Originally Posted by
kickstart
5) contempt from cyclists.
It seems recumbents, trikes, velomobiles, and E-bikes agitate many cycling enthusiasts, and some even display open hostility towards them.
I doubt that would be a factor unless people actively check around to see how others feel about how cyclists feel about such vehicles. I see plenty of recumbents and it just seems like a natural chassis for a rain-proof fairing. Surely rain is the biggest obstacle deterring people from bike commuting who might otherwise consider it.
Originally Posted by
wolfchild
If somebody needs something that is motorized or power assisted then they should just buy a car and use a car for trips which are impractical to do on a bicycle... I am not a huge big fan of using "amusement park toys" for daily transportation.
But cars can't ride in bike lanes. Plus, I get tired of people saying that you can "just buy a car." It is a huge expense and debt commitment just to buy the thing, and then you have to insure, maintain, and fuel it. There's no 'just' about it.
Originally Posted by
CliffordK
A well built velomobile can be faster than an ordinary bicycle.
But, one quickly runs into NEV (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle) territory, of which there have been several electric 3 wheelers built, in part due to different motorcycle laws than automobile laws (often sacrificing stability).
I'm aware of the legal hurdles. I think the best thing is to just think in terms of a recumbent with rain-fairing, and maybe a small motor-assist that doesn't threaten reclassification as a motorcycle.
Fans are "cheap".
Air conditioners are power hogs, and for a small bike, might take as much energy as propulsion.
I'm not a big fan of air-conditioning but it seems to be a big factor for people preferring driving over biking, especially when dressed nice. Any AC on such a bike would probably just mean cooling the air coming in through vents in the fairing.
As far as the velomobile, one additional issue would be parking space, both at home, and at the final destination.
Yes, bikes park much easier without a bulky body around them, don't they? When will someone invent a 'rain force field' to divert rain? Maybe a strong fan would be sufficient to blow rain off you. Maybe that's the ticket, actually: mounting a solar-powered fan on the front of the bike to blow off rain and add a bit of propulsive thrust. Idk if you could get enough power from a solar panel for that, though.