What is it? It's a Velomobile
(From Wikipedia): a velomobile, or bicycle car, is a human-powered vehicle (HPV) enclosed for aerodynamic advantage and protection from weather and/or collisions. Nearly all velomobiles are single-passenger vehicles. They are derived from recumbent bicycles and tricycles, with the addition of a full fairing (aerodynamic shell).
Why use one?
1. Weather protection. This is the way I initially stumbled upon velomobiles as a kid. I was searching the internet for "weatherproof bikes" and saw pictures of these pod-shaped tricycles. Velomobiles have varying degrees of coverage ranging from fully enclosed (for racing/bad weather) to open sides/open top (for cruising/hot days).
2. Comfort. Arguably the biggest problem with upright bikes is their capacity to be comfortable AND fast. You can get one but not the other. In a velomobile, however - you're sitting reclined in a seat with full back support, leaving your head facing forward allowing you to take in the scenery as you ride through it. You also get full butt support - no more numbness or saddle sores!
3. Aerodynamics/Speed. My personal favorite attribute of velomobiles. Due to the reclined seating position, a carefully designed shell can reduce aerodynamic drag vs. an upright bicycle by a large margin - allowing you to go the same speed for less effort, or faster for the same effort - especially downhill!
4. Practicality/Storage. Besides providing superior aerodynamics and weather protection, the shell also adds storage capacity. The most common areas to store things is beside the rider beneath the seat as well as beside and above the rear wheel. Because all of your bags are inside the shell - they won't negatively affect your aerodynamics like they would on an upright touring rig. Additionally, the more weight you add beside yourself and above the rear wheel, the better traction you'll get and the more stable braking you'll have by preventing rear wheel lift. Not only that, but because you're on 3 wheels, balance is never an issue no matter how loaded up you are with gear nor how slippery the roads are.
5. Coolness Factor. Just look at them! While I was on tour in one - our velomobiles were often our meal tickets and also landed us places to stay or camp. We were approached by news stations and newspapers in towns we stopped in and had plenty of photographers (amateur and professional) after us, too. People notice them, and road presence is crucial for road safety - which brings us to our next point:
6. Collision Protection. It's true... sort of. In minor collisions, the shell itself will indeed offer you some protection. In major accidents, however, the shell won't do much. Because of the high occurrence of rollovers and collisions in Australian HPV races, all racing velomobiles feature roll bars and a harness for their rider which makes them much safer in any crash.
7. Health. There's an old adage about bikes versus cars: One runs on fat and saves you money; the other runs on money and makes you fat! Honestly though, cycling in general has countless proven medical benefits, plus the recumbent position of velomobiles is inherently better for your neck, back and soft tissues than the upright position of normal bicycles.
2. Comfort. Arguably the biggest problem with upright bikes is their capacity to be comfortable AND fast. You can get one but not the other. In a velomobile, however - you're sitting reclined in a seat with full back support, leaving your head facing forward allowing you to take in the scenery as you ride through it. You also get full butt support - no more numbness or saddle sores!
3. Aerodynamics/Speed. My personal favorite attribute of velomobiles. Due to the reclined seating position, a carefully designed shell can reduce aerodynamic drag vs. an upright bicycle by a large margin - allowing you to go the same speed for less effort, or faster for the same effort - especially downhill!
4. Practicality/Storage. Besides providing superior aerodynamics and weather protection, the shell also adds storage capacity. The most common areas to store things is beside the rider beneath the seat as well as beside and above the rear wheel. Because all of your bags are inside the shell - they won't negatively affect your aerodynamics like they would on an upright touring rig. Additionally, the more weight you add beside yourself and above the rear wheel, the better traction you'll get and the more stable braking you'll have by preventing rear wheel lift. Not only that, but because you're on 3 wheels, balance is never an issue no matter how loaded up you are with gear nor how slippery the roads are.
5. Coolness Factor. Just look at them! While I was on tour in one - our velomobiles were often our meal tickets and also landed us places to stay or camp. We were approached by news stations and newspapers in towns we stopped in and had plenty of photographers (amateur and professional) after us, too. People notice them, and road presence is crucial for road safety - which brings us to our next point:
6. Collision Protection. It's true... sort of. In minor collisions, the shell itself will indeed offer you some protection. In major accidents, however, the shell won't do much. Because of the high occurrence of rollovers and collisions in Australian HPV races, all racing velomobiles feature roll bars and a harness for their rider which makes them much safer in any crash.
7. Health. There's an old adage about bikes versus cars: One runs on fat and saves you money; the other runs on money and makes you fat! Honestly though, cycling in general has countless proven medical benefits, plus the recumbent position of velomobiles is inherently better for your neck, back and soft tissues than the upright position of normal bicycles.
Why not use one?
1. Climbing. The benefits of an extra wheel, a large seat and a shell are not without their drawbacks. The main one is weight - most velomobiles are between 45 and 100+ lbs (20-45+kg). This, in conjunction with the fact that you cannot stand up on the pedals means climbing hills and starting from a standstill are more difficult. The solution is to simply downshift to keep your pedaling cadence up. Alternatively, electric assist systems are a popular add-on solution to this issue.
2. Investment. There's no denying the fact that these things come at a high price. You'll either spend a lot of time building one yourself or several thousand on a new one, and because they're so rare - the used market is sparse.
3. Storage. Plan on using up a space about as large as a kayak for velomobile parking - and you can forget about carrying it up the stairs to your apartment!
2. Investment. There's no denying the fact that these things come at a high price. You'll either spend a lot of time building one yourself or several thousand on a new one, and because they're so rare - the used market is sparse.
3. Storage. Plan on using up a space about as large as a kayak for velomobile parking - and you can forget about carrying it up the stairs to your apartment!
