PodRide

Just caught this cool little bbs powered quad.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lKq1fGtXFM&feature=youtu.be&t=1



[moderator edit to add pic]

No way would that thing survive on the roads in Chicago.

lester12483 said:

No way would that thing survive on the roads in Chicago.

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Of course not, it's not bullet proof

"Swede warms up winter cycling"
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/swede-warms-up-winter-cycling-376921741.html

There’s a heater built into the electric bicycle, which is programmed to automatically warm his bicycle one hour before he leaves the office each evening.

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Check out the video of it going on the dirt trail. Looks like fun. Seems to handle surprisingly well.

Unfortunately, something with 4 wheels is not going to be legal on the road in most US states.

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.

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.

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That's not "technically speaking", that's just, like, your opinion, man!

I like it! It is very car-like in that you don't get soaked, and you're not so low to the ground that you feel like/look like (just my opinion, man) you'll get run over. Quest/Quatrovelo is gorgeous and super fast, but what if you don't need that? What if you don't care about serious looks, serious speed or serious efficiency? Just trundle along, not get soaked, not get run over and it still use ~<1/10th the energy of a car?. That's the serious part. For old fuddies like me, what's not to like?

1JohnFoster said:

I like it! It is very car-like in that you don't get soaked, and you're not so low to the ground that you feel like/look like (just my opinion, man) you'll get run over. Quest/Quatrovelo is gorgeous and super fast, but what if you don't need that? What if you don't care about serious looks, serious speed or serious efficiency? Just trundle along, not get soaked, not get run over and it still use ~<1/10th the energy of a car?. That's the serious part. For old fuddies like me, what's not to like?

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Hear hear. It is reasonable for old people because it"s easy. That "not get run over"-part i don"t get easily. I mean, that thing is so slow and so dangerous on corners because it"s high center of gravity that i would not ride on the road really, expect on somewhere way away from the city. That thing is designed to go hiking-speed safely. You don"t get soaked in a Quattrovelo either with optional hood. I can see why elderly guys like that, real velos require mild acrobatics to get inside and out, but you get used to it until you are too old for that.
Visibility is a real issue with things like Quattrovelo, that is true. Anyway, i still hope all success for our Swedish designer. It has received great media coverage already, pensioners are now the biggest and richest group in our societies, and there"s true market for that kind of thing.

Nice ( Quattrovelo )

I would add a optional bubble top, and design the back part in such a way as to not rub up against a Bicycle Helmet.

What is the cost ?

We in the U.S. need to have some of those Quattrovelo's built here.

Eskimo said:

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.

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Väldigt bra


More and more of the Retirement Communities , as well as towns with many Retiree's allow Golf Carts to be driven on the low speed ( 35mph and under ) city streets.
So it would not sell as well as a Golf Cart for people living in those communities.

However I can see the , Pod Ride , being sold in Cities such as Portland Oregon, Boise Idaho , etc. , Cities with wide Bike Lanes , and slow roadway speeds .
The ELF http://organictransit.com/
is being sold at the Mountain View, Performance bike shop. http://www.performancebike.com/bike-shop/store/mountainview
I have seen one riding around San Jose.

speedmd said:

Just caught this cool little bbs powered quad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lKq1fGtXFM&feature=youtu.be&t=1

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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.

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I am a fan of experimentation just for the fun of it. But if you want to sell a product, its wise for the first version to have the widest possible demographic targeted. I like this, and even though its easy to pick at it by pointing out where it would NOT be appropriate, I'd rather focus on where it would work.

The first change would be to make it a tadpole trike, with a rear suspension arm, similar to the easily produced Atomic Zombie DIY designs (some countries have stupid laws once you add the fourth wheel to a design). I would make the BB-shell situated so that it could accept the BBS02/BBSHD mid drives. And the rear swingarm would have beefy clamping dropouts so that a customer could add any rear hub kit that they like.

I would even offer to install the kit of choice right from the factory, except...I wouldn't ship batteries. I would include the male battery connector of the customers choice, to fit the battery they planned to buy, so they could "plug and play".

re: "Quattrovelo", The first place I found a listed price for the base-model Quattrovelo (mentioned by ES member "eskimo") is 7500 EU ($8500 in US dollars at todays exchange rate, before tax and shipping added, with no motor)

https://etrike.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/four-wheeled-velomobiles/



The designer of the Podride has stated that once production starts, he could easily sell it at a retail price below $6000 USD, with the BBSXX motor included.

Quattrovelo is of course bit more expensive, but that"s like comparing Spitfire and Super Cub :wink:
One guy here ordered a Quattrovelo. We have unofficial register of all velomobiles in this country and at the moment it says we have sixty velos here, including DIY-ones.
I mean Podride propably will appeal to larger audience, like a Super Cub. Podride is a suburban grocery getter. I still love the Spitfire.
Podride does not have a tough body shell like Quattrovelo, it"s some kind of textile wrapped around aluminium bars.

ScooterMan101 said:

...many people on recumbents and tadpole trikes get run over , Killed and Injured , here in the U.S. .

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Interesting Scoot Man. Any published statistics anywhere? I'm currently riding a recumbent trike with a 5 foot vertical orange pole flying yellow plastic stamped CAUTION strips streaming from its top, with a flashing light on top as well. Trike frame painted all over orange, with reflective... red reflectors on trike frame and wheel spokes as well. I guess if/when they start handing out drivers licenses to the blind I'll be in trouble.

From reports from people who ride recumbents, about knowing others that have died, and from the riders themself's that have told me they are not seen as much when riding so low to the ground.
also from people who have stated they knew people where hit, and surmised it was from being so low to the ground.

You are doing the right thing with all your streamers and orange flag on a pole, ( the atv riders do that when riding in the sand dunes out at the desert )

When I do go to a 3 wheel recumbent in the future, or better yet a velomobile, I have told myself for years that at that time I too , will be riding with a flag/streamers on a tall pole , right around the height of someone sitting in a SUV ,

I am still waiting for the three wheel recumbents to come equipped with , Full Suspension , since I would only get one to go fast and far , on public roads.

LockH said:

ScooterMan101 said:

...many people on recumbents and tadpole trikes get run over , Killed and Injured , here in the U.S. .

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Interesting Scoot Man. Any published statistics anywhere? I'm currently riding a recumbent trike with a 5 foot vertical orange pole flying yellow plastic stamped CAUTION strips streaming from its top, with a flashing light on top as well. Trike frame painted all over orange, with reflective... red reflectors on trike frame and wheel spokes as well. I guess if/when they start handing out drivers licenses to the blind I'll be in trouble.

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scooterman, some 3 wheel recumbent trikes are equipped with full suspension as in ice, hp, steintrike. I get more respect from cagers on my trike versus my df bike. more visibility as in what the f is that thing and they give a wider berth when passing. just my expierence. good day.

More berth when passing and more attention because of you riding something different, is good to hear, since a 3 wheel trike or velomobile is in my future.
I did experience the same thing, a little more berth , when towing a trailer on my 2 wheel bike.

I must point out that in California there are tens of thousands , make that hundreds of thousands during the morning and afternoon rush hour..s , thousands of pissed off car/truck drivers on the road each day,
I have been on these roads on a bike and motorcycle and notice there are always a couple of people who just do not care about you , and some even have malice towards bicycles and motorcycles. there are two notorious drivers of trucks in my area that let you know that they do not like you , same report from many cyclists.
so your experience is better because you live in a place with a small fraction of the number people, and so therefore, a greater number of people who actually care about other people !

Just saw information the steintrike for the first time yesterday after looking at a thread here on trikes.

I knew there would be at least one. good to see there is more than one. now I have to sit back and wait until the prices get down to what I can pay.

I do hope there will be more double wishbone front suspensions in the upcoming future trikes , also known as double A arm suspension I think .

So do not think for one minute I am criticizing 3 wheel recumbents just because they look different . any criticizing from me is to get the builders of trikes to improve on their designs ,
and to mass produce more of them , so as to get the prices down so more of us can afford/ride them.

slacker said:

scooterman, some 3 wheel recumbent trikes are equipped with full suspension as in ice, hp, steintrike. I get more respect from cagers on my trike versus my df bike. more visibility as in what the f is that thing and they give a wider berth when passing. just my expierence. good day.

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Steintrike will sell you just the frame with suspension and seat. You supply brakes, wheels and gears. Much cheaper than complete trike. I sort of did this to save money way back in 2008 and it is still the trike I ride.
otherDoc

Eskimo said:

1JohnFoster said:

It is reasonable for old people because it"s easy. That "not get run over"-part i don"t get easily. I mean, that thing is so slow and so dangerous on corners because it"s high center of gravity that i would not ride on the road really, expect on somewhere way away from the city. That thing is designed to go hiking-speed safely. You don"t get soaked in a Quattrovelo either with optional hood. I can see why elderly guys like that, real velos require mild acrobatics to get inside and out, but you get used to it until you are too old for that.
Visibility is a real issue with things like Quattrovelo, that is true. Anyway, i still hope all success for our Swedish designer. It has received great media coverage already, pensioners are now the biggest and richest group in our societies, and there"s true market for that kind of thing.

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Hilarious! I completely agree. I think all the Swede, Finn & Canadian oldsters should ride contraptions of either sort. That would solve 2 problems;
1) We would stop creating so much climate change by driving around in ICE cars/SUV's
2) We would on our pass wealth (well, not much in my case!) to people who can better enjoy it in a dramatic manner (by being driven over)

How old are you?
I figured given the fact that you made a 3 wheel plywood box with pedals and some similarity to mine you were old like me (51).
Iss Finnish your first language? How'd you learn to write English so well?

Eskimo said:

Quattrovelo is of course bit more expensive, but that"s like comparing Spitfire and Super Cub :wink:

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OK, you've just dated yourself! No-way you're under 40, your styling is too classic!

Eskimo said:

Podride propably will appeal to larger audience, like a Super Cub. Podride is a suburban grocery getter. I still love the Spitfire.
Podride does not have a tough body shell like Quattrovelo, it"s some kind of textile wrapped around aluminium bars.

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Eskimo, you've built yourself a retro-box. Embrace your goofy. Free your plywood, and your mind will follow! When you get old, you can ride in a nylon shoe-shaped object; buy whatever vegetables strike your fancy. Wear shades and just be happy. I still love Spitfire too. Some day. For now still have to finish my second Super-cub (balsa model) with my 13yr old.

ScooterMan101 said:

I must point out that in California there are tens of thousands , make that hundreds of thousands during the morning and afternoon rush hour..s , thousands of pissed off car/truck drivers on the road each day, .... So do not think for one minute I am criticizing 3 wheel recumbents just because they look different . any criticizing from me is to get the builders of trikes to improve on their designs , and to mass produce more of them , so as to get the prices down so more of us can afford/ride them.

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Solidarity, ScooterMan I hear ya! Come to Canada, it's a bit less crazy up here. Or build yourself one of these;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTWmV1SxuTA

Or as Spinning Magnets suggests, add coroplast to this;
http://www.atomiczombie.com/StreetFighter Recumbent Racing QuadCycle.aspx
(After moving the seat height on up up to USA levels.)

Thank you for noting my fine old classic sportscar. I am trying to eat my veggies, i just ate a lovely paprika. Yes, i am over forty. I would not ride anything that looks like an Iphone, though Quattrovelo is quite close. Podride is SUV of velomobiles :wink: Car driver"s attitude is propably bit different over there towards velomobiles and cyclists overall. I mean here you get more respect when you ride a velomobile. Drivers think you are one of them, so to speak. Continious stream of thumb-ups, drivers taking a video while they pass, etc. You feel like a rock star, only thing missing is someone asking an autograph. When you ride a velomobile car drivers leave much longer safety distance to you when they overtake, they respect you. They don"t respect two-wheel cyclists that much. Thank you for your compliments about my english. I know i still screw up hilariously time to time. Finnish is my first language yes.
Articles are hard, we don"t have this kind of structure in our language. I partly write here because it keeps my english alive. Foreign language skills are like a butterfly. If you have slept badly, are down for some reason etc, they suffer immediately. Your mood has a great effect. My english comes from rock"n"roll and aviation, our teacher was good too long time ago.
I wish all the success for Podride. I think it will be successful, it has good mass appeal, you can sense that already.

I want to go to Canada this summer for a short vacation, I lived in Oregon many years ago, and prefer the slower pace of everything up North, Last time I went to Oregon about 10 years ago, people on the street that I did not know, would look at me and say Hi !
It put me in shock, Coming from the heavily populated areas of California .

I have one more e-bike conversion to do, the parts are not even going to come in for a month or little longer.
then after finishing that one, latter in the year I can concentrate on a Trike/Velomobile.
Still waiting for double wishbone suspension/steering though, might have to just have someone make me the front end.

I was in the middle part of Florida about 7 years ago, and I looked up and visited a Mfg or tadpole trikes , ( forgot the name at this time )

I asked the owner why he was not making the trikes longer, as that would add much needed stability , he said only because of the cost of shipping,
at that time shipping a short wheelbase trike was around $ 50 or under, and to make the trike longer would mean it would have to go Freight Shipping,
Which at the time was several hundred dollars, just under $ 300 or a little more.

I think a Kit would be the way to go, with telescoping/sleeved tubing .

Anyway I have my hands full with two wheels right now, so will wait until more suspension , longer and wider trikes are available, since for me the application would only be on streets , an alternative to a car .

Ah, there is a company doing a double wishbone front suspension/steering system, ... the Madmax Evo 2 ... http://www.steintrikes.com/trike/madmax.php
and at 41.5 pounds it would only be 12-20 pounds heavier than a 2 wheel e-bike ,
now I see they have more with double wishbone front suspension/steering, the mungo, and the explorer
Good.

docnjoj said:

Steintrike will sell you just the frame with suspension and seat. You supply brakes, wheels and gears. Much cheaper than complete trike. I sort of did this to save money way back in 2008 and it is still the trike I ride.
otherDoc

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