Break the wind in  a VELOMOBILE

some are not made for speed, but for convenience and fun.  So take a trip with us and find what wonderful things are in store in the land of Velomobiles and human power!

Bicycles are TRANSPORTATION!  Yes, you can lose weight by riding them, yes you can go fast if you like and have the conditioning and training to do so, but mostly bicycles are transportation pure and simple.

We in the USA have lost that part of the bicycle equation, we simply have relegated the humble bicycle to the ghetto of children's toys and weekend warriors for the most part, and ignored the amazing and efficient world of human Power.

What most of us forget is that we are comparing the bicycle to an automobile and seeing it come up short.  Think about a car and how it compares to a Train or aircraft!  If you look at it that way,  you can say,

"Yes a car is GOOD and all, but a TRAIN travels at a constant 70-80 mph and you can go to sleep in a BED in a sleeping car!  and When you want to eat, you don't have to stop!  you go to the dining car and have lunch and maybe a glass of wine.  Can't do that in a CAR!"

Or, "You can't take a car on a long trip!  Why, if I go to the airport, I can get to the other side of the country in a few hours, in a car you would be barely out of the city!  A car is no where as good as an airplane!"

Instead we need to compare apples to apples.

So let's look at a car compared to a bicycle.  But take a look from a cyclist point of view.

First off, a car is expensive!  An average cost of $8000 a year in cost just to own and maintain it!  Look at it from the standpoint of hourly wages.  If you work 2080 hours a year (40 hours a week x 52 weeks a year) an average car will cost about $4 an hour.  So the first $4 an hour you earn goes to feeding your CAR, not food, not fun, not even shelter.  But your CAR!  A bicycle costs far less!  a Velomobile can cost  up to $10,000 for a top of the line model, but after that, the expenses are minimal!  An automobile is required to have a license, and insurance, and an operators permit, all of these are very expensive.  Most auto insurance  costs more per month than a modest bicycle costs to purchase!

A bicycle can be stored nearly anywhere, while a car must be parked on a parking lot or in a garage.  Garages in most "first world" countries are more elaborate and expensive than HOMES in some third world countries.  And a bicycle will never run out of fuel, because they USE no fuel!  This eliminates most of the conflict between oil producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia and oil importing countries such as the USA.

In traffic, a bicycle can slip through small spaces and gaps that would never accommodate a larger vehicle and can be stashed for the day in nearly any place that is large enough to hold it.  In my personal experience, I have kept mine in a closet, behind my desk, beside a work station, under a stair well, in a warehouse, or worst of all, locked to a bike rack outside.

Cars are more expensive, less convenient and less desirable for all but foul weather.  a Velomobilesuch as the quests pictured here  are able to protect the rider from even that.

A Human power vehicle costs less than a car.  I have picked up a bicycle as low as $1 and as much as several thousand dollars.  My most recent purchase was a used PPV for $100!  I got it home and with a few hours of work, I had a running PPV!  I used it that afternoon to run errands and drive to the grocery store for a few bags of groceries!  I also use it to take my grand daughter on rides around the neighborhood.

Is is a "practical" Velomobile? you may ask.  And that is a good question, because it is really not.  and this is unfortunate because it is a delightful vehicle!  I ADORE riding it!  well, Driving it I suppose....but it is vast fun!  But it has a complex and heavy 3 speed with not much range.  and it is HEAVY and worse, the wheels are heavy.  I think lighter wheels and better drive train and it would be a very nice 2 passenger velomobile!

Recently I was able to take two of my nieces and my grand daughter for a ride in the PPV.  The 6 year old niece reached as far as she could and pedaled for all she was worth, the 3 year old niece and my grand daughter sat on the  ledge behind the seat and giggled!  When her mother pulled her out of the back, my grand daughter cried, "Papa's CAR!" and reached to be put back.  And only the week before, at a program where people were trying out bicycles and tricycles of various kinds, three children took possession of the PPV and rode it for a while.  Maybe quite a long while!

Here you can see the three of them cruising in my PPV  Not a perfect Vehicle, but certainly enjoyable!