Oliebollentocht

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Kenneth

It is the time of year in Holland in which Oliebollen are cooked and eaten. It is also about the time of year when a large number of velonauts gather for what is the world’s largest social velomobile ride – the Oliebollentocht.

Oliebollen are a spiced fruity dough-ball fried and traditionally eaten in Holland around the end of the year so in other words Oliebollentocht is Dutch Doughnut Time. The Oliebollentocht velomobile gatherings have been held yearly in various locations in the Netherlands, and the 17th such gathering is to be held on the last Saturday of December in Zwolle, about a week from now.

The following video produced by David Hembrow and available on his blog – A view from the cycle path – illustrates the experience from a velonaut’s eye view in the 2009 Oliebollentocht held in Utrecht.

Organised through the Dutch HPV site ligfiets.net there is a page with more details for those wishing to participate. This is strictly a velomobile-only event. This year the exclusivity perhaps takes on more significance, as velomobiles have been excluded for the first time from participating in a similar event, the Elfstedenfietstocht, despite participating without incident in previous years.

Last year there was a record number of 149 velomobiles in attendance and there will be high hopes to break that record next Saturday. The following video shows a selection of the assembled velomobiles presumably while most of the riders are inside consuming Oliebollen and coffee.

The following video is a Dutch TV report of the same event and contains some nice shots. There are also English subtitles which helps for those without Dutch.

All-in-all good promotion of the velomobile helping to raise the awareness of the concept in Holland and possibly elsewhere too.

The Cycle Show 2012 Report

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Kenneth

Here at last is the promised report on this year’s Cycle Show.

2012 is the second year the show has been held at the NEC in Birmingham. It is also the second time I was able to attend, what aspires to be, the premier cycle trade event in the UK. However, with the current growth in cycling, the Cycle Show is beginning to face some competition from other new trade shows, that are developing in other parts of the country. The previous occasion I attended was in 2010, the last time the Cycle Show was held in London.

The move to the NEC was intended to broaden the appeal and hopefully attract a greater number of attendees than the previous venue at Earl’s Court in London. The NEC venue, with it’s central location in the British Midlands and good road and rail transport links, is well placed to provide this, and I think the figures from this year’s show, prove the decision to move, was a good thing. For myself, a London based show was preferable, as it is always possible to stay with friends, and then use their home as a base from which to visit, without having to make a long commute. None-the-less I, and a little helper, were able to make a day trip to Birmingham via the train, but it was something of an epic journey.

This being my first ever visit to the NEC, I was impressed by the shear volume of exhibition space. With it’s twenty-something halls, which can be opened up to create a multi-hall venue, the location is well able to accommodate future growth. The Cycle Show occupied three of these halls (9, 10 and 11), and according to Cycle Show figures had an 11% increase in trade stand space over 2010. While attendance in 2011 was down it was up by 30% this year and surpassed the 2010 figures.

As one would expect the show is dominated with sports cycling particularly road racing and BMX, two sports that have been much in the spotlight since the Olympics earlier this year. However there was still plenty to see relating to more practical cycle use, and again one was impressed with a large area, in hall 11, given to electric bikes and systems. The evident increase in this sector since 2010, is a reflection of the massive growth being seen, as the technology has begun to mature and become a much more practical option. From a personal point of view, there did seem to be something lacking, and I am hard-pressed to put my finger on it. There were a number of exhibitors missing, which I had seen in London, but these should have been made up by others who were new to the show. Perhaps Earl’s Court had a slightly more intimate feel, but that was probably due to the cramped condition of a show, that had reached the venue’s capacity. Maybe the balance between sports and utility cycling was different, and not to my taste, I’m not sure. It is still early days for the new venue, so comparisons may not be altogether fair, however the prospects for the future look good. Hopefully this year’s figures will encourage the absent to make the effort to attend next year.

