Is This Century Old Invention The Future Of Urban Transport?
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- Velomobiles are over a hundred years old, but thanks to a petrol crisis and the promise of green travel without a driving license, they have never been better poised to take over the streets of our cities... Its time to Pedal To The Future!
Jochnowicz:
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Buy Prints: redbubble.com/people/Jochnowicz/shop?anchor=profile&asc=u
Massive Thanks To:
John @velo-ads4206 - veloadsuk
Tamara - amaraautomotive
Ryde - ryde.team
@KenButz - . butzfilmarchive
Ian Fardoe
Tommydessi - tommydessi
Velomobiles Featured:
Velomobile world - Snoek
Velomobile world - Milan
Velomobile world - Alpha 7
Velomobile word - Quatrovelo
Frikar - Podbike
Iris E-Trike
Amara - Elecy
EAV - 2cubed
Source:
For Emissions Stat: ec.europa.eu/r...
Music:
Weird Magic - Dafalgan Wave open.spotify.c...
Weird Magic - cool
open.spotify.c...
Pablo Frizzi - Summon Ikari
swietakrowa.ba...
Weird Magic - Artificial Bliss
open.spotify.c...
Weird Magic - Villager Vibez
open.spotify.c...
#velomobile #bike #greentransportation
Thanks for all the love on this film, it was so fun to make! For those who wish to get prints of some of the images in this film, here is the link!
Jochnowicz.redbubble.com
Well done sir, the filming and editing is ace. And was also a pleasure to be involved.
Thank you! Your passion shines through!
I have an idea that I believe will make the Velomobile appeal to the Public at large if You are willing to take Me seriously.
Bro, where have you been!! Good to see you back on the tube
@velo-ads4206 - good to see you again.
I must say your commitment to these bikes which I've always found very appealing from an aerodynamic design perspective have made me want to look into creating one of my own
I'd love one, but a lot of the roads near me are pretty terrible in terms of potholes and general road surface. With the bike I feel like I can at least plot my line to dodge them but I guess that becomes harder with a 3 wheeler? Meanwhile I find it crazy how much we hear about marginal aero gains in road bike frames...and still barely anything about velomobiles, which are actually solving the aero problem properly, and not just within the arbitrary constraints of the UCI!
Glad to see that there are people thinking, and thinking quite clearly, about these issues. Makes me hopeful about the future.
I've been saying this for years. Unfortunately the western world is too rich to see the need to downscale from cars to lighter vehicles. And the car industry has a big lobby.
Velo need to get away from the shell being for structural strenght. Carbon fibre is too expensive and not environmentally friendly.
Make a steel of alu frame and make the shell from lightweight material that can easily be replaced when damaged.
And as the girl says, don't make it so cramped and extreme. Make it comfy even if you sacrificy a bit of efficiency.
There are cheaper and more durable alternatives out there. For a very long time there was the aluminum Alleweder. There’s also the rotomolded Rotovelo. However, when you get into those type of materials, you end up with a heavier bicycle which means electric assist. The materials in batteries aren’t great for the environment either. Then you need electricity as well. All forms of electricity will have some environmental impact, whether from the production of the electricity, or the parts needed for things such as wind turbines and solar panels. Production costs are high, yes, but so is the cost of a car. The used market has been improving with options that are much more affordable. We would all like Velomobiles to be cheaper, but I suspect most people would not be all that happy with the performance of a cheap Chinese type option.
@@mnveloguy nothing wrong with electric assist! Not all of us are athletes.
There's a sweet spot to be found, and electric motors are part of the solution.
These could easily do 60-70 mph on the motorways with tiny consumption, but are too small to share the road safely with much larger vehicles.
