Living with a velomobile

[il padrone]

Those fancy rear indicators will last about 5 minutes with all the malicious time-wasters about

[Rhubarb]

At $14,500 with optional turn indicators OUCH
Fully specced mango way cheaper than that

$14,500 does not include the indicators or shipping which is quoted as $500-$1000 within Aus on their website.

I'm sure this would be an excellent velo but just as their website states, it is designed to maximise speed at the expense of practicality. The rotovelo is their practical model. I wanted/needed something in between, ie faster, lighter and more comfortable than a RV, but more practical for my everyday commuting (luggage and ramp clearance) than an Avatar.

I actually have serious concerns about the Avatar in Qld summer heat & humidity, combined with our hilly terrain. In hot humid conditions, crawling up a 15% slope at 7km/hr, small air intakes at the rear wheel (Avatar) just don't cut it. A fully open visor on the mango hood even needs about 12km/hr of speed to cool me effectively.

[Bartek]

My first 'Mango' video, not up to Paul's standards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eCfM0J20jA

[Aushiker]

My first 'Mango' video, not up to Paul's standards

Nice to see another Mango in action in WA. IN the cycling lanes where you riding out a bit or is that the camera angle?

Andrew

[Bartek]

Nice to see another Mango in action in WA. IN the cycling lanes where you riding out a bit or is that the camera angle? Andrew

I do tend to ride a little wide, so that I always have a 'escape' route when drivers get too close, but it could also be the camera angle.

On You-tube you mentioned a 'quick release vibration plug', what is that?

[burnt]

Okay here's another video from an amateur, just a local ride as I don't go to work anymore!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-JGO8mJ9PY

[Aushiker]

On You-tube you mentioned a 'quick release vibration plug', what is that?

It is this thing ...



There is a video on fitting it below



As to the angle, I notice with Burnt's video is much the same so suspect it is the camera.

Andrew

[Bartek]

It is this thing ... Andrew

ah yes I have a couple of those, no there wasn't one fitted. I thought you meant something that should be fitted to the Mango Doh!

I will try to remember to fit one next time.

[Joeblake]

Quick release vibration plug. Sounds like something you buy from an "adult shop" For the man in a hurry.

Joe

[John Lewis]

nice vids burnt and Bartek. Good to see those mangos out and about.

I'd better figure out some way to mount the camera decently and make one too.
Sticking it on with velcro was a failure with too much vibration.
bartek, that patch you were riding through has changed since I lived in the area. Back then it was mostly bush and wild brumbies. That was back in the 50's.

John

[burnt]

EuroTour2013-PlanB-organised by Carl Georg Rasmussen (Leitra maker& nearly 80!) July 21 for 2 weeks.
http://logical-vehicles.org/tour13forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=874ec5bc521365da8446689ddcfe11c3&topic=92.msg731#new

Wonder if you can rent a velo from somewhere, this would be great fun!

[Bartek]

nice vids burnt and Bartek. Good to see those mangos out and about.

I'd better figure out some way to mount the camera decently and make one too.
Sticking it on with velcro was a failure with too much vibration.
bartek, that patch you were riding through has changed since I lived in the area. Back then it was mostly bush and wild brumbies. That was back in the 50's.

John

Thanks John, there is still plenty of bush around (enough to keep us busy with fires!) no wild brumbies that I have seen but plenty of other 'wildlife'

[burnt]

Wonder if you can rent a velo from somewhere, this would be great fun!

Of course that would be the easy part, getting authorisation from the Minister of Finance would be the hard part!!

[AndrewBurns]

I wonder what the velomobile market is here in Australia and worldwide. Trisled seems to be doing ok and there's a bit of demand in Europe it seems but I can't imagine it being very easy to run a business making them in this country. The demand in Australia couldn't be very large and the distance from here to Europe would be a huge reason for them to buy locally and not worry about shipping, you have to wonder how Trisled do it.

[Rhubarb]

I wonder what the velomobile market is here in Australia and worldwide. Trisled seems to be doing ok and there's a bit of demand in Europe it seems but I can't imagine it being very easy to run a business making them in this country. The demand in Australia couldn't be very large and the distance from here to Europe would be a huge reason for them to buy locally and not worry about shipping, you have to wonder how Trisled do it.

Trisled sell a lot of HPV racing velos to schools etc for competition in the Australian Pedal Prix series. Some of the vids of these events really make you want to race .... until you see the crashes ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIFGR8DvCOI

[Aushiker]

Trisled sell a lot of HPV racing velos to schools etc for competition in the Australian Pedal Prix series. Some of the vids of these events really make you want to race .... until you see the crashes ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIFGR8DvCOI

Trisled I believe also focus their overseas business on the US rather than Europe. They have a rather active US dealer from what I have seen.

Andrew

[John Lewis]

Wonder if you can rent a velo from somewhere, this would be great fun!

Of course that would be the easy part, getting authorisation from the Minister of Finance would be the hard part!!

Yes that's right for sure. My better half is off on a cruise to NZ tomorrow and visited USA last year so she could hardly complain if I wanted to go visit Euro Tour.
Getting a velo to use might be a problem. I wonder if I could trust Sinner to build me one in time? Then have to sell this one to help finance it. Probably not the most sensible idea but could work.

Of course its all pie in the sky really for me because my health situation would prevent me from meaningfully participating anyway.

Still it would be nice to visit and see all the velos , visit some of the manufacturers etc. Wonder if they need some support crew?

John

[Rhubarb]

Wonder if you can rent a velo from somewhere, this would be great fun!

Of course that would be the easy part, getting authorisation from the Minister of Finance would be the hard part!!

Yes that's right for sure. My better half is off on a cruise to NZ tomorrow and visited USA last year so she could hardly complain if I wanted to go visit Euro Tour.
Getting a velo to use might be a problem. I wonder if I could trust Sinner to build me one in time? Then have to sell this one to help finance it. Probably not the most sensible idea but could work.

Of course its all pie in the sky really for me because my health situation would prevent me from meaningfully participating anyway.

Still it would be nice to visit and see all the velos , visit some of the manufacturers etc. Wonder if they need some support crew?

John

Don't Sinner have an electrango (e-mango) as a test ride now? 20 minutes ... 3 weeks ... a test ride is a test ride yeah ???

[Rhubarb]

And here's some extreme velomobiling ....

[Roinik]

Let's see someone do that on a bike! Kind of scary really. Sometimes I'm glad that there isn't much snow in Aus.

Except when someone tries to organise a classic car run to Albany in November, eh John.

[John Lewis]

Let's see someone do that on a bike! Kind of scary really. Sometimes I'm glad that there isn't much snow in Aus.

Except when someone tries to organise a classic car run to Albany in November, eh John.

John

[AndrewBurns]

And here's some extreme velomobiling ....

In Australia as soon as he spun the cars behind him would have exclaimed "Beauty!!" and sped past him, not allowing him back onto the correct side of the road.

[petie]

Nice to see the velo he is riding seems to be inherently stable and didn't roll on him in the middle of the road!

[Rhubarb]

A velomobile isn't necessarily the fastest bike out there....

[John Lewis]

Good one Rhubarb.
Just watch out for the speed cameras.
For all his acceleration it didn't seem to do him a lot of good as he seemed to be held up in the traffic ahead.

John