The main entrance was through hall 11 and it was in this hall where the first item of velomobile interest could be found. Here Peter Eland was manning the Velovision/Electric Bike stand, the link with Electric Bike magazine and the surrounding exhibitors was obvious. After chatting with Peter, he directed us to the Ocean Cycle stand, which had been moved from hall 10 to the other side of the electric bike area in 11.

Ocean Cycle were exhibiting two Challenger velomobiles one of which was equipped with a Sunstar electric assist system. The two models also illustrated different hood mounting options. One designed to open sideways in the style of the Cab-Bike and the other tilting forwards in the style of the Leitra.

Ocean Cycle is the work of Marcin Szewczyk. He and a colleague Chris, were on the stand demonstrating the machines and answering questions, and while I was there, they seemed to be getting plenty of attention. Marcin can be seen, in the rather fuzzy photo, of the black Challenger. Ocean Cycle make some other recumbent specific products but the Challenger is very much their flagship.

The Challenger itself is built on the ICE Sprint trike, also made in Cornwall. The velomobile is available, both as a kit to mount on a trike you already own, or as a complete ready-to-ride velomobile. The weight for the complete machine comes in at 32 kg, which is not bad, the body alone being 16 kg.

The fairing is made from glass fibre, with a number of small detail areas reinforced with carbon fibre. Being a fairing-on-frame type, the body is quite light-weight, and might feel a little flimsy, to those used to monocoque or self supporting velomobiles, but it is capable of supporting your own weight as you get in and out.

The Sprint is ICE’s “in-between” model not as low, and therefore fast, as the Vortex, but lower than the “go far” Adventure. As such the seat in the Challenger is quite low. However any disadvantage this might pose is offset, by both the ease of entry, and the lower centre of gravity – a definite advantage for handling at speed.

The Challenger’s external styling is certainly attractive, but such styling can sometimes result in some loss of function internally. Looking at the Challenger one is immediately concerned that the rider’s road view will be overly restricted. Sitting inside however, I found the view to be reasonable and the cabin had plenty of space, but, as with the machines I sampled at SPEZI, a static assessment is not enough, and a real world test ride is needed to make a final judgement.

I did attempt to take a panoramic shot of the view from inside but, not surprisingly at such close range, it was unsuccessful. One nice feature, which again needs real world assessment, is the windscreen wiper fitted to the hood. This is operated by a convenient handle from the inside, and should go a long way to solving the wet weather visibility problems experienced by most head-in velomobiles. A visit to Ocean Cycle, and a test ride, are things I plan to do in the coming months, time and finance permitting. Meanwhile if there are any readers with first hand experience of the Challenger in the “wild” then please add your comments below.

Marcin and Chris have been very helpful, and naturally want to get the word out, contact details are on the Ocean Cycle website, and I do recommend taking the opportunity to visit and take a test ride, as I hope to shortly. It will be good to see more of these machines on the road soon.

The next stand I visited was Sunstar. Sunstar is a multinational corporation with Japanese roots and quite a diverse range of interests, ranging from toiletries to motorcycle parts! Their eAssist system falls under their Environment & Amenity division.

On their stand, they had a number of cycles fitted with examples their system. One of these was an ICE Sprint as used in the Challenger which gave a good opportunity to view the installation from all angles. The Sunstar system is designed to be fitted to most cycles as an after-market upgrade, and looked quite tidy and impressive, in a quiet sort of way. More information is available via their website.

An after-show email from SparticleBikes, who seem to be representing the Sunstar system in the UK, highlighted the proven reliability of the system – Tried, tested and evolved for 10 years in Japan, and pointed to a demonstration video showing the ease of fitment. They also added the following photo of a recently retrofitted Challenger.

The other recumbents to be seen at the show, were designs tailored to special needs rider requirements, and while interesting in their own right, have little to offer the velomobile enthusiast that is not better catered for elsewhere.

The rest of the day was spent visiting other stands and going over the the mainstream cycle offerings. Perhaps the most interesting of these were the cycle tracking systems from Spybike and Eagle Hound, and the arm mounted signal indicator from Indic8or.

