The no. 1 Reason You Should Ride a Velomobile
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- Опубліковано 14 лип 2024
- Velomobiles are fast and efficient, but that's not the best feature of a velomobile. At least not in my opinion...
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Do you know why velomobiles seem to target almost exclusively the high performance market? I think that these, fitted maybe with gearboxes and belt drive systems, could make a lot of sense as a low maintenance commuter vehicle in colder/rainier climates where regular bikes can be an hassle to use...
There is actually quite a few vwlomobiles that have e assist for 25km/h. These target groups of riders that don't want to go insanely fast and want to have a comfy and dry ride.
They aren't very successful though...
"High performance" (== being able to reach a high speed without motor) also means "very efficient" (aerodynamic, low weight, efficient drivetrain).
"Very efficient" is always nice to have even if you do not want to go very fast, but at medium speeds without much effort (and maybe over long distances).
I've wondered this as well, it seems to me that a semi-recumbent electric velomobile would be somewhat of a car-killer..
@@swedneck It can't be car-killer without resolving narrow road conflicts with cars and trucks
@@ThomasWaldmann And high cost!!! If I have enough money then I got a conventional car.
The best reason to like velomobiles is that you can watch such lovely produced nerdy videos! ;-P Thank you!
Who can afford the test drive? The biggest return on investment with a bike is fun.
Hello Saukki. As some of the commentators had mentioned it - in day-to-day use of the velomobiles the wetter resistance by certain wetter conditions is the major advantage. Especialy by ugly kinds of wetter- cold wind, cold rain, ice-rain, wet snow. One can’t withstand more than one hour of pedaling with your feet towards the wind and the whole body being otherwise exposed to the elements, without getting your feet or entire legs numb. I don’t care about the aerodynamics as much as about wetter protection and side wind stability. 25 km/h is more than enough for almost all of my endeavors - be it work commute, or a longer ride through nature, or even some more adventurous undertakings.
What can you do against fogged windows (if you have a full transparent cover)? Seems to be very likely in bad weather
@@PeterYildizkafa You can use double glasses as you might know it from motor bike helmets. Or as Saukki had showed it here in one of the videos. Further more, dependend on the disign, a bigger distance between your face and front glass might gain some positive result.And, if you have an steady slow airflow within your cashis, the "exhaust" should be somwhere behind your back head.
@@PeterYildizkafa I've forgotten to mention the cheapest and very effective method of them all: laundry soap. It works with diving masks, with bike helmets and it had worked with gas mask in my military eduaction as we had to drill the marches in hasardeous invironments. You just coat the inside of the glas with a light layer of it. If you don't know which kind of soap it actualy is - a hard soap with a very high part of potassium lye.
Find an old Quest and you'll be sorted for less than a new cheapish road bike.
You forgot that you can name your velomobile cool names like Voyager, Viper, Pennywise, Barney and Mint Sauce!
A lot of us want to, mostly because they're, faster, more efficient, more comfortable and you get more storage space, some even have phone chargers and stuff.
The main issue is the cost.
The only one I got to ride was a student project they had difficulty getting uphill to the storage area.
Even though the drivetrain was from a shitty Walmart bike and recumbents are supposedly bad for climbs, it wasn't really harder than my bicycles.
I used to be a car enthusiast, but trust me: Cars are much more expensive than velomobiles. Now, I have a family, but even when only living close to a metropolitan city you don't need more than a velomobile, a cargobike and some public transport. I use carsharing (public rent service) less than once a month.
@@4nz-nl of course they're cheaper than cars, cars all cost more than 100k here. Aren't many things other than houses that are more expensive than cars.
But most bicycles and public transport are cheaper.
@@Rose_Butterfly98 True except for public transport (here), but other bicycles aren't as usable either.
I wish I had one, but for now my recumbent trike will do. Great videos
I have wathced both your Pros & Cons videos about Velo life - in fact I have watched most of them over a few years. I do like the Velo idea, but I have also riden two wheel and three wheel recumbants, as well as ordinary bikes. In some ways the option of a recumbant trike has a lot of benifits for someone like me, but when you sit down in England you WILL get wet, but at least it's not that cold here. I am still enjoying your videos and will keep watching. Have a great summer.
the best part of velomobiles is listening to you say velomobiles
Vittumitärallienglantia!!!!😮😵💫😍🥰 LOPUTONTA RISPEKTIÄ! Haluan oppia yhtä hyvin!🙂
The best drivetrain combination for me is : 14 speed Rohloff at the rear and electrically assisted HSD drive at front , all connected with a belt transmission, not chain.
I hope n one day i will afford a velomobile equiped with this ! ^^
you mean AWD hybrid with the pedal drivetrain connected with the front motor(s) and wheels ? I dont really see the advantage sounds much simpler to just have pedal power in the back and electric motor in the front ? unless you want to drag race 😂😂
@@geemy9675 What they're describing is the same as you're describing, i.e. traditional conversion ebike style - 14 speed planetary geared rear that is entirely leg-powered coupled with a pancake motor in the front wheel that provides assistance to the rider. The belt transmission is in reference to something like the Gates belt drive, which doesn't require the same oiling and thus tends to run longer and cleaner than an equivalent chain.
I owned 1 and sold it asap:
No chance to backup or real slow.
In city drive a no-go
Bare visable for car drivers
All great points for a great machine
Normally I watch youtube videos at 1.5x or 1.75x speed. With this excellent video, that wasn't necessary 😅 Oh, now I want a Velomobile too.
Welcome back from the Finnish winter, uncle Saukki!
Main disadvantage: you can't filter through traffic
I just logged in to my googe account to give you a like!
You are cool, keep on going!
I guess they must respond very well to electrification if you're into it. weight penalty of the battery is much less problematic, adding low placed battery weight even lowers CoG, and whatever battery capacity or motor power you put in will get you much better range and top speed when you're cruising. Probably torque is more important than peak power to climb hills, so I guess mid drive would be more useful, but you could also use 4 small motors with AWD and have short gearing geared clutched hub motors that can disengage when cruising, for lower speed torque/acceleration in the back, and long geared direct drive / efficient motors in the front for efficient cruising at higher speeds and regen braking...
Looks like a nice platform to adapt a 125cc engine or electric motor.
I like how other car drivers start giving you respect on the road
It's more being flabbergasted at seeing whatever the fuck that tiny "car" is more than respect
I definitely want to try one of those jawns especially on a closed circuit just seems hard to get one in NA
A big problem is the "high" payload possibility. The common cyclist also tends to carry many, often useless, things. It is always best to travel with light luggage.
spare knickers; credit card - job dun
@@raymondo162 - you wear 'knickers' Raymond??? Hmmm
Man I gotta try recumbent sometime it looks so fun
Looks might be deceiving. Climbing is difficult.
Now i know the reason why cycling on the road is legal with a velomobile here in the netherlands.
Nice to see a Dutch velomobile being driven abroad :-)
Love the video, I am completely into velomobiles. When are you going to try out an…orange Bülk?
Soon 😉
I wish I had the money and infrastructure to buy one of these
here in sweden a cyklist does NOT have right of way on a crossing unless they step off the bike.
I don't live in a flat place, what's the limit for climbing (so the weight doesn't become too worse compared to normal or even mtb bike)?
I'm surprised there's not many NEW fared bicycles since the explosion in popularity of the ebike,definitely an opportunity 😮
Because legislation mostly limits the allowed top speed for electric bikes, while fairings allow for higher speeds.
Doesn't much sense to build an electric motor that must be switched off at 25km/h into a vehicle that is optimized for like 35+km/h
I would love to test a bike before i buy. Is there anywhere in finland I could try these bikes? Do you have a meeting in the spring/summer. I live in Kotka.
Saukki, can you please post your temperature inside and outside velomobile through out the year only becuase i want to know the temperature fluctuation from outside to inside as you start riding and when you end riding. Thanks 🙂
That’s actually very interesting topic. I might actually make a video about this 🤔
For me the temperature is about 30 Fahrenheit warmer. This is very nice when it is 0 Fahrenheit 😊
I rode my Milan GT when it was around 0°C in short sport clothes and got sweaty because it was pretty warm inside. Problem then is that the visor gets foggy so I have to open it and then I have to wear some headband to not get a cold.
Great video! Throw in a 250W electric motor and put on some 150W solar panel on the velomobile's body and you've got a beast!
whoa how many 150W solar panels would you need? one alone would nearly cover the whole thing
@@Bleeto Yeah I get where you come fomr, perhaps I should've eloborated more. Well what I meant by using 150W solar panel is not really expecting the solar panel do all the job 100% of the time, but rather it is more of an assistant to the cyclist in long distance ride - For example if you need to exert 400W to power your velomobile to cruise at 60km/h, now you only need to exert, says 150W instead to achieve the same speed which is really good and sustainable.
@@dragster100 ah I see, thanks for clarifying
That slight heart attack #4 brought in 🙃
Any tips on climbing hills in a velomobile, Saukki?
I went to check where the velomobile shop near my hometown is, so I can get there easier when I can go for a visit. He's got a place with a nice view... But it's on top of the one hill steep in this area that isn't flattened yet.
Even with my regular bike, I had to get off and walk just before I got to the top.
But than again, I'm not in the best condition. I hadn't been on a bike anymore for six years, when I bought one again last year. Hoping that will inprove once i'm motivated to ride more again.
But I might consider electric pedal assist up to 25 km/h on a velomobile, to help with the hill leading up to the shop if I need to go there for velomobile specific service/parts. And it might be a bonus for accelerating as well.
If only they made a system that properly disconnects the motor from the drivetrain when you turn the assist off, it stops because you reach its maximum speed, or the battery is dead, so you don't also have to rotate the motor with your own strength...
I'm surprised how well my bike does though, for being a simple, cheap upright gravel bike. With the wind gone and on a good, flat road, I can cruise at 30 km/h easily.
It doesn't have electric pedal assist. I didn't want it. In part because my mother kept pushing for it. I was like "So now I'm not having it. Not everyone wants what you want."
A velomobile will feel slow and heavy on steep uphills if you don’t have enough momentum to start with. It helps to have slow enough gearing for climbing.
Hieno esitys👍
How are they on climbs, though? Where I live any ride starts at 300 meters of climb.
After a couple of miles, I realize, I'm not that much of a fan of pedalling any more.
Then I hug my motorcycles.
My rotovelo velomobile doesn't have a horn. Do you have a horn you might recommend for me?
@ number 4, I think it is also because you are much lower to the ground. Far less chance of hitting your head somewhere.
I have never seen my family spend even 1/3rd the price of a velomobile on a car. But if you're very rich, it's a nice thing to have.
Total Cost of Owning a Velomobile
ua-cam.com/video/dWDxErE_S34/v-deo.html
Welcome to the press channel!
Weight and aerodynamics. Optimizing for the first helps, when you accelerate and brake a lot - cities. Optimizing for the second is good for the distances without obstacles of traffic lights.
I've seen you mention the headlights in a few of your video's. But something I haven't seen you talk about is their position.
How does the height of the lights affect the ability to notice a velomobile in a line of cars?
I have noticed that with upright bikes mostly having their headlights at the same height above the road as most cars, and the lights of new bikes being the same collour and brightness as car headlights, it actually makes these bikes even more unsafe at night.
If one comes the opposite direction at night, with a car behind it, I find that the bike light is lost in the car's headlight beam, and you can't see the bike, because cyclists still find a black bike and dark clothes fashionable, and a reflective vest isn't aerodynamic.
That seems dangerous to me, because someone who wants to cross the road or turn left, they think the other driver is just slow, or maybe yielding to them. So they go, and potentially take out the bike they couldn't see.
And yet, I am guilty of buying a black upright myself. That's the one I immediately got drawn to at the local bike shop.
How do they perform riding uphill ?
Again good video, Saukki.
You got any tips though to convince people around you?
I still live with my parents, and they just don't want to see the advantages of a velomobile.
Dad's concerned about how to store it. Mom thinks it's "only good for getting in an accident".
While I think it's her driving style that puts cyclists more at risk.
