Category: velomobiles

RECUMBENT TRIKES … ARE THEY FOR YOU?

You may be asking … “is a recumbent trike for me”? Keep in mind that one does not have to be old  or disabled to ride a tadpole trike. But if you happen to be old or disabled recumbent trikes are likely your answer. They are highly modifiable and can be equipped to meet the needs of nearly everybody. From a basic tadpole trike to a FAT trike to a sophisticated velomobile there are lots to choose from. When it comes to riding on thru the winter most definitely 3 (or 4) wheels are far better and safer than only 2.

That is how I got started with tadpole trikes. Winter was fast approaching and I wanted to keep riding … riding safely. I knew 2 wheels were unsafe as a bicycle goes down readily on slippery surfaces. I had already experienced that more than once. Fortunately I never received any serious injury, but I was well aware it can happen. So I built me first tadpole trike and rode it thru the winter. I fell in love with riding a tadpole trike. It is so much more fun than riding a bicycle and it is much much safer. When Spring time finally came around I tried switching back to a 2 wheel recumbent bike, but quickly discovered that I much preferred riding the trike so I sold my bike which I didn’t care to ride anymore. That was in the winter of 2007-2008. So for 16 years now I have had the infamous “recumbent smile” on my face and never a moment’s regret. Recumbent tadpole trikes are difinitely for me. I bought a 2009 Catrike Trail and sold my homemade tadpole trike.  I now ride a 2013 Catrike Trail.

Recumbent trikes come in two completely different design builds … a Delta with one wheel in the front and two wheels in the back …. and a Tadpole (originally called a Reverse trike) with two wheels in the front and one wheel in the back.

Although my personal preference is a Tadpole design you may find you prefer (need) a Delta design.  A Tadpole is like driving a sports car (Corvette) while a Delta is like driving a family sedan (Rambler). Not everybody is able to get in and out of the low seat of a Tadpole trike so for them the Delta is the only way to go. In all fairness there are some Delta trikes which are made low to the ground and built for speed and cornering.

These videos address these subjects:

As shown in the video above there is a lot of difference between a Delta recumbent trike and a Tadpole recumbent trike. I fully agree with the thumbs down for the Delta and the thumbs up for the Tadpole.

One last comment … I have found that riding a tadpole trike brings a whole lot more respect from motorists than one gets riding a bicycle. That, of course, adds greatly to the safety factor.

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RAIN PROTECTION

It feels like rain drops … so many rain drops … it feels like rain drops falling on my head. So go the words to a popular song from my teen years. Personally I try not to ride in the rain but I know some cyclists choose to go and ride boldly ride in inclement weather.

I used to carry rain gear with me on my trike but I have not now for several years. I don’t even know if I still have any. I never have had any “quality rain gear”. I know it is expensive. The one above is $450 and that is just for the jacket.  I think that is an outrageous price … about 4 1/2 times more than it should cost. I find that the rider’s seat position on a tadpole trike makes it difficult to get proper effective protection compared to what the rider of a bicycle has. This is mostly the lower part of the body I am talking about. If I were a rich man I would have quality rain gear and the means of carrying it along with me on my trike. Maybe someday, but I am not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

Here is a pair of $190 rainproof pants …

Being a big person (I am talking about FAT) it is quite challenging and difficult to get in and out of rain gear, especially the pants. It is hard enough to put them on at home but when I am already out riding it is extremely difficult to do.

What about canopies, you ask? They are great for  providing shade but they don’t help much when it comes to rain, especially when the rain is coming down on an angle and wind is blowing it about. At best they might keep the face, head and neck dry. But if the wind is blowing the rain  much … huh uh! I speak from experience. And most canopies offer no protection for the feet and lower legs.

There are canopies which offer more protection … on the sides and the front. Of course, they cost more.

And then there are velomobiles which offer great protection. The one shown above even has a windshield wiper.

