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Safety and riding tips
Safety tips
Riding safely depends on many things, from proper equipment to alertness to your attitude on the road. Above all, use
common sense.
The ideal place to ride your Catrike is bicycle trails & paths. The Catrikes are probably the best choice in that setting. You will
enjoy the view, relax and socialize. You will have the most comfort, peace of mind and fun. If you elect, however, to ride on
streets, you will have to do it at your own risk and know that whether it is a regular bicycle, a recumbent or a tricycle you have to
be very careful. Because a trike is so low to the ground you have to be extra careful with cars and trucks. Therefore you have
to take a great care to make yourself visible. In part, you do this with equipment such as brightly colored clothing and helmets,
use of the safety flag that comes with every Catrike, and also with blinking lights and reflective stickers. But you also have to
ride in such a way that you engage the attention of motorists, making eye contact, signaling your intentions, being courteous,
smiling and waving. You use your voice to get attention. You also pay a lot of attention when riding in traffic and you obey all
traffic laws and rules of the road. The positive side is that recumbent tricycles are very much a novelty, and once you make
sure that you are being seen, you generally find that motorists leave you more room and respect when you're on our Catrikes
than they do when you're on upright bicycles. Nevertheless, always assume that they don't see you.
Reflective and high-visibility gear is great (and we use it all the time), but it's no substitute for lights when riding at night or in
low-light conditions. The new super-high-output LED rear lights are very effective. Any small headlight (those that look like
flashlights) may be enough to help oncoming motorists see you, but it's not sufficient to actually light your way. If you're going
to ride at night, spend the money and get a good headlight.
While it may seem silly to wear a helmet on a low-slung tricycle, you should always do so. It's very hard to tip the trike over, but
it can happen. Also, if you have a close encounter of the worst kind with a car or stationary object, chances are you won't stay
on the trike. Always wear a CPSC-approved cycling helmet when riding your Catrike. A brightly colored helmet also helps
motorists see you.
You're very low, and it's possible for road grit to get whipped up by the wind or kicked up by passing cars and hit you in the face.
This is especially true in the spring in areas where sand is used on the roads in winter. It's a good idea to wear sunglasses to
protect your eyes. You may also want to wear gloves. It's easy to reach the ground on your Catrike, and getting a palm full of
sand and ground glass is no fun.
We strongly recommend the use of a mirror. Don't rely entirely on it. Turn and look before changing lanes or turning across the
line of traffic.
Riding along a line of parked cars presents a particular danger for those on low-slung bikes and trikes. Motorists have a habit
of opening their doors suddenly without looking behind them...and even if they do look, they're concentrating on looking for
oncoming cars, not a low trike. When riding along a line of parked cars, look for occupants inside as you approach. If you see
someone sitting in the car, give them a bit of extra room.
Pedestrians, too, often aren't looking where you are. Use caution when approaching crosswalks and use your bell, horn or
your voice to alert those who may be stepping into the street.
Your Catrike has a fixed seat for several good reasons, and one of these is that it keeps the center of gravity where it should be
for good handling. If you carry loaded panniers, avoid putting the weight too high and too far aft, or it can cause poor, even
unsafe, handling.
owner's manual - page 07
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