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Unfortunately they cost close to a car ~5000 euros. Here is a couple of links related to bicycles like that http://www.dutchbikes.nl/pagina/links.htm http://ww

by yread 14y ago

Unfortunately they cost close to a car ~5000 euros. Here is a couple of links related to bicycles like that http://www.dutchbikes.nl/pagina/links.htm http://www.dutchbikes.nl/pagina/links.htm I've met them on the street a couple of times and while they are really fast, I would be worried about the safety - you're really low - you don't see much from there and what's worse you're almost invisible behind a line of parked cars. Some of them have a pole with a little flag for this reason.

goldfeld 14y ago
All your caveats relate to velomobiles not being popular, which is indeed a network effect problem and the biggest issue. I'm sure they would cheapen up fast with mass production and competition driving down prices, and when you don't have to worry about sharing the road with lumbering machines weighting a ton, safety isn't a problem. So yeah, I guess America is out for a good while, let's hope Europe gets this trendy fast. They sure look retro enough for their hipsters.
- salmonellaeater 14y ago
  > when you don't have to worry about sharing the road with lumbering machines weighting a ton, safety isn't a problem. The best model I can think of for how these might be used is the use of scooters in Asia. In Taiwan, for example, there are bicycle/scooter lanes on major arterials and special signage and traffic rules for scooters. Major intersections have 2-stage turn boxes exclusively for use by scooters and bikes, and there are scooter/bike boxes at the front of most traffic lights. A scooter is the fastest way to get around when there's traffic. The downside is that scooters are still very dangerous, since they still sometimes have to interact with large vehicles. A vehicle even shorter would be even worse. The article focuses a lot on the energy efficiency of these velomobiles, but I would argue that the time people waste in traffic is a much more pressing problem. Reforming our infrastructure to support smaller vehicles and to give preference to public transit is the solution, and it has the additional advantage of making all kinds of more efficient transportation possible.
  - maurits 14y ago
    In short, build bike lanes like the dutch. [1] Big, physically separated, omnipresent bike lines. Ensure that bikes are first class citizens on intersections. Compare the 2-stage turn with the dutch design [2] [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlApbxLz6pA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlApbxLz6pA
tga 14y ago
I keep coming across velomobiles and they are slick and all, but I would find it hard to justify the price when, as a casual user, all you get over a good €1000 bike is some protection from the elements, while also losing a lot of mobility and parking convenience. I would rather like to see (recumbent) bikes with a cheap nylon-like soft cover against the wind and rain, that would probably shave a lot of the cost going into the body.
- yread 14y ago
  this looks like the cover is removable http://hasebikes.com/83-1-Klimax-2-K.html http://hasebikes.com/83-1-Klimax-2-K.html
- bosie 14y ago
  > all you get over a good €1000 bike is some protection from the elements and speed. http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm at 200w i would be 50% faster (with no wind) than with a road bike. with wind its far more. imagine going 50km/h or 60km/h with a bicycle
  - tga 14y ago
    Make that a €2000 good electrical bike then, you're still paying €3000+ for the fancy body.
anonymous 14y ago
Can somebody give a reason why velomobiles are so low to the ground? Would they become much less aerodynamic if made with about about half a meter more ground clearance?
- Pxtl 14y ago
  Several reasons: 1) unlike a bike, they can't bank into turns. Unlike a car, they're narrow. So at speed, a taller vehicle would be vulnerable to tipping. Being low to the ground allows them to sport a better ratio of base-width vs. centre of gravity, which is crucial to prevent tipping. 2) wind. Lightweight enclosed vehicles are incredibly vulnerable to wind. Again, tipping becomes a concern. They make taller enclosed 2-wheelers, but they're designed for time trials on tracks and are inappropriate for use outdoors because they get blown over. It's probably possible to design a vehicle with a wider base and an elevated frame, and only enclose the driver/gearing compartment, but it would be very challenging. These vehicles seem very cool and, more importantly, very efficient... but I'd never ride one on roads that include automobile traffic.

by yread 14y ago

goldfeld 14y ago

All your caveats relate to velomobiles not being popular, which is indeed a network effect problem and the biggest issue. I'm sure they would cheapen up fast with mass production and competition driving down prices, and when you don't have to worry about sharing the road with lumbering machines weighting a ton, safety isn't a problem. So yeah, I guess America is out for a good while, let's hope Europe gets this trendy fast. They sure look retro enough for their hipsters.

salmonellaeater 14y ago
> when you don't have to worry about sharing the road with lumbering machines weighting a ton, safety isn't a problem. The best model I can think of for how these might be used is the use of scooters in Asia. In Taiwan, for example, there are bicycle/scooter lanes on major arterials and special signage and traffic rules for scooters. Major intersections have 2-stage turn boxes exclusively for use by scooters and bikes, and there are scooter/bike boxes at the front of most traffic lights. A scooter is the fastest way to get around when there's traffic. The downside is that scooters are still very dangerous, since they still sometimes have to interact with large vehicles. A vehicle even shorter would be even worse. The article focuses a lot on the energy efficiency of these velomobiles, but I would argue that the time people waste in traffic is a much more pressing problem. Reforming our infrastructure to support smaller vehicles and to give preference to public transit is the solution, and it has the additional advantage of making all kinds of more efficient transportation possible.
- maurits 14y ago
  In short, build bike lanes like the dutch. [1] Big, physically separated, omnipresent bike lines. Ensure that bikes are first class citizens on intersections. Compare the 2-stage turn with the dutch design [2] [1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuBdf9jYj7o [2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlApbxLz6pA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlApbxLz6pA

tga 14y ago

I keep coming across velomobiles and they are slick and all, but I would find it hard to justify the price when, as a casual user, all you get over a good €1000 bike is some protection from the elements, while also losing a lot of mobility and parking convenience. I would rather like to see (recumbent) bikes with a cheap nylon-like soft cover against the wind and rain, that would probably shave a lot of the cost going into the body.

yread 14y ago
this looks like the cover is removable http://hasebikes.com/83-1-Klimax-2-K.html http://hasebikes.com/83-1-Klimax-2-K.html
bosie 14y ago
> all you get over a good €1000 bike is some protection from the elements and speed. http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm at 200w i would be 50% faster (with no wind) than with a road bike. with wind its far more. imagine going 50km/h or 60km/h with a bicycle
- tga 14y ago
  Make that a €2000 good electrical bike then, you're still paying €3000+ for the fancy body.

anonymous 14y ago

Can somebody give a reason why velomobiles are so low to the ground? Would they become much less aerodynamic if made with about about half a meter more ground clearance?

Pxtl 14y ago
Several reasons: 1) unlike a bike, they can't bank into turns. Unlike a car, they're narrow. So at speed, a taller vehicle would be vulnerable to tipping. Being low to the ground allows them to sport a better ratio of base-width vs. centre of gravity, which is crucial to prevent tipping. 2) wind. Lightweight enclosed vehicles are incredibly vulnerable to wind. Again, tipping becomes a concern. They make taller enclosed 2-wheelers, but they're designed for time trials on tracks and are inappropriate for use outdoors because they get blown over. It's probably possible to design a vehicle with a wider base and an elevated frame, and only enclose the driver/gearing compartment, but it would be very challenging. These vehicles seem very cool and, more importantly, very efficient... but I'd never ride one on roads that include automobile traffic.