[Velomobile] Propositions

[Ladislav Blaha]

Glad to see activity in this list and glad to see progress on project of 
OS velo.
I have read all the texts and am a bit sad how general and nothing 
detailed they are.
So let me give my two cents.

I am fresh user of Alleweder A3 velomobile (see 
http://www.lehokolo.com/view.php?cisloclanku=2011102801) and need to say:
- protection - what I like much is weather protection, even in subzero 
temperatures I feel comfortably
- speed - velo really has better coasting and superb downhill, uphill 
nothing great, much worse then any bike I have, but acceptable, I was 
able to climb all my local hils.
- cargo capacity - poor - I am used to brompton bike with their great 
front c-bag (see 
http://www.prahounakole.cz/2010/03/nakladni-kola-iv-ladova-cesta-k-xtracycle/) 
and occasionaly with bike trailer  (see http://www.bikerev.com/) there 
is almost nothing what I am not able to move with this combo. Alleweder 
cannot accept even bag small as my brompton C-bag. It has some cargo 
capacity but oddly shaped, you can load only quite narrow cargo. For 
bulky items and my boys and wife I use xtracycle.

So I vote for much bigger cargo space in velo. My need is, that velo 
should accept both - my brompton bike and my brompton C-bag as cargo. It 
looks strange and radical, but it is what I can easily move with my car 
and if velo should be replacement for my car then it should accept cargo 
like this (btw nothing extra bulky :-) ). If the velo could have 
designed clever way how to add even more cargo, better. My bike for real 
cargo is xtracycle. System of wide loaders and long loaders of xtracycle 
hardly could be overcome. (see 
http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/cargo-bike-accessories/wideloader-load-shelves.html) 
Bike has mounting points for extra platform used for even more cargo.

So my wishes for velo are:
- as low as alleweder
- open head as alleweder
- cargo trunk as big as asphalt tretboot of harald winkler (see Youtube 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX1ko9e0kJ4 or 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMH45oJvAZU)
- or cargo trunk as big as velocar from lightfoot recumbents (see 
http://www.lightfootcycles.com/velomobiles_from_Lightfoot_Cycles.php)
- xtracycle wide and long loaders compatible (see 
http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/cargo-bike-accessories/wideloader-load-shelves.html 
again)
- steel frame made from jackels ala atomic zombie (see 
http://www.atomiczombie.com/main.aspx)
- foam fairing as john tetz does (see 
http://www.recumbents.com/mars/pages/proj/tetz/manual/0intro.html) or 
coroplast  fairing (see 
http://www.lightfootcycles.com/velomobiles_from_Lightfoot_Cycles.php again)
- what I am not sure is if the velo has to be suspended or not, probably 
so, then let it has proven mcpherson setup of alleweder, but my 
experience with folding bikes says that maybe tires like schwalbe big 
apple is enough.

Everything complex is already done, technologies are ready made, we 
should just pick up these proved technologies together and mix it in new 
fresh shape.

Ladia Blaha
www.velorama.cz