Sexy Practical Velomobile?

[LI-ghtcycle]

I am curious as to anything that is sleek and sexy looking that can also have enough cargo space for groceries say in a velo that has actually been built.

I have seen some interesting drawings and designs, but not yet have I seen anything that comes close to the idea of being practical enough for everyday use, but doesn't look like a "George Jetson" egg or other very unappealing shape (not to mention drag, like many of the "tent" like velos I have seen.

The best I have found so far is here:

http://cycledifferent.com/products/bikes/Velomobil/index.htm

CHALLENGER

Based on the ICE Sprint RS or FS trike. The Challenger kit completes the picture of transportation to your new personal Velomobile.

It has reasonable cargo capacity (for one) and a windshield wiper, and doesn't look too terribly low to the ground, so it shouldn't be as hard to get in and out of.

I like Angle Tech's products and know they have extensive experience with aerodynamic cycling, so I would trust their recommendation, but just curious who else has found a similar velo that isn't just a super low fast machine with little thought to comfort or practicality (with out going the "Jetson" route :wink: )?

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Ok, I think I am in love!

I'm going to keep my eyes out for a used ICE sprint RS or FS that I can buy this kit and add to it!

Considering the kit is under $4,000 and you can buy an entire ready to ride model for $8,000 to 9,000 it's one of the better kits I have seen!

(The Go-One starts at about $12,000 IIRC, and isn't half as roomy or practical looking even though it is very sexy)

Now can anyone tell me what RS & FS mean in the ICE world? I'm guessing one is Rear Sus & the other Full Sus?

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Doh!

On second thought, that ICE has lots of features (folding) that I don't want much less need for a velomobile, Maybe I should see if there isn't another kit designed for something more like a KMX tornado, but I really want 20 inch wheels all around.

 

[mvly]

Man i want one. If it has the ability to carry stuff, and travel 100 miles a charge @ 30mph, this will be my next ebike.

 

[patrickza]

That is a very good looking trike!

 

[Jeremy Harris]

The velo and trike come from two separate UK companies, Ocean Cycle (http://oceancycle.co.uk) make the velo body and Inspired Cycle Engineering (http://www.icetrikes.co/) make the trikes (and by coincidence I used to live close to their original factory, years ago).

I dealt very briefly with Ocean Cycle a few years ago when they were only making composite recumbent seats and selling them on ebay and they were pretty good to deal with. My guess is that this velo body will be nicely engineered if the impression I got about them is correct.

The ICE trikes have a good reputation amongst recumbent trikers as being well made and supported. The company has been around a long time, as I remember seeing them testing prototype trikes up the pretty steep hill out of Redruth towards Helston around 25 years ago, when I was driving that road to work each day.

 

[Lebowski]

Www.velomobiel.nl

 

[ebent]

The ocean cycle looks like a well made velo. For me and my trike it is not practical. I believe it will be fine in Oregon but In Florida most of the time it will be too hot. I see no solution to resolve that. If I lived in cooler weather I'd own one.

 

[dnmun]

if you are interested in a velo, why not buy bill bates WAW? it will fit in the back of my honda wagon and we could carry it from his place way out in SE down to oregon city where you are. he has two 36V20Ah headway packs and the motor i think is still an older C'lyte.

 

[The fingers]

The ocean cycle looks like a well made velo. For me and my trike it is not practical. I believe it will be fine in Oregon but In Florida most of the time it will be too hot. I see no solution to resolve that. If I lived in cooler weather I'd own one.

Air conditioning. 8)

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

The ocean cycle looks like a well made velo. For me and my trike it is not practical. I believe it will be fine in Oregon but In Florida most of the time it will be too hot. I see no solution to resolve that. If I lived in cooler weather I'd own one.

Yeah, that is the biggest concern I have, I don't want to ride in a rolling "hot/green house" and that is a concern even here in Oregon.

If I end up designing my own out of coroplast, it will have removable sides so I can have little more than a roof and front windshield in the summer.

I haven't however seen a "soft" or "tent" style of enclosure that I can stand, all I think of becoming a sail in a cross wind and that can't be fun! :lol:

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

if you are interested in a velo, why not buy bill bates WAW? it will fit in the back of my honda wagon and we could carry it from his place way out in SE down to oregon city where you are. he has two 36V20Ah headway packs and the motor i think is still an older C'lyte.

