THIRD EUROPEAN SEMINAR ON VELOMOBILE DESIGN

The Technical School In Roskilde, August 5th 1998Proceedings of the Third European Seminar on Velomobile Design

The Seminar took place August 5th 1998 at Roskilde Technical School.

Dr. C.G. Rasmussen, the organizer of the seminary, also compiled the proceedings.

The volume is 236 pages and contains a lot of drawings and b/w fotos.

ISBN 87-987188-0-0

Contact: Danish Cyclist Federation, Roemersgade 7, DK-1362 Copenhagen K,
Denmark Fax +45-33-32-76-83

Proceedings:

Contents:

Vytas Dovydenas Biotransport and "Green Towns" of Europe C. Etnier & J.C. Snyder Issues in Pedicab Design Jürgen Eick The Everyday Velomobile: Who uses it and who could use it? Joachim Fuchs Velomobile - a missing Link in Traffic P. