This is a story about what happens when parents don't buy their children one of these:

Those kids grow up and end up buying one of these:

“This” is a Mango Sport – Red Edition velomobile made by Sinner bikes in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, due to Covid lockdowns, the owner has now retired and sold the business. I believe mine was probably the last velomobile off the production line.

This model has gearing for the hilly NZ roads. Three-ring chain-set on the front 50/39/30, with a ten-speed cassette on the rear (11/32). There is also a mid-drive hub of 22/26. I think this gives a theoretical gear ratio range of 0.80 to 3.85.

There is a full system for lighting where indicators, hazards, horn, and an internal reading light are available.

There is plenty of storage behind the rider.

Other options are a kayak-type tonneau for inclement weather and a race hood for bad weather.

The shell is carbon Kevlar for strength. All the tyres can have the inner tubes removed without removing the wheel. The rear wheel sits on a side axle arm for easy removal, which still looks pretty technical.

Wheels are 20 inch, 35mm, with front-wheel drum brakes. Steering is with a T-bar tiller down between the legs.

I received the velo the day before lockdown in 2021. I had several short rides on the roads around the North Shore of Auckland, but these were the worst conditions for the velo. It was meant for flat open roads.

I had it on rollers in the garage to get the body and legs used to the position. So, the Miranda 300 was the first open-road long-distance run.

At 2.45 metres long, it won’t fit into a car. A trailer or van is needed. I opted for a trailer.

So how did the ride go? And was there any learning from it? My biggest fear was that I had just purchased a very, very expensive brick that wouldn’t work on New Zealand roads.

In short, the ride ended up being a 200km ride. There was an issue with the gearing, so at the 100km mark, I turned around and completed a simple 200km ride.

The first learning was that despite the ride from Kaiaua to Morrinsville being flat, New Zealand roads are incredibly bumpy. And the camber!! At least 10 – 15% the whole way down and back. The result of all of this is that it is quite a bruising ride on the shoulders and arms, as they are used to brace the body in the shell. A bit of foam padding will be added to the shell edges to give a bit of cushioning.

Another unique feature of our roads is single-lane bridges. Most are okay, but there are several where the bridge is raised above the base road level by around one metre. The velomobile stands at 90 centimetres. I couldn’t see over the bridge to the other side, and I am pretty sure they would not be able to see over to my side. It became a case of trying to listen out for vehicle noises.

Other than that, the velo is very, very visible. Everyone notices it and gives it plenty of room. If you stop, expect people to have a chat at cafes. This is not a bike for shy people or introverts. The on-road reactions range from the: “I see you, but I won't acknowledge you, but I will give you the space”, to the: “High fiving, thumbs up, thinking it is the coolest thing out there.” Noticeably these reactions are determined by ethnicity.

And then there is the sub-species of holden v8 drivers who think it is important to exclaim that their vehicle is a v8 and doesn’t have a fully functioning muffler. One needs to rethink their purchasing decision-making matrix to prove that their vehicle can pass a human-powered vehicle.

One of the ride issues is that even though the velo is the same width as a bike, the difference is that with the tyres on a bike being in the centre, at least half the bike can be “off” the road. Whereas for the velo, all of the velo is on the road. There is no way to sidle over to the road's edge to let traffic pass. So pulling over onto driveways, like a normal slow vehicle, is an easy habit to adopt.

Significant Learnings

Headwinds /Tailwinds

Even though the velo is low to the ground, there is still a wind effect. I did a 26km dinner run the night before the big ride. Thirteen kilometres into the wind, and then thirteen kilometres with the wind.

Going into the wind, my speed was 25-27kph. Now, on the upright, I’d be crying to hit 20kph. Coming back, the speed was 32-35kph. So the velo is still affected by the wind. But the effect is different. Interestingly, when I drape my forearms outside the velo, the speed drops by about 1-2kph.

Although a headwind can slow the velo down, it pushes on the velo, not the body. This has two results. One is that you don’t feel tired because the wind is not pushing on your body. You don’t notice the physical nature of the wind. The second factor is that the wind doesn’t dry you out. Especially on a hot and sunny day.

This brings us to the next topic of

Heat

It is supposedly hotter in a velo. On a cold day, it is around ten degrees warmer than outside. The wind chill effect in play. On the day, it got up to 32 degrees outside. The day started cool, but I was in shorts and a t-shirt. There is far less layering required. One doesn’t have to cover up. So, although the outside temperature was very hot, it was still very comfortable inside. There was enough airflow to stop any overheating. And with the loose clothing, the body didn’t get as hot. It was comfortable. I didn’t finish the ride covered in dried salt or feel like I had been swimming in sweat for ten hours. The added bonus is that with it being a somewhat sunny day, only the head and arms were in the sun, so there wasn’t that all-over body burn that one gets on a bicycle.

I am looking forward to a cold day where I can still ride in shorts and a t-shirt and be comfortable.

We also had spits of rain at one point, and I realised that even if it did rain, I wouldn’t have to fight through it. Put the tonneau on, and away I go.

Tiredness

One of the muscles that still wasn’t quite used to the riding style was the gluteus muscles. They got sore. I have found in prior rides that the last 50kms of the Kaiaua ride is quite desponding. A hot day with a horrible headwind to end. Normally I end up stopping for respite from the heat about four times. For this ride, the sitting position is as comfortable as one can get. One doesn’t need to focus on sitting upright and staying on the bike. One can sit back, relax, and just keep peddling. Drop a gear and cruise at 22kph. I reckon I could close my eyes and doze whilst peddling if I got lane assist. To stop and get out means you have to stand up, so why bother? So it was done with one real stop at a coffee shop for a snack. The other benefit is less pressure on the arms and neck. No trying to keep upright.

Overall Assessment

On flat, smooth, open roads, a velomobile would be faster. New Zealand roads aren’t up to scratch. There were parts where I thought I could easily tip over, and I was on the road, not near the edge.

Still, there are many benefits to the velo over-riding upright, especially on longer rides. I did the 200kms in 10.5 hours. I spent forty minutes talking to people about the velomobile.

The “tiredness” isn’t as draining. It is much easier to sit back and cruise. Maybe on a hillier ride, it will be different, but it should become a doddle on a flattish 200 – 300km distance. I ate much less on the ride than I would normally eat. And the Garmin results came back with an Anaerobic effect of 0.3. This is based on the heart rate and speed/power. The long stops helped drop the rate. Normally I would be up around 4 out of 5. And the exercise load out of a rating of 1,000 was only 325. It was a relatively easy flat road doddle for me.

Not having the sun beating down and having a drying wind buffeting the body saves a lot of energy. One feels more refreshed.

It takes longer to get up to speed, as the velo is around 30kgs, so it is not a sprinter. And it is better to bring it up to speed slowly. No point in hammering the gears hard. It will be interesting to see how it goes on hills. Is the weight too much of a drawback?

I can also see it becoming a great touring vehicle. With plenty of storage and the lack of need to pack cycle clothing and normal clothing, it will be a great adventurer.

So, for a first up double hundred, a good learning result. We will still need to do a lot more riding to see its true worth, but it is not an expensive brick at this stage.

Kelvin

Article added: Sunday 02 October 2022