Velomobiles

Comments

Neville (on the left) rode his velomobile into work today and came to visit us to show off his handiwork. We had a fun half an hour taking turns cycling up and down the street. If people are interested in looking at more photos, let me know!

Submitted by Sarah on 22 January 2008 15:50:00

Wow, that machine looks cool! Kind of like a cross between a bike, a side car and a rocket ship!

I would be interested to know the following from Neville once he's been commuting for a while:

- How is the visibility, both for him and other road users? He looks like he would be sitting lower than most cars. Do people not see him and try to run him over more often than on a conventional bike?

- Is he able to get between the cars waiting at a red light? In my opinion one of the advantages of a bike is not having to queue. Is this machine narrow enough to make the most of that advantage?

I would definitely like to see more pictures. Thanks for sharing, Sarah.

Submitted by Lindis on 23 January 2008 11:44:49

I saw this guy on the way to work this morning...it looked awesome, however I couldn't help wondering how good the visibility was for the driver and for other motorists.

Submitted by savaii5oh on 23 January 2008 15:10:06

Visibility. I came across him and then followed him in my car for a while last Saturday. I had no problem seeing him ahead of me. Much more visible that a bicycle might be. No real surprise there.
Whilst in front of me he kept up a steady 30kmph. Is that typical of one of these on the flat?

Submitted by Dairyflat on 23 January 2008 15:21:52

As people have spotted, I do sit lower in the velomobile than on a regular bike. After five days of use I have worked out:

• When approaching queued cars, don't pull up beside a car unless there's space to get ahead of it. Drivers won't see me beside them (especially if I've approached from behind), but they should see me if I'm ahead of them.
• Ride defensively: don't be in places where drivers can't see me; make eye contact; and if in doubt then assume they haven't seen me.
• Sometimes I can't see past a car beside me (e.g. at a give way sign). I simply have to wait until the car moves before I can see if it's safe to pull out. Sitting up straight helps – then my eye level is higher and further forward.
• People notice the velomobile because it's unusual ... and drivers seem to allow plenty of space, perhaps because they're not sure what it is (and therefore what it's likely to do).

Advantages and disadvantages of a velomobile compared to a bicycle:

• Over 20 km/h, bicycle speed is limited mainly by air resistance – that's why you can cycle faster with a tail wind than a head wind. A velomobile solves this problem with minimised frontal area and a streamlined shape. For the same energy input, it will always be faster than a bicycle on flat ground or downhill.
• A velomobile is more comfortable than a bicycle: there is a full reclined seat rather than a narrow saddle. A velomobile rider's natural vision angle is more comfortable than crouching over the handlebars of a racing bike and craning one's head back to see the road.
• The velomobile is around 2.5m long, 0.8m wide, 0.9m high and 32 kg (approx twice the weight of a mountain bike). It's faster than a bicycle in places where 30-40 km/h is possible, but it won't accelerate from standstill up to 20 km/h any quicker than a bicycle, nor will it fit in some bike-sized gaps in traffic. The weight makes it slower up hills (although momentum from the run-up can help).
• The velomobile can carry around 100 litres of luggage inside the tail and around the seat. With a convertible top (to be added soon) it also becomes fairly weatherproof.
• In the event of a collision, a velomobile shell offers more protection than a bicycle. See http://home.nikocity.de/jp/alleweder/crash.htm - the rider got concussion and minor injuries but survived a crash that may have been fatal to a cyclist.
• Overall a velomobile is more suited when there's a reasonable amount of space, or for comfort, luggage capacity and weather protection. A bicycle may be more practical in dense stop-start traffic or where there are hills.

Thank you to everyone who is taking an interest here ... I'll continue to answer any questions as they come up.

Submitted by Neville on 23 January 2008 15:37:06

Thanks, Neville. It certainly sounds like you're getting noticed. In fact it sounds like Dairyflat may have been stalking you! lol

Submitted by Lindis on 23 January 2008 15:53:27

Hi there
looks like Neville completed his project. I live in Whitby and I also have a KV4 velomobile. I got it when I was still in Nelson but unfortunately its not very suited to the hilly conditions in Whitby and Porirua area where I now live. If somebody is interested in buying it (from $5000) please let me know. Its ideally suited for flat conditions, e.g. Lower Hutt, Christchurch, Canterbury, etc.

Cheers, Joern (04-2359118)

Submitted by joernscherzer on 30 January 2008 13:52:23

Good luck selling your velomobile, Joern. If I lived somewhere flatter (and I was a bit braver!) I would buy it from you!

Submitted by Lindis on 5 February 2008 10:57:27

I have now used the velomobile with a speedo, so I can put some numbers to its performance: cruising speed for the 13km between Petone and Wellington is around 35kmh (ranges 32-38kmh) and peak speed so far is 46.5kmh.

I was unexpectedly off the road last week, so a friend borrowed the velomobile to commute between Petone and Wellington. He normally rides a racing bike, and found the velomobile speed comparable. The main difference was being able to drop by the supermarket on the way home and have space to carry plenty of groceries. For example, it would be no problem to get a couple of loaves of bread, a bag of spuds, some 3-litre fruit juice bottles and half a dozen cans.

During Bike Wise Week I plan to have the velomobile at Wellington's "Bike the Bays" (Frank Kitts Park on Sat 23 Feb) and the "Go by Bike Day" breakfast in Civic square on Wed 27 Feb. Anyone who wants to check it out close-up is most welcome.

(I also plan to be at the Hutt Valley "Bike the Trail" on Sun 24 Feb ... but if our grandchildren want to come too then I'll have an upright bike and tag-along tandem rather than the velomobile.)

On Sun 2 March there's a women's cycle/walk/run event at Hikoikoi Reserve in Petone(http://petonebaptist.org.nz/connect/upcoming.html). I lack one essential qualification to participate in this event(!), but we will have our "family bikes" on display there - the velomobile, a quadricycle (former "crocodile bike"), plus two cruisers and tandem tag-along. There really are bicycles to suit all sorts of riders!

Submitted by Neville on 18 February 2008 12:38:07

Four months after the velomobile hit the road, I've now done my first serious out of town trip. On Thursday I pedalled to Wanganui - 190 km from Wellington - in just under 8 hours. The return trip four days later took 7 hours and 35 minutes.

I am not a fully trained-up long distance cyclist. My only "training" is the 13 km commute each way to and from work, five days a week. Quite simply, a velomobile extends a person's pedal-powered range, makes it more comfortable, and can carry enough gear for a weekend. Even in late autumn a short-sleeve T-shirt is plenty warm enough, because inside the velomobile shell there's no wind-chill and body heat is retained.

If you want the environmental impact of a bicycle but with more comfort, speed, capacity and protection - do look into a velomobile.

Submitted by Neville on 21 May 2008 21:41:01

Giday Neville
I live in Palmerston North and have travelled to Wanganui many times. Can you give us an idea of the differences along the journey to Wanganui and back. ie up and down the hills.
Thanks

Submitted by HocklyJ on 5 June 2008 09:02:38

Hi HocklyJ

Slowest parts are up the hills. Whangaehu hill is the steepest, with speed around 5-6 km/h. Down hills I have reached 67 km/h (once) but I don't recommend it because the suspension doesn't cope well on NZ quality roads - to much bounce in the bumps with potential loss of control. Around 50 km/h is fine.

On the northbound trip it took two hours from Sanson to Wanganui - towards the end of the day and I was tired. I can't recall the southbound time for the same leg of the journey, but it would have been shorter.

Based on my trip I believe Palmerston North to Wanganui would take around three hours. The road from Sanson to PN is mostly flat so it should be quicker than Wanganui to Bulls.

Since the Wanganui trip I have covered 80 km in a single day (split into multiple hops) with no unusual effort. I am confident that 100 km a day could be sustained for a reasonable number of consecutive days.

Submitted by Neville on 9 June 2008 15:56:37

I also live in Palmerston North. It seems to me that Palmerston North is an ideal place to commute around town in one of these vehicles. Palmerston North is mainly flat and the streets are very wide. Is there any objection to having these vehicles on the road? Where would they drive - in the car lane or on the side (and in bike lanes)?

Submitted by Malley on 6 September 2008 06:56:55

If anyone is interested in velomobiles please check out Frederik van de Walle's thesis entitled: "The Velomobile as a Vehicle for more Sustainable Transportation“ from this web address:

http://users.pandora.be/fietser/fotos/VM4SD-FVDWsm.pdf

I would be interested in your comments.