I know I don’t like riding in the rain. I have done so many times out of necessity … I got caught out in it … and I got quite soaked just like I had been in swimming with my clothes on.

Lastly, there is always the concern of getting electronics wet. Water and electricity still don’t mix. Cell phones, GPS devices, etc. must be protected. Many of us have electic motors on our trikes.  The motors themselves are water resistant but wiring, batteries, switches, connections, and display consoles can be a concern. I have had moisture get inside of my computer and my display console. Both took days to dry back out. I had a perfectly good battery get destroyed by getting wet inside. That was a costly mistake.

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PODBIKE FRIKAR VELOCAR

Norway is working on bringing this velocar to market. They call it a velomobile which, of course, it is. I call it a velocar as technically that is what it is. It has some neat features. It has pedals but there is no mechanical connection of any sort to use them to propel this quadmobile along. What it does have is wires as pedaling turns an e-motor acting as a generator to supply power to charge a battery. BTW, pedaling backwards will reverse the direction the vehicle is going. They have designed this velocar so that the top speed going downhill is limited to 60 kph or about 37 mph. The motors will brake the speed automatically. It is capable of regenerating braking where it can put some charge back into the motors. Being a quadcycle it has a total of 3 motors … one of each rear wheel and one used as a generator to charge the battery when pedaling.

There is a stainless steel roll bar designed into this velocar to provide some degree of safety in case of a rollover. There is also  built in means of emergency escape if the normal exit mode is not able to be used.

With that huge clear canopy vision certainly should not be a problem. You might be wondering how the rider gets into and out of it. The canopy raises up out of the way but so does the body. I am not sure what the reason is for the body raising up. It seems to me that would make it more difficult, especially for a short person. I guess I would have to see it and try it to make a fair judgement.

Being made in Norway their main market is in Europe, of course. That also means that this vehicle is limited to only 250 watts. The idea of getting out of the weather is appealing. They say that this vehicle is about the width of a typical bicycle trailer. That means is would easily fit on bicycle trails.

It has special lighting along the sides to help it to be seen. Of course, it has LED headlights and taillights and turn signals. It has cargo space behind the seat. They offer a child seat option.

I am a little confused by their claimed turning radius as they show 138 inches which is about 11.5 feet but their video shows a circle which is the diameter not the radius. I would hope it is 138 inch diameter as 138 inch radius is quite a large turning diameter.

One nice feature they have incorporated into the design is the ability to park/store this vehicle in a smaller space than what it would normally require.

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

VIDEOS

One battery comes with the purchase of this quad. An extra battery can be purchased and this vehicle is designed to accommodate two batteries.

They made changing the wheels easy enough … just one bolt to remove and off it comes. I like the spokeless wheels. Extra wheels can be purchased to use for winter tires.

Now if your appetite is wetted and you live in the United States I am aftraid I have some bad news for you. So sorry Charlie! Due to stupid laws in place motorized quads are not legal here. So you can not buy one of these and have it shipped here. To satifsfy your curiosity the price tag for the premium model is about $7351. That even includes carpeting on the floor. Shipping charges are extra.

THE STANDARD FRIKAR E-BIKE WILL INCLUDE:
One external mirror
Easily removable canopy
Dual front lights
Dual rear lights
Sidelights *not in Germany
Direction indicator lights
Daylight running lamp
Reverse light *not in Germany
Hazzard warning light
Internal speaker for warnings
Adjustable seat
Adjustable pedal generator
Pedals with toe cap
Summer tires
Battery (reach up to 80 km)
Standard battery charger
USB charge port
Mobile phone mount
Bike bell
Ready for user-installed keyless entry kit (user-installable)
Bluetooth interface for free dashboard app

Initially they are only selling their Plus model which I called their premium model. It has a few features their Standard model does not have.