Except maybe the "I'm in a cycling club. I make my own rules." type. They don't have lights or a bell (while both are mandatory on public roads here in Belgium. If you don't have them, your bike is not legal for tha road), they ride where they want, preferably there where they can annoy the most other road users, Stop and Yield signs mean nothing to them, ...
Everyone hates those. Even other cyclists, who have nothing to do with the whole cycling club movement, and even a few who are in the club, but disagree with that kamikaze attitude.
Your parents will change their mind after they have seen one 😄
I can tell you from experience that you are seen very much in a velomobile. When I drive around in my orange+bright-green QV I guess everybody inside a radius of 100m notices me.
That and also the carbon fiber hull adds safety when compared to other bikes. Car drivers usually keep more distance when overtaking you. Also, they need to overtake a VM less often than other bikes, because VMs are faster.
A lot of (non-VM-riding) people have issues with VMs being low to the ground and do not consider that with a normal bicycle, you will fall down from higher and you will quickly be on the ground without protection when in an accident. So there are definitely safety advantages for the VM.
Storing it is best in a garage, but it can also be locked to something in a similar way as a normal bike. Some people also use grey-greenish covers to make it look very boring while parked.
As a regular pedestrian with a drivers licence and a cycle, I can assure you these - people - annoy me however I meet them after dark. They ride where they please unseen and unheard, instead of in designated spaces with appropriate visibility and a working bell.
As much as want one the potholes here in jersey will destroy it/ me along with the drivers on cellphones not paying attention to their driving.
How is it on climbs with 15%-20% grade?
I guess that's for me the main reason not to get one. Otherwise they seem to be fun
Not many of those in Finland, lol
The weather? The biggest reason for me…. It gets *damp* in Portland.
It didn't seem like he had the right-of-way in all cases? Certainly doesn't have his own safety & the safety of others in mind. Maybe the laws there are different?
I've only seen one of those once in the "wild". The speed was impressive. I didn't know what it was. I thought it was some sort of electric car or something. I would need one that could handle mud though. It would also probably have to have suspension because you can't stand up. It would be heavy so I'd keep my conventional bike for when I have to do the hills, but 90% of my commutes are flat....
If you have hills and need to go down first... try to keep as much speed as you can. A velomobile will pretty much accelerate without an end downhill, you can use that energy to get on top on the other side.
You say that it is very safe to ride a Velomobile. As you might know, I also ride a Quattrovelo. It is not easy to find a helmet for this kind of bike, because of the roof. But there are some light helmets on the market. What do you think about that? Or do you think it is not necessary to add a helmet?
I would say that for example in a Quatrevelo like mine with the "alien-hood", a helmet won't add extra protection same way that for example with regular upright bike. So it's not as neccessary or usefull as with upright bike. In fact with a velomobile with a hood, a helmet might actually make it more dangerous, because you can't turn your head as easily. So I would say it's not neccessary to have a helmet.
The "alien hood" offers some protection (guess not as much as a helmet though) as long as it stays closed.
The original velcro straps may hold it closed or not, depending on the force imposed on them while crashing. Speaking from experience: I've thrown the QV on its side twice yet. Once the hood stayed closed, once it opened (and the latter was worse for my head due to street contact).
I meanwhile replaced the velcro straps by metal hook / strap / metal tensioner combinations ("FlowFastener") made by a fellow QV rider, in which I have more trust that they hold the hood closed.
@@TheVelomobileChannel Thank you very much for your answers! I am thinking of buying a light goalkeeper helmet. Could be a compromise between safety and "freedom of action".
I passed a fellow in a velomobile today on my electric bike, slowed down so I wouldn't frighten him. It was the 1st time I'd seen one on the trail. His head was exposed so I'm not sure its the same.
I'm 6 ft 210 lbs in Alaska. I want to get a velomobile for commuting. Should I get a quest or qautrovelo?
In Alaska if you want to commute in winter as well, then I'd recommend Quatrevelo. It works much better in snow compared to 3 wheeled Quest. And get the Quatrevelo+, it's slightly larger, so you should fit in. Also e-assist would make sense in winter.
It sounds like you are honking when you are supposed to give way to the cars. What’s the reasoning behind this?
Big ol' American trucks will NOT see this on the road. Our death toll for running over children is horrendous in the States
Doesn’t suprise me. American solution to road safety is bigger trucks. And solution to gun violence is more guns 🤷♂️🤦♂️
@@TheVelomobileChannel it’s like a arms race when it comes to vehicle sizes. I need a bigger vehicle to protect me from other vehicles but when other people get bigger vehicles they get even bigger vehicles.
@@TheAmericanCatholic
And this all started because reasonable regulations on car safety and emissions backfired. Manufacturers don't have to meet such high standards if the vehicle can be classified as a 'light truck." So the more pickup trucks and SUVs they can sell the more profits they make because it cost them less to produce. So there were huge marketing campaigns pushing these motorized monstrosities. And the American public, bought it hook line and sinker.
God, I hate it here.
@@TheVelomobileChannel the alternative is that only criminals own guns.
@@antjeeismann4684 Why is gun violence so much lower in countries where public firearm ownership is outlawed?
4:10 Also, you do not have to pedal at all, it electropowered. And also, it is for asphalt
If I could cycle as fast as this guy talks I'd be happy.
Long steep hills?
It looks like it would also protect you from the cold in the summer.
One very good reason is that it allows for somehow long daily commutes with very very minimal C02 emission, and very minimal cost too.
Why do you care about the CO2 emissions?
@@Getoverhere666 Why wouldn't you care ?
@@DaChocapic cause it have no any sence.
@@Getoverhere666 why ?
@@DaChocapic cause it is only a shitty propaganda nothing else
C’est dommage qu’il y à pas de traduction.
there needs to be an e-bike version of this bike.
how fast can you go?
I want one, but it cost MORE then some cars. I will be building one in my garage for MUCH less and ALL the hassle! 😆😳
What happen to the saukki channel
I wonder if big guys can fit there?
My favorite part is how a single one of these babies costs ten times what I paid for my car
Total Cost of Owning a Velomobile
ua-cam.com/video/dWDxErE_S34/v-deo.html
The safety is also because your feet are forward, which is safer. On most bicycles if you crash, it's head first
With a chain wheel in front of you, it's also nuts first! 😞
The main disadvantage is the visibility, in a world without cars I would not mind but it scares me knowing I could be hit by a car
You think this is less visible than a bicycle?
What drugs are you on right now bro 😂☠️😂
How much do they weigh compared to a normal bike ?
Lightest velomobile models are less than 25 kg. This one is probably something like 33 kg without the e-assist. With motor & battery probably more than 40 kg.
Main problem is size? Its only for house owners
Has anyone immersive waxed a velo chain?
In Italy you cannot use zebra crossing with a bicicle. You must dismount.
That's awesome, but better would be like 100KM/h+ electric one making all the safety features not so safe anymore 😁😎
Are rhere any electric motor assisted velomobiles?
Ok, seems there is ua-cam.com/video/KhnnHIXu8ns/v-deo.html
Yes. For example this one on the video.
Wow, Ismo certainly has lost a lot of weight since he started biking!
Not all finns are called Ismo 😄
@@TheVelomobileChannel I'm sorry, I heard your voice and thought for sure you were Ismo the comedian! Maybe it's just the accent.
Lets see you take it up a mountain
Good luck trying to find a mountain from Finland 🤣
Drip wax based lubricants are better applied at indoor temperatures, e.g 18C which is discussed in ua-cam.com/video/v6lr0AWN6RQ/v-deo.html. Otherwise there is a risk of chain pins not being properly lubricated.
Velomobiles take a lot of space. If you don't have a garage without a car in it, don't try to fit a Velomobile somewhere.
Damn I had to get google translator !! 🤣😂🤣😂 what did he say ?? 😳😳🤣😂
Not often that I use .75x playback speed.
No helmet, no crumble zone, had broken all my ripps on one side and heavy braininjuries.
Oh, that sounds bad. :-( I hope you recovered meanwhile!
What kind of VM was that? Crash with a car?
@@ThomasWaldmann Milan crashed with a big car.
OK 4 the relatively flat roads in Germany 🇩🇪. How do they manage up hills . 😂
30 k on a chain? That seems like a lot! While it doesn't get dirty, it will still stretch right?
Yes, but it’s also 3 times longer than your regular bike chain.
@@TheVelomobileChannel and that makes it stretch less? just curious!
Yes.
@@TheVelomobileChannel Ooooh. I assume because the same force is applied to it as a regular bike chain but with more links in the chain, the stretch will be distributed over more links. The stretch per link will be less. Not an obvious thing! :)
@@polystyrene_gangster I think the wear related to chain stretch mostly happens when the pin / bushing rotate relative to each other. This will be where the chain starts and stops contact on the rear cassette and the top of the front chainrings. There is very little force on the chain through the derailleur jockey wheels so probably minimum wear there. The bearing surfaces of the straight sections won't slide against each other just having static tensile forces , mostly in the top span of the chain. So the long straight sections don't wear and each pin / bushing has less wear for a longer chain.
It’s the car from the memes 😂
I only have one reason why things suck and it beats all the advantages of these vehicles.
YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT
Total Cost of Owning a Velomobile
ua-cam.com/video/dWDxErE_S34/v-deo.html
Cruising past road bike riders 😂 . you know what they're thinking '' fffking dikk edd'' .. 👍🏻
i believe you are wrong there 1:03, you should get off the bike, and walk alongside your bike while crossing, this rule is in place to ensure the safety of pedestrians and maintain a clear separation between cyclists and pedestrians in high-pedestrian traffic areas, you can't just cross like that going 50 km/h
Yeah.... I just saw the price tag. No fuckin way that's a reasonable choice for regular people
Total Cost of Owning a Velomobile
ua-cam.com/video/dWDxErE_S34/v-deo.html
30'000 km until you change the chain. This seems to me quite high compared to a racing bike. There you change the chain after 4'000 km if you don't want to ruin the casette or the front chainring. If you wait for the change too long, let say 10'000 km you need to change the entire drive train. What is the difference between a velomobile and a racing bike in this respect?
Road bike chain is exposed to the elements. Dust, dirt & water. While velomobile chain is enclosed inside the velomobile body, thus protected from the elements. Also velomobiles have about 2,5 times longer chain than road bikes so there are more chain links to wear out, which takes longer time (more kilometers).
Thank you for your answer. The problem of the chain of road bike is elongation. If you measure the length of 10 chain links it will be 119.0 mm for a new chain. If you measure 120.25mm you should change the chain. In my case this happens after 4'000 km. A pro cyclist having much more power will elongate the chain at less distance.
Gods I wish America had adequate transportation infrastructure for stuff like this to be viable
You have a new like in me. Please accept my feedback. Your narration would be much easier to understand if you did not speak so fast.
Can you find any women to date you in a velobike? Would anyone date you?
in norway u cant cross, a cross walk like that. u have to get off the bike :D
Well that’s not a pedestrian crosswalk.
@@TheVelomobileChannel u have Different crosswalks. Crazy:)
I don’t know how is the law in Norway, but I would expect it to be not much different than in Finland. Here in Finland there’s no law prohibiting crossing a crosswalk by a bike. The way you cross a crosswalk effects to who has to yield. If you rida a bike over a crosswalk, you (the cyclist) have to yield to the other traffic. If you are walking, then you have the right of way and others have to yield. This is stupid rule, because then the car driver has to determine if the person or vehicle coming to a croswalk is a pedestrian or cyclist, because it effects to who should yield. Sometimes it might be difficult to determine if it’s a person walking a bike or riding a bike. Or if it’s a wheelchair or a recumbent bike. Or if it’s a kid under or over 12 years old (yes, that also effects to who has the right of way). The law here is stupid.
But on this video there’s a yield sign for cars, so in all cases I had the right of way. And because I’m in this tiny vehicle against those huge metal boxes, I try to make a lot of noise so they can hear and see me and not run over.
...if they would be not so expensiv! I ride a Zox low...
