This is just a bike

How much humans do you need for your daily commute ?

The rebound effect

In just under a century, the energy efficiency of car engines has been significantly improved. However, the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers has not decreased. The reason is that we have multiplied the weight of cars by 4-6, thanks to this energy improvement.

As cars become increasingly heavier, we can recall an old physics formula stating that kinetic energy is proportional to the mass moved. This has various implications, including consumption and energy released during braking, among others.

Additionally, cars have also become taller on average, leading to an indirect effect on the perception of speed:

The concept of energy slave

It has often been noted that the end of slavery coincided with the coal and oil revolution, but it is even more disturbing to realize that the abolitionist movement only truly gained momentum when technological advances made abolition economically indispensable. (Andrew Nikiforuk explains this very well in his book 'The Energy of Slaves: Oil and the New Servitude'). 

I just introduced how much human-power do you need to move a car. But now you can apply that to all of your everyday tasks.

Since the rise of the petroleum industry we have in our daily routines hundreds of energetic slaves at our disposal. In a way, we have all become pharaohs with invisible slaves.  

That mesmerizing isn't it ? Think about how much human energy you've got with gasolin : With 1 Liter, which is about 10 kwh of energy, you've got 10 days to 1 month "human power", pretty cheap for 2 dollars...

Energy is like a drug for us, but we're all dealing with it, and are getting used to it. With energy we don't have cold in winter, and aren't messed with heat waves anymore. We can buy cheap food that is comming from thousands of km. 

We can wear nice outfits. We can travel around the world in no time. We can lift heavy objects, etc...

In fact, we're all becoming super-humans.

On average, each European has around 150 energy "slaves," directly or indirectly (transport, food, clothing, heating, etc.). 

We also indirectly gained vacations thanks to them, as well as the explosion of jobs in the tertiary sector.

So what is that ?

This is a "Velomobile", it's a recumbent bike with a body shaped like a water drop to minimise the air resistance.

It's a usefull to transport yourself without making big effort (okays, slow up-hills). It has plenty of room to put your grocery bag, water bottles, lunch boxes.

It allows for longer journeys while being comfortably reclined.

Disclaimer :

-I do not go to Ikea everyday, so i don't need to transport furnitures.

a little bit of history

The velomobile was invented in 1924 by the Frenchman Charles Mochet, who created a streamlined pedal-powered quadricycle. He named his invention the "Vélocar" and achieved higher speeds with his invention compared to traditional bicycles, though this gain was only noticeable above approximately 15 km/h. His model weighed between 35 and 40 kg. He established his business in Puteaux and sold approximately 6000 Vélocars between 1928 and 1944.

Frenchman Francis Faure began participating in cycling competitions as early as 1933, breaking 7 international records in the same year.

In 1934, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) voted on new rules for access to bicycles in official competitions. According to these rules, the bottom bracket had to be located between 24 and 30 cm above the ground, the front of the saddle could only be 12 cm behind the bottom bracket, and the distance between the bottom bracket and the front wheel axle had to be between 58 and 75 cm.

This had the consequence of outright prohibiting access to velomobiles in all official competitions, ultimately marginalizing the velomobile in the eyes of the general public.

what about the standard bicycle in all of this?

The bicycle hasn't undergone upheavals as significant as the developments in the automobile industry. The UCI's ban on velomobiles in the 1930s didn't allow for the benefits of truly aerodynamic forms to be recognized in cycling. As a result, in 2020, we have at best carbon bicycles that are very lightweight, with elongated frame shapes to reduce wind resistance somewhat. However, the most recent and illustrative example is the new aerodynamic helmet of the cycling team "Visma":

With this new helmet, the cyclist has better aerodynamic penetration, but... they overlook the "detail" of the rest of the cyclist's body, which is far from being aerodynamic.

Why i am riding a Velomobile ?

Because it is addictive to ride.

Because it is also addictive to think you can move without losing much time compared to a car in your everyday use without losing much time compared to the car, but : You've made your sport-session, you don't need to go on the gas-station to fill up your tank, you don't need to plug in your car for hours to charge it up, it ask the same maintenance as a regular bike. You don't need 1 tons of material to move yourself on the road.

