Preparing for SPEZI

Preparing for SPEZI

Raderwerk

For the past week the Milan website shows a large banner revealing that the company is finally working on a new website and that a major announcement will take place with a date/time counter for the announcement.  After performing a bit of math you realize that the announcement will take place at SPEZI.  People are also invited to register for a newsletter.  So what is the announcement?  The official launch of the SL MK3, the revealing of the two person Milan 4.2 or maybe something completely new.  We’ll keep our ears to the ground.

Intercitybike

Daniel continues the testing of the DF. He rode the DF on 20km test runs and made measurements using the power meter. The values ​​are extremely accurate. Where my gray was the Matt and he should be slower. The hood comes from a Quest. It's not optimal for the DF, so there is room for improvement with the right hood. Equipped with standard wheels, each with a wheel cover hubcap back of course not.  The DF was equipped with Schwalbe Ultremos with light inner tubes mounted on Gingko wheels.

Those measurements were made in in Aachen at a temperature of 25 degrees and the road surface was good unfortunately some wind so the conditions were not perfect for measurements but still fairly good.  The values ​​you are allowed to officially tear.  Daniel rode the course in both directions.  Between one direction and the other there was about 5 km/h difference Daniel feels that with no wind, the measurements would be more precise.

So what are the results?

49.4 km/h at 164 watts with helmet.

50,4 km/h at 160 watts without a helmet.

53,6 km/h at 163 watts with hood

55,2 km/h at 160 watts with hood but the front hole completely closed.

How does this compare to the Milan SL?   According to the information published by Raderwerk, the Milan SL requires 145 watts at 50 km/h, and 191 watts at 60 km/h.  Of course all these measurements have a margin of error, are dependent on conditions and need confirmation from others but it looks like the DF is close to the Milan SL and with further improvements such as the wheel pants, the new hood and the extended tail, the DF may become more efficient than the SL but I’m sure Raderwerk is working at improving the SL and improvements in the MK3’s performance still need to be measured.

Separately, DF owners are discussing the best settings for the rear suspension.  Daniel produced a video to demonstrate how the DF rear end  (see here)can better absorb bumps than a Quest (see here).  Interesting videos.

Byess

Michael Byess announced that the new larger Evo-Kx would not be ready for SPEZI as planned.  Michael wanted to offer test rides at the event but unexpected issues prevented the company to make good on this offer.  There are a number of people disappointed, hopefully this will be a short delay.

Byess is the second company after Velomobiel that is reporting a delay in their new velomobile project resulting in a no-show at SPEZI.

Velo Vision Magazine

Raderwerk is not the only website being upgraded, Velo Vision Magazine announced that the site is also under construction and should be back on-line very soon.

Velox-V

Not exactly a velomobile, officially a streamliner but Delft University has unveiled their new creation to defend their world speed record at Battle Mountain.  Maybe some of the concepts will make their way into the velomobile of the future.  See the video here.

Four Wheel Velomobile and Aero Tests

Four Wheel Velomobile and Aero Tests

Velomobiel

Velomobiel.nl finally provided news on their four-wheel velomobile development project. First, the name is changing from Quest 4 wheel or Q4W to the name Quattro.  The name Quattro was used for the original four-wheel velomobile designed by Miles Kingsbury that was the inspiration for the Velomobiel.nl project.  Miles gave them permission to use the name but there is still a possibility that the German carmaker Audi may still object to the use of the name that was synonymous with the 4WD models of that manufacturer, not to mention the Wordmark.

Original Quattro velomobile by Myles Kingsbury

 

New Quattro by Velomobiel.nl

The plug has been shipped to the Romanian factory to be prepared to make the mold for production.  Work is already underway but the first unit will not be ready for Spezi next month to the disappointment of many.  There is still a lot of work to be done and work will shift on producing the internal components including Wheel wells, chain tunnels, etc.  After the bodywork is complete, the task of making the drive components, finish the electrical system, direction, seat, etc.  Allert indicated that the new velomobile should make its grand entrance at Cycle Vision.

 

The Quattro plug

The Quattro will certainly open a new class of velomobile that provide a bit more room while retaining good aerodynamic performance.   The special retro look with cat-eyes reminiscent of the first Batmobile will attract some. 

Batmobile and Quattro seem to have eyes in common

There is still a lot we do not know about this velomobile first, there are no published specs.  II is not clear how it will compare from a speed and acceleration performance point of view but Allert already demonstrated on his prototype that the handling performance will be improved over the Quest.  Velomobiel has not indicated what will be the weight of the finished velomobile but the larger size and additional mechanical component will certainly have a significant impact that could translate easily into a 5kg penalty.  If the components like the swingarm and boom are made of aluminum versus carbon fiber, this will impact weight along with the extra wheel, beefier suspension, the introduction of the differential and since it will have a 20in wheel at the rear it will probably equipped with a mid-drive.

Intercitybike

Daniel continues the testing of his aerodynamic improvements he recently designed for the DF.  Daniel calls the modified velomobile the first of a new velomobile class called the XLR. Last weekend he went to Elfershausen to test the wheel pants and the tail extension.  While he has not provided details, he appears pleased with the results.  He still claims that the DF with aerodynamic enhancements will be the fastest production velomobile.  Apparently the first tests of the extended tail were successful and confirmed a significant improvement in aerodynamic performance.  He performed the tests with Richard Dähne, the current world champion and his Evo-K.  The wheel pants were also installed on the Evo-Ks (shown below) but could not be road tested because the suspension was too soft to ride with the pants on!

Evo-Ks with Wheel Pants

Daniel mentioned that there may be a version made of the pants and tail for everyday use… stay tuned.

Still Cold Here!

Still Cold Here!