Submitted by Malley on 6 September 2008 07:18:23

Hi Malley - legally a velomobile counts as a bicycle, so you can ride it anywhere that bicycles are allowed. An important point regarding cycle lanes - there is no legal requirement for cyclists to use them - explicitly covered in 2004 road legislation, I understand.

A velomobile is a little wider than a bicycle and often travels faster - sometimes around 40 km/h. This makes some cycle paths unsuitable for velomobiles - especially if shared with pedestrians. However, such a speed speed also makes it easier to fit in with motor traffic.

I ride to one side of the traffic lane when there is space for vehicles to pass me safely, but where there isn't enough space then I ride in the centre of the lane so drivers don't try to force their way through and squash me into the curb etc. This approach is also quite correct for ordinary bicycles - stated in the Road Code.

Submitted by Neville on 10 September 2008 21:27:15

rant

Neville, you're absolutely right about the lane positioning - I just wish some car drivers would understand this! Some drivers seem to get really agitated when they have to follow a slower vehicle like a bike (even if they only have to follow it for a few seconds). Then they seem to think they are justified in swinging out and passing on corners/ double yellow lines/ pedestrian crossings - and of course it is then the cyclist's fault for making them do it! Grrrr!

Sorry to hijack this thread. It just makes me so frustrated when I see some road users bullying more vulnerable road users.

/rant

As you were.

Submitted by Lindis on 11 September 2008 11:17:25

Hi Lindis - if the digression is about cycling, feel free to thread-hijack any time you like.

There seem to be two schools of thought on cycling and traffic:

1. "Give us nice safe cycle lanes so we can stay clear of those nasty cars."
2. "Bicycles are traffic and belong on the road - other road users must play nicely with the bikes."

I'm firmly in the second camp... my reasoning:

• There is no way that every major NZ road will ever have its own cycle lane, so inevitably drivers are going to encounter bicycles. Let's make the encounters as frequent as possible so drivers learn to share the road.
• Many cycle lanes are squashed into whatever left-over space is available, making them fine for cycling at 15 km/h but not at 35-40km/h. Example: Petone has a new cycle lane being built from the off-ramp roundabout north towards Petone station. On the plus side they have built it around the native trees rather than chopping them (I like trees), but in places the trees are an "island" in the middle of the path, with a three-foot gap on either side. This simply won't work at any reasonable speed so I expect that many cyclists will continue to use the road - certainly I will.
• Even where there is a cycle lane, it is often shared with pedestrians and crosses many side-roads and driveways - all potential collision points because road traffic doesn't expect bicycles to appear suddenly there.

Despite my personal preferences, I think cycle lanes are a great idea if they encourage cycling by people who otherwise wouldn't ride a bike. But I believe that cyclists who are travelling at more than about 20 km/h should use their right to be on the road amongst the traffic - taking a whole lane at those points where safety requires it. I understand that this may result in some cycling fatalities until drivers become more bike-aware (or unable to afford petrol soon!), but the alternative would be to stay off the road and admit that "might is right" ... and I refuse to kow-tow to that.

Further resources:

• http://www.kenkifer.com (Cycling advocate, sadly killed by a drunk driver)
• http://www.johnforester.com (Bicycles are traffic - behave as such)

Okay - how's THAT for a rant?

Submitted by Neville on 23 September 2008 17:31:08

I'm totally enthused! Pity they weren't that accessible as I'm looking to buy a bike to take my son out riding. I gather they don't come tandem or passenger in construction (my 15 month old would LOVE riding in something like this)!. IT has that fun element for him, and in terms of me missing my pre-child cycling days, I would love to use it for my own fitness!

Submitted by Ani Manaia on 24 September 2008 09:37:54

Hi Ani - in general, velomobiles don't come as a tandem. The reason is mainly engineering - a tandem-length velomobile would be difficult to make rigid, and not very manouverable.

Exceptions/alternatives:

One-off custom-made tandem velomobile - links from here (note the length required):
http://www.velomobiling.com/MoreThanOne

Same model as mine, with "hatch" for infant passenger. Would work for a 2-3 years only:
http://guilhem.valentin.free.fr/aaw/album/03sorties/02balade/thumbnails-...

