Workin on a Velocar
05-23-14, 12:21 PM
#26
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Back when I was in college, I saw one of the then-newfangled velocars on campus. It was going about 10 mph.
There are several drawbacks. Weight and wind resistance being the major ones. If you fully enclose it, you have a sweatbox, if you leave it open, you don't really gain much over a bicycle.
Rhoades (or maybe Rhodes, not sure of the spelling) makes a 4-wheel car bike, which seems overpriced and clunky.
The higher-end Velocars like the yellow one pictured are a different matter. There, you're hopefully gaining in the aerodynamics department, so hopefully, you can make up some of what you lose in the weight side of things. Whether it all works out like that is a different matter.
There are several drawbacks. Weight and wind resistance being the major ones. If you fully enclose it, you have a sweatbox, if you leave it open, you don't really gain much over a bicycle.
Rhoades (or maybe Rhodes, not sure of the spelling) makes a 4-wheel car bike, which seems overpriced and clunky.
The higher-end Velocars like the yellow one pictured are a different matter. There, you're hopefully gaining in the aerodynamics department, so hopefully, you can make up some of what you lose in the weight side of things. Whether it all works out like that is a different matter.
05-23-14, 06:45 PM
#27
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Wind resistance on a pedal car (or any car) is almost certainly always massively lower than on a bike. Cyclists are the least aerodynamic thing on the road, it's much more of a problem than weight.
Velomobiles like that yellow one are known to do 50+ miles an hour. Not special ones, no land speed record modifications.
Velomobiles like that yellow one are known to do 50+ miles an hour. Not special ones, no land speed record modifications.
09-15-14, 02:35 PM
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Not sure where you are located, but you may run into an issue with your local laws. I know here in virginia anything with more than 3 wheels(non stability) isnt considered a bike, you may have to register it. Otherwise that looks bad ass, enjoy it.
09-15-14, 04:07 PM
#32
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i like it. i've seen two rhodes cars here recently, but they're pretty far out of my crazy bike money range. i'm not sure if i could make one myself.
09-21-14, 12:31 PM
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Just because it's not legally a bike though doesn't mean it can't be used on the roads. There are lots of vehicles like buggies, power chairs, skateboards and the like that are still allowed on the roads.
12-15-16, 11:46 PM
#34
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* or some definition that is in the local legal code. My state is really screwed up. A bicycle is expressly defined as having two wheels in tandem at least one of which must be larger then 20". So a delta/tadpole trike, a velomobile like the one up thread or most folding bikes with their often small wheels are not bicycles in my state. Strap a motor to it though and it becomes a moped, making it completely legal. As mopeds are defined as having 2 or 3 wheels with no size specifications. >shrug< Quadracycles are right out though as they fit none of the current definitions. I hear that Ohio changed their definition to include them this year or last (they removed the reference to number of wheels from the definition).
Last edited by NPC Brown Cow; 11-01-17 at 10:49 AM. Reason: typos
04-07-17, 07:28 PM
#36
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Old thread but cool. Good job!!
10-25-17, 07:40 AM
#38
**thusi*st
Oh, if you have some time to kill, peruse this very interesting collection. If I remember right a FEW are pedal-power, most are not- but the micro-car idea has been explored extensively, just never with much success. Small pedalpower, a bike seems by far the most popular option, small gas-power, a motorcycle or scooter is the most popular option.
Virtual Tour of the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum
Virtual Tour of the Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum
