How to build a velomobile, results and performance!

[bzhwindtalker]

Hello all! I'm 19 years old, and in late 2009 I started regarding the build of a velomobile, originally meant to be electric.
I built a first prototype in 2010 summer, then I decided going on a road trip across the US with Chase from http://www.triketrek11.com, so I built a second one from December to June.

I used some fairly simple build techniques, and designed everything from the ground.

Picture

Specs :
Adam's Velomobile aka "SpeedBoat"
Top speed reached: 38.5mph (downhill) 27mph (flat, gearing limited)
Comfortable cruising speed (good cond.): 16-18mph (loaded) 19-21mph (unloaded)
Weight: about 50 lbs (unloaded) about 75 lbs (loaded)
Gears: 7
Steering: Direct
Suspension: N/A
Drive wheel size: 20''
Camber: 2 degres
Solar panel output: 10.5w
Other features: Short wheel base, 20'' wheels all around, tadpole configuration, dual-rail frame construction, home made 16 gage mild steel chassis, 52t chainring.
Coroplast and pvc tubes fairing, Lexan windscreen.

My friend Chase made a fiberglass fairing, and put so much money into it, just to find it was really really heavy and too big!

We crossed all of the great plains in the USA, 1100 miles, in 15 riding days! (read more about it on the website )

After all this, I have to say that velomobiles are the thing, the next revolution. I'm not pro cyclist, and we pulled 106miles at 20mph average, fully loaded, on open roads (okay it was Nebraska).

My next project is a velomobile on lithium.

What I am saying here is, go ahead, reach your dreams, and build e-velomobiles to save the planet

Adam

 

[TylerDurden]

Nice.

 

[AussieJester]

aaaaah PVC pipe, is there anything it can't do?! I wonder
if the Space Shuttle uses PVC pipe too LMAO..

So, Duuuude! you sure get around, don't you live in France? And you
traveled to US to do a cross country trip? And your still a student!?
How the hell you afford not only to get there yourself but to get the
velomobile there also :-| I also have one last question, how
the heck you get into the velomobile :-|

Fantastic job anywayz mate, you have a few builds under your belt
now, i recall the first trike and i think two 2 wheel e-bikes now correct?
The latest the rc 'race bike' which looks INSANE too, i think
you will love this when you get it working 100% The setup
you made to tow wake boarders is also a nice little unit, must
be a boat load of fun in summer!

best of luck with future projects anywayz, always subscribe to your threads
very interesting...

KiM

 

[bzhwindtalker]

Thanks Kim Always welcome from you
Yeah I'm from France, and as far as money go, I did put most of the money I made last year into this build and trip haha! I'm still at school (mecanical engeneering) but I follow an internship with a very big company, and as I decided to live at my parent's, basicaly all my pay (600€/mo) goes to fund projects.

This trip and build costed me about 3500€, but it was totally worth it! For the same price I could have brougth myself a second hand car haha

I'm quite short on time thoo, because I dont have much holyday like normal college students, and I work a lot of hours both at shool and at work. The good thing is that they have a HUGE machine shop at shool, I have acces to basically all the tooling a pro machine shop would have, and even more!

One of my goals for next year is to build a daily driver elecric velomobile, with all I learned from the previous builds, It should be fast, efficient, and confortable. I also want to work a lot on the looks, I want it to be SICK