Alternative to ride with kids out of the weather (although rider still gets wet):
http://bikeportland.org/2007/01/30/bakfiets-shipment-arrives-sightings-b...
also http://www.bakfiets.nl

Sadly the bakfiets would be quite costly in NZ - probably around $3-5000. But an enthusiastic DIY person could build something similar with a welder and some old bikes. (I have started collecting parts to do exactly that...)

Anyone for whom the DIY route appeals - see also: http://www.atomiczombie.com - all sorts of bicycle variants that you can make yourself, or use as a starting point for your own ideas.

The great thing about building custom bicycles is that there aren't the same certification rules as for motor vehicles. Obviously your creation must be inherently safe and the law states "brakes on front and back wheels" ... but that leaves plenty of design latitude.

Submitted by Neville on 28 September 2008 08:12:11

Good on you Neville! Early adoption of this type of technology is truly insipring. I imagine as Velomobile technology / design gets better ie. lighter, more aerodynamic & cheaper to build that these machines will have a place in the transport matrix which is sadly dominated by the fossil fuelled vehicles we have.

I agree with your comments on bicycle paths vs road use, I too will ride away from the kerb - it gives the rider/pilot(velomobile) two bailout options. Most times I have been hit by cars is when they do a LH turn in front of me. Riding out from the kerb at least cars will actually see you!!!

If you were to make your own velomobile what would you change from the Allweder you are piloting at present?

Submitted by miniV on 21 October 2008 09:21:41

Hi MiniV - I did look at designing/building my own velomobile before I bought the kit. In the end I went with the kit because the extra cost was probably in the region of $1-2,000 ... but it's a proven design and I wasn't confident that something I designed would be as viable (weight/strength considerations).

There's nothing about the Alleweder (KV4) that I would change. There are velomobile models which are more aerodynamic and faster, but they have moulded bodies (fibreglass or carbon fibre) and are sold completely assembled. Add on freight from Europe and you'd be looking at around $12-14,000 compared to circa $5,000 for the KV4.

Another advantage of the KV4 is that if an aluminium body panel is damaged I can reproduce it locally - compare this with having to replace a damaged moulded shell from Europe.

We also have a Ciclofan Sirenetta - better known in Wellington as a "crocodile bike" (someone else's photo from Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/82269993@N00/85652854/). The steering/brakes/wheels are strong but there are no gears and the seat position doesn't adjust. So one of these days I will rebuild the chassis into a more velomobile-like configuration with slide-adjustable front seats, gearing and probably a streamlined shell. There's no suspension but the finished bike will probably only manage up to about 30 km/h so it can get by without. No plans drawn yet, but the loose intention is two front seats with pedals and a back seat sized for kids, also removable/foldable so the bike becomes like a small pickup truck for local carrying. A folding weatherproof top would be good too.

Submitted by Neville on 21 October 2008 23:00:02

The Velomobile is an interesting idea, thanks for informing me. With such a low profile it would be beneficial to have some form of flag or other item that extends to about 2m to alert drivers to the hazard of such a low vehicle. This is why many 'pensioner-scooters' and wheelchairs have these flags.

I believe that electric assist vehicles are the way ahead for sustainable transport. My aim is to make one I have designed, and hopefully export it as well to contribute to both the environment and the economy. You can help, by completing my survey, at the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pKXm_2brIPpCg7Kfj0y_2fWR7Q_3d_3d

Now to design one of these velomobiles!

Thanks! - Sustainable Transport for all!

Submitted by Electricrider on 4 January 2009 11:47:39

Hello Electricrider, I think electric vehicles (and electric-assisted vehicles) certainly have a place in a sustainable fleet. Ideally there would be enough variety of reasonably-priced vehicles to allow everyone to drive or ride the appropriate one for their circumstances.

Today I am riding my partner's 4-stroke 180cc scooter. It does a great job of transporting me at motorway speeds, including over the Auckland Harbour Bridge (a challenge for some electric scooters). Late last year I went to the launch of an electric scooter that can cruise at 100kph, but costs $18,000!

I will go and do your survey now. Good luck with your project.

Submitted by Lindis on 13 January 2009 12:47:41

Hey I'v been reading your blog from quite some time now and I just wanted to say keep up the good work.

Submitted by jameswachai001 on 25 October 2009 23:32:00