http://www.go-one.us
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2JwEHN0eOK0&feature=related
My god those are so awesome. However, to surrounding drivers it does not look like a human powered vehicle so I would not feel comfortable taking that on highways or city roads. I can’t see drivers giving very much room while passing and they are also very low profile and I would hate to see a car/truck plow into one.
You can have high-vis flags attached to the rear:
freddotu has some excellent videos with his velomobile on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/user/freddotu
thats awesome, I want one! however, they are much more than I just payed for my truck:p
Those are really awesome. I saw one in Toronto the other day.
I am pretty sure that you can buy Velo kits that are sort of like a tent that you fashion around a recumbent or trike.
I could see this if you live somewhere really flat, but raincoats are certainly cheaper than that thing.
You can get something like BionX electric pedal assist.
I uni/bike around town year round for all my errands etc. so I was more looking at this as a highway vehicle replacement, however reading the site it doesn’t look like you can go much over 20mph.
no thank you …looks like too much junk on that thing
That seems like it defeats the point. The extra weight creates a problem that is fixed by adding a motor. Why not just wear a rain coat instead which keeps the weight down and prevents the need for a motor?
I do applaud the innovation, but a good cargo cycle would school that thing any day. Most people don’t have the strength to push a trike that heavy around.
I plan on getting one of these next fall to deal with our pac northwest weather. It should be just as good as that thing.
In California, and possibly other states, there’s a speed limit of 20mph for electric bicycles… that’s if you’re using all electric, or human power & electric. If you just use human power alone then you just follow the posted speed.
The design of this is not only to keep the weather out but it’s aerodynamic, thus you have less drag, thus enabling you to go faster. Some Velomobiles have been clocked at 60 mph (and the top bike speed is 81mph), and that’s just via human power. With electric assist you could cruise at 40mph on flats.
Even at low/average speeds they’re considerably faster than a regular bike.
Another cool one is Aerorider - http://www.aeroriderusa.com/aerorider/
Very nice close up on this film at 0:08
But who’d want to ride an enclosed recumbent trike up a hill on a hot day?
I used to have a recumbent bike. It made my back sweat because the seat prevents ventilation. The pedalling position is great for fast flat straights. Horrible up hill.
Gimmick.
It would be kind of cool if they only had 2 wheels instead of the 3 making it so you had to balance. It’d be pretty hard but it would be cool to see one of those carving down a street.
i think the gear ratio should be like 1:400. So you can go really really fast on it. It should also have brake plates in the bake, that press against ground when you try and stop. I dont think 3 square inches of rubber are going to do much when you try and stop.
I don’t doubt that they’d cruise on a downhill, but for in town human only power they’d suck. The aerodynamics won’t start to offset the incredible extra weight until somewhere above 25mph, and probably lots higher. Good luck maintaining that in something that heavy.
A regular two wheel recumbent with a bodysock fairing would be much, much better due to it’s non-existent weight (relatively) and be much cheaper. They tend to be hot, however (not like that thing wouldn’t be.) I’ve talked to many recumbent riders, and most of them say their fairings are hindrances more than advantages anywhere that has any sort of hills. A hard body like that just seems crazy.