My preference is a normal bicycle. But then I'm a cyclist. These guys obviously want to appeal to non-cycists. They wanted it to look like a little car. If they really wanted aerodynamics they could have done it cheaper and more aerodynamically:
http://www.hpvelotechnik.com/produkte/streamer/ I agree with Malcolm, that thin fiberglass or composite shell will give a false sense of security. They even used the word "protection" in the video when referring to the shell. Protection from the elements perhaps, but not crash protection. The large-ish, bright shell will help with visibility in traffic (a huge problem with recumbents). But I'm not convinced that the weight penalty would be offset by aerodynamic gains. One thing they didn't mention much in the first part of the video (before I got bored and turned it off) is the electric assist motor (hub assist motors are common in cargo bikes, BTW). I noticed a solar panel array on the roof; perhaps that's the reason for the large cab? I'm guessing the motor is powered by a combination of solar panel electricity and captured momentum energy while coasting or slowing down. That electric assist is probably a huge part of its higher top speed. I think this is interesting but only really useful in warmer weather areas without a lot of rain (or snow!). I'm not sold on recumbents for a number of reasons I need not get into now. I think I'd prefer a regular, upright, bicycle. But I'd like to give one of those things a spin, just for fun. Cheers, frank On November 13, 2015 6:15:51 AM EST, Malcolm Smith <[email protected]> wrote: >Larry Colen wrote: > >> Bob W-PDML wrote: >> > Can't see the point of pedalling all that unnecessary weight round. >> Just ride a bike. >> > >> >> I suspect that on flat ground, the improved aerodynamics would make >up >> for the excess weight. Plus it might be more comfortable in the rain. >> The problem isn't so much the extra forty pounds in weight, as much >as >> the extra four thousand pounds in cost. >> >> I am a bit perturbed that they make it difficult to find out many >> details of it, such as weight. > >These things give you a false sense of security, in something that >offers no >real protection at all and gives you loads of blind spots. It might be >substantially heavier than a normal cycle, but it offers a lot of >surface >area to throw you sideways into traffic in a crosswind. Buy a normal >cycle. > >Malcolm -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -- Henri Cartier-Bresson Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