The weather is not conducive to extensive cycling at the moment, my club cancelled the first Populaire of the season supposed to take place today, instead I rode my MTB on a short course.  This winter had a fair bit of snow and it has been cold for weeks, I have often ridden on bare pavement in February but not this year, I’ve had my first ride on my road bike with bike shoes clipped-in, two days ago.  I’m still waiting for my new velomobile, it should arrive by the end of the month.  I never ride my velomobile when the roads are covered in snow and ice or when snowbanks are more than about a foot high so still time for the velomobile on the road.

There is not too much to report, I guess everyone in Europe is getting prepared for SPEZI next month.  There are plans to test the latest aerodynamic enhancements for the DF in Elfershausen, in a roll-down test, probably comparing performance with Milan SL and other velomobiles.  Hopefully, there will be some information to report soon.

Accident Survey Involving Special HPV

The German HPV organization is surveying riders of special human powered vehicles such as velomobiles.  This survey is only for German riders but it would be useful to collect and analyze stats on accidents involving velomobiles in other jurisdictions.  The goal is to examine the number and the cause of the accidents and probably compare to other bike accident statistics.

The types of bikes in the German survey include:

·      Recumbent bicycle;

·      Recumbent Tricycle,

·      Chair bicycle;

·      Sun-two / three-wheeled tandem;

·      Side by side tandem;

·      Velomobile; or

·      Other special vehicle such as a rickshaw, etc.

The survey is voluntary. The HPV eV will collect or store no personal information. The questionnaire requires more than 5 minutes on a regular computer and will take longer on a smartphone or tablet.

Cycle JV

Velomobile Demo Days

Cycle JV is hosting once again a velomobile demo day where rider can test different make and models and compare them side by side and speak with riders who are experienced with these velomobiles.  Saturday, April 4^th and Sunday April 5^th 2015

Taking place at the Vélodrome du Mans - Léon Bollée in Le Mans, France

Riders are invited to test velomobiles and recumbents, you will be able to test, compare and discuss with experienced riders!

Velomobiles available for demo include: WAW, Quest, Strada, Mango, DF, Orca, Milan GT, Milan SL, Go-One, Quest XS, LeMans ...

Recumbents made by Troytec, HP Velotechnik, Optima, Performer will also be available for testing.

WHPVA World Championships

A description with pictures and video of the courses for the next WHPVA World Championships for taking place in Maasmechelen Belgium has been posted on-line.  You can check the page on the WHPVC site here

Here is a summary of the important information:

All events take place on public roads.
The courses will be closed to traffic during the races to ensure safety
The surface consists mainly of asphalt and there are no speed bumps along the route.

• 1 hour race:
  The event will take place on a 1.9 kilometers winding course that includes a short climb (80 m long, 6% increase) 

 

• 100 km race:
  This event will take place on a fast 3.4 kilometers course with few turns and long straightaways. There are two portions with slight inclinations one is 120 m in length, @2% and the other is 600m 1.5%). 

 

• 200m and 1 km sprint:
  The courses for both sprint races feature a straight and flat road.

BeND Race Series

For my readers in Europe, I recently added the dates of the BeND race series in the Velomobile Event Calendar

Early March Update

Early March Update

At the beginning of the month, I try to provide an overall report on the production for the month prior.  Some report production numbers while 3rd parties report others from time to time.  Here are the latest developments.

Intercitybike

Daniel Fenn continues to be very active these days making the DF faster.  Daniel is still working on the new hood, it appears that it will have a smaller visor and side openings.  This is similar to the Sinner and Byess hoods.  I don’t really understand the logic and I could not get anyone to explain it to me except thatyou need the opening to see on the sides and to the lack of ventilation that create fogging issues on the visor.  In cold temperature, you need to close the sides or the wind will blow in your ear, water on a rainy day will also find its way in unless you close the opening, the side opening will probably increase the aerodynamic drag.  Why not make a larger windshield to provide a 180-degree view and a NACA duct to get air into the cockpit to cool the rider and clear the windshield of fog?  You can also design side ducts to let the air circulate without affecting aerodynamics while preventing air and water from blowing in your ear.

In addition, Daniel is also working on a tail extension for the DF to further improve aerodynamics for the track.  This modification may be usable for everyday use unless it has an impact on the wheel size.

Intercitybikes has delivered 9 DF this month; there are 82 on order 51DF-Xl and 31DF.

Velomobiel

Production is focused on production as the company has produced 9 velomobiles in February including 2 Carbon Quest, 2 Quests, 1 Carbon Quest XS, 2 Carbon Quest XS and 2 Strada.  There are 24 on order 7 Strada,  3 Quest, 1 Quest XS,  6 Carbon Quest,  4 Quest XS and 3 Carbon Strada.

On the development side, Allert has not reported on the progress of the Q4W in recent weeks.

VeloTilt

The VeloTilt team is working on building a new top for everyday use.  The current race top is not optimal for every day use because it does not provide a good view of the surroundings.  They reported that tilt lock mechanism is now working properly and two designs of lever to actuate the lock mechanism have been produced.  Finally, handlebars will replace the steering wheel currently used in the Velotilt.

HVM

I received a note from Nadim Khemir to inform me that I made a couple of errors in my February 13^th update. First, Nadim did not design the HVM Henry Ridiel designed the velomobile about 10 years ago. Nadim Khemir and partner Jan-Inge Ljungberg will indeed build the two new velomobiles.  He also informs me that the Crazy Trike Builders in Skåne is group of friends who enjoy trikes and velomobiles.  It is also very early to  decide if this will become a commercial project, as he says, there are a number of good velomobiles currently being produced.  He also tells me that from up close, the HVM is fairly different from the WAW.  The group has more projects planned for next year.

If you spot some errors in my reporting, please leave a comment.