Sunday was spent racing in Assen. My Mango is no longer close to being a competitive racing velomobile. Other newer designs are much quicker.
My average speed was about 40 km/h, which requires pedaling with a continuous output of about 220 W for the 47 minutes or so of the race. The Mango goes significantly faster with the same effort as is the case for my my racing bike or my two wheeled recumbent, but I still finished last! That's OK. I do this for fun, not with any expectation of winning.
The fastest designs have racing hoods, enclosed wheel arches, a lower seating position (smaller cross section as seen from the front) and a more aerodynamic form. They're also lighter. These things definitely let you ride faster with the same effort, though for everyday use the differences are not so great as on the track.
I had a racing hood for a short period. These things make a surprising difference - I could go 10% faster with just that addition and the same Mango, but I found that I overheated quickly on the track and that it was absolutely lethal to use on the road so I got rid of it.
There's a speed calculator here, which I really should update with some newer machines:
https://hembrow.eu/personal/kreuzotter/espeed.htm
#regel17 #velomobile #cycling #biketooter
Going further back in time to Saturday, a bunch of us (including @twilwel and @TheoZw ) rode to Stadskanaal to see some old steam engines running.
A very nice ride through the countryside to get there, and the old machines made of cast iron and brass are wonderful to see, but I had mixed feelings about it overall: Turning piles of coal into *very* smelly smoke for no particular reason is just not something which should be a hobby in the 21st century.
Anyway, I definitely did enjoy the very scenic 75 km bike ride on one of the last days of summer (Sunday was officially the last day)
#steam #regel17 #stadskanaal #netherlands #carbonfootprint
On the way to the beginning of Saturday's ride, before setting off for Stadskanaal, I stopped for a few minutes to talk to @jhembrow at the XR protest in Assen.
On the way home again after visiting the steam engines I stopped at the opening event for a new Solar farm south of Assen.
#solarfarm #regel17 #xr #xrnetherlands
Attached: 2 images Vandaag stonden we met rebellen uit 9 landen van Mothers Rebellion voor het Europees Parlement in Brussel. Met de actie Klimaatbreien riepen we: genoeg is genoeg! Klimaatverandering raakt ons allemaal, maar politieke leiders falen. [1/5]
David Hembrow
CyclesBecauseSummerIsComing😀