Three-wheelers. Trikes & Velomobiles

The explanation of the complexity and considerations and how many versions and years it takes... it's a really good advertisement for why €10,ooo is a fair price.
But i also found it a bit demotivating for my desires to build trikes and velomobiles.
 
Don't be afraid to fail. I've built a few failures and learned from them. You always learn more from mucking it up than getting it right. Also there's always more than one way to build our machines. Just because one person goes high tech and high cost doesn't mean you have to. I've seen velo bodies made from tent poles and sellotape.
 
Great video. Lots of interesting facts and concepts. I am interested in doing an off set trike. For a slower fun bike for Burning man.

I would love to see more videos about the tadpole geometry and suspension... it is fascinating.
 
Last edited:
thanks for sharing it is a good summary of fundamental things also nice to see he guy explaining how he learnt from his early prototypes and misconceptions. I wish i had viewed it earlier i would have saved errors.

As for fairings having built surfboards or kiteboards i learnt it is hard to keep the weight of a fiberglass or carbon layup to expectations with hand layup and no vacuum bagging or peelply. Plus mold is tons of labor,
resin, money not reused if only a proto.

thus for a non structural fairing on trike the skeleton and thin cover seem much better.

It is even more rigid and stronger than you think, light planes used to be made of a thin wood frame with fabric on it. The enduction shrinks slighltly and creates tension hence strength.

There is a modern version, thin fabric with glue and enduction that is heat shrink, so it can be applied with an iron and great care onto a light frame.
some faired bikes have been built this way.
 
thanks for sharing it is a good summary of fundamental things also nice to see he guy explaining how he learnt from his early prototypes and misconceptions. I wish i had viewed it earlier i would have saved errors.

As for fairings having built surfboards or kiteboards i learnt it is hard to keep the weight of a fiberglass or carbon layup to expectations with hand layup and no vacuum bagging or peelply. Plus mold is tons of labor,
resin, money not reused if only a proto.

thus for a non structural fairing on trike the skeleton and thin cover seem much better.

It is even more rigid and stronger than you think, light planes used to be made of a thin wood frame with fabric on it. The enduction shrinks slighltly and creates tension hence strength.

There is a modern version, thin fabric with glue and enduction that is heat shrink, so it can be applied with an iron and great care onto a light frame.
some faired bikes have been built this way.
Good words there.
Frames like this which I've nearly finished for a Greenspeed Aero trike.
aero-fairing.png

I may use this fairing as it is, covered in polyester heat shrink, or nylon and dope, then use that to make a quick mould to produce a carbon fairing, current weight 850 grams.
Been running with the Carbontrike SL racer fairing with great success this year, weighing only 1 kg.
 
Click for DIY Plans!
Back
Top