Are there some double-sized velomobiles for fat people too? I didn´t see any ... So it seems not to be used in America and even in Europe only for half of the people.
Did you think about turning your velomobile into a hybrid chainless electric-powered vehicle, when the energy from your legs just charges a battery which powers an electric motor which does actually move the vehicle? This could make possible the energy regeneration when braking and going downhill, as well as providing constant load on your legs regardless of slope, road conditions, weather, wind and so on...
There two major problems with "serial hybrid" configuration you describe is the max torque/ power output and pedaling efficiency.
- for the sake of simplicity lets say you are pedalling 250W, into a 250W generator, and this power gets transferred to a 250W motor. all you are getting is maybe 200W at the wheel. now add a battery to power the motor, you can reduce your effort but the bike wont go quicker, maybe you gain 50W additional watts. now you face a climb, where the motor doesn't have enough torque, the bike slowly come to a stop or crawling speed, and motor overheats. you have to get out and push..
-other scenario, same outcome. you are cruising on throttle, you reach a hill, the bike starts slowing down....instinctively, you start pedaling or pedal harder ,to help the bike but the motor is already maxxed out. all pedalling power goes to the battery, but the bike keeps slowing down to a halt.
also your regen is limited to 250W too
now if you connect the pedals to the wheels with a chain, use both 250W motor/generators in parallel, you now have a maximum 750W more than 3x. the torque do add up too, and your pedalling efficiency is way better
you can also make both motors work as generators and provide 500W of regen when slowing down or going downhill. regen means the motors cannot freewheel so they will add a bit of drag, but you can compensate when you want to coast by sending a very small current just to overcome the drag. this small loss will be more than overcome by the regen you'll get downhill or when slowing down. (see Grin technologies video about regen). the secnario where regen is kinda useless useless and freewheeling is prefered is if you have a lot of cruising with no assist, or coasting, mostly riding flat with no traffic ligths/ stops/intersections/... but honestly then you don't really need assist that mutch
in the serial configuration, you could optimize the generator to match your maximum pedaling torque/power, and size the motor for maximum torque/power you need but in the end you are still wasting valuable power and torque from your legs, and from the generator that coudl be used for propulsion too. for the same reason, there is not a SINGLE hybrid in production that is puerely serial. they all have a mechanical lik beetween the engine and the wheels that can be activated at least at certain speeds. also hybrids dont have maximum power output, unlige ebike classes, so a chevy volt can get away with working in serial at low speeds because 1/ it works in EV mode only when battery is charged 2/ at highway speeds the engine is connected to the wheels
in a ebike I dont see any advantage, besides simplicity/ maintenance. the ebikes tha use this kinf of powertrrain are pretty lame...
Now if you had a 5kW ebike/motorcycle with rear hub motor, and you really want to have pedals and torque sensing, without adding the complexity of a chain / derailleur or gearbox, then putting a small generator to harverst pedaling power would be useful, but you should think of the pedals more like a throttle to control the motor output.
@@geemy9675 thank you.
But it's not correct to say there's no serial hybrid in production. There is at least one - Nissan e-Power (Note, Serena, Kicks), for Japan domestic market. I have such Note e-Power. It is driven by a single electric motor from the Leaf, and has an 1200cc 79hp ICE which only charges battery via generator. No mechanical link to wheels at all. And it is VERY popular in Japan. It provides fuel consumption down to 3L/100km. That's why I asked if this is applicable to velos. Actually there are some projects regarding installing such system on an ordinary bike around the Internet.
@@geemy9675 He is not suggesting a hybrid bike, he is suggesting a turboelectric bike. This is not how you would use a turboelectric bike (either regular bike, trike, or velomobile).
You are supposed to use a turboelectric like an ebike set up to run purely on throttle. Your battery should be fully charged before your ride.
If you are using the specs you mentioned (250 watt motor, cyclist who can push 200 watts through his legs) - The motor at wide open throttle supplies 250 watts to the wheels, off the batteries. The happens whether you pedal or not. When you pedal, you supply 200 watts to recharge the battery as you ride. The motor still supplies 250 watts whatever you are doing with the pedals. The benefit of pedalling therefore is *range* not power - if your 250 watt motor could give you 40 miles of range purely off throttle with the battery you have installed, then when pedalling at a steady speed you will get closer to 75 miles of range from the same battery- at 250 watts.
