to be ridden for days on end, offer only temporary relief and pain in the back and neck eventually make all but folks racing to make their living need to call an end to their riding day. this physical compromise is the accepted downside of conventional cycling - but it doesn't have to be for folks who are willing to broaden their definition of what they consider a bike.
the solution: recumbent trikes
this fundamental limitation to the design of the traditional upright bike is why we started offering recumbent trikes.
the lower to the ground and more laid back design of recumbent vehicles allow you to sit in a wide, hammock-like chair, completely eliminating the common pressure points on your neck, wrists, back, and sensitive areas down below. the laid back and sit upon positions (different models offer different amounts of uprightness) for those who like to be a bit more upright recumbent trikes offer delivers the potential for a truly comfortable, long-distance touring experience with zero compromises. add a third wheel into the mix and all of a sudden the rider doesn't need to balance anymore which is a real bonus (for some it is essential) to those who experience challenges with their balance.
in case you aren't already in the know, Catrike is a storied recumbent (where you sit down and lean back) trike maker in Orlando, Florida that has been at the forefront of lightweight, comfortable and easy to pedal bike travel for over 50 years. imagine being able to go all the places you do on your traditional upright bike without any of the pain and discomfort you currently experience. sounds, pretty good right? well what about if we told you you didn't need to be able to balance on two wheels to continue to enjoy the activity you love? that's the whole idea behind a recumbent trike and Catrike is makes just such three wheeled animals for specialty dealers like ourselves (Maine Bike Works) to get you out riding. awesomesauce!
if you've ever been curious about a recumbent trike, you'll love Catrike's designs and because MBW is all about bike travel, we think it's important to keep a couple of their most popular designs in stock for folks to try out. right now we have one of their top models that you can borrow and try out: the Dumont. being one of their more expensive models, it has all the bells and whistles (shock absorbers in the front and rear!, wide tires, 30 easy to pedal gears and a frame that folds allowing you to put it in the back of your car that much easier). letting us walk you through our Recumbent Trike 101 with the Dumont as a show and tell will give you a great overview of why recumbent trikes make so much sense for folks looking for comfort while they enjoy their time outdoors. so come on in and let us measure you up for it and you can take it out into the super quiet retirement neighborhood right behind the shop. we're confident we can show you the essentials of what anyone considering one of their trike should know in advance of pulling the trigger.
for about the same price as some of the imported recumbent trikes on the market, you can ride a truly handmade American Made bike brought to life with heart and craft. Catrikes's ready to ride, hard surface capable trikes start at around $2,800 (Dec 1st, 2025) and almost all of their models can be ordered as a e-bike version (motors and batteries to help you get up the hill!) for an additional $3,000. even cooler is that you can convert most of their trikes to e-assist at any point down the line if your needs change for about $3,500 or so. while the initial cost of riding a Made in the USA trike may be slightly more aspirational than some of the other more production oriented recumbents on the market that come out of the far east, you won't find another maker who makes it easier for you to get out riding.
come on in and we'll walk you through what you need to know to help you make an informed choice. we'll ask you a ton of questions and make a recommendation of a model and the accessories you'll need on day one (such as lights, a rack, some pannier bags etc) as well as some nice to have items which will make the transition from riding an upright bike to riding a recumbent trike easier (such as some lightweight folding ramps to make it easy peasy to roll up into the back of your car, etc).
when you get to the point of wanting to get out and riding, the toughest choice is needing to choose the color you want your new trike to be powder coated with. we carry paint samples of all 8 Catrike colors and can show you any of the seasonal special edition colors Catrike offers online. when we place the order for you, if they don't have that specific model and color in stock, the good folks at Catrike HQ will weld you up one in just a day or two and get it in our hands a week or so after you ask us for it. when it arrives, we'll take a few days to build it up right (it arrives to us as a bare frame and a box of parts) and we'll drop you a line when we've signed off on it. if you aren't comfortable with picking it up at the shop (something we recommend as we can show you how to best fit it in your car) then ask us to drive the trike directly to your doorstep to save you the trip. while picking it up in person will be less expensive for you, we understand that not everyone has a car big enough.
happy to share what we know, so drop us an email or call in sometime to start the conversation. we understand that not everyone who wants to learn more about the benefits of riding a recumbent trike are specifically looking to buy ASAP so don't worry about feeling any sales pressure while you chat with us and take a demo out for a spin. when the time comes however and you get to the point of deciding you want one of your very own, just know we'll be as excited to get you out riding as you will be to get out pedaling.
so where to go from here? well, we'd suggest checking out Catrike's website below to start your internet research or reach out to us and we'll be happy to start guiding you down the path to recumbent trike cycling nirvana.
more Catrike goodness to come as we take some pics of our demo trike and put some videos here. stay tuned!
the rabbit hole
as a small company that does both design and manufacturing in-house at their HQ in Florida, Catrike is constantly coming out with new and exciting stuff - their frequent tweaks make badass trikes, but it's also a challenge for us to keep own website updated with all their cool offerings. you may want to bone up on what they are currently doing by reading and seeing the latest from the horses mouth (ie Catrike HQ).
so, the next time you're sitting at a desk pretending to work, get up-to-date with all things Catrike with the following resources: