Відео

I have standard shocks all round. I drove down that road yesterday and they still haven't repaired it. I haven't cycled it since.

@@surrey-velo2419 Thanks for the reply. I had a similar scare in my Quest and upgraded the rear shock - what a difference it made! Pot holes are a major problem for all road users. All the best.

I saw this velomobile for sale and would like to buy a one way ticket to buy it, riding it ok the way back

The end of the video shows the stats for the ride. It was about 37.5 miles over a 3 hour period with about 2 hours 40 moving time. Max speed was 43.4mph and average was 14.3mph. Elevation gain was 1808 ft which is a bit over 550m.

My velomobile is not for sale yet but may be early next year

不客气

It is a Strada velomobile by velomobiel.nl. It is not a Strada Carbon. The body is carbon but it doesn't have the Carbon swing arm etc that saves weight so it is heavier than the current Strada Carbon model.

I am sure it was. I couldn't get a good view that is any better. With the camera pointing more backwards I see you coming up behind me and giving the thumbs up afterwards but the tip doesn't look any better. The only advice I can give is that if you stay behind me you will be more likely to see exciting things like that. If you keep going in front then you will miss it ;-)

I have a Garmin Virb 360 camera that records the details from my Garmin Heart Rate Monitor, Cadence Sensor, Speed sensor, computer etc. I then use Garmin Edit software to edit the video and choose how to overlay the data. Being a 360 degree camera I can also choose the angle and zoom level of the picture during the edit. If anyone could tell me how to get the overlay to stay in the same position relative to the final picture rather than the angle of the camera then I would appreciate it.

Completely agree. I wasn't wearing any in this video as my old ones got scratched but I have since bought new glasses and wear them on most rides. I sometimes take them off on an uphill stretch if I have the foam cover on as they steam up.

Not sure I understand the question but my gears are 10 speed 11-32 at the back (I think, although they may be 11-30). At the front I have a 60T Schlumpf mountaindrive so when the button is pressed that is equivalent to a 24T, but it is a bit sloppy so I lose some efficiency compared to a direct 24T. The mountaindrive feels very spongy so whenever I go into my low ratio I am only ever in my bottom 3 or 4 gears at the back so I would probably be in my lowest gear for anything over about 10% grade. I hope that answers your question.

Thanks

I blame the velomobile being too heavy rather than my legs being too unfit. Gearing has an impact, particularly when I have mountaindrive engaged. Also, what feels good for you might not be what feels good for me.

@@surrey-velo2419 it does take work to up your cadence, but if you keep grinding you'll damage your knees. I was a bad grinder for many years, felt normal to me because I've got very strong legs like a weightlifter. A couple of decades later and my knees are a real mess. It's up to you of course, but just felt I should warn you

I have a Schlumpf mountaindrive on the front of my velomobile with only 1 chainring, a 60T but if I kick the button it engages an internal planetary gear which drops the ratio by 2.5 times. When I engage the mountaindrive the pedals feel very soft and squidgy. Mountaindrive is less efficient than a direct gear and doesn't feel particularly nice but I think it is a good fit for my velomobile as it means I have been able to get up anything I have tried so far without needing a smaller chainring. In places where I go fast (flat or downhill) I go faster than I would on a road bike (although acceleration on the flat is not as high) but in places where I go slow (uphill) I go slower than on a road bike. It is a very different beast and rides in a very different way. Due to the feel and inefficiency of the mountaindrive it is very difficult to increase my cadence when it is engaged. The benefit of increased cadence is just cancelled out by the inefficiency and it is difficult to push hard to increase your cadence because the squidgy feel means it doesn't feel like you are pushing against anything. I tend to try to stay out of mountaindrive as much as possible but when I am using it I use it like a granny gear. It lets me get up anything but always slowly and always with a slow cadence. I don't tend to feel pressure on my knees with it engaged but I am unable to pedal fast and only ever use the lowest few gears. This trip was different to anything else I have done because I was carrying so much weight compared to a normal ride. My knee was not hurting at all until I got out of the velomobile at the end of day 1. I don't know what I did but believe me, when I was going up the hills I couldn't have pedaled any faster in the gears I had available to me. When I am going up a gentle incline I choose to reduce my cadence rather than change down and engage mountaindrive. From experience I know that my average speed is higher doing this rather than engaging the mountain drive. I try to maintain momentum as long as possible while staying in my direct gears and then change down when I have to. I think the ideal would be to have 2 chainrings and mountaindrive, but I don't have that at the moment. I tried using a 65T chainring previously to increase top speed on downhills but I found I hardly ever engaged my higher gears and it made it more difficult at slower speed so I took it off again. Your point was very valid when I had the 65T chainring. If I went for an even smaller chainring it would be easier to increase cadence by changing down but my top speed would be lower. 60T feels like a good balance for me at the moment. I think I would quite like something like 63/43T at the front with mountaindrive as well so I would get benefits at both the top and bottom ends. I would then need to engage the mountaindrive less often and would be able to change down and increase cadence more easily. I might do this if I don't buy a new velomobile but at present I am hoping to buy something lighter and faster.

Thanks!

I use Garmin Virb 360 camera and other Garmin sensors for heart rate, cadence, speed, distance etc.

Thanks

No thanks

Just use a Garmin camera and their free software PLUS a lot of time with a reasonably fast pc!

Check out Doug Davis from Bicycle-Evolution.com

Thanks for the tips!

Thanks

Not had a pile up behind me yet, just the odd queue. There were points on this climb that I pulled over and made it clear that it was OK to overtake. There are other places on this road where it is just not possible to get by and that would have been the same for an upright bike too, except that they might have been going faster. Car drivers are usually OK and often keen to look at the funny looking vehicle. You get the odd idiot having a bad day but that happens in any vehicle. I feel safer in the velomobile than I did on my road bike. I am less likely to fall over and I have some protection if something hits me, plus a 360 degree camera to share the evidence if needed. I try to be polite to other road users and they are usually ok with me too.