While theft of a velomobile is very rare, they naturally stand out and draw attention, not something a thief wants, it does occasionally occur. As velomobiles become more ubiquitous and socially accepted, their high value will make them more of a target of theft, and therefore a tracking system, which enables the safe recovery, and hopefully the capture and charging of the thief, will be a welcome option. Most trackers are designed to be hidden somewhere inside the tubular frames of regular bikes, which restricts their application for both recumbents and velomobiles. Though I’m sure someone could devise a creative way to embed these somewhere in a velomobile.

The system from Spybike was particularly interesting, as they also offer a none-tubular variant, designed to be mounted on a motorcycle. The only catch being that it presently depends on a 12 volt supply, as normally provided by a motor vehicle battery.

All-in-all it was an interesting show and I believe there is reason to look forward to next year.

Dryve – A New Velomobile in Development

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Kenneth

Following on from the Softshell Velomobile Recumbent Gallery also mentioned that AZUB were developing a velomobile. They then referred the reader to AZUB’s 2012 catalogue which is available online through ISSUU.

The catalogue dedicates two pages, 52 and 53, to the Dryve velomobile. The work has been done in conjunction with a German industrial designer, Johannes Rave. For those who take issue with ISSUU, and I find it painfully slow on older PCs, the english text is quoted below:

Dryve – AZUB project of fabric fairing for recumbent trikes
AZUB Dryve is a project of mixed alu/fabric fairing designed for all three models of AZUB trikes. There are a few goals we wanted to reach:

Quite light construction of a fully faired trike which can be used in different types of weather with the rider still comfortable inside.

Using a fabric which can be stretched a bit in the way to use its properties (covered wheels, unusual entrance etc.)

Affordable price which cannot be obviously reached by construction from Composite.

Good looking – a bit car-like-style design with focus on function and practical daily use allowing to transport larger luggage and/or hauling a trailer. The aerodynamic shape is not our primary goal as the construction from fabric cannot really be very aerodynamic.

Possibility of easy assembly of electric motor.

Possibiiity of riding the trike without fairing in the hot months of the year.

Small size for transport from AZUB to customer so the shipping price is not sky high like when delivering a composite body which is huge and has to be protected a lot.

We were dreaming about such a machine for couple of years and then we were contacted by a German student of industrial design from The University in Pforzhelm, Johannes Rave who wanted to design such a fairing for his diploma work. His timing was really perfect and he had at least s.ome experience with this project from some of his seminar work so we started to work together and after some months the project took shape and the very first prototype was made.

We just started to test it (spring 2012) and we already know there are tons of problems which have to be solved from absolutely new ideas lhat have never been tested before. We are very optimistic and are looking forward to new developments. The final product should be introduced during 2013.

I must say I admire wordplay in the name and logo they have chosen. AZUB go on to briefly profile Johannes and point the reader to his website.

Johannes Rave, born 1985, is a German industrial designer who worked together with AZUB on the DRYVE as his final project in summer 2011. He is living in Pforzheim. Germany, where he works on projects for a sustainable future.

Johannes Rave,

www.johannesrave.eu

At the time of writing his website is pending a relaunch. Meanwhile his front page presents the following nice rendering.

A Velomobile Concept with a Fabric Skin

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Kenneth

On interesting detail from the description of the Zampano, mentioned yesterday, was the use of fabric in the weather-proof body. Fabrics have been used before and various “socks” can be made or obtained, to extend the covering provided by a partial fairing which you might see mounted on a recumbent. Modern materials developed for out-door clothing find a ready application here, and the functionality is no doubt much appreciated by the recumbent rider, as they make their way through the end of year weather. One negative that immediately impresses when you look at such coverings, is the lack of style, due in a large part to the rather limited aerodynamic form which has been achieved.

