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. Only some technical literacy is required.
Standard velomobile
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, they include the use of a motor. In this case, you can use a motorized wheel, which in the design replaces the conventional drive wheel.
The most common models are three-wheeled velomobiles with conventional tube wheels. As a rule, the drive wheel has a larger diameter. This approach is required in order to provide the vehicle with greater maneuverability and speed. The mass of conventional velomobiles built according to a standard design is about 16–18 kilograms. Each design change affects the mass of the vehicle.
The network has a lot of videos on how to make a velomobile with your own hands. They demonstrate how such a unit develops speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour. Due to some additions, it is possible to provide an efficient multi-speed gearbox, as well as provide the ability to drive not only on roads, but also on light off-road. When driving at high speeds, the brakes play an important role. The most common installation of 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, as this is unsafe.
Project Features
With due 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 limitations that are determined at the design stage. This applies to the mass of the future vehicle. As a rule, weight reduction leads to an increase in cost. Oddly enough, but it is the mass that turns out to be the main characteristic, on the basis of which it is decided which bike to make with your own hands. When the initial problems are solved, a drawing of the model is drawn up.
Next, a frame is created, seats are selected and sheathed, carriages are fastened. The most important part is organizing the wheel mounts. As a rule, cantilever mounts are used in velomobiles, since a conventional hub will not be reliable enough. After the wheels, shock absorbers are installed. When the main structural points are completed, you can proceed with the installation of decorative elements that do not have a big impact on the main part of the unit.
Do-it-yourself velomobile: Photo - diagrams