Can you post a link?

I have seen lots of pics, and if this is the Velomobile you are talking about:

(The Yellow one right?)

That is too far to the extreme of the "impractical sports car" and maybe I am wrong, maybe the one that I posted suffers the same deficits, but I would think that something more like the white Velomobile in that same picture with ready access to the rear wheel and some cargo space would be more practical to me.

To be fair, I haven't been able to confirm the Challenger has any real cargo space to speak of, but it would appear to have a "trunk" of sorts.

I wouldn't mind the wheelbase being longer to accommodate storage behind the rider as that would also lend to easier installation of a mid-drive and batteries too.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

The closest I have seen to what I am wanting is the Organic Transit Elf:

http://www.organictransit.com/models.html

But it gets an "F" in the sexy factor.

It's another Jetson Egg. :lol:

I also seriously doubt it has any real aerodynamic qualities, it's a HUGE cross section, not powerful enough (from what little details I can gather on the electric motor/battery) to really be worth it IMO, but it does look like something that would be easy to use, not sure how easily one could get to the rear wheel if you get a flat, or if it has sides that close when the weather is bad, but I'm looking for the impossible I guess, something I will end up building myself in that ever progressing future that never has time.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

The velo and trike come from two separate UK companies, Ocean Cycle (http://oceancycle.co.uk) make the velo body and Inspired Cycle Engineering (http://www.icetrikes.co/) make the trikes (and by coincidence I used to live close to their original factory, years ago).

I dealt very briefly with Ocean Cycle a few years ago when they were only making composite recumbent seats and selling them on ebay and they were pretty good to deal with. My guess is that this velo body will be nicely engineered if the impression I got about them is correct.

The ICE trikes have a good reputation amongst recumbent trikers as being well made and supported. The company has been around a long time, as I remember seeing them testing prototype trikes up the pretty steep hill out of Redruth towards Helston around 25 years ago, when I was driving that road to work each day.

Thanks for that info!

I would be curious to know if there are other kits designed for other trikes that have a very similar design, however, I have little by the way of options atm, just day-dreaming about something I would love to have in the future.

I love the "mechanical windshield wiper" does it have a wind-up spring? :lol:

Not sure I would want to have to manually operate it, but maybe it's run by the battery that runs the lights?

I'm sure what ever it uses it's not manual, it just struck me funny because I once did have to manually operate the windshield wiper on my classic '56 Chevy PU in a blizzard when the un-fused electric motor decided to start a small fire under the dash in the middle of a mountain pass, I had to physically yank the wires loose attached to it (still no idea how I didn't burn the crap out of my hand!) and left a nice arc bead across the motor as the wires were yanked off smoking from the short! :lol:

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Ok, so I was right, but the are very sparse on the details re: Challenger-

The rear hatch for loading in your shopping or your commute gear keeps your Challenger versatile and friendly to use.

Not to mention it has lights and there does look to be a good deal of ventilation.

I'll have to see if there isn't anywhere I can see one demo'd in person, if anywhere there should be around Portland, OR.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Ok, I went ahead and E-mailed Ocean Cycles, hope to get better pics of the Challenger front the standpoint of access to the rear wheel for maintenance, a look inside the cargo space, etc.

I'm still dreaming, but hey, it's fun always to get more pics right?

 

[Kirk]

Bill Bates WAW 42 is nice but you have get used to knowing where the outsides of your velo are without being able to see them. Looking out of the window the view is like looking down the deck of a boat. It is fairly roomy inside but the entrance is sort of narrow and takes a bit of getting used to. The damn thing is still a blast to ride though. Where did you here it was for sale? He hasn't posted it on the OHPV website. The White velo in the picture is Taylor Wilhouse and his Velocity Velo. You can find out about getting one of his velomobiles over at http://velocityvelos.com They are very reasonably priced. He makes them in Garden Grove, OR and is only one of two US makers of velomobiles. The other is Pterovelo in Oklahoma City, OK, the owner there is Frans Van der Merwe. His velos are very expensive but I can't think of a faster better handling one.

 

[Herrsprocket]

Hello Kirk,

As I recall, Bill didn't formally advertise the WAW out on the OHPV forums, I think he just mentioned it in passing over there. He told me he had sold it (along with his tilting trike) this past season. He focuses most of his "alternative transportation" attention upon his Gizmo, an all electric three wheeled,,, um,, gizmo.

There is another US manufacturer of velos and they are located here in Portland, OR. Columbia Cycle Works produces the Tripod velomobile and it is manufactured as an electric assist velo, not as a pure human drive velo that can be upgraded, but as a straight from the warehouse electric assist velo. Their web is www.columbiacycleworks.com .

Tom

 

[Chalo]

Har. You said "sexy", "practical", and "velomobile" in the same breath.

I'm tempted to say "choose any one of the above", but I think there may be some small chance that something could be sexy and practical at the same time. No velomobile stands even the slightest chance of being either one, though.

I recommend a Leitra, a full beard, no schedule commitments, and a lifelong vow of celibacy.

 

[Kirk]

Har. You said "sexy", "practical", and "velomobile" in the same breath.

I'm tempted to say "choose any one of the above", but I think there may be some small chance that something could be sexy and practical at the same time. No velomobile stands even the slightest chance of being either one, though.

Now thats funny right there. :lol:

 

[jimm]

Really surprised no-one has mentioned essentially the grandfather of modern velomobiles, the Leitra. The Sport model has great ground clearance, real easy to get in and out of (no climbing in necessary), can be configured just about any way you need including larger cargo capacity with a rounded rear cargo section (as opposed to a pointy one) and your choice of gearing and BIONX motor (other options exist of course, but Leitra integrates the BIONX well).

They also build the Wildcat fairing system where you can choose the trike base that you are most comfy with, and they adapt the fairing to fit.

Leitra Sport

Leitra Wildcat (nose fairing)

my Nomad Wildcat

 

[Chalo]

Really surprised no-one has mentioned essentially the grandfather of modern velomobiles, the Leitra.

I did. I just forgot to put the IMG code stuff around my illustrative link. Now corrected.

I met a guy in Seattle who commuted in one of those. When it wasn't cold and wet, he left the front part of the fairing off. When it was 33 degrees and drizzling, he rode in his underwear because it was so hot inside there. Either way, he'd have gotten where he was going much faster on a regular bike.

But at least he spent enough on it to buy a decent car!

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Really surprised no-one has mentioned essentially the grandfather of modern velomobiles, the Leitra. The Sport model has great ground clearance, real easy to get in and out of (no climbing in necessary), can be configured just about any way you need including larger cargo capacity with a rounded rear cargo section (as opposed to a pointy one) and your choice of gearing and BIONX motor (other options exist of course, but Leitra integrates the BIONX well).

They also build the Wildcat fairing system where you can choose the trike base that you are most comfy with, and they adapt the fairing to fit.

Leitra Sport

Leitra Wildcat (nose fairing)

my Nomad Wildcat

How is that wildcat for heat (your personal one on the bottom in black in red)?

I like the partially open on the sides with a tail box, looks like a good compromise.

The removable windshield is nice, but I'm not sure I would like such a narrow view, pretty nice looking though.

How does one determine a compatible trike to use with it? Seat height or?

is it open at the bottom for your feet to touch the ground?

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Har. You said "sexy", "practical", and "velomobile" in the same breath.

I'm tempted to say "choose any one of the above", but I think there may be some small chance that something could be sexy and practical at the same time. No velomobile stands even the slightest chance of being either one, though.

I recommend a Leitra, a full beard, no schedule commitments, and a lifelong vow of celibacy.

LOL!! :lol:

True, but like I said, I am dreaming here anyway!

If he's getting so warm in such cold weather he needs to add a motor and enough batteries to keep him from sweating so hard.

I prefer to be in the weather if I am just pedaling too, long as it doesn't get TOO cold, 33 F is really pushing it, though when I was young I used to regularly ride my bicycle in 37F and rain and still work up a sweat, but that's not my goal these days,

the cold just saps too much of my strength anymore, so I would just make it into more of a true E-Bike than an assist.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

OK, now THIS is the ticket!

Better than "Birth Control Glasses"!!