This criticism however, need not be. Recumbent Gallery recently profiled a velomobile concept which as appeared on a number of design blogs by a Czech designer Martin Miklica. I have been unable to locate a website for Martin or his work but he evidently has other interests beside human powered transport. His concept for a four wheel, two seat, socialble basicly involves a light-weight rigid frame covered by a Softshell “stretchy” fabric. For all the criticisms one thing this vehicle does not lack is form and style.

Like so many concepts, once you look past the slick photo-real renderings, the engineer sees numerous technical shortcomings. Recumbent Gallery (RG) rightly observe that there appears to be no space in this design for the usual envelope needed to mount and use a normal crank drive. RG suggests this could be overcome by fitting some kind of linear drive. But once you have grasped the idea of using fixed structural elements to define the edge of the fabric form what is to stop you from adding some similar constraint to further define the shape in the middle, as this design already does toward the rear?

The possibilities from this approach have a lot of potential both to help reduce weight and cost, and also thereby to help reduce the cost of delivery of the product to the end user. It seems to be an ideal way to take Carl-Georg Rassmusen’s concept in the Leitra further, by surrounding the rider(s) in a protective cadge, sealed with an even lighter covering. My only misgiving would be concern over material durability in the real world, where the fabric cover would have to face up, not only to scuffs and rubs, but to sharps and cuts from both the natural and man made environments.

The constrained fabric cover, is already available in a primitive form, with Hase’s Klimax trike, a review of which is expected in the next issue of Velovision Magazine. But there are other prospects in the offing. RG also hints on a new fabric covered velomobile in development, from Czech recumbent makers AZUB, which will be the subject of the next post.

Zampano – 4 Wheel Velomobile from Germany

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Kenneth

The criticism of the rigid tricycle format, which most velomobiles are based on, comes from the limited stability when cornering sharply at speed. The trike usually has the advantage of a mechanically elegant and simple steering or drive, comparable to a bicycle, with additional stability provided by the third wheel. On snow, ice and loose ground the trike is very stable when compared to a bike, as it will slide rather than fall. On hard ground however the bike has the advantage, being able to lean into curves. As a result the industry is beginning serious exploration of alternative designs with the potential to overcome this limitation.

Some designs and ideas were presented at the recent Velomobile Seminar. One solution is to take the mechanically simple trike layout and “improve” it by adding some kind of tilting function to counter the overturning force. For example the new VeloTilt design. There are arguments for and against, and challenges to over come but development work is moving ahead. Another alternative is to add an extra wheel to gain the stability of a quadricycle as illustrated by the Quatro.

Four wheel velomobiles are not new. Indeed many of the early “pedal cars” were four-wheelers. Mochet’s Velocar was originally designed on the behest of his wife so that his son would have a stable machine, and therefore safe in her view, on which to go out riding with his friends. The recumbent advantage was only discovered by accident as it were, once the Velocar was being used alongside other cycles.

An increasing number of modern quadricycles are starting to make an appearance some with velomobile features. One-such is the Zampano by Designwerks from Germany. At least one prototype has been produced and is illustrated here. Designwerks website is professionally produced in German, but there is little information on the present status of the project, or what if any plans there are for manufacture and sale.

Based on Google Translate the Zampano website states:

This innovative vehicle combines the benefits of the bicycle, car and public transport in one product without being unnecessarily burdened by their disadvantages. It consists of aluminum and high-tech materials such as carbon fiber, Makrolon and Goretex, is powered completely emission-free, has no parking spaces, is all-weather-resistant and also encloses its users. … Depending on the version an option for an electric motor will be available this fall. The time is ripe for a solution like this.

The German text also makes reference to a Manfred Klauda and Tretauto GmbH Munchen. If anyone can add more information please do so in the comments below.

English Velomobile Commuter

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Kenneth

Some time ago the BBC did a report on Ian Fardoe and his home built velomobile for the Midlands Today program. The clip is available via Ian’s Youtube channel below. At the time he was using the velomobile to commute to work, a 12 mile round trip according to the reporter. The tone is very positive and it is interesting to note the distinction made with the infamous Sinclair C5!

