Buying a velomobile
There are about a dozen velomobile models available at this point, and each has its enthusiastic fans. How do you choose the one that's right for you?
Your size and agility will play a role here, because not all velomobiles are equally roomy, easy to enter, or adaptable to small riders. Cost -- and cost of shipping -- can't be ignored. What's the planned use? Is speed the key factor, or do you need lots of space? Do you want to ride in cold or rainy weather? How's the traffic where you live?
Start with a look at some summary pages and buyers' guides. Bent Rider Online's Buyer's Guide contains a brief discussion of several velomobiles. This site's weblinks can point you to more, and we will be posting additional articles. You can also visit the Bent Rider Online or Velovision velomobile-specific forums or the IHPVA velomobile mailing list.
You can't visit all of the manufacturers for test rides -- though they are generally quite accommodating about visitors -- but there are a couple of events that attract a large number of velomobiles each year. One great place to compare velomobiles is the Spezialradmesse or SPEZI. This annual bike show is held in Germersheim, Germany, not far from Frankfurt. It's held in April, when airfares are reasonable. Velomobile owners and dealers offer formal and informal test-rides, and most velomobiles are at least available to look at. SPEZI also showcases adapted cycles for the disabled, family cycles, trikes, workbikes, folding bikes, and an amazing array of accessories. For more emphasis on the Dutch velomobiles, and on racing, CycleVision takes place in the Netherlands in early June. Airfares are higher, but velomobilists who are most interested in speed and leaning toward the Quest, Mango, WAW, or Versatile may want to check this out. In September, when airfares may be down again, Fietser.be has been co-sponsoring a test-weekend for velomobiles in Ghent, Belgium. This event is relatively new, but it has already attracted at least one U.S. guest. A late-September velomobile weekend in Giessen, Germany draws Cab-Bikes and a crowd of Dutch velomobilists. The International Velomobile Meeting is organized by Cab-Bike and features good food, group rides, and an up-hill race. The biggest annual gathering of velomobilists occurs in the Netherlands between Christmas and New Year's. The Oliebollentocht (2003, 2004, 2005) is a group ride, not a sales-event, but with over 50 velomobiles it's a spectacle worth at least a side-trip. Velomobile events are starting to crop up in North America, with a couple of meetings that are intended to be annual. Watch this site and the mailing lists and forums for announcements.
A velomobile is expensive, and transporting one to North America can be costly, too. Most current purchasers of Cab-Bikes in Germany are financing them in part or totally with advertising on the shells. We can vouch for the eye-catching characteristics of the Cab-Bike, so we figure it would be a good deal for the advertisers.
You may wonder why it's hard to buy European velomobiles in North America. The problem is that product-liability insurers in Europe require a huge surcharge if a company sells here. One manufacturer of specialty bikes told me that his company was quoted a rate of 20,000 Euro/year over the base rate for product liability insurance. This even applies to manufacturers of other equipment, such as panniers. What seems to matter is the point of sale; if you go to Europe and buy a velomobile, any product liability issues would be dealt with there. That's why most of the velomobile manufacturers don't go out of their way at all to promote their products in North America and generally provide only minimal information on shipping. You're on your own!
Duty and customs: If you're shipping a velomobile to the US, be sure to bring the invoice, in English, clearly identifying it as a tricycle or "trike." "Other cycles" including tricycles are charged 3.7%. It's best to come "armed" with the printout from the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (http://www.usitc.gov/tata/index.htm). The specific relevant section is Section XVII: Vehicles, Aircraft, Vessels and Associated Transport Equipment. Clicking on Chapter 87, for vehicles, you come to the bicycles section, on page 15 of this chapter, headed 8712.00, "bicycles and other cycles (including delivery tricycles) not motorized"). There are a whole lot of rates quoted for various kinds of bicycles with different diameters and widths of wheels. The basic idea is that skinny-tire bikes go for 5.5% and recreational wide-tire bikes go for 11%. All the way down at 8712.00.50, is "other cycles." This is the category for "delivery tricycles," and it happens to be the only category for any tricycles other than children's tricycles (which are covered under toys, and are specifically limited to ones intended for children).
The good news for North American velomobilists is that you don't have to go to Europe any more to get a velomobile:
Blue Velo in Ontario, Canada now represents several European velomobile manufacturers and sells used velomobiles.
The Alleweder is manufactured in Texas by Velomobile USA
A manufacturer for the Leitra is setting up production in Canada.
The Aurora Velomobile is being developed in British Columbia.
The Stormy Weather Velomobile is built by Reg Rodaro in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, and Lightfoot Cycles in Montana will be offering an upgraded version of it starting in 2007.
There are other velomobile projects and fairings for trikes in development in North America.