The huge benefit of turboelectric is you can pedal at the same steady cadence throughout your entire ride, and you can set the generator resistance to suit your pedalling style and ability. The pedals offer the same resistance going flat as they do going up a steep hill, going downhill, and even when stationary - it is purely the motor that takes the strain of driving the wheel. Human legs, unlike electric motors, are most efficient at a certain speed and resistance amount. Stop-starting, pedalling some parts harder and some softer, pedalling uphill and downhill, all reduce the efficiency of your pedalling (the same is true of an internal combustion engine). They do not effect an electric motor one bit.
Why aren't anyone properly motorizing these?
Is it illegal?
A legal option (in Germany) is to add a 250W 25km/h limited E-bike ("pedelec") motor.
Pro: helps you going uphill, helps you in winter with snow on the road (see saukki's video about it).
Con: additional cost, weight, complexity, having to charge the battery. also, as you can easily go faster than 25km/h in a VM, the motor is only helpful when you would be slower than that without one.
QV+ without motor here. :-)
@@ThomasWaldmann The legal option is stupidly limited.
Remove the limit if you want it to compete with existing options.
Mopeds and motorcycles aren't safe, so why should electric vehicles be required to be safe? Only to limit them? Only to ensure they don't become "too good"? Too desirable? Too fun?
I know for a fact a lot of drivers don't want alternative personal vehicles to become too popular. These are the voters that bring you these laws. Any argument that "it needs to be limited to 250W to be safe" is irrelevant.
This legal situation makes me genuinely angry, to be living in such a conservative region when we should be making electric alternatives as widespread and convenient as possible. A manual velomobile will never convince more than a fraction of 1% to ditch their cars. An electric, slightly bigger, fully enclosed velomobile could convince maybe 5% or more. Especially the younger generation. It could be sold as a more stable alternative to a motorcycle, without going full car size. Without putting on the tons to become a commuter-tank.
@@TerkanTyr I mostly agree with you, but I wouldn't "tune" it mostly due to legal and insurance issues. If something goes wrong, this can ruin you financially.
@@ThomasWaldmann These are democratically voluntary problems, not physical limitations. People can choose to make it as legal as a motorcycle. People just don't give a shit and nobody will ever care enough to get it to a vote.
are the rules around crosswalks different in finland? in germany they only only work for pedestrians. bikes do NOT have the right of way unless they dismount and walk across. i did not know this for a long time (and luckily most car drivers do not either ...), but cyclists would be at least partially at fault in case of an accident.
other than that great video as always. so happy to visit my first spezi fair this weekend an try some velomobiles myself.
Same thing here with crosswalks. But you can find crosswalks only on sidewalks, where you are not allowed to cycle anyways. These which you see on the video are called something like ”bike path extension” (I have no idea what it’s in english). Also there’s yield signs for drivers, so I have the right of way.
@@TheVelomobileChannel thanks for the clarification. i would love to have some of those where i live.
@@TheVelomobileChannel You could call it a bycicle crossing. We have them here in belgium too. Outside the city, if they aren't regulated by traffic lights, on the ones I have seen cars have the right of way. If the bike has the right ow way, it is not a bycicle crossing. In that case, the bike path just continues through, and than it's indicated with the same markings as the rest of the bike path, and yield signs for cars.
In the city center you can find bycicle crossings where bikes have the right of way. But they are disappearing, because city centers are more and more banning cars anyway, and making a general right of way for byclicles.
Although I don't think it's such a good idea, because in university cities, pretty much everyone just rides a bike. Students from outside the city leave their car at home, if they already have one, and just store a bike in town or on the campus. But with everyone on bikes, and no set rules about which street has to yield, how do you decide who has right of way?
Do yo go "I was here first, so I have right of way!"
or is it the law of the strongest. "I go first, or I knock you of your bike, perkele!"
**VELMPO MOBILE!!**
Drink everytime he says velomopile