I do, but its either do it or don't!

Thanks. I have a 60T Schlumpf mountaindrive (switchable 1:1 or 2.5:1 planetary gear) on the front and I think an 11-32 10 speed on the rear (might be 11-30, I can't remember). 26" rear wheel. I wanted to do Combe Lane or Whitedown yesterday as I haven't done either in the Velomobile previously and my eldest didn't think I would be able to make either. I did Whitedown on an upright several years ago and it wasn't much fun, but it was a lightweight carbon road bike rather than a 32.5Kg velomobile and I was lighter then as well. Is Whitedown harder than Combe Lane? I remember it as being a lot longer but not sure if it is as steep as that bend. 1 thing is for sure, I wouldn't want to come down either.

I don't have e-assist so infinitely less polluting than a Tesla. But slightly slower at accelerating. I can also legally go faster than a Tesla in a 30mph speed limit.

Indeed.

With that much weight going up hill I don't have much choice about the speed as I am already in a very low gear. Without the extra weight of equipment, if I push harder on the hills I can save about 5 minutes for that loop. I think my intended point in the video was that the weight of equipment didn't make much difference to my time because it was not much as a percentage of my total weight. The advantage of the velomobile is that you can carry additional things without affecting the aerodynamics, which are its strongest point, but that although weight is increased you are starting from a high level already so the impact is not that great either.

dont know if anyone gives a shit but if you're bored like me during the covid times you can stream pretty much all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Have been binge watching with my gf for the last couple of weeks xD

@Keagan Hassan Definitely, I've been using instaflixxer for months myself :)

Thanks!

The word saddle still puts me off.

VeloZach Thanks for the comments. I have taken them into account and have done what you suggest in my newer videos. I hope you enjoy them.

@@surrey-velo2419 I enjoy your videos over all, and can't wait to receive mine in October.

I use Garmin computer, cadence sensor, speed sensor, heart rate monitor, camera and video editing software. All components send their data to the camera which records it and the software lets you choose what to display and how.

I will look at all of those things and try to lose a bit of weight from the rider. I am looking to save about 4Kg from the tent. I need to take a few more tools than normal because local bike shops will not have everything needed for some jobs.

@@surrey-velo2419 that's true, but do you need the wheel alignment tool? Even the axle tools might be overkill.

@@TheAegisClaw I don't have a wheel alignment tool. I have an axle puller and spare axle as I have been caught out with that on a ride before. Also have spare shock, chain tool, quick links and a spare length of chain, spare drum brakes, some cables, cleats, some tubes (20 and 26 inch), patches, pump, cable ties, leatherman, multi-tool, couple of spanners, glue, bike computer battery, velcro, energy gels and a partridge in a pair tree. Might be able to thin that down a bit but probably also want to carry a couple of spare tyres which I don't usually bother with and have had to call out wife support. When I am training I will carry as much as I can and just make sure bike is in great shape before I go so I don't need brake shoes. Although all the stuff I have is heavy, as a percentage increase it isn't great because the bike is heavy.

I will keep my eye out for his black and white cat.

@@surrey-velo2419 😂 haha

At the time I had the standard damper that came with the Strada. I recently changed to an oil damper but didn't get on well with it and have gone back to the standard damper with a harder string. So far it is working well.

@@surrey-velo2419 I'm surprised to hear you say that the oil damper wasn't an improvement - I found the change to be far superior. Which oil damper did you buy and what was it that you didn't like?

@@jeremyyork3538 The first issue I had was that on a fast bend with a bump in it that I cycle a couple of times a week the back end would always wobble, which it didn't with either of the other shocks I have used. The second issue was that when I was on a long ride, after a very bumpy cycle path, the rear shock broke causing my derailleur arm and chain to rub the body and gave me a very difficult ride home. I got the oil damper from Velomobiel.nl. I am not sure of the make. They said they haven't seen any similar issues with other users.

I think you've been unlucky with the damper. The first issue you describe is exactly what my oil damper cured. Mine has adjustable damping (5 positions) and of course adjustable strength of 'spring' by altering air pressure. It has transformed my riding - more comfortable and very much safer. All the best.

All of these clips were taken while riding round Box Hill in Surrey, UK. This is the hill that was ridden up 10 times as part of the Olympics 2012 road race.

My velomobile weighs over 32Kg so it is never going to beat an upright up Box Hill. I have never been overtaken by a road bike on Mill Way on the downhill part of my loop. But that isn't really the point. I have a carbon road bike, which is quicker up Box Hill than my velomobile, and a mountain bike, which I used to ride up the 'military road' straight up the hill, but I choose to use the velomobile because I enjoy it more.

@@surrey-velo2419Yout last sentence dont mind elaborate a bit more if you can pin it down as to what part or parts of the ride make the velomobile more enjoyable? those moments of speed when low to ground is one I can imagine but I would like to hear from you as Ive never ridden one but they look fun and in super cold weather would hav certain advantage also? 👍

@@888jucu The speed is exciting. It is really comfortable. Even though I go slow uphill the low bottom end gearing doesn't make it uncomfortable. It makes a lot of people around you smile, which is really nice. I can cover reasonable distances. I enjoy competing with the British Human Power Club and I think they were a lot more accepting of an overweight 50 something than a lot of other bike clubs would have been.

@@surrey-velo2419 cheers thanks for the insight as I would like to try one when travel opens up again 👍

Cool. Should be a good alternative for commuting as long as you have somewhere suitable to store it at work. Thanks for subscribing.

I don't normally use it for racing but the rain was so heavy I decided to put it on this time. No regrets from my side.