Ian has since upgraded to a Quest from Velomobiel.nl and a couple of driver’s eye videos from his daily commute are shown below. There is visual commentary superimposed on the video and at one point he highlights his speed as 54 mph based on GPS data!

Much of the following video is played back at high (x 4) speed which distorts the true sense of speed. It is none-the-less of value as it illustrates a range of different UK roads over which Ian commutes.

UPDATE:

Here is the video Ian refers to in his comment below:

Brazilian Velomobile – Gloriosa Valentina

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Kenneth

The Valentina is an impressively styled velomobile from South America.

I first became aware of the design several months ago but I was reminded by a comment from a reader in Argentina. Both Velomobile production and use is concentrated in Europe with rapid growth starting to appear in the US but what about other parts of the world? Australia & New Zealand have an established industry but what about other countries and particularly South America? Brazil is no longer an emerging economy – it has emerged – so it is perhaps little surprise to see the beginnings of a velomobile industry there, but what of other neighbouring countries? If you know of any others please let us know in the comments below.

The Valentina is produced by David Bevilacqua in Florianópolis Brazil. There is a website in Portuguese (not Spanish) but there appears to be little technical information at present. The Valentina appears to be mounted on a regular recumbent trike and features a sophisticated lighting system and electric assist.

If anyone can offer more information please comment below.

Final Visit to Dronten

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Kenneth

I am back in the UK and have been busy with work on the website back-end, including dealing with a security breach in which the site was hacked and “malicious” code and links were injected into most pages. It is believed the “damage” has been cleaned up but if you notice any suspicious behaviour on the site please let us know.

I have several articles to post and I will shortly be writing up both my test rides and manufacturer visits in more detail. Meanwhile here is a report of my last day in Flevoland.

The last day was marred by an accident in the Sunrider. As I returned from Putten I performed an inadvertent Elk Test on a cycle-path-roundabout in Harderwijk, and overturned.

This was the third time I had passed through this particular cycle junction. The first day in the Alleweder, I had passed very slowly, giving more attention to reading the fietspad direction signs and following the map on my iPhone, to be able to properly observe the path. The evening before I had passed through at some speed, and felt comfortable with how the velomobile handled, albeit in the opposite direction. This was the second time in the Sunrider, and I had assumed that the flow of the junction would be the same in the opposite direction. As I entered the junction I experienced a sharp turn to the right followed by a sharp turn to the left, at just enough speed to loose control and then roll over. I became aware things were going wrong in the middle of the maneuver and had that feeling of helplessness as I tried to slow and correct the steering. Instead I felt myself slowly falling over and found myself on my side with a grazed hand and elbow and significant damage to the Sunrider upper body.

Being an engineer I have a strong urge to analyise the accident and learn the why. However I currently have no opportunity to investigate the site as I would like. The accident may have been compounded by a number of factors: a tendency of the particular model I was riding at the time to pull to the left when braking, thus adding to the over turning force; the contribution of adverse camber; or I may have touched the centre curb, etc, etc. However, despite the accident, I beat my time of the previous day by about 30 minutes!

Laying aside the accident, my impression of the Sunrider was positive. The drenching which was avoided on the previous day was definitely part of that impression. Despite being very heavy (c. 43 Kg) it was not difficult to ride, and I was pleasantly surprised by the performance increase over the previous day. However to be fair, the performance comparison should really only be made after at least a couple of journeys in each machine over the same route, to average out any differences due to muscle training and route knowledge.

The design does need some refinement and I am pleased to report that Leo Vischer is doing excellent work developing the Mk 2 Sunrider which should go a long way to answering those criticisms. The Mk 2 is expected to be on the market by the summer of 2013.

After returning the Sunrider to Alligt, and sorting out how to pay for the damage*, I again visited Flevobike, where I had an arrangement to test ride an Orca. The machine I tested was one with the electric assist option, the “stealth black” model in the photo. Andre Vrielink went over the controls with me as well as making a minor adjustment to fit the Orca to my size.

