Eskimo,
Being so tall is not the problem, in fact many people in cars will see it , and not see a lower to the ground, much more aerodynamic velo mobile ( many people on recumbents and tadpole trikes get run over , Killed and Injured , here in the U.S. .
So from that standpoint of being seen more , and not being run over it could be argued that it is safer ...
However
You are absolutely right about it being too short, the higher one sit's the longer the wheel base should be , for safety .
Also being so high, it should also be wider than it is .
So its advantage of sitting high and being seen more could be mitigated by tipping over more and also by being blown into the road way more
in a strong crosswind. A strong crosswind could blow it right into Automobile Traffic.
The Designer/Builder of the Pod Ride is talented , he has made a product much better in build quality than what we have here in the U.S. , ( the ELF ) .
So I do wish him much success .
I hope he makes a 2.0 version that is longer wheelbase, a little longer in length and a little wider, and a little lower center of gravity in regards to its weight distribution .
A longer wheel base, longer body, and little wider would be necessary improvements in order to sell to the American Public . Here the possible buyer of the Pod Ride , is someone who wants to replace a car, someone who would be riding it mostly on public roads, not bike paths.
Hopefully he reads this, as I do want him to succeed , the closer he comes to building a product that is closer to the Quattrovelo , even if is is still made of frabric and tubing to keep the cost down, the more customers he will have.
At this time from what I am seeing , Europe is far ahead of us here in the U.S. in regards to having a good production Velomobile .
Are there any Velomobiles like the Quattrovelo, with suspension on all wheels ?
Eskimo said:
That thing is horrible, technically speaking.
It"s too high, too short, too heavy, too draggy, too slow. It"s awful.
Sure it"s cute and sympathetic like a Donald Duck, but seriously pretty useless for any serious rider.
I would not call that a velomobile, it"s a golf cart, some kind of helper vehicle for disabled. It"s easy to step on, and that is pretty much it"s only advantage.
It"s cute and easy to step on. It has received a lot of media coverage. It is very car-like, and surely some people will like it because of that.
If you want to see some real, serious four wheel velo, check the new Quattrovelo.
Quattrovelo blows that thing to dust completely, and is already available.