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Do you know what a velomobile is? You can not only teach your children how to ride a bike, but it is also quite possible for adults to use it as a means of transportation. Did you know that you can assemble a velomobile with your own hands if you have drawings for a model with four wheels and the desire to do it? No? Then this article is just for you.
A velomobile is not just a toy for a child
The history of the creation of four-wheeled models began shortly after the invention of the first bicycle. Already in the 19th century there were drawings in which inventors tried to make carriages with a drive, like a bicycle, from pedals. Even cars had their own special variations on bicycle technology.
During the Soviet Union, everything unnecessary was removed for mass production. Nowadays, basically this type of transport is nothing more than a children's tricycle. But there are still true connoisseurs of velomobiles, and today we’ll talk about how to make one at home.
Four-wheeled velomobile
A bicycle structure that has four wheels is called a velomobile. It would seem that its use is more than limited, but in fact such an instance can be found in many areas.
Nowadays, everything can be bought, and a four-wheel velomobile is no exception. But its cost is more than high, and it does not always reflect your needs or desires. Therefore, you can try to make such an interesting and not so familiar vehicle yourself.
More and more often you can see environmentally friendly transport on city streets. Among the usual bicycles and scooters, velomobiles are increasingly catching the eye. They do not consume fuel and are more comfortable than a bicycle. If you have been dreaming of such a technique for a long time, but are not ready to afford such an expensive pleasure, do not worry. You can make a velomobile yourself from a bicycle, one or two.
If you look closely at the word “velomobile” itself, you can assume that it is something between a bicycle and a car. In general, this is how it is. The velomobile is driven, like a bicycle, by muscle power. Only unlike a bicycle, a velomobile allows you to feel more comfortable. Velomobiles have a car-like seat, a fairing, and sometimes even a roof. Agree, it is much safer to travel on such a device than on a bicycle. In addition, you will certainly become the center of everyone's attention.
So, let's name the advantages of a velomobile:
You can easily move around the city with a velomobile
Among the disadvantages it should be noted:
A velomobile can be assembled from a regular bicycle. Therefore, it is more likely to sort out the trash on the balcony, in the garage or in the country house. Patience, hands, tools and supplies will also certainly come in handy.
Velomobile made from an old bicycle
To implement this idea you will need:
The frame of the velomobile is made of profile pipes
Such a velomobile, of course, looks powerful, but you have to pay for it with the lightness of the design. There will be an opportunity to pump up your legs well. In addition, there are suspicions that the main load will fall on the weld, which is located closer to the steering wheel. All this will lead to the fact that one day the frame will not hold up and burst at the seam.
It is worth noting that the idea with the front drive wheel was implemented well. Please note that the drive sprocket, which was previously located at the rear, now needs to be turned over. We also turn the switch upside down and install it further 5.7 cm and 0.15 cm higher. The bracket on which everything will rest is made of a steel plate.
For the speed derailleur to work correctly, it must be installed upside down
The hardest part is over. If you get this done, there shouldn't be any problems with the rear of the velomobile.
The velomobile can now stand on its own wheels
As you noticed, you will need a third wheel. You can carefully take it from a neighbor while he is resting after a heavy lunch, but it is better not to risk it and warn him in advance. Many will be glad to get rid of junk.
We make the rear wheel mounts from a steel plate
Next we should move on to the brakes. Of course, “what Russian doesn’t like driving fast.” Besides, everyone has long known that brakes were invented by cowards. But let's think about those around us. Can you imagine what will happen to a person when such a machine hits him? So, brakes. We simply transfer them from the remains of our old bicycle. We weld the brake caliper to the new front fork and transfer the brake mechanism to it.
Weld the brake caliper to the front fork
We make the frame of the future seat from a metal profile.
Three sections connected by bolts will allow us to adjust the seat back and headrest
The base of the seat and back are made of chipboard and foam rubber. We choose the softness ourselves, as well as the upholstery.
Once you've finished celebrating the completion of the work, be sure to test drive the velomobile
Advantages of this design:
Flaws:
Four-wheeled velomobiles are less common than three-wheeled ones
Essentially, these are two bicycles united by one frame. The frame is made of steel pipes. Its dimensions depend on the height of the driver. In addition to the frame, major changes are made to the steering. The two front forks are connected using a rod. One of the features worth noting is the double pedal assembly. Each rider has his own. Only the chain length is changed here. The brakes on the rear wheels remain original.
To assemble such a device, we will need:
Making such a velomobile will take a lot of time. The difficulties are mainly related to the manufacture of the frame. There will be a chance to prove yourself as an engineer and welder. But what a pleasure from the result! Just imagine a trip with your loved one on such a monster. What chance do you have to spend time with your children? You can also involve them in the construction, let them take a break from their smartphones. A pleasant pastime is guaranteed in any case.
Advantages:
Flaws:
To please your child, you don’t have to buy an iPhone or a console. Remember what they once told school? The best gift is a gift made with your own hands. In addition, you can make your childhood dreams come true and become a designer, mechanic, or just a good person.
DIY children's velomobile
To implement the idea you will need:
Agree, if you sort through all the junk in your dacha, you will certainly find it, and if you go around your neighbors, you can set up production of such velomobiles and make good money.
The frame of the velomobile is made from pieces of metal profile
First, we make the frame of the future velomobile. For this purpose, scrap metal profiles will do. There is no need to strengthen the frame; the child will have enough strength, and excess metal will only make the structure heavier.
The front fork of a velomobile is made from two bicycle
We cut off the entire pedal assembly from the old bicycle and weld it to the frame of the velomobile. The rear axle of the velomobile is made of a metal pipe to which the sprocket cassette is welded. You can use one, in this case no speed switch is used.