Because i can enjoy riding in every season despite the weather and temperature.

Because it put a smile on mostly everyones face (...and a scowl on few other 😉)

The lighting is more complete than on a regular bicycle, and we are highly visible at night. The position is genuinely comfortable for long distances (~280 km in 10 hours without any stiffness upon arrival). It's possible to store groceries for the week in the trunk. As I've mentioned before, I don't lose much time for the daily commute compared to a car. A mixed journey (urban/suburban) of 40 km takes me about 1 hour in the velomobile, whereas it takes me around 45 minutes by car. But I've gained an hour of exercise in the process, so...

A bike for all weather conditions and temperatures

I often smile when people tell me it's great weather for riding in a velomobile on a sunny day. In fact, there's no bad weather for riding in a velomobile. I have no problem riding in the rain or when it's cold. I've even ridden on icy roads with studded tires; the advantage being there were no cars on the road. Another advantage is that I don't need to dress according to the weather; I ride all year round in shorts and a t-shirt.

I have respect for those who commute to work in all weather conditions and seasons with a traditional muscle-powered bicycle. They have to contend with the weather and headwinds, which are not really felt in a velomobile (hence the nickname "lazy bike"). In fact, the wind has even become an advantage in some cases, as the aerodynamic shape of the shell resembles that of a drop of water. A consistent crosswind can provide an additional push, akin to how sails work in sailing, with the shell acting as a sail and the three wheels as the keel. 

However, sudden gusts of wind can cause the vehicle to deviate slightly, which can be problematic.

 Another disadvantage is that tailwinds become almost useless.

Remarks or already asked questions :

I've become somewhat discreet lately, which doesn't stop me from being regularly stopped on my journeys because passersby are often very curious. As is often the case when people are unfamiliar with something, they tend to be cautious. So, it's not uncommon for me to receive criticism or ridicule, but when I get positive remarks from people who know what it is, all the rest is forgotten :)

To save you from lengthy research or explanations, here are the top 5 questions I get asked at traffic lights:

How much does it cost?:

This is by far the most common question I'm asked. I won't give you a price here (and anyway, it varies greatly depending on the models), but I'll tell you how much it doesn't cost, taking into account replacing your car and its daily usage with a velomobile.

(I'm aware that it doesn't replace a car for all uses, but isn't the main use of your car to take you to work, your little snack, and the shopping bags you take home from work?)

The average distance traveled by a person to get to work is about 15 km per day, with an average of approximately 218 working days per year. That's 3270 km per year.

For a gasoline car:

The cost of 1 liter of gasoline is approximately 2 euros, with an average consumption of about 5 liters/100 km (which is equivalent to 500wh/km when converted), so 327 euros of gasoline for the home-to-work commute annually for a daily trip of 15 km.

For an electric car:

The consumption of a city electric car is about 150wh/km, so 2250 wh/day or 490,500 wh/year. The price of one kilowatt-hour is about 0.25 euros, so approximately 122 euros of electricity consumption per year for the home-to-work commute.

-----------

Adding the cost of car insurance for the year: on average 600 euros. The maintenance cost of a gasoline car per year varies between 800 and 1700 euros depending on the parts that need to be replaced. The maintenance cost of an electric car is approximately 800 euros/year.

For parking the car, we don't always have free parking spaces, so let's also count the cost of parking, on average 600 euros per year. Since our body remains very passive when we are transported by this wonderful machine, it is advisable to have a little extra physical activity to "loosen" our bodies from time to time; a basic gym subscription costs about 480 euros per year. So just for the home-to-work commute: 3282 euros/year for a gasoline car and 1922 euros/year for an electric car.

Compare this to a velomobile: Insurance is the same as for a regular bike. 

For a 100% muscle-powered velomobile, the electrical cost is limited to lights, around 0.20 euros/year. 

For an assisted velomobile, the average consumption is around 4wh/km for someone who pedals a bit (it's 1wh/km for budding athletes). So 13,080 wh of annual consumption, which is 3.27 euros of annual electrical consumption. Maintenance for a velomobile is relatively low; it can be compared to that of a bike, around 100 euros/year, so 103.47 euros/year. So just comparing it for the home-to-work commute, the velomobile saves you about 3178 euros per year compared to a gasoline car, and 2498 euros compared to an electric car. Of course, we can compare this to an even more energy-efficient vehicle, the muscle-powered bicycle (not the electric bicycle because the consumption of a normal E-bike is about double/triple that of a velomobile).

A small bonus compared to the electric car : 

Since gasoline is largely independent of our various daily comforts, this is not the case for electricity. Therefore, it would be interesting to see what would happen if all gasoline cars were replaced by electric ones on national electricity consumption. 

There are about 38 million vehicles in circulation nationally, with an average of 15,000 km/year at 150 wh/km, which gives us 8.55x10^13 Wh of energy demand.

"Does it have a motor?": Like bicycles, there are assisted velomobiles (limited to 25 km/h) and others that are purely muscle-powered.

"It's a Twike!": No, a velomobile is the opposite of the Twike in principle. The Twike is a vehicle that relies primarily on its electric propulsion and can be assisted by muscle power, whereas the velomobile is a vehicle that relies primarily on its muscle propulsion and can be electrically assisted.

"You're dangerous": The velomobile itself isn't really dangerous; it's a lightweight vehicle (~20-40 kg) with two 90mm drum brakes, plus a rear motor brake in some cases. Therefore, the energy required to stop a velomobile traveling at 40 km/h is very low, and the stop is almost instantaneous. The shell of a velomobile is often made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, a material that is rather flexible and light. The kinetic energy released when braking a small city car weighing 1 ton is not comparable to that of a 30 kg vehicle.

"We can't see you": Velomobilists usually make sure to attach a flag to the roof to be a bit more visible. Personally, I opted for elevated front/rear lights that are at the height of a bike handlebar. I find that a light attracts more attention from a driver who might be distracted by their phone while driving. And a flag is generally unnecessary when riding frequently at night. The second issue concerns the size of cars, which are becoming taller and wider. If this trend continues, it will become problematic for urban cycling.

"I couldn't do it": I often get this kind of remark, which can mean different things, implying "I don't know how you do it", "you're a bit crazy", etc... I'm not sure how to respond to this kind of remark, so often I don't respond at all. I just do it, that's all. I just add that by riding with this vehicle, I'm not encouraging anyone to do the same.

"I'd like to, but it's not compatible with my daily life": As is often the case, the argument of bringing or picking up children from school with a velomobile is not very practical. And the current period is conducive to having 2 cars per family. But if you're very curious, you can see that there are 2-seater velomobiles!

"You should put a flag on it": This is the other variant of "we can't see you". I have a vertical support with a double lamp that is at the height of a normal bike handlebar. Since I've put this on, I find it much safer because the broad-spectrum light allows cars to notice me in their mirrors. A flag doesn't have this effect, and furthermore, when I ride at night, a flag doesn't serve much purpose. Generally, these are people who are not familiar with the field who make these kinds of remarks. I make sure to be visible at height; I would find it dangerous/unnecessary to put a light at the height of the wheel axle, as can be seen on some regular bicycles.

If you have any other questions or comments, feel free to ask them in the space below.

Comments

Where can i buy this  ?

Vendors of velomobiles are not found on every street corner.

If you're curious about the velomobile you just saw:

The white velomobile is the Waw, made by Katanga. It is a velomobile known for its accessibility and can easily be equipped with assistance for hilly areas.

The blue velomobile is the Bülk, made by Velomobileworld. It is the model I use for my daily commutes. It is a rather sporty model.

Here is the list of dealers in England/USA: https://www.velomobileworld.com/dealers/

Support

"This is by no means an obligation, but if you have appreciated the information I have provided and would like to support me with the cost of a coffee, here is my Patreon page :

The velomobile also presents a great opportunity for highly visible advertising (a vehicle that is often photographed). Velomobile enthusiasts in the area are generally open to being sponsored by a company. 

If you would like more information on this matter, please leave a comment with your email address for us to get back to you.