I was not able to take the Orca back to Putten, however I was able to give it a good run round Dronten over some varied terrain, enough to revise my initially negative impression to a much more positive one, but more of that later.

After the ride I was able to spend some time with Andre discussing the Orca, Flevobike and velomobiles in general. I was particularly interested to learn the differences between the original Versatile and the Orca, as visually it is hard to distinguish one from the other. These may well be summarised as, a number of refinements to the details and build method, that significantly improve the build quality, and give an incremental improvement on the performance.

*Before doing any significant test-riding in Europe I would strongly recommend ensuring you have suitable cycle cover that includes coverage for cycles you ride that are loaned to you.

Dronten – Take-two

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Kenneth

Today I took the Bus and visited Dronten for the second time. On the previous occasion only Velomobiel were open, as the other velomobile manufacturers had decamped to the SPEZI in Germany, so this time I visited both Alligt and Flevobike.

Flevobike came first, where I had an appointment to meet with Johan Vrielink, one of the original founders of what is now Flevobike. Here I also met with Jos Sluijsmans of Fietsdiensten.nl. Both were part of the team that organised the recent Velomobile Seminar, which is currently planed to be repeated in 2014.

Johan Vrielink is now retired but for all that he is still full of energy with an active mind, and ideas to promote and further the velomobile concept and secure a greater knowledge and acceptance of the velomobile as a very practical mode of transport. Jos is quieter but similarly full of ideas and it is encouraging that both their minds, as well as others, are engaged on this problem. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and flow of ideas.

Johan also gave us both a tour of the Flevobike facility where the Orca velomobile and the Green Machine recumbent are manufactured. A professional facility. Here we also met Andre Kjaersgaard, from Velomobil Center in Denmark, who is working a placement to gain skills to service the Orca velomobile in his home country.

Next I went round to Alligt where I was able to talk with Leo Vischer for a while. Again more ideas, and reality checks too, a good conversation. One is impressed with both the possibilities and also the fact, that at present, there is not enough time as resources to pursue them all. Much material to write about another time.

I was then able to borrow an Alleweder A4 for my return trip to Putten. Perhaps I was mad, some think I am, but I had to prove for myself what I already believed, that a 45 km (28 mile) trip was quit realistic when tackled with a velomobile. First of all I am currently very unfit and secondly this was the farthest I had ever traveled in a recumbent position. To cut things short, I was slow, slower than I originally expected, but I made it with nothing worse than jelly-legs. I plan to write more on the Alleweder later. Now I must get some sleep and make the return journey tomorrow.

Leaving Dronten

Between Dronten & Harderwijk

Velomobile for sale in the UK

Posted on September 15, 2012 by Kenneth

Ben Cooper of Kinetics in Glasgow is advertising the sale of a velomobile, a green Rotovelo. Those who were at SPEZI in 2011 will recognise this as the velomobile Trisled brought over which subsequently went with Peter Eland to York for a review in Velovision Magazine. I saw the machine myself at the 2011 York CTC Cycle Show before it was then sold on to a purchaser in Scotland.

The Rotovelo received a lot of attention at it’s launch in 2011, both because of the novel (at least in velomobile terms) construction method, and the realistic potential of this construction method to significantly reduce the cost of a velomobile. Rather than using the time-consuming method of laying up a glass or carbon fibre body, the Rotovelo uses the same rotating moulding method used to form a kayak. This is both cheaper, quicker and more easily scaled to support large production volumes. Unfortunately, as Peter in the Velovision Review (Issue 41 Jun 2011) highlighted, while the production cost in Australia is low, once you added shipping and European import duties the cost was comparable to a much better equipped European built machine.

Seen here outside Kinetics in Glasgow, upgraded with a Rolhof hub, and asking for offers around £3,500 it certainly looks like a good deal.

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