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FRIKAR E-BIKE VELOCAR TRIKE

From the Norwegian makers of Podride their newest offering is this e-motor version. The problem is like their Podride the  Frikar is still  not available. It is only in prototype and not in production. They are taking pre-orders however. They show a production startup of Spring 2022. and actual availability in 2023.

Personally I would prefer Podride’s quad version as it would be more stable.

One thing for sure, whether 3 wheels or 4 wheels the rider is protected from the weather. Of cours,e being closed up inside of a velocar is quite uncomfortable in hot weather. It does say that the canopy is removable. In hot weather I would prefer not to be inside of any body unless it has air conditioning. Hey, they may offer it at some point in the future.

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PODRIDE UPDATE 2022

It is even cuter than before and a lot of interest is being shown in it. It looks like a car but it is a human powered vehicle.  The developer thought they would have it in production by mid 2021 but it didn’t happen. They are working on it and are hopeful they will be able to make it available soon. They are starting out with a quad (4 wheels) and with or without e-motor pedal assist made to comply with European laws meaning only 250 watts pedal assist only (no hand throttle). Later they plan on making a 3 wheel version with a 500 watt motor and a hand throttle as well. As for me, I would want a quad not 3 wheels as a quad is more stable and practical. I wonder if one could get a quad with a 500 watt motor and hand throttle.

https://www.mypodride.com/

Their FAQ page provides quite a lot of information. They don’t know yet what the price will be. For sure it has increased considerably since I first wrote about the Podride over 6 years ago. Their FACEBOOK page is still available as well as their website.

Everywhere the Podride is shown it draws a crowd. I am sure it would be the same once they are being sold. Did I mention that they are such a cute little thing? I wonder how the  material will hold up over time? I wonder if the color will fade out?  I might even like having one.  If nothing else, it would be nice to have the protection it would offer from the weather elements. I wonder how it would do in high winds and gusts? It is not easy or inexpensive to bring such a product to market. I sure hope they make it and it becomes very successful. It is such a cute little thing. Did I mention that?

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NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN

We tend to think that tadpole trikes are a recent invention but we are quite mistaken. They date back into the late 1800s. I would show you a picture of it would likely be sued for doing so. You can see it by doing an online search for “the first tadpole tricycle” (be sure to include the quotation marks) and look at images.

I have written about this before but upon seeing some old tadpole trikes on THIS website from back in 1949 I was reminded of the saying that there is nothing new under the sun.

Do you know where that saying originated?   What has been will be again … is a bible verse found in Ecclesiastes 1:9. “What has been, it is what will be,
And what has been done, it is what will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.”  Eccl. 1:9

We sometimes think we as modern man are so smart but man has always been smart and many things were accomplished long ago most of us have no idea about. I will readily admit that modern man has often times greatly improved what was originally created. Definitely today’s tadpole trikes are an excellent example of this. I will say this … if you were riding down the trail on the original (first) tadpole trike it would probably draw more attention than a modern tadpole trike does.

Yeppur, there have been lots of innovations having to do with cycling over the many decades that have passed. However, most likely there is little that is really something new as scripture holds true … there is nothing new under the sun. And history really does repeat itself. Well, it is time to go for a ride on my tadpole trike. I am doing my best to …

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VELOMOBILE RIDE

Most of us probably know that velomobiles are far more popular in parts of Europe than they are here in the U.S.

This video is just one of many they have available …

Here are a bunch of videos of velomobiles in one particular area.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmiFpfGDYDuEZnVgNJjU7Gw/videos

I am sure that in foul weather it would be nice to be enclosed inside of one to stay dry and warm. Other than that they have absolutely no appeal to me as they are very noisy and hot inside in the summer time. I doubt if I could even get in and out of one of them unless it had a door on the side to use. To each his own. May we all …

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PODRIDE REVISTED

I first wrote about the Podride e-quad vehicle five years ago. It is a cute little thing but I assumed like so many prototype projects out there trying to make it to market it failed and faded away. Just moments ago I was re-reading my article and decided to click on the link to their Facebook page. I expected it to be past history and no longer exist but much to my surprise and delight I found it still very much alive and functioning. And the first thing I saw posted was that their project is still going and getting closer to reality. I would love to see these running around. They are just so cute! HERE is their update. The body has been totally redesigned and now it is even cuter than before.

