Living with a velomobile

nitramluap
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby nitramluap » Wed May 30, 2012 6:09 am

Hi John,

The knocking may be the bearing cup for the Hollowtech bottom bracket. I had a knocking I couldn't place but it was related to the rotation of the BB and David Hembrow had had a similar problem. An easy fix and I covered it in my video here:


As for the lube, I just use the supplied oil as directed. It is the same oil, branded with a Sinner label. The English manual was written by David Hembrow when he worked for Sinner and probably has not been updated since he left over a year ago.

Cheers,

Paul
My bike is heavier than your bike. :D

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Aushiker
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Aushiker » Wed May 30, 2012 11:08 am

Something to aspire to :)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWHakeD7uA0&hd=1[/youtube]

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Poiter
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Poiter » Wed May 30, 2012 11:18 am

John Lewis wrote:
nitramluap wrote: Next will be to check the bearings in the mid drive. Not much left to check after that.
John
Check the knees John?

burnt
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby burnt » Wed May 30, 2012 7:55 pm

I didn't get any oil or lube either John, so I will defer to Paul. I am sure any good quality chain lube would do the trick, but never having had suspension before I'm not sure what would be best for the shocks. I'm up to about 370km total, so a chain lube is coming up soon.

I'm finding I'm getting some gear jumps on the cluster so might be time for some adjustment there as well.

John Lewis
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Wed May 30, 2012 7:57 pm

nitramluap wrote:Hi John,

The knocking may be the bearing cup for the Hollowtech bottom bracket..................

As for the lube, I just use the supplied oil as directed. ..........................
Cheers,

Paul


Hi Paul,
Thanks for that. I'll check out the BB. I'd been a bit shy of touching it at this stage. Not sure if I have the right tool here. Not hard to get one if not and will be needed in due course anyway.

As for the lube They didn't supply me with any hence the question.
I need to find what they recommend and get some.

My bags and the hitch connector turned up from Radical today. They are right on the ball. They emailed back within about 20 mins of my order to say the colour I wanted was out of stock and would I wait or take a different colour. Very good service.

Now I'm making the special trailer drawbar so I can take the dog. Might even build another trailer as this K9 carrier is as heavy at 14.5 kg.

Waiting on my AP 303. Its good for everything, plastic, fabric, screen and all and the sooner I get some on the better.

I'm going to pick up a piece of Lexan tomorrow. Thought I had some but can't find it. I'm going to try to make one of those little screens that Wim mentions.

Have you got the Risse shock yet?

John

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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Wed May 30, 2012 7:59 pm

Poiter wrote:
John Lewis wrote:
nitramluap wrote: Next will be to check the bearings in the mid drive. Not much left to check after that.
John
Check the knees John?
Hey Poit! I think you might be right. :D :D
Do you have any good spares?

John

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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Poiter » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:03 am

John Lewis wrote:Hey Poit! I think you might be right. :D :D
Do you have any good spares?

John
Love this one...

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il padrone
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby il padrone » Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:17 pm

A whole collection of videos of velomobiles.

Love this one from a US guy, who now imports the Mango to the US.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAcy7EVR ... r_embedded[/youtube]
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby il padrone » Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:05 pm

European Mango speed run
400 hm street downhill on my journey from riegersburg to vienna. Sonstige Daten: 170,0 km, 1435 hm, Fahrzeit: 5:08 Std.; Durchschnitt (avs): 33,1 km/h., Maximal Speed: 96,7 km/h.
:shock: :shock: :shock:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40124-_1 ... detailpage[/youtube]
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby il padrone » Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:15 pm

Velomobiel made a one-off 'Duo Quest' - side-by-side two-seater.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImNqILCx ... detailpage[/youtube]
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Hotdog » Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:18 pm

Filmed from the stoker's seat of a back-to-back recumbent tandem by the look of it, they're almost as rare as velomobile tandems!

There's actually a one-off Trisled velomobile tandem in the OzHPV for sale listings at the moment.
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John Lewis
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:41 pm

[quote="il padrone"]Velomobiel made a one-off 'Duo Quest' - side-by-side two-seater.

quote]

One of those Duo Quests (probably that one) tricked up all electric did a cross Aus trip . They started here in Albany. Used wind power to charge batteries. On the Nullabor they even used a kite to tow themselves. I think the pedals had been removed.
Here's a link.
John

http://www.wind-explorer.com/index.php/start_en

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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:15 am

Il Padrone - when is your velomobile coming ? All the signs are there :)

As they say, "We are the velonauts - resistance is futile."

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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Rhubarb » Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:18 am

il padrone wrote:Velomobiel made a one-off 'Duo Quest' - side-by-side two-seater.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImNqILCx ... detailpage[/youtube]
That parachute is going to end in tears. I can just see it catching a tree branch, or another cyclist or even hooking on a truck's bumper going the other way.

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il padrone
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby il padrone » Sun Jun 03, 2012 8:48 am

Tears or tears?? :mrgreen:

Yes, I'd love a velomobile for my commute - maybe with electric assist for the first steep hill out of home. My brother rides a Rotovelo and I am surprised by the distances he rides, seemingly so easily. Two things currently mitigate against one:

1. Convincing SWMBO* to dedicate the required funds to such a frivolous necessity.

2. Parking it securely - we have no garage and installing a secure shed would take up most of our back lawn.




* I'm puzzzled. We never seem to hear the ladies on the forum complaining about HWMBO ?? What's going on here? :?
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Hotdog
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Hotdog » Sun Jun 03, 2012 1:14 pm

il padrone wrote:1. Convincing SWMBO* to dedicate the required funds to such a frivolous necessity.

2. Parking it securely - we have no garage and installing a secure shed would take up most of our back lawn.
Sounds familiar. I'd love a velomobile myself but I fear these two sticking points will be insurmountable for the foreseeable future.

On point 2 I've been struggling to even find a secure place to store my two bikes at home due to the combination of no garage and a small house. After weeks of searching and pondering the alternatives I've ended up ordering a custom built secure shed, carefully dimensioned to provide just enough room to fit both bikes inside while remaining small enough to fit down the side of the house so I don't lose a big chunk of my small back garden. It should be delivered in a week or two, at which point the extra space inside the house will finally allow us to finish unpacking.
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Joeblake
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Joeblake » Sun Jun 03, 2012 1:26 pm

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2874704.htm

A "secure" bicycle cover. I contacted the inventor just after this was broadcast, and she said she was still developing the product. It may be possible to manufacture something to cover the velo, and lock it securely. It's not perfect, but at will at least prevent casual damage and light fingered-riness.

Joe
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby il padrone » Sun Jun 03, 2012 1:54 pm

Doubt it'd go over a velomobile though :( :wink:

When comes to locking the bike in public I'm happy to take any loose items with me. What stays on the bike is all stuff that'd require tools to remove. Lights are dynamo-powered, bolted on; the wheels have pitlocks. Generally I have not had any major problems, but I don't leave my bike in the CBD or inner city for long periods of time.


This guy, in the Netherlands, just uses a big chain to lock his back wheel to a pole.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4nmvHCS ... detailpage[/youtube]
Last edited by il padrone on Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Joeblake » Sun Jun 03, 2012 2:00 pm

I was querying her whether it could be made to go over a Greenspeed trike, and she hinted that that was to be a possibility for future development. But that was a couple of years ago now.

Joe
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nitramluap
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby nitramluap » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:05 pm

John,

I think that any chain lube would work just fine in the Mango. As the chain is out of the weather and very little touches it you could use a wet lube without worrying about too much dirt/debris sticking to it. The oil that Sinner supplied resembles sewing machine oil. I clean the chain with a rag (doesn't need much) then oil it and wipe off any excess. It stays remarkably clean.

As for the bottom bracket, the tool isn't too expensive and it may be that you could borrow one from a friend or bike shop briefly.

Cheers,

Paul
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John Lewis
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Sun Jun 03, 2012 8:58 pm

Thanks for that Paul.
I think I'll steer clear of the wax based stuff as it builds on deraileurs etc. I think perhaps a drop of motor oil will be fine in the front shocks by he sound of it.

Prior posts on Velo parking.
Mine sat in the lounge room a few days so I could admire it. :D
SWMBO couldn't complain as both her trike and road bike live inside.

I parked it in the back patio the other night. Of course we had to have a thunderstorm around 11 pm that went on until nearly daylight with 100mm of rain in a pretty short period.

The bike was parked just right for a bit of a leak to hit the front and run in through the headlight cutout.
Most of course ran out through the footholes but between is like a little dish show there was a little pool.
Tipping the mango to one side emptied that and no harm done. Glad I wasn't out riding in it.

If I had to I'd build a small shed like a large dog kennel that was just big enough to roll the velo in. It would only need to be about 3m by 1m by 1m for a mango.
John

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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Poiter » Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:11 pm

I extended a tin garden shed with some extra panels I bought at the tip for $20.
Image
Almost enough room for another on an upper level....

John Lewis
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby John Lewis » Sun Jun 03, 2012 9:13 pm

This weekend is a long weekend in the West. Foundation day, now renamed WA Day Holiday.
Here in town we had the annual "Round the Houses" motor racing in the CBD so I rode down in the mango to take a look.
There were TQ's Midgets, Minis, motor cycles and all. Great fun if you are into it.
I met an interesting old English chap who told me about adult pedal cars in the UK.

On the way into town I had quite a few people taking snaps out of car windows and one car that sat on my tail for ages before shooting past with a toot.

I saw that the passenger was Cynthia from our over 50 cycling who saw the mango the other day while I was servicing her bike. I'm happy it wasn't just some fool trying to make me uneasy.

I know there were a lot from out of town and I was given a hard time by swerving horn blowing abusive fools a couple of times on the way in. Both from the city by the look of the plates. With a bit of luck they'll be caught for something and wear double demerit points.

I took a look at the vintage car display. There was a single cylinder Bush there. The front axle cross member was wood that looked like a piece of a sapling with the kingpin bits and springs bolted on. It had 3 seats and the driver's screen looked like a large old fashioned magnifying glass.
The interesting point was that its cruising speed was only that of a good cyclist and less than a velo with anybody but me riding. :mrgreen:

John

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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Baalzamon » Sun Jun 03, 2012 10:15 pm

Hey john

If you want I'll bring down a bottle of Purple extreme for you.

Stuart
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Re: Living with a velomobile

Postby Baalzamon » Fri Jun 08, 2012 12:37 pm

And now John has gotten himself interviewed! by the ABC and was on the breakfast morning and then GWN came out as well and got it on the night news as well, just found it
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