@@ahaveland quite a lot of countries have a speed limit for electric assist. The better designed Velomobiles like the Bülk and W9 that I drive are so efficient that the average rider will be riding above the assist limit the majority of the time. At that point the assist is just extra weight and drivetrain resistance. For people living in very hilly areas or people with physical limitations, there is certainly benefit to having assist, but for the majority of the population riding an efficient velomobile, it’s not really necessary. Because we are used to cars and motors we have a mindset that we have to get everywhere are the fastest pawed possible. We expect everything to be fast and happen immediately. Even our online shipping has to be super fast. Society survived for centuries at the speed a horse could travel. We don’t need to have everything now. We can learn patience. We can take time to enjoy traveling from point A to point B. There is so much value in slowing down and enjoying the process. As I’ve switched from driving my car to cycling as much as possible, I’ve found I enjoy the process of traveling much more than I used to. It’s not just the environment that would benefit from reducing car usage. Our positive outlook on life and health benefit too. Countries that rank highest in studies in population happiness also happen to be countries that rely less on cars. Denmark is a great example of this.
Веломобіль має стальну раму. Вага 37 кг. Коштує 600 долларів.ua-cam.com/video/BienEUC5cWs/v-deo.html
The 'less extreme' pod style bikes have been a thing for a while now, the problem with them usually is that they look like an art school project, and make the person riding/driving it look like a plonker.
Design a velomobile/podbike that doesn't do that last part, and you've got yourself a winner.
Velomobiles should always have been the future
The past is the past, but the future I hope can be bright and aerodynamic!
@@jochnowicz The problem is cultural now, doibt it will change, if most powered vehicles were like velomobiles too though we would consume minuscle amounts of petroil worldwide...
Whilst consumer journeys in cars are often local, business users and particularly tradespeople often cover big distances from their home to a work location or cover a huge geographic area.
We're really excited to get our first pedal van but we're one of small minority that focus on working locally. Because most trade businesses cover vast areas they can't consider using a pedal van or cargo bike. Really great for concentrated services like last mile delivery but bit for lots and particularly small businesses it's hard. No excuse for any large company with a concentration of work not to have cargo bikes covering area. Royal Mail, AA, BT, local councils etc. A few companies doing a greenwash of having a cargo bike though...
A Danish Pilot designed and built the "Leitra", three wheeler (Production now sadly sold to Germany), witch is to be used also in an open top version. I sadly never tried to ride in one, but only have tried an open 3 wheeler. The Leitra has a the shell to be lifted and rather easy to enter, also with the luggage in the back.
I work with Carl Georg Rasmussen, the creator of the Leitra. He still makes and repairs Leitras when needed, but the demand has shifted to more performance velomobiles from the Netherlands and Germany, and elsewhere in Europe. I think it is just a matter of time before the pedulum swings back to practicality and daily usefulness that the Leitra and it's generation excelled at.
E-velomobiles are also some of the only vehicles that can get a useable daily charge from vehicle-mounted solar. Great video!
Aptera will do it in most case.
Man what a stylish mini-documentary! What a music taste, putting my hat off here, really heart warming. Thank you for the efforts.
Thank you, plenty more on the way hopefully and plenty of old ones to watch if you have time!
Now let's see Paul Allen's mini-documentary
Keep me updated i am a 70 year old man ride 15 to 20 miles on a road bike or mountain bike love the concept you have
It really is a thrill watching quality documentary about exciting projects that do bring hope for a smaller footprint in transportation. Hats off to all people involved there!
Awesome documentary, been wanting a Velo for years now, but yeah, their price is holding them back, as I'm still fairly young and can't afford to spend that kind of money, specially since I'm saving for a house right now. But some day...
Thanks man! Glad you enjoyed this :)
I used to own a velomobile, but I sold it and returned to trikes. The main reason was the lack of wind cooling for my body. Yes, my body overheats very much.
You also need storage space for your VM. You can not leaves it on the streets at night.
Buy a VM second hand, look every day in the ads for one. And react immediately when you see one.
@@mardiffv.8775unfortunately they are not very popular in Spain. Kinda jelly of Central Europe where you can find these on second hand markets.
If this is the future, it will be good! Well good documentary!
I would ABSOLUTELY buy a mass produced velo mobile in the 3-5k range.
Very cool. As an impassioned upright cyclist since '82, I can only agree with the health of this trend.
Subscribed. Cheers from sunny Vienna, Scott
Wow 😳 I had experienced this in my childhood and forgotten it.
This video lifts up my spirits and gives hope. Thank you.
Great discovery here: Elecy of Amara! Seems a real breakthrough!
I live in rural Missouri. When I think of driving around in one of those, I immediately picture myself and my Velomobile being crunched under the wheels of some arrogant person's big SUV.
I loved watching John Williams videos he got me through Lock down
Alas the velomobile kit I ordered from David (in Texas) will never arrive, so I'm now out $7000 I could have used towards a product that will actually ship.
Unfortunately, everybody with a reputation worth trusting (my research) that isn't selling rotomolded / warm-climate only stuff (suspension is absolutely required for most cold climates due to frost heaving of the roads) and is likely to be in business next week are in Europe. (Sorry Utah Trikes, but in much of the USA Trisled's Rotovelo is little more than a toy for the few roads smooth enough to use it on.)
I JUST saw a velomobile today in Bellingham, WA! I thought it looked so cool. The blue and orange livery makes it look retro but sleek
Love the video congrats! Velomobile could be definitely a futur for transportation, I think one of the main subject that will help for adoption is the right urban infrastructure to enable it, a shame you haven't went deeper on this side. Continue doing videos of this quality!
Good work John, nice vid. Sure miss you guys.. maybe one day I'll get myself a velomobile.
Now make it slightly longer, and cover it in solar cells for about 300wh/h and drive the undriven axel with electirc so you dont have to pedal most of the time, and when pedaling you get AWD
Hope to see more of those cargo bikes on the streets in the future! Awesome docu
I am happy to see this video. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the increase in SUVs is just ridiculous, and I am looking forward to new advances in this market
I see these almost every day in our streets every in the country for at least 10 years. That makes me think this must be a Dutch invention or at least The Netherlands is the country in which these already are around for a long time
You have no hills
@@flobeeonekinobee2353 very true. No Hills, bike lanes in about the whole country and citys are all close to each other measuring by USA standards. Cyclists paradise :)
you see them quite regularly in germany too. Not much of a city thing though. We aren't quite there yet in terms of bike infrastructure like you guys
I'm supposed to be working but I couldn't resist watching your vid. Great edit by the way.
I appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting! Especially Tamara's machine! Think we might need to legislate lighter vehicles by a tax system or something because it doesn't really make sense to use a 3 or 4000lb vehicle to move one person around unless you have to protect yourself AGAINST a 4000lb machine.
In 90's worked, in school, on Supermileage vehicles. We got 800mpg, but best that year was 3000mpg! Always thought that was interesting way to go but now battery have become so good...find current e-bikes at start of their development at least as far as reliability goes, in my opinion, like 1900 motorbikes and cars. The Velomobiles look also very interesting except for: cost, cars (crashing into u), and winter...here with sometimes a foot or two of snow on the ground. Maybe shouldn't be looking for one solution but a bunch of solutions ...
I ride a trike due to a balance issue and I added a Veltop which makes my trike into a convertible. It doesn't save me from side splash or slush in the winter time. It was a truly brilliant addition when I cycled across North America which was mostly in Canada back in 2015. I feel that visibility is very important, so I fly flags off a poll as on my first cycle tout I was told I wasn't very visible but since then drivers reaction an comments are very positive about visibility.
.
I've become very interested in the concept of velomobiles, which is how I found this documentary, but I haven't found one that really meets my needs or is at least marketed in a way that sells the concept of a velomobile. Here in the car-centric United States with little to no cycling infrastructure I think safety is the biggest concern. For instance, as a cross between a car and a bicycle which ones are designed with crumple zones and air bags? Most look like bobsleds that are front heavy and could easily tip over in a strong wind or on a bumpy road. The Amara is a rough concept and CityQ and Pebl 2.0 are much farther along. However, they go too far down the road of a pedal-powered car IMO and are marketed for their luxury, not their safety (tests). Show me a velomobile that can be hit by a car and the rider has a good chance to live to tell the tale or a velomobile that can take a kick on the side and not tip over. My son is one year into engineering school so maybe he can do it, but it's not there yet.
If you're concerned about the vehicle height, a fluorescent pompom on an elastic stick should greatly enchance the visibility, maybe with additional LED for night visibility, and maybe signalization as well. I think something like that should be sold with every vehicle, even if it is detachable/optional. If nothing else, you would feel better knowing you offered the safety option...
can't wait to see more developments in this area
This documentary was the kind of weird I was looking for, excellent job buddy! New subscriber here. 😁👍
Awesome video! Really inspiring
People commuting just themselves, a few miles, two ways, five times a week in 2+ tonnes of vehicle has always seemed crazy to me. And now people are buying full size EVs when they could be better off buying a micro EV.
I had an Alleweder 6 for 1 1/2 years and a Milan GT for 6 months. I got rid of both of them. The Milan was not suitable enough for everyday riding as it had too small luggage space and you could only use half of the inside to store luggage, because the chain ran freely on one side. The Alleweder needs too much maintenance. The dampers regularly need new grease and have to be taken apart for this. And if you aren’t too skilled to do repairs and maintenance for yourself, it is too difficult to get anywhere to do fix anything. The higher amount of special parts hampers this further.
I switched to recumbent trikes with good clothing for weather protection, with the bad infrastructure in Germany I also have more options because there are models with fat tyres. With simple mechanical brakes and no front suspension, there is hardly anything that could possibly break.
New channel, mate? Thanks for the link! Subbed now.
Different channel entirely - we just interviewed John for this piece!
Got it. Cheers!
I have been riding a lot of years on a bike 20km to my workplace.. The whole year.. So, think of maintanance. Wind force. Freezing of the tyres and gears. FLAT tyres in every wheater condition. Snow, ice, rain, rust.
I love the concept of velomobiles, but the cost factor alone are a huge hurdle, no one in the u.s. can justify paying 10k for a vehicle with a top speed of 25-30 mph, you can buy a 50cc Honda scooter for $1300.
Engineer's dream - i'll take it if it's anywhere near as efficient as a velomobile. All sorts of velocars have been done before, and they're usually heavy and far less aerodynamic, limiting use among car traffic flow and especially in hilly terrain.
Os velomóveis só estão começando! São veículos eficientes e estão cada vez mais práticos!
It won't catch on until it's a LOT cheaper. Even entry level velomobiles are a lot more expensive than a vast majority of commuters would be willing to pay.
Apparently the first recumbant bikes in 1920s Denmark were jokingly called Sofa cycles.
5:23 composite wheels by Alligt
In the United States I'm relegated to slowly turning my recumbent into a streamliner using bits of coroplast political signs zip ties together.
But someday... Someday...
"Velorution" -- best bike store name ever. Also, John Williams appears to be sipping bourbon or scotch or something -- he is my people.
This is what we need people to be switching to. If you can drop your child at school and then nip to the shops for a top up or the weekly shop it would be an amazing change. Makes my old school cargo bike look... well old school 😂
Thank you so much
I drive the equivalent of a big SUV myself, but I respect the size of it and I'm careful not to crunch anybody.
Imagine a Velomobil as a Speed pedelec. We in Europe have speed pedelecs wich have motor support up to 45 km/h. The big problem of Velomobiles is to climb hills.
Before mentioning the hills I thought, But even with my four wheeled QuattreVelo I reach over 50 km/h without support. But yeah on the hills is it a different story. Downhill is more fun. Without pushing the peddles you reach 60km/h by letting the velomobile roll down the hill. Also this four wheeler is more made like a cargo/travel velomobile. I really use it like my car. (Never got the licence for a car because of velomobiles.)
I love Velomobiles!!! I live in America and would be run over by our trucks so i wont be partaking in the awesomeness unfortunately.
Thank you!
That's a good video!
I could build that... I've been looking into building something like this enclosed cabin bike for a long time. Now I see that it is possible...
There are lots of blueprints online to check!
Pebl. From Maine USA.
I really believe in the use of e assist cargo platforms for last mile solutions. However here in the U.S. in order to qualify for bicycle status you are only allowed up to 3 wheels. Still doable but not as shown in the last segment although UPS for example has shown interest in a similar vehicle here.
3:30 - it seems that UCI has a long lasting tradition of banning everything that's even slightly revolutionary!
Pardon Me ! More Drum 'N' Bass Jungle Velomobile Videos Please .
but dub 9:24 , 17:24 kinda like The Orbs , little fluffy clouds .
Very cool.
Enjoyable video. That initiative in part two looks impressive. I’m a keen cyclist and EV driver of 4 years but am very sceptical about mass adoption of this kind of vehicle. It’s a very steep hill to climb, I’m afraid and I agree with the comments about people basically being lazy. There is also the status symbol topic etc. Etc. Etc. You also mentioned arriving dry in your velomobiel, I test drove one once and remember it as a very sweaty experience???
good points (to address in one or other way, hopefully)
Game over for Tesla!
I want one!
These look great but they are also very low so visibility to the majority of traffic is not good, would be fantastic if there was a proper infrastructure for bikes everywhere.
A concept similar to the Amara has already been tried as the Flevobike Orca, which has ceased production due to low volumes. I'd be interested if they have considered learning from the Orca's demise?
Orca at the end of the day still looked unusual, didn’t have a large cabin, weather protection wasn’t great and wasn’t modelled on a car! I believe she is looking more closely at modern competitors such as Podbike and EAV which are in very different strands of the market but are important nevertheless!
@@jochnowiczNot sure if "looking like a car" will be decisive. But someone has to try 👍
I have a Milan and I don't think velombiles are the solution for a few reasons.
They are big and you can't park them as densely as bikes. Which is a problem in big cities.
They are expensive
They don't work well in a mixed transit situation like a folding bike.
They aren't the solution for people who can cycle and don't need to take shopping or kids somewhere but they might be for delivery drivers and motorists if that makes sense but also a velomobile like the Milan is never going to be the solution - PodBike, EAV, Amara Automotive might be!
These things don't have a snowball's chance in the USA
Great stuff. I wonder, does anyone use a streamliner on the road, or are they strictly track machines only?
Have a recumbent trike, it is slow uphills. My concern with a vello is that it will be worse up hills due to extra weight. ALso the huge cost puts me off , £10000 + ?
Still would be tempted to put an aerial on it possibly with a light on top .
Where do you attach the air conditioner? You’re not going to get far in 35C high humidity weather. And what about snow, sleet, or high wind conditions. And for delivery, what you save in vehicle costs, you spend more in labor and lost productivity, and fewer sales as it’s slower and cannot handle heavier loads. The solution is electric vehicles, not modified bicycles.
Windows open on these and the pedal vans have open sides - regarding snow and sleet or high-wind, they seem to be performing perfectly fine from reports at least. Similarly they are more mobile in urban traffic as they are narrower and lighter so are likely to actually be quicker as they can use cycle lanes. Ultimately for last mile delivery the economics really work and will only improve as the vehicles improve. Likewise a lot of vans run pretty empty when it comes to deliveries so it’s a really good replacement
Awesome!
11:03 fascinating how people still think there's a Road Tax, it has been dropped in the UK in 1937 and the money from they Vehicle Excise Duty isn't reserved for the construction of roads as the Road Tax was.
