doraemonkey

There is an interesting albeit short, article in Wired today about the Velomobile .

Apparently there is a group of commuters that use them in Germany. I think it would be cool to go to work every day in one of these things, but with an average price of 4000 - 6000 euros I couldn't really justify one of these things to replace a car... at least not with my salary.

tchazzard

The article in Wired was written by Bryan Ball, the creator of BentRider Online. There is a velomobile forum on his message board. You can also learn alot about velomobiles by visiting North American Velomobilist/ and Velomobiling web sites.

Enjoy!

TC Hazzard
Quest 164
www.hazbro.com/velomobile

CommuterRun

Does it come with AC?

It gets pretty hot and humid around here. Looks like it would be real hot inside that shell.

tchazzard

It has been close to 90F and humid here in Maine (88-96%), which is not likley as bad a Florida, but I do not feel any hotter than I do on a normal bike. The soft top on my Quest keeps the sun off me and I otherwise get plenty of air flow inside the shell when cruising along. The key is there are foot holes for heel clearance and for pushing yourself backwards (backing up). Air is pulled up through these holes and circulates around your body. It works out quite nicely.

lyeinyoureye

In any round trip an aeroynamically superior vehicle will probably be faster. I hope to build something like this, but able to take a bicycle or small engine drivetrain/body type while being a bit roomier. But not by much, aerodynamics are the main reason these things move through the air ~6-8 times better than a bike, and aerodynamics will allow a small diesel powered version to get over 500mpg, probably over 1000mpg at 35-40mph. There're two ~5-7% grades for a couple miles down here, passing cars in one of these little puppies would be so awesome.

tchazzard

The enclosed recumbents you see on the wisil site are designed for trying to set speed records and not for day to day commuting. A velomobile has advanatages over a normal bike which include superior aerodynamics, weather protection, protected storage space, suspension (not always, but typical), lower maintenance, and improved visibility to motorists.

I have been using a velomobile for daily commuting and errand running since Oct 2003. The only time I do not use this bike is when I am riding my tandem with my wife. In other words, once you try a velomobile, you will be hooked.

lyeinyoureye

But they can be for day to day commuting with a few *minor modifications. Sure, they'll only be able to sprint up to 50-60mph in flat ground instead of 80mph, but that's good enough for me.

*Spring loaded panels so the rider could put her/his feet on the ground at a stop, vents for air flow when needed, adding 6-10 more inches of width, hinged canopy, maybe lcd cameras in the back for visibility. And I think that's about it (But I'm open to suggestions!)... Not much when you think about it. I bet the aerodynamics could be further refined so that reference area could be increased with little to no change in performance. To add a bit of validity to my mpg claims, If faired motorcycles can pull up to ~500mpg then a diesel powerer "lowrider" should easily pull 1000mpg in the same situation. Why? Well, if we cut the reference area in half, then we ~ double the mileage. Something easily done with a lowriding velomobile.

P.s. I've never tried a velomobile and I'm already hooked.

Guest

I thought you can already do that with a bent. I've seen one or two bents add an enclosure. No biggie.

I wouldn't pay all that money for that. Might as well get a hybrid.

Koffee

Icycle

What is the advantage of a velomobile over a fully-faired recumbent? An Easy Racers Tour Easy recumbent with fairing and body sock can be had for only about US$2500. And with such a setup, you would seem to have most of the benefits of a velomobile, including protection from the elements, good aerodynamics, and a comfortable seated position, but with the added benefits of a lighter weight, less expensive vehicle.

lyeinyoureye

Like this? I'd say performance is about the same, the difference being the velomobile has better protection from the elements, is larger and more aerodynamic. The 'bent with fairing/sock is less aerodynamic, but also smaller, so it probably performs as well. Like you mentioned, it's cheaper too.

HiYoSilver

I don't get the advantage vs a tri bike. Almost the same speed, and higher visibility and fewer problems with over 20mph side winds. I would think it would be challenging to ride trikes on 2 lane roads.

sbhikes

Velomobiles are ideal where it is very cold. Germany gets pretty cold.

CBBaron

Velomobiles are more comfortable, provide weather protection and are easy to handle, including braking. They also provide luggage space, lights and fenders. The three wheeled velomobiles don't really have any problem with winds and are very visible even if they are not as tall. The biggest disadvantage is cost and weight. You probably won't be able to squeeze through tight traffic as well, however ones like tchazzard's Mango are not much wider than an MTB handlebar.
In order to get the tri-bike to the same aero advantage you have to wear a skin suit, ride on 20mm tires and maintain an aero tuck. The velomobile provides the same advantage in shorts and a tshirt in addition to providing the other commuting necessities like fenders, lights and luggage.
Still i can't justify one myself because a $200 fixie works well for me. Also the combination of dozens of intersections and a few hills negates the aero advantage.

Craig

ryanparrish

how is the visibility IE behind you blind spots etc so forth

tchazzard

I have two mirrors on my Quest. As for other issues raised about the high cost of velomobiles over a bent with sock, I would still take the velomobile any day. Very soft ride, easily seen by cars, can carry a ton of stuff, very toasty warm in sub-zero weather without the need to dress up in heavy clothing. And last but not least, I feel a lot better having three wheels on the road rather than two when it gets slippery out.

godspiral

I think a motor would be "mandatory" for hills. 70lbs is too much. Its also not so city friendly in terms of the tricks that really save time on a nimble upright bike. -- but winter commute from the country would be neat.

tchazzard

You can certainly add electric motors on some velomobiles, such as the WAW, but end up hauling around a bunch of extra weight. My Quest has 27 speeds and in the lowest gear, I could nearly climb a wall. And unlike the two wheelers out there, I can stop in the middle of a hill, set the parking break and rest, or just crawl at a very slow speed.

godspiral

good point about the ultra low speed... don't have to worry about keeping balanced.

tchazzard

I did not think about that benefit when I moved to my first velomobile from a 2-wheel bent for daily commuting. Similarly, not having to unclip at each stop light is also a nice bene.

And check out my pimped out Quest at:

https://www.hazbro.com/velomobile/quest_photos.html