by John C. of Dallas, TX
She arrived in a pristine box, engineered to withstand the assault of any
trucker or package handler along the nation's highways.
I retrieved her from her holding cell, her white paint glimmering in the hot
Texas sun. I made myself familiar with her controls and operation (although I
already own a TerraTrike, so getting to know most of the controls was rather
simple.) Working the canopy takes some practice, but even that is mastered
within one or two tries.
The next thing to do is take her out for a spin. I checked and the BionX
battery was fully charged. That meant I could take the hilly ride as a first
test of man and machine. (With the BionX it's a test of mostly machine.)
My notes will be observations in two fold: First, simply the experience of
piloting the Velocity Velomobile and second, comparing it to my former
velomobile, a Bluevelo Team made in Canada, which is based on the European Cab
Bike
First impressions. One must first work out a method of entering and exiting
this wonderful machine. I tend to be on the rather large-scale end of the
spectrum and there is more than enough room for me and my frame. Egress is a
tad more difficult than entry, but I have made a mental note of the best way in
which to climb out. You are tucked into this machine not unlike a Formula One
racer.
Once under way, I noticed it was quite easy to steer and easy to pedal, almost
didn't need the assist on our lazy little hills. But with the BionX kicked into
gear, OMG! This thing flies. It offers truly great visibility and adequate
ventilation, although you should know that it was 104 degrees F on the first
ride. I added a fan to the dashboard to help circulate air for the long test
ride and that worked like a charm. It will also help prevent steaming during
cold winter rides, I suspect.
There is a bit of a rattling noise to all velomobiles - and compared to my
TerraTrike path 8, which has no protective shell, it is downright cacophonous.
But less so than the Team was (more on that later.)
While riding, the pilot feels a certain sense of being under control in this
velo and I like the feeling. Others I have ridden in are more like 'hold on
we're going for a wild ride'. Not so with the VV. It is stable, fast and FUN. Did
I mention it was fun?
To say it turned a few heads is an understatement. Traffic tended to notice me
quicker in it than simply on a recumbent trike. That is a good thing, as long
as you are not planning on committing any crimes and using it as an escape
vehicle.
Let's compare it to the Team. For total transparency and openness I should
report that I wrecked my Team (twice) and while the first occasion was
certainly my fault, I felt the second wreck stemmed from a problematic design
in that velomobile. Its track was way too narrow. You always felt you were
about to tip over if you carried too much speed into a corner. Not so with the
VV. It has a wide track - wider in fact than the standard TerraTrike ,
which it is based on. This is due to the fact that wheels have to be pushed
outside the body. This wide track makes the VV feel solid, safe and fun. Did I
mention it was fun?
In the Team, your head is outside, which in the summer is nice, but during rain
and cold, the canopy of the VV is going to come in quite handy - not to
mention an incredible decrease in drag. I rode the test ride during a front
pushing through our state and winds had kicked up to 15-25 mph. In the VV it
was as smooth as silk.
Under braking, the VV is quick and responsive and settles into a stopping
posture with ease. No steering to fight with cross braking. I do have my front
discs set to activate off of one lever, leaving the other hand free to control
the BionX accelerator and engine brake. Something I would recommend to all. Gearing
is a tad short for my liking, but not so as to be uncomfortable, it is just a
matter of getting used to it. My TerraTrike Path 8 uses a hub gearing and the
gear spread is a bit wider, so that is just want I am used to. Compared to the
Team, the gearing seems right on. (Gearing was one of the Team's big plusses,
especially when locked in with a BionX system. The VV is to be on par with the
Team in this area, as well.)
Straightline speed on a flat bike path was incredible and up hill with the
BionX motor was, as I have indicated earlier, quite exciting (did I mention
this thing is FUN?). Starting from a dead stop at a light is easy and the BionX
kicks in real fast. (I am still used to being able to shift at a stand still
with a hub system, so I must relearn to downshift as I approach a traffic
light.) The left side mirror gives good vision from behind the vehicle.
All in all, I would say that Velocity Velomobiles has built a rather
spectacular vehicle. While a tad noisy, it has good ground clearance makes
scraping a minimum and the TerraTrike chassis takes road abuse and dishes it
back as if to say, 'No pot holes today.'
I wish I had known about VV before purchasing my first velomobile. While the
Team was excellent in build out and a quality machine to look at and ride, it
had engineering flaws and major maintenance was difficult in that everything
was all but impossible to get to. Not so with the VV.
Get one today and try it out. Did I mention it was fun?
