Living with a velomobile

John Lewis
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:23 pm

adrian_d wrote:These look absolutely stunning, i'm hugely jealous of anyone that has owned/owns or has ever seen/ridden one of these in real life

I think this is innovation pushed to the highest point.

Now to find the money for one haha. Whats the usual impressions of people when riding on the bike paths?
I've had no trouble but I slow down to walking pace and call out.
I've had some people think its some sort of space age mobility scooter. Most people want to ask questions and that can hold you up.

I found I met the same people a lot so after a while its just a cheery hello and keep riding.

As for getting one you will have to start saving. The Rotovelo looks pretty affordable and the odd one shows up second hand. It has no suspension but a suspension version is in the works.

John

Joeblake
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Joeblake » Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:30 pm

John Lewis wrote: I've had some people think its some sort of space age mobility scooter. Most people want to ask questions and that can hold you up.
I tell people my solar electrike IS my mobility scooter. :mrgreen:

Joe
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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Tue Oct 16, 2012 3:02 pm

I rode with my Race Hood for the first time on the weekend.....

I can definitely say that it makes you go faster - I was riding in the wind (25 - 35 kph) and rain.......my average was running at 34.5 kph for the first 1hr 15mins, then as I turned directly into the wind by the time I got home my average was down to 32.9 kph......

It was rather noisy inside the Mango with the hood on, those damn coarse chip Victorian roads....in fact victorian cobbled roads could be smoother ?

It was hotter inside but ok but there was some condensation on the inside as it was quite cold outside.....

Had a some Velo stalkers who saw me and chased me down in their car and then expected me to stop and chat halfway up a 9% hill, no chance so I told them to take the next left and they came after me......they were very interested.....

Sunday - I managed to run on the Ford Proving Ground - Constant Speed Track (Banked 3 mile Oval) and only had time for 2 laps but managed to average 43 kph - the 1km straights are dead flat but there is some height difference between the front and back straights so the long radius corners went uphill at one end and downhill at the other......you could not let off the pedalling at all as the Marathon Pluses are a bit draggy on the concrete surface.....good fun tho !

So far I have been a bad man and not been wearing a helmet.....it is snug without a helmet, can't imagine wearing a helmet would work for me, maybe I am a little tall at 1m 80cm ?

Ride 2 Work tomorrow in Victoria - so the Mango was washed last night, she is looking shiny.....
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adrian_d
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby adrian_d » Tue Oct 16, 2012 3:56 pm

Riggsbie wrote:I rode with my Race Hood for the first time on the weekend.....

I can definitely say that it makes you go faster - I was riding in the wind (25 - 35 kph) and rain.......my average was running at 34.5 kph for the first 1hr 15mins, then as I turned directly into the wind by the time I got home my average was down to 32.9 kph......

It was rather noisy inside the Mango with the hood on, those damn coarse chip Victorian roads....in fact victorian cobbled roads could be smoother ?

It was hotter inside but ok but there was some condensation on the inside as it was quite cold outside.....

Had a some Velo stalkers who saw me and chased me down in their car and then expected me to stop and chat halfway up a 9% hill, no chance so I told them to take the next left and they came after me......they were very interested.....

Sunday - I managed to run on the Ford Proving Ground - Constant Speed Track (Banked 3 mile Oval) and only had time for 2 laps but managed to average 43 kph - the 1km straights are dead flat but there is some height difference between the front and back straights so the long radius corners went uphill at one end and downhill at the other......you could not let off the pedalling at all as the Marathon Pluses are a bit draggy on the concrete surface.....good fun tho !

So far I have been a bad man and not been wearing a helmet.....it is snug without a helmet, can't imagine wearing a helmet would work for me, maybe I am a little tall at 1m 80cm ?

Ride 2 Work tomorrow in Victoria - so the Mango was washed last night, she is looking shiny.....
You sir are my hero. Imagine seeing all those curious faces when you turn up at work tomorrow morning. What a proud day :)
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2. Attend 250km Bupa 2014

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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:09 pm

Why thank you.....

I have to remember to put the "Do not touch" stickers on the bonnet....

I need to find some "No Step" stickers like you get on aircraft wings.......

I generally get snubbed by roadies but there are a few at Ford coming around to the idea......in fact someone has asked for a go on my Vortex trike......
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Rhubarb
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:10 pm

John Lewis wrote:
rdp_au wrote:
John Lewis wrote:Missed the Anniversary

I just realised that it is a bit over a year since I ordered my mango.
It was on the 30th of September 2011 if I recall rightly.
I think it was another 7 months almost to the day before it arrived on my doorstep though.

Sadly I've only managed 407 km since I got it and it will be a while I think before I get to ride it again due to this silly SVT health problem .

John
John,

I had to get on line to find out about SVT. Sounds like there are a few ways of getting it sorted without lasting effects. Hope it works out for you.
In the meantime, you'll just have to keep polishing the Mango and sitting in it and making 'pedal, pedal' noises :)

Rds,

David
Rds,
Thanks for the reply David,

The problem really is the long wait to be seen and then probably another long wait before anything is done.
I need to put in some really low gears and ride. I do ride the trike quietly to the shops. Really low gear and about 6 kmh. Ay much more and it can start the heartrate up. If I'm careful it hovers round 80% while riding even with the minimum effort I'm expending. I might as well ride as it does the same walking and at least you can coast down hill when riding. 30 GI low on the velo is too high though.

Reading on the net is a good way to scare yourself at times. Oe thing I read is about pacemakers. A friend has one for pretty much the same problem. He takes meds to slow heart and then the PM speeds it up to normal. Problem that I read is that using welders, power tools etc become a no no with a PM so I wouldn't be happy with that. I'm hoping there is a simple explanation. Fingers crossed.

I really want to get out there and hammer the mango though.

Hope you are giving your new machine plenty of exercise.

John
We're all really hoping this thing works out for you John.

Rhubarb
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:18 pm

Riggsbie wrote:I rode with my Race Hood for the first time on the weekend.....
<edited>
So far I have been a bad man and not been wearing a helmet.....it is snug without a helmet, can't imagine wearing a helmet would work for me, maybe I am a little tall at 1m 80cm ?
I'm 183cms. Harry is 195cm, and Arjen is 203cm so height isn't the issue per se, but maybe height of head due to seat setup if you really think there is an issue. Paul and I wore helmets under our hoods for the B2GC last weekend but took them off for the trip home. The movement is highly dependent on the helmet size with the limiting factor being the front to back length. Aero helmets with their elongated tails tend to hit the sides as you start to turn to look back at 4:30 and 7:30 directions.

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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Wed Oct 17, 2012 9:58 am

Ride 2 Work day in Victoria today.....

So took the Mango with Race Hood......

Had possibly the dumbest comment from a tradie at a set of traffic lights, "You are dangerous, you could cause accidents as people slow down to look at you !" - not much you can really say to that.....I did suggest that it was down to the driver to pay attention to what they were doing whilst driving a car......

I guess it's also my fault there's a world food shortage as I am alive ?

Some people......Geelong is still not ready for Velomobiles......

At the breakfast I won a prize - 2nd year in a row :-)

Lots of photos and positive comments - lots of people struggling to try and keep up too !
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Bartek
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Bartek » Wed Oct 17, 2012 12:06 pm

So what happened to Terry on the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride last weekend. We see him at the start of the videos but what then, how did he do?
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Rhubarb
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:17 pm

Bartek wrote:So what happened to Terry on the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride last weekend. We see him at the start of the videos but what then, how did he do?
Terry unfortunately dropped off right at the start with a false flat. The start of the ride through the busway is visually deceiving as it appears to be a slight downhill but its actually a slight uphill. So you don't go as fast as you think you should be. I was focussed on just staying with Paul so didn't think too much of it, but Paul thought he had a flat too. Terry actually pulled over twice to check his tyres, so unfortunately dropped off right at the start and never caught it back up.

burnt
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby burnt » Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:26 pm

More importantly I think my fitness was suspect. I had a fluey thing that hung around for weeks, so probably didn't get the miles required before the ride.

However the reality is I'm fat, 50+ and struggle up hills!! I doubt I would have been able to hang onto Ben and Paul anyway...but there is always next year! I am retiring in March, so there will be no excuses for under preparation!!

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Bartek
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Bartek » Wed Oct 17, 2012 4:53 pm

burnt wrote:More importantly I think my fitness was suspect. I had a fluey thing that hung around for weeks, so probably didn't get the miles required before the ride.

However the reality is I'm fat, 50+ and struggle up hills!! I doubt I would have been able to hang onto Ben and Paul anyway...but there is always next year! I am retiring in March, so there will be no excuses for under preparation!!

However the reality is that you completed the ride of what was it? 190km! I would say that is pretty impressive, well done!
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burnt
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby burnt » Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:53 pm

Well that's true-I was pretty chuffed to complete that distance, particularly given the conditions for the return trip!! 38C and 30KPH headwind :shock:

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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:57 pm

I think the 38C would kill me......I can do 190km but probably not in that heat......a mighty fine effort !!

How much water did you get through ? I'm a guzzler and chew through 750ml in an hour and I have noticed I chew through more on the few occasions with the hood as I guess I am running a bit hotter than usual with the Flevoroof......

Need to run some checks on my Mango and lube the chains for the weekend and then it's Round the Bay time on Sunday, a cruisy 250km - forecast is a high of 17C with showers.......perfect hood weather !

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burnt
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby burnt » Wed Oct 17, 2012 7:37 pm

Lots of water stops on the way back, 3 litre camelback of poweraide almost empty on return. Paul gave me some gels containing caffeine on the way back-they are the best performance enhancing drugs I've tried!! They really made a difference and will feature in any long endurance rides I do in the future.

Suggest them for the ATBIAD ride. I've done that ride twice on a road bike, would love to do it in a Mango!! Have fun :D

Rhubarb
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Wed Oct 17, 2012 8:20 pm

The hood was actually perfect for the 37 degree day as it was dry and windy. The hood shaded me beautifully and the wind ensured ample ventilation even when stopped.

If it was still and humid it would have been different.

John Lewis
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Thu Oct 18, 2012 12:19 am

I only tried the hood once. It was no problem heatwise but I noticed I was bumping the head on the sides on some bad bumps. Not much room in there.

I found Paul's vid of the ride and enjoyed watching it just a little while ago. It certainly shows the ride characteistics with the slow up hills and fast down . It must have been a bit disconcerting to the upright bikes. A bit like the way filtering bikes annoy cars as they pass and repass.

Rhubarb. Thanks for the kind words. I'm hoping too. :D

John

Rhubarb
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Thu Oct 18, 2012 9:02 pm

If anyones interested in Mangoes in particular, the opening minutes of this video give a bit a tour through the Sinner factory and show some footage of the inside of a few mangoes, including the half mango which they take to exhibitions etc to show the insides.

It helps to understand how they work.

http://youtu.be/dHI8okHW2to" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Poiter
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Future Velomobile

Postby Poiter » Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:45 am

Piximatic velomobile concepts always get my interest.
http://www.piximatic.net/bonjour.ws

Image

Turning them into reality might be a little more difficult.

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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:59 pm

An amusing photo from Around the Bay - 250km Edition in a velomobile.......

Image

The roadies thinking, "What the.......?"

Had a funny comment from a roadie on a very expensive Cervelo with Di shifters...... "Those things are really expensive aren't they ?" So I replied, "How much was your bike ?" "I got a bargain it was just under $16,000"..... "The Mango was almost half that price !" "But it's all carbon........?"

Just makes you appreciate the value for money with a velomobile !!
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william
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby william » Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:25 pm

Yes!

There was a clip of you on the ABC news sport too. I half expected it and happy to see you do the ride in your velo. Great ride.
I rode the 50k with my 11 yo. He was worried to start with but elated to finish with 59.4 K's on his speedo.
He also wants a velo. or a trike. and....

Just out of curiosity, knowing where your home town is, how did you get to the start and home again?


William.

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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:44 pm

That is excellent !!

I love the way kids are not 'conditioned' into thinking what a cycle should look like in the way adults are....

I was able to borrow a Ford Transit van from a work colleague (at Ford we get lease cars), so I loaded up the Mango on Saturday arvo....

I got up at 2.30am, left at 3.15am, parked at 4.30am, unloaded the van and got to the start by 4.50am......

Finished at 3.15pm, loaded van and got home at 5pm......

4 hours sleep, 250km of riding....it was a long day....Mount Martha was a grind but OK, the descent was a little disappointing because of the very gusty crosswinds (40 kph), had a few twitches......the same for Oliver's Hill at Frankston.....had to ring my bell and shout as an uprighter was holding me up, he was all tucked in and thought he was going fast....... :P

I slept really well last night !!
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fredinver
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby fredinver » Mon Oct 22, 2012 5:34 pm

Hi Riggsbie,
Well done on the 250, I saw you both on the way down to queenscliff and again back towards the finish. I did 210 on my CA2. Spent a bit of time around Frankston/mornington with some of your work mates who were singing your praise, or telling me about their mad mate, not sure which it was but assumed the first. Biggest problem I faced was too many lights and people to restrict the chance of unleashing the beast. Give me country roads anytime, but I did get plenty of practice starting.
A bad days riding beats a good day working!
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Riggsbie
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Riggsbie » Mon Oct 22, 2012 9:39 pm

Oh yes.....I saw two Barchettas on the ride.....

Tell me about those traffic lights.....and it was good to wait for the empty side roads to have a green light at 6am on a Sunday morning !

When your cycle weighs 30kg (plus extras) its not fun having to get going again.....

And the DFs clipping in and out, what a pain.....and getting blocked coming down the Westgate Bridge.......

It was a good experience !


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william
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby william » Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:28 pm

Tip and Technique. Don't start at the start.
My first ride I started at the rear as instructed in the ride rules and nearly walked to St Kilda. The next time I started with an insurance team group near crown casino and was in Sorrento at 9:30. Avoided the ferry option and was back in Melb just after 1 pm.
Traffic lights... (groan)

Next time.

william.

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