Tamara here is referring internationally so not just UK. I believe in many countries, especially across the EU, there still is a road tax!
You have to be willing to be wet or and cold, if your giving up a car to ride an Ebike on the same route in the autumn, winter & spring when the weather is raining, dreary, cooler, cold or snowy. This means thermal insulated boots, pants, jackets, neck warmers, heated gloves, rain gear, a lot. I have optioned to use our Lectric XP3.0 step-thru Ebike 500w 48v 14ah to replace some of my car trips too & from work, sometimes, to reduce fuel use & save money on fuel that helps to pay for the $1200 e-bike capital cost & brake pads & tires & charging. I dream of a large fairing on said Ebike to protect from cold air & rain so I can arrive at work warm & dry, but nothing exists like this and custom building a study aerodynamic enclosure that is safe to use daily commuting on said Ebike is a major project at high cost in terms of time & materials, especially the custom wood and foam needed to melt the clear thermoplastic shell into the require shape to attach with composite brackets to the metal screw post mounts for the front basket & rear cargo basket // I plan on doing this, but hope to find an example of someone else who has already done so to learn from their efforts to save time on my project
(Instantly checking about this young man's company
I followed the video on Google Earth, and a lot of what you show is currently visible there. Very sad.
It isn't. I have two velomobiles, (one is a Snoek), everyone thinks its cool but I have had one on auction for 6 months, several thousand under new price, and no one wants it. They want it 'electric', because they don't understand velomobiles at all. People also ride electric kickboards around, when I can go as fast or faster on non electric kickbikes and get more exercise at the same time. (And it isn't even that hard to pedal a non electric velomobile or kickbike either. In fact it is very beneficial to your health and saves you time you don't have to sit on a stationary bike at a gym).
왠지 신뢰가 가는 영상임..
Yes. 😁
I’m all for it , but for two humans or three How’s that work? As for current velomobiel they show two versions, Quatrevelo and Snoek I ride a Quatrevelo and roomy inside , yes I have too put one leg in then sit on rim, bring my other leg in, then I just slide down into my seat as I do , well it’s wonderful feeling I have the plus version more leg room for taller people. Has a trunk behind the seat you can get with a child seat still have room for groceries most people car ride along at about 23 mph up to 27 mph on flat roads but hills are slow going, as Quatrevelo weighs 60 pounds as for the Snoek it’s built for speed and racing 30 mph to 36 mph hard to get into very light weight, two versions Snoek, Snoek L (large) very tight fit but if your 6’4 you’re fit in the Snoek, many use them for communing Quatrevelo has Four wheels can be ridden on snowy days I’m just the Driver and I love, sometimes I drive it in to my garage park put my head back sleep in it dreaming of where I go tomorrow.
i mean the real way forward is to just invest more in public transport but yeah
I really want to build one with pedal assist. I live in the mountains
Combined with electric bicycle tech they would be great city vehicles
Petrol driven vehicles are the worst personal transportation idea ever only superseded by inner city flights.
It has to get on the highway. It has to be capable of 60mph at least. It needs at least 500 mile or more for range. And it needs to maintain speed going uphill. Forget about everybody going human power - it's fine but with a 50 mile commute (or even 30 mile commute) that won't work every day. Yes there are outlier athletes and young people, but average people don't care. Look at Aptera - that will be the standard but it's still too pricey. This video has a target audince of about 5% of the world's population - it's too narrow.
Very interesting project. Could you turn down the level of the ‘background’ music? It drowns out the presenter.
I disagree to call the materials "exotic".
Especially carbon fiber is not. Think of tennis racquets, they are all made of carbon fiber. And there are millions of them, cheaper than wooden or metal racquets were back in the days.
🎉🎉❤
I honestly don't think this can beat light electric dirtbikes like the Surron and Talaria x3 we already have on the market unless we are talking about Japan. I am all for electric cargo bikes in general though.