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RECUMBENT HISTORY

 

I  came across this interesting webpage I want to share here. It is the history of recumbents. Lots of photos and information are found here.

https://www.lightningbikes.com/riders/martin-krieg/recumbent-history/index.html

It was the photo below that influenced me when I built my first recembent bike. I considered using this steering setup on it, but went with  a different type instead.

Here is what I built. I used two steering heads and connected them together with an adjustable connecting rod …

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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

I put together this video for this occasion.  Yes, it is a repeat from 2018. I have decided to offer it every Christmas Day each year. It is a compilation of images of recumbent trikes out in the snow … riding in a winter wonderland. Merry  Christmas to each and everyone of you. May you truly know and embrace the reason for the season. 

BTW, we hear all the time that Jesus is the reason for the season. That is not really true. We are the reason for the season. Jesus did not come to earth for Himself. He came for us. We are the reason He came to dwell among us. He did all He could do … all that He needed to do … accomplishing the mission He was on. “The ball is in our court”. The video further below tells the story of the man and the birds. It is a beautiful illustration of what God did for us.

I love this story Paul Harvey is well known for telling … The Man and the Birds:

Christmas is known for gift giving. If you have not already done so please consider taking advantage of this limited time offer …

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TWO VELOMOBILES RIDING AFTER DARK

Here are two velomobiles riding home from work after dark. I think this is in Holland where they sure have nice cycling infrastructure.

Looks like they are ENJOYING THE RIDE. Let’s all do the same.

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ANALOGY OF A CRASH … SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF

 

Although this story is about a velomobile we all need to remember that a velomobile is a tadpole trike with a shell around it. That means that what happened to this velomobile can happen to a tadpole trike. I have written about trike tip over before.

These videos point that out. This was an accident and accidents do happen. I have had several accidents on my tadpole trike. Fortunately I am still here to talk about it. BTW, rumble strips are very dangerous for small lightweight vehicles including bicycles and motorcycles. At the end of this video I will relate the story of another velomobile that encountered rumble strips.

Back in the summer of 2011 a group of velomobiles (mostly from Europe) rode from Portland, Oregon to Washington, D.C. This organized ride was called ROAM (Roll Over America). There were about 50 velomobiles involved. They came thru Fort Wayne, Indiana where I live and stayed overnight at a local city park at a campground. I went there to see them and meet some of them. I wrote up an article on my Tadpole Rider blog. While talking with some of the riders I learned of one of them that had their ride cut short way back in the western U.S. when going 70 mph downhill and flipped over suddenly when it hit rumble strips. These European riders knew nothing of rumble strips as they don’t have them in Europe they said. This was a very unfriendly introduction indeed. The velomobile involved in this wreck was hauled on a trailer the rest of the way.

The good thing about this was it was only the outside of the velomobile that got “road rash”. That body protected his body. If he had been on a regular tadpole trike he likely would have had an altogether different outcome. It could have been not only road rash but he could have slid right into or under the passing truck.

Yes, sliding around sideways and suddenly have the rear tire catch regaining some traction can easily result in a violent tip over. As the saying goes … Been There, Done That … and I am not anxious to repeat it. Try to be careful out there. We all want to be safe and …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

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RECUMBENT RACING

Anyone up for a race? Just 35 miles west of where I live is a small town where they have recumbent races. Here is a video highlighting some of the racing. I found it interesting that the tandems and the velomobile were not competitive at all. They got passed like they were sitting still. I thought the velomobile would be leading the pack followed by the tandems.

If I were younger I might participate in something like this. But, alas, I am now an old man and age has caught up with me. I am sure that this was a fun event for those who raced.

