Utah Trikes business rolling on strong
Luke Green jokes with a co-worker as he works on building a trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Samuel Capel checks a tire before installing it on a trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Brandon Bird, right, and Dylan Youngberg load a finished trike into a box Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Lewis Brines points out a component to coworkers as he does a quality inspection on a trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Samuel Capel installs a wheel on a trike as he works beside Lewis Brines on Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Luke Green goes through a component checklist for a trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Lewis Brines, right, and Samuel Capel work on building trikes Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Luke Green puts together a trike frame Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Ben Stewart puts together an electric motor as he works on a trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Dylan Youngberg, center, builds a trike as Luke Green goes through a component checklist for another trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
Samuel Capel works on building a trike Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018, at Utah Trikes in Payson. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald
From the front, Utah Trikes looks like almost any other bicycle shop.
But the storefront on Payson’s downtown Main Street camouflages a very successful online business, one that has grown since owner Ashley Guy settled in there in 2009. Guy runs Utah Trikes, which specializes in recumbent tricycles.
“When I started this business, I started it as an internet company. My approach was a lot different, and I knew the local demand was not enough,” said Guy, Utah Trikes founder and owner. Utah Trikes is now a nationally recognized brand, well-established with large manufacturers as the customization expert.
“We’re the place that manufacturers come to when they need something unique. We take the approach, it’s your trike, so let’s make it yours,” Guy said.
Guy started the business in Spanish Fork, working from a 1,000-square-foot facility. He was excited to move to Payson, because that Main Street location houses 12,000 square feet. Since opening there, the company added a 4,000-square-foot warehouse in 2016 in Benjamin, just to store parts.
Guy started the business because he used to ride a road bike daily, but carpal tunnel syndrome in his wrists started hurting so much he couldn’t ride any longer. He looked for something with the same benefits of cycling without the wrist pain, and found recumbent trikes.
Recumbent cycles allow the rider to sit in a reclined manner with their legs out front, pedaling. This position is less stressful to a rider’s joints, spine, upper body muscles and rear end. Guy said older males seemed to be the demographic for these types of cycles initially.
“But that demographic has changed a lot. We now get a lot of younger people and they are looking more for a pedal-powered ATV,” Guy said, explaining that the demand for fat tires has increased in recent years. “This business has been a constant evolution.”
The starting price for a Utah Trikes recumbent trike starts about $1,000, with the average one costing about $3,000, Guy said. They ship their trikes around the world in refrigerator boxes as fully assembled as possible.
“Our desire is every customer gets their box and they can pull it out and ride on it,” Guy said.
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