Truth is we need legislation to fully embrace the desire for low cost electric vehicles.
I think electric dirtbikes are probably used for different things! If you want a comfortable dry commute, the velomobile will work for you, if you want a wild time I am sure the electric dirtbike will trounce the velomobile!
@@jochnowicz What I mean is that people at first will think of velomobiles as a worse version of a car while such bikes, ebikes or e-scooters do not have that stigma.
It will take some serious work to change the public perception around these vehicles. I hope they succeed though.
@@jochnowicz great work btw. I thought it was a CNBC video for a moment.
@@user-pq4by2rq9y I get ya, the stigma will be hard to shake but I think the pedal vans might be how they become normalised. Thanks a lot man! Really appreciate it, my docs take a lot of effort to make haha!
The idea of having a Velomobile seems cool, But it's not going to work in the USA due to distances and how most drivers of cars are a bunch of jerks and the police will not enforce the road rules. This is a problem not just for Velo and bicycles, but also all light weight vehicles.
Yeah... but... still a rich man's plaything, really.
My basic, steel-framed regular bike cost me £130, brand new, about 20 years ago. I take care of it because I'm skint and need it to last, so it's still in good condition - there's no significant degradation - after around 50,000 miles of road use.
(I ride 70 miles per week, every week, in lovely British weather🌧️😞.)
It's had several new tyres, one new wheel [from pothole damage] and a bit of chain fettling with a tool that cost me £5.70. Other than buying some nifty new LED lights (£3.75 for the pair from China) it's cost me nothing to own and run.
Looking through the usual adverts (Argos, Halfords, etc) I see that to replace the bike today would cost me exactly what I paid 20 years ago: £130. Brand new. Yep. That's remarkable. I've seen several new ones at £110 and even a few at £99. And that's my idea of what constitutes cheap, practical personal transport.
I made myself a 2-wheeled tow-behind trailer for £22. In theory it can carry over 170 lbs of stuff, although I usually haul no more than 50 lbs of groceries at a time because I'm based in West Yorkshire where every wind is a howling headwind and the hills only ever go up [traditional cycling joke].
So, I'm sorry to say that, although I can see the advantages of pedal velomobiles and other such covered trike-type-thingies, they'll not be viewed as anything other than whizzy toys for bored rich boys as long as they cost thousands.
I saw one elegant, fully-enclosed, pedal-assisted, semi-electric machine priced at £45,000. Forty-five grand, and you still had to pedal the darn thing yourself. That's just silly.
Saying that plenty of serious cyclists spend upwards of £10,000 on their road bikes doesn't change anything. Likewise, electric vehicles [EVs] are also ludicrously expensive, be they e-bikes, e-trikes, e-scooters or cars. They're all just as unaffordable for ordinary plebs like me.
Having said all that, I very much enjoyed this video, so thank you for creating and uploading it.🙂
Unless you take your family out in one of these vehicle, it's ridiculous
Technically there is no 'road tax' - everyone pays a tax (yes including cyclists) into a general fund, and the road tax is taken out of that general tax.
Tamara here is referring internationally so not just UK. I believe in many countries, especially across the EU, there is still a road tax!
but how does it deal with up hills?
E-assist is pretty good for that kind of stuff but that is why lightness is important!
Wonder how much it actually costs to build one from scratch 😂
No, you just build your infrastructure like the Netherlands and take trains and ride regular utility bikes.
A four-wheel footprint but 16 mph in city traffic with only a flimsy plastic body for protection? Small and low so as not to be visible? So light and fragile that they blow away and are destroyed in strong winds? No suitable infrastructure - lanes, parking, security? The future of urban mobility. Really...? I'll be sticking to a "normal" bicycle for now.
You need to watch the full thing - they’re building vehicles quite different to the low racers! None of them get destroyed in strong winds though haha and multiple studies show they’re safer than bikes