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DIY (Do It Yourself) VELOMOBILE

It is a lot of work and most certainly not everybody is up to it, but if you are you too could build your own velomobile. Click HERE to see the webpage on this.

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PODRIDE VELOCAR

Another new velocar is attempting to be birthed into the market place. It’s a cute little thing called a Podride. HERE is their website. Both a 3 wheel version and a 4 wheel version are planned. It will be available with or without electric pedal assist.

They have a StartUp Campaign and a YouTube Channel.

Their website states that they hope to have their product available in Canada and the United States by late 2017 … first in a non-motorized quad and soon to follow a motorized trike.

2 wheel drive above, single wheel drive below

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PANNONRIDER SOLAR VELOMOBILE

pannonrider-solar-velomobile-with-canopy-open

The Pannorider Solar Velomobile is a rather interesting concept. It hails from Hungary, however it is not yet in production to my knowledge. Most solar powered “velocars” don’t look much like what we think of as far as traditional velomobiles. They are usually “boxier” and sit higher. An example is the ELF. With the exception of the rear end the Pannonrider looks more like a traditional velomobile. That means it is more aerodynamic than a velocar such as an Elf. Of course, there are good and bad points to each. I reckon it comes down to personal taste and needs. The velocar would be easier to get in and out of, but it also has a higher center of gravity. The velocar would probably be more practical to haul things in if shopping is one of your main uses for the vehicle. But if you are mainly using the vehicle to ride and like the idea of solar power then the Pannonrider might be more suited for you … if it ever comes to market.

pannonrider-solar-velomobile-front-view

There are lots more pictures of it HERE.

From the video description … “It is obviously designed to be used in cities and in the traffic so it has pretty big ground clearance, most probably very good turning circle, full cover etc. The solar panels are integrated in the roof and on the rear side which gives it a very special look. Maybe not so aerodynamic, but this velomobile is not supposed to be a racing machine, but more to be a practical vehicle for everyday use.”

pannonrider-solar-velomobile-side-view

Their website consists of these four pages:

Concept     Realization     Pannonrider 1     Pannonrider 2

pannonrider-solar-velomobile-rear-view

The basic parameters of the hybrid HPV driven by alternative energy:

Top speed: 31 mph (50 km/h)
Range: 43.5 miles (70 km)
Weight: 66 pounds (30 kg)
Capacity: 264.5 pounds (120 kg)
Gradability: 20 %
Lifetime: min. 10 years

*Zero emission from the primary energy production to final use
*Network independent alternative energy production and storage on the vehicle
*Human and other alternative energy use in the drive train
*Application of environmentally friendly, recyclable materials in each unit
*Electronic energy and drive management
*Ultra lightweight, yet secure body, which protect passengers from all external        impacts
*Ergonomic interior
*Undercarriage: in the font and at the rear, damped, adjustable suspension
*Braking: braking energy, regenerating braking
*Fits today’s environmental, security and quality demand
*Attractive design
*Low exceeding height, easy to get in for PRM

HERE is an article on this velomobile. And HERE is another article.

So if you have a hankerin’ for an electric motor pedal assist velomobile with a little help from the sun keep your eye open for news of this vehicle coming into production. Meanwhile I know I am going to just do my best to … KEEP ON PEDALIN’ so I can do my best to …

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HIGH TECH TRIKE OR LOW TECH CAR

velomobiles-lined-up-in-front-of-capital-bldg-in-d

I recently came across an article about velomobiles which I found very interesting and well written so I am sharing a link to it HERE.

