2 minute read
Everyday mobility
from EUsupino
by Rudi Cools
by Werner Klomp, Recumbent bike club Vorarlberg
is year I would like to write something about the velomobile as an everyday mobility. We don’t have a car for more than 3 years. First and foremost because it's expensive even if you don’t drive (insurance, tax, annual inspection etc.). Secondly because the car is outside just rusting away. As we like cycling we only need the car for longer distances, e.g. when we go to the family in Holland or to the World Championship in France.
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en there is the possibility to rent a car. If there is no car in front of the door you don't have to think
about what to choose to drive to work with. Now we don't even think about it anymore, our velomobiles are driven daily. My wife drives every day with her DF velomobile to work, 18 km. I drive 25 km. e nice thing is that we can go to work together because we take the same Rhine cycle path to her place of work. en I simply cycle a little further.
With wind, rain, sun or snow, as long as possible we ride with our velomobiles. We both have a hood, which we don't like to use. We prefer more fresh air and a better view of the road. When a lot of rain or very cold weather is predicted, we drive with a hood. We now have a new hood that keeps us dry when it rains hard. e oncoming tra¨c blinds you by glare of the light through the drops on the window, so that the view on the road is really restricted. Here I hope for newer technology to solve this problem.
We can also take enough stu with us. Trailers can be attached when larger objects have to be transported. In the velomobile itself you can take quite a lot with you. On holiday we drive with our complete camping equipment in the velomobile.
I use my ‘racing’ velomobile in everyday life. Racing velomobile? Yes, many see the Alpha7, DF, M, After7 or Milan as a racing velomobile. I don't agree. Of course you can drive it very well in races, but also to commute and for shopping. And with the right transmission I can also use it here in Austria for nice mountain tours or races.
What worries me at the moment is that car tra¨c has increased enormously in recent years. Many families have a second car. A lot choose a ‘green car’ but also use it for a short ride of less than ve kilometers to go to work, something I cannot understand.
About everyday mobility, I am the Chairman of our recumbent bike club here in this area near lake Konstanz. We like to travel. With nice weather we often cycle over 100 km. at’s one of the nice things about driving a recumbent bicycle. From Austria we wish you all a nice next year with a lot of healthy kilometer on or in a recumbent bike… <