We weld the sprockets to the rear axle of the velomobile
Let's move on to painting. Before this, we clean off the rust and cover the frame with primer. Let the paint dry. You can use a trophy that you brought from an enemy stadium in your youth as a seat. In a pinch, a children's chair will do.
Ready-to-use children's velomobile
The child will definitely appreciate your work. He will have a desire to spend extra time in the fresh air, which is doubly useful for modern children. There can be no shortcomings in such a design. Among the positive points it should be noted:
Such velomobiles are called legeradas, which translates from German as “lying on a wheel.”
It is pleasant to ride on such a velomobile on country roads, because it easily picks up high speed due to good aerodynamics. Another feature of ligrades is the position of the cyclist: the rider is in a supine position, which reduces the load on the lower back and helps maintain health. Unfortunately, the cost of such devices is comparable to the price of a used car. Even if you make it yourself, it will be the most expensive.
To assemble a recumbent velomobile we will need:
We start, of course, with the frame, which will be made of a profile pipe. All sizes must be adjusted to suit you. If you are not sure, it is better to increase the base a little so that you can move the seat later.
The frame of the velomobile is made of a profile pipe
The rear part is made from a large mountain bike, so we take the carriage from it, the gear shifter with the entire bushing, and from it we cut off the rear triangle on which the wheel is attached. Let's transfer this to the frame of the future leaguer. The carriage from a small bicycle will become the front carriage of a velomobile.
Install several washers between the inner sprocket and the middle drive to prevent the front chain from interfering with the rear chain.
The steering column with a glass is taken from a large bicycle. The handlebar will be approximately 650mm behind the pedal assembly. It is connected to the front fork using a metal rod. It turns out to be a kind of steering rod.
The rod is attached to a steering bracket welded to the front fork
We make the seat from plywood, choose the upholstery, foam rubber and tilt angle at your discretion. Having achieved a convenient location, we attach it to the frame using bolts.
This velomobile is easy to ride, despite its length. It's quite dynamic and handles well, with responsive steering. At first it will be scary to drive among cars, but there is nothing to fear: such a vehicle will immediately catch your eye. It will be difficult to remain unnoticed.
Advantages of a recumbent velomobile:
Flaws:
A velomobile can become a source of vivid emotions, the main thing is to put your soul into its construction. There is no need to be afraid of the new and unusual, diversify your leisure time.
It can be very nice to bring some original technical idea to life. Making a velomobile with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. All you need is some technical literacy.
The great advantage of personally working on a velomobile is that there are no difficulties with making changes - the design can be improved at your discretion. In addition, you can add your own ideas, even if they are purely decorative. As for practical innovations, these include the use of a motor. In this case, you can use a motor wheel, which in the design replaces the usual drive wheel.
The most common models are three-wheeled velomobiles with conventional tube wheels. Typically, the drive wheel has a larger diameter. This approach is required in order to provide the vehicle with greater maneuverability and speed. The weight of conventional velomobiles, built according to a standard design, is about 16–18 kilograms. Every design change affects the weight of the vehicle.
There are a lot of videos on the Internet about how to make a velomobile with your own hands. They demonstrate how such a unit reaches speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour. Due to some additions, it is possible to provide an effective multi-speed gearbox, as well as provide the ability to drive not only on roads, but also on light off-road conditions. When driving at high speed, the brakes begin to play an important role. The most common installation is double disc brakes, due to which, if necessary, you can stop the vehicle quite quickly. It should be noted that the drawings that allow you to assemble a velomobile with your own hands never contain information on changing the standard brake design, since this is unsafe.
With the proper desire and perseverance, creating a three-wheeled or four-wheeled velomobile with your own hands is not so difficult. Self-assembly is practically the only option to get such a vehicle, because there is nothing similar on sale. There are several types of such units: they can be walking, sports, hiking and multifunctional. In addition, if necessary, you can assemble a children's velomobile with your own hands. For children of primary school and preschool age, this technique will be more interesting and safer than a regular two-wheeled bicycle.
There are a number of restrictions that are determined at the design stage. This concerns the mass of the future vehicle. As a rule, reducing weight leads to increasing cost. Oddly enough, it is mass that turns out to be the main characteristic on the basis of which it is decided which velomobile to make with your own hands. Once the initial problems have been resolved, a drawing of the model is drawn up.
Next, the frame is created, the seats are selected and trimmed, and the carriages are fastened. The most important part is organizing the wheel mounts. As a rule, velomobiles use cantilever mounts, since a regular hub will not be reliable enough. After the wheels, shock absorbers are installed. When the main structural aspects are completed, you can begin installing decorative elements that do not have a big impact on the main part of the unit.
Rusanova Svetlana Anatolevna
This velomobile dad made it for his beloved Zlatushka. You have already often met our daughter in my other publications, where we do various crafts. Nowadays there are a lot of battery-powered cars in stores that need to be charged frequently, and they are of no use, while the velomobile develops perfectly.
This is a worthy analogue to the usual bike, which will allow you to teach your baby to ride. The velomobile is, as the name suggests, a hybrid bike and car. This is a four-wheeled vehicle that is equipped with a comfortable seat and a steering wheel similar to a regular car.
Such a vehicle cannot develop high speed; there is no need to be afraid that the child will fall out.
The design itself a velomobile is like that that it is difficult to turn it over. It stands stable on all four wheels, so you don't have to worry. Now dad happily walks with little daughter and catches admiring glances and shares his experience on how to make one yourself velomobile
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