compared to other velomobiles ....
Everybody makes different demands when it comes to choosing a certain type of velomobile. My main demands were (and still are) comfort and useable all year round. The Alleweder is mainly used for commuting, all year round. So I needed a velomobile which I could ride both in cold winters and in hot summers, and I have that one right now. The mesh seat is cormfortable all year round and because of the wide entry opening , there’s always some kind of breeze flowing through, even on hot summer days. During winter, the adjustable top cover allows you to adapt the amount of breeze flowing through, making it easy to adjust the temperature inside.
Most constructors and/or velomobile owners claim that when temperatures are getting too high (meaning what ?), you should take an “open” recumbent to ride and just park your velomobile for the time being. I think this is bullshit ! I cannot understand how some people for instance can pay almost up to 8000 euro for a brand new velomobile that is getting too hot when temperatures are reaching 25° C ! Unbelievable ! Fortunately, not everyone is having the same demands, otherwise everyone would ride the same model. Long live variety !!!
Let’s have a short look at other available velomobiles :
The models that only take hard shell seats, are not on my favourite list. My main demand for a velomobile is still comfort and hard shell seats are not part of that. I also like to feel the wind blowing around my head and flowing through, so I do not like bubbly canopy velomobile models either (like e.g. the Cab-Bike, the Aerorider, the Leiba and the Go-One). I cannot explain exactly why, but these models do not make me feel as riding a bicycle (and no, I’m not claustrophobic either !).
I took a test ride with a Leitra a couple of years ago and I never felt safe in it. In fact, I thought it was a quiet dangerous thing to ride. I did not dare to take the speed up above 25 km/h because it started to shake all over and I did not like the way it handled corners at all ! Maybe it's just me, but I cannot understand why someone would by a Leitra unless old age prevents you from entering other velomobiles and you're not riding fast anymore ....
When it comes to the “speed” velomobiles such as the Quest, the Mango and the WAW, I do not like them because of the limited entry space. No doubt that they are the fastest (and the lightest) available, but I still prefere the wide opening of my Alleweder. Also because I do not feel cold that easily, I’m pretty sure these models will be too hot for me in summer.
I do not like the concept of the WAW without any rear suspension. I agree it saves some weight by not using rear suspension, but a 26” rear wheel does not give you the same benefits of suspension, not even when using a balloon tire. This might work on good surfaces, but unfortunately, not all of this world is a sleek paved bicycle path .....
And then there’s the Versatile, the “Rolls Royce” amongst the velomobiles (just consider the price!). To be honest, I think it is simply too expensive. Everybody should decide for him/herself what to do with his/her money, but paying almost 8000 euro’s for a velomobile ? No way, my common sense will not allow me to do so. One could buy a small car for that amount of money ! Not that I would promote buying cars instead of velomobiles, but I think you’ve got my point. I just think that the Versatile does not deliver for its price.
Be honest : what do you get extra compared to other velomobiles for that amount of money ? An easy-entry velomobile, which is very quiet and has a maintenance free chaindrive. No discussion about that. But .... my Alleweder is also pretty easy to get in, is not that loud since I put in a NEXUS hub and the chain drive is pretty maintanance free too ! And .... I can ride it all summer, not like the Versatile which gets too hot inside when outside temperatures reach 25° C !
Do I think it is a sleek model ? Yes I do, I think it is one of the most beautiful velomobiles on the market today. But way too expensive for my wallet !
Like I mentioned before : these are my personal opinions en experiences. Owners of other velomobiles will not agree at all with me, which is fine. They don’t have to. But for me it is clear : from all the available velomobiles today, the Alleweder is the most perfect one for me : I can ride it all year round, the drivetrain has become almost maintenance free and it is not so loud anymore. I do think that any other available model right now is offering any improvement over it.
So what would my ideal velomobile be like ? Well, let’s see : less weight than my Alleweder, a nice canopy that would protect you from rain etc (and would be light weight and easy to put away inside your velomobile) and totally maintenance free. 100% puncture proof tires that are light weight too would be nice .... There are some new velomobile designs which look surprisingly good, but they’re still what they are right now : designs. I guess only time will tell ....
Most constructors and/or velomobile owners claim that when temperatures are getting too high (meaning what ?), you should take an “open” recumbent to ride and just park your velomobile for the time being. I think this is bullshit ! I cannot understand how some people for instance can pay almost up to 8000 euro for a brand new velomobile that is getting too hot when temperatures are reaching 25° C ! Unbelievable ! Fortunately, not everyone is having the same demands, otherwise everyone would ride the same model. Long live variety !!!
Let’s have a short look at other available velomobiles :
The models that only take hard shell seats, are not on my favourite list. My main demand for a velomobile is still comfort and hard shell seats are not part of that. I also like to feel the wind blowing around my head and flowing through, so I do not like bubbly canopy velomobile models either (like e.g. the Cab-Bike, the Aerorider, the Leiba and the Go-One). I cannot explain exactly why, but these models do not make me feel as riding a bicycle (and no, I’m not claustrophobic either !).
I took a test ride with a Leitra a couple of years ago and I never felt safe in it. In fact, I thought it was a quiet dangerous thing to ride. I did not dare to take the speed up above 25 km/h because it started to shake all over and I did not like the way it handled corners at all ! Maybe it's just me, but I cannot understand why someone would by a Leitra unless old age prevents you from entering other velomobiles and you're not riding fast anymore ....
When it comes to the “speed” velomobiles such as the Quest, the Mango and the WAW, I do not like them because of the limited entry space. No doubt that they are the fastest (and the lightest) available, but I still prefere the wide opening of my Alleweder. Also because I do not feel cold that easily, I’m pretty sure these models will be too hot for me in summer.
I do not like the concept of the WAW without any rear suspension. I agree it saves some weight by not using rear suspension, but a 26” rear wheel does not give you the same benefits of suspension, not even when using a balloon tire. This might work on good surfaces, but unfortunately, not all of this world is a sleek paved bicycle path .....
And then there’s the Versatile, the “Rolls Royce” amongst the velomobiles (just consider the price!). To be honest, I think it is simply too expensive. Everybody should decide for him/herself what to do with his/her money, but paying almost 8000 euro’s for a velomobile ? No way, my common sense will not allow me to do so. One could buy a small car for that amount of money ! Not that I would promote buying cars instead of velomobiles, but I think you’ve got my point. I just think that the Versatile does not deliver for its price.
Be honest : what do you get extra compared to other velomobiles for that amount of money ? An easy-entry velomobile, which is very quiet and has a maintenance free chaindrive. No discussion about that. But .... my Alleweder is also pretty easy to get in, is not that loud since I put in a NEXUS hub and the chain drive is pretty maintanance free too ! And .... I can ride it all summer, not like the Versatile which gets too hot inside when outside temperatures reach 25° C !
Do I think it is a sleek model ? Yes I do, I think it is one of the most beautiful velomobiles on the market today. But way too expensive for my wallet !
Like I mentioned before : these are my personal opinions en experiences. Owners of other velomobiles will not agree at all with me, which is fine. They don’t have to. But for me it is clear : from all the available velomobiles today, the Alleweder is the most perfect one for me : I can ride it all year round, the drivetrain has become almost maintenance free and it is not so loud anymore. I do think that any other available model right now is offering any improvement over it.
So what would my ideal velomobile be like ? Well, let’s see : less weight than my Alleweder, a nice canopy that would protect you from rain etc (and would be light weight and easy to put away inside your velomobile) and totally maintenance free. 100% puncture proof tires that are light weight too would be nice .... There are some new velomobile designs which look surprisingly good, but they’re still what they are right now : designs. I guess only time will tell ....
posted by allewedertje at 7:04 AM
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