Velomobile. Reclining bikes with pedal assist become the most efficient vehicle of the future.

We all know them, the velomobile is for bikes what the porsche (sp?) is for cars. It is a porsche amongst volkswagons. It can go very fast for less energy and now a belgium company has removed the last hurdle for its use everywhere: it added electric peddle assist for low speed use. This is usually needed when starting off and when biking in the city. On the long haul, the electric assist switches off and it is only the legs of the biker doing the work. This gives the Velomobile a range that is equal to a tank of gas, with less space used on the road, no direct emmisions, less traffic and a lot of other advantages... Did mention it looks UBER COOL?



Here is a magnificent article explaining very well how this appro-tech could replace the personal car tomorrow and leave us with a cleaner planet. That is, if the electricity comes from renewable sources and we remodel the car factories to velomobile factories

http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2012/10/electric-velomobiles.html

Enjoy!

I'd really love to make the switch from a car-lite lifestyle to car-only, and think a velomobile might be the trick. However, I live in Michigan, and I've driven Porsches. Some of them are terrible in the snow. Are velomobiles any better? Google seems inconclusive.

Everett- I might live in Florida, but that thing doesn't look very "snowable" to me. Not sure you can equip it with snow tires (knobbies), and there's not much clearance, either for snow build up on the wheels or to keep the bottom of the thing up out of the snow. You might also want a windshield defroster and a wiper (Did it have a wiper?) for winter work.

Look very efficient, but I don't like the low profile of them, seems like people may not see them and hit you . Though I saw some youtube videos of police stopping them, so someone is noticing them.

This one has kept pace with me a few times. He goes up to 60 kmh. About 40 mph on open roads. That blue truck is mine.

yeah, that is a good size comparison and how low they are.

Lance Kleckner wrote:yeah, that is a good size comparison and how low they are.

If there was a hole in the pavement that size, would you hit it? Of course people have hit ambulances with the lights flashing...

Hole in pavement isn't moving. Low object that is moving can quickly get in one's blindspot.

Lance Kleckner wrote:Hole in pavement isn't moving. Low object that is moving can quickly get in one's blindspot.

Ding Ding. My truck has a blind spot big enough to hide a Miata (didn't hit it ONLY because the guy was 6-6 and wearing an obnoxious hat).

So you have the low to the ground thing. Then you have the narrow thing like a motorcycle. Even when people do SEE you, they completely misjudge your speed and distance.

Lance Kleckner wrote:Hole in pavement isn't moving. Low object that is moving can quickly get in one's blindspot.

Something we take into consideration when riding as traffic. For the most part those situations can be avoided.

I want to do it old school, myself:

Google downhill handcycle. Tilting trike front ends are well developed and capable of handling rough terrain (and snow). Open Source Ecology is combining the tilting front end with a simple sturdy box beam long wheelbase recumbent.

I have a BikeE that I've greatly enjoyed, but probably wouldn't do much with off road. The extra stability with a trike and a fatter rear tire would probably be enough to change that. I'm eager to try something like this.