Voltop

[JeanCoutu]

This veltop thing, looks pretty neat to me.
http://www.veltop.eu



Folded away, does like a fairing I guess:

http://www.veltop.eu/content/images/10bcca12f35761aa1c51ef815a0f8db0.jpg

http://www.veltop.eu/content/images/31cb9992a623f01cbd61650b869e828c.jpg

http://www.veltop.eu/content/images/a200096bbc46d68012ae72790c747d73.jpg



In use:

http://www.veltop.eu/content/images/e09d93ad41c996ceeb8fbc524c47b54c.jpg

http://www.veltop.eu/content/images/28cfcc2b2624a34c33d61e41637d8c3c.jpg

http://www.veltop.eu/content/images/3148e5c3103373a8cbfcd68916d8a43e.jpg



Video of the thing in use:
http://www.veltop.eu/index.php?id=257,309,0,0,1,0

[Alekhine]

Very cool idea. Thanks for posting it.

Watching the video, from all the front-on camera views the thing looks very, very strange because it looks like it completely encloses the rider. It reminded me of two things:

1. The boy in the plastic bubble gets a special bicycle.
2. A hazmat gas mask, only sized for Dark Helmet from Spaceballs.

[wahoonc]

Interesting, but two things come to mind, one would the affect that winds would have on it, the other is that it appears to me to block rear vision and it would make a peripheral glance to the rear difficult. I think I will stick with my poncho or rain suit for the time being...and after figuring out the exchange rate:eek: that thing cost more than most of my bikes!

Aaron:)

[Roody]

...and after figuring out the exchange rate:eek: that thing cost more than most of my bikes!

Aaron:)
How much?

[Alekhine]

1.3783 x 248€ = $341.82 + shipping from Europe.

I wonder if you could call these cyclists cagers, kinda sorta?

[Roody]

1.3783 x 248€ = $341.82 + shipping from Europe.

I wonder if you could call these cyclists cagers, kinda sorta?
More like "aquarium dwellers" than cagers. :)

[Alekhine]

More like "aquarium dwellers" than cagers. :)

:)

Some clever fella should design dynamo hub-powered windshield wipers for it. Fun.

EDIT: That thing would look so cool mounted to my Bike Friday. The two things are just geeky and ugly enough to cancel each other out into some awesome looking weird futuristic vehicle. [...Alekhine pulls out billfold]

[bragi]

Wouldn't regular rain clothes keep you drier, without all the extra drag? I can't imagine that these things would catch on in a big way, except maybe if you're riding across Nebraska on a windless, summer day and you want to keep bugs out of your teeth...

[cerewa]

Maybe Clever Cycles and similar shops will start selling the thing in the USA.

Well, we can always hope.

[everichon]

Actually, in the EU I've seen lots of fully-enclosed scooters like this one:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1240/808749071_520f520de2_o.jpg

...so this doesn't seem like that much of a stretch. Hell if I'm gonna be the first dweeb test-driving one, though. :)

[Alekhine]

Wouldn't regular rain clothes keep you drier, without all the extra drag? I can't imagine that these things would catch on in a big way, except maybe if you're riding across Nebraska on a windless, summer day and you want to keep bugs out of your teeth...

I can think of at least a few other practical applications. As someone who used to wear glasses, I can tell you that riding through the rain with glasses is just a pain no matter how nice your rain gear. I often wanted to have something like an enclosed bike in the rain when I wore glasses, because I always ended up taking them off and riding home through the impressionist painting of my bad eyesight.

Also, wind is a double-edged sword: Wind chill factor can lower an apparent temperature massively depending on wind speed variable. Adding in the speed of a bike into that wind and that variable gets even lower. So yea, more drag will slow you down, but it's not harder to ride through if your bike has gearing - you just compensate by gearing down. On the plus side, your face won't sting and your eyes won't water as much from the frozen air being blasted at you. Balaclavas are nice and all, but I've always wanted something like ski goggles for cycling in the snow - not that I'll have to worry about that now that I'm in California instead of Buffalo or Moscow.

[JeanCoutu]

A user review of the Veltop, says it's almost non-noticeably light, sems very well made out of good materials, but his forearms get wet and legs damp. Still he prefers it over his home made weather shell thing:

http://velocoque.free.fr/spip.php?article25


(also his girlfriend is pretty hot)

[gerv]

(also his girlfriend is pretty hot)
Agreed.

[Bikepacker67]

She certainly adds to his argument... :)

[Dahon.Steve]

Interesting, but two things come to mind, one would the affect that winds would have on it, the other is that it appears to me to block rear vision and it would make a peripheral glance to the rear difficult. I think I will stick with my poncho or rain suit for the time being...and after figuring out the exchange rate:eek: that thing cost more than most of my bikes!

Aaron:)

Agreed.

If it blocks my rear vision in any way rendering my Take A Look mirror worthless, then it's not worth the money. I also would like to see how that shield performs in the rain. On a motorcycle you would not want a mirror to cover the entire face because the rain makes it dangerous to see without a wind shield wiper. With the rider enclosed like that, it could fog up pretty fast during humid conditions. I also wonder how much wind it would block making it act like a parachute? I wonder how hot it must get inside when you're completely covered?

I think they could make it better by adding a clear plastic rear window large enough to provide you additional rear vision (or make the entire rear part see through plastic). They could also add lots of vents or wholes in the back so wind would flow through or have a removable rear window. Maybe if you put Rain-X, it might help with regards to fog and rain. I was thinking they could tint the front window to protect your vision from the sun. Overall, I like the product and hope the bring it the the U.S. and continue development.

Now if only I had a comfort hybrid?

The biggest help this device could have is in blocking the sun's UV rays.

http://detailing4less.com/rain-x-glass-treatments.html

[Dahon.Steve]

(also his girlfriend is pretty hot)

Where do these European guys meet these girls who like bicycles. Jesus, Lord have mercy! ;-)

A hot girl like that over here wouldn't be caught dead riding a bicycle with Veltop.

[makeinu]

good thread. I bet the guys in the commuter forum would like to see this.

I like the veltop and the scooter with the top.