Machka 

Bicycle car ...

https://www.facebook.com/artifyy360/videos/1095765183819676/

Rob_E

Every now and then I go look at this site: Organic Transit | Exercise Your Power! ELF Solar Pedal Power

They're made in the next town over from me, and I sometimes think they would be a nice rainy day vehicle or a good way to travel between nearby towns or a way to take the dog with me locally. Not quite as car-like as the your link, though.

deapee

Honestly, if a town was designed with those being the basis of commuting, I would be all-in. But the infrastructure would have to be set up to support them while optimizing safety (AKA not allowing other motorists). I'd love it.

Sometimes I dream about a town designed to be traversed solely by human-powered means. Park your car outside of the "city" and ride your bike home, etc...it would be great.

If you build it, they will come.

Machka 

Zermatt.

deapee

Seems cold there. Would definitely need a temperature-regulated, UV-controlled transparent bubble...with underground irrigation system.

ypsetihw

saw this a few weeks ago, I'd love to get one here in the US, what a killer commuter!

Machka 

Cold ... where?

Machka 

PodRide ... the bicycle car in the video ... was created in Sweden.

PodRide blurs the line between bike and car


Zermatt is a town in Switzerland where cars are not allowed. There's a parking lot outside of town where you park your car, if you drive, and catch an electric bus or walk. And there's a good train service to Zermatt which is the method of transportation we used to get there.

tarwheel 

I've seen a few of the ELF's around town, and almost ran head-on into one on a corner on the American Tobacco Trail. Not sure I'd want to be slogging up our hills on one. The price is a bit off-putting as well.

Rob_E

Yeah. Price is an issue, especially since I get around pretty good now. It's a high price tag to haul my dog somewhere a few times a year or go see a show in Durham or Carrboro once in a while, which is largely what I'd want to do.

Hills, though, should not be an issue. That's what the electric assist is for.

Walter S

Especially since it's a kit

Machka 

Zermatt, as I mentioned, and this place:

This Village Without Roads Is Straight Out Of A Fairytale Book | Bored Panda

cooker

Bikes are a lot like moustraps. Lots of people try to improve on them, but they're pretty simple and effective already.

2manybikes

I'm not going unless I can ride my bike from my house.

Dahon.Steve

I think you would make the local newspapers if they ever saw you riding one of those! The problem with this are many.

1. You disappear once you get along side of a car.

2. Theft and vandalism are huge issues.

3. No real place to park and don't think a Kryptonite chain is the answer.

4. Can't really lane split the cars which means you'll have to wait behind a long line at the lights except you'll be near the muffler.

heywood

All excellent points.. dogged these types of vehicles for years.. I loved this one back in the day.. but same problems as above.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5N937V8ZOw

Machka 

IMO it is good to see people coming up with ideas and solutions.


This might not work in all circumstances, but it might work in some ... and others might be able to build and expand on the idea to work in more situations.

Roody

We had a thread about similar vehicles several years ago. They were made n the USA.

Machka 

Do you have a link to that thread?

salcedo

Do you remember the name of such vehicles?

jon c. 

I'm not sure I see the advantage of making a velo much less aerodynamic.

2manybikes

This gives more info than the thread ~ https://newatlas.com/podride-cycle-car/42696/

Also google " Velomobile" there are many different kinds.

KD5NRH

Looks like a stiff breeze would blur the line between riding safely and being blown into oncoming traffic. I don't get the fascination velomobile builders have with pretending crosswinds don't exist. I've had to struggle to hold a 1900lb Suzuki Swift in one lane during strong gusts; these slab-sided 150-300lb toys would have no chance if a thunderstorm picked up while they're cruising down the street.

salcedo

That is a good point. I've struggled with very strong crosswinds on my bicycle too.

My hope would be that velomobiles, including the PodRide, would have their center of mass much closer to the ground, and have a wider base, and these to things makes them less susceptible to crosswinds. But I've never ridden a velomobile so I'm just speculating.

cooker

You'd want to keep the velomobile as light as possible for ease of propulsion, so the only way to have a low centre of gravity is to move the heaviest part of the conraption - the driver - to a lower position, ie. recumbant. But then you lose out a bit on seeing and being seen.