Here is the article’s opening paragraph:

“Recumbent bikes with bodywork evoke a curious effect. They look as fast as a racing car or a jet fighter, but of course, they’re not. Nevertheless, thanks to the recumbent position, the minimal weight and the outstanding aerodynamics, pedaling a “velomobile” requires three to four times less energy than pedaling a normal bicycle.“

The one thing I saw throughout the article which always bothers me when I come across it is their referring to a trike as a bike. That is like calling a truck a car … something very misleading and confusing. It is not at all “savvy”. I realize that there are velomobiles which are bikes (two wheels), but most are trikes (three wheels). Anyway, the article covers a lot of aspects of velomobiles and is informative.

https://etrike.wordpress.com/velomobile/

oceancycle-velomobile-for-ice-cockpitt-view-looking-forward

Every time I see this picture it reminds me of sitting in a jet fighter looking forward thru the windshield. I bet the jet fighter cockpit is a lot more comfortable to ride inside of than a velomobile though.

view-from-cockpit-of-velomobile

Yes, once again I was having a little fun with photo editing. This is probably as close as I will ever get to looking thru the windshield of a velomobile … at least from the inside looking out. 😉

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SPEZIALRADMESSE SPEZI SHOW IN GERMANY

SPEZI 2016 entrance

Welcome to SPEZI 2016

Most of us were/are not able to go there personally. Fortunately there are some folks who did go and they went for one purpose … to provide a report consisting of interviews on video. And now they’re back … and the Laidback Bike Report from Spezi 2016 in Germersheim, Germany is completed and uploaded to YouTube.

laidback bike report banner

Gary Solomon writes … “Known in Germany as the Spezialradmesse this is the world’s largest trade show of recumbents of all sorts. There were about 20 exhibitors who showed 2 wheeler recumbents and about 40 exhibitors with trikes most of them recumbent. ” I am not trying to steal their thunder. I only want to be a channel … a means … for others to discover their great video and view it. They truly did a great job … very professional.The interviews are very interesting and very informative. You can find out “what’s new” from various manufacturers.

Here is their team that went there and produced their awesome interviews.

SPEZI 2016 crew

Gary Solomon, Lars Komm and Larry Varney

Here is the contents found on their video. With this if there is anything in particular you are interested in you can skip ahead to it. If there is something you aren’t interested in you can skip it altogether.

Table of Contents for SPEZI 2016 Special Report
00:02:09 Hardy Siebecke-Organizer of Spezialradmesse (Spezi) http://www.specialbikesshow.com/
00:05:21 Anthrotech http://www.anthrotech.de/
00:09:02 Velomo http://www.velomo.eu/
00:11:55 HP Velotechnik http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/
00:17:18 ICE http://www.icetrikes.co/
00:20:50 Räderwerk http://www.raederwerk.com/
00:24:44 Hase http://www.hasebikes.com/
00:27:44 AZUB http://www.azub.eu/
00:30:55 Wolf & Wolf http://www.wolfundwolf.ch/
00:34:49 ZOXBIKES http://www.zoxbikes.com/
00:37:31 RARTRIKE http://rartrike.blog4ever.com/
00:40:08 Test Track scenes
00:44:18 Katanga http://www.katanga.eu/
00:49:01 Trident Trikes http://www.tridenttrikes.com/
00:51:20 Advanced Velo Design (Windcheetah) http://www.advancedvelodesign.com/
00:56:08 Nazca Ligfietsen http://www.nazca-ligfietsen.nl/
01:00:07 Pima Velobike http://www.cabbike.pl/
01:02:26 Flevobike http://www.flevobike.nl/
01:08:22 Cycles JV-Fenioux http://www.cyclesjvfenioux.com/
01:09:41 Bike Revolution http://www.bike-revolution.at/
01:13:40 Velomobiel.nl http://www.velomobiel.nl/
01:16:35 Gary Rides a QuattroVelo
01:17:53 Larry Rides a Windcheetah
01:18:08 Credits
01:18:27 Out Takes

Crowdfunding-Liegerad: Mr. Solomon. Fotobeschaffung: Lucas Keller
Some people have all the fun! 🙂 Only kidding … I have fun riding my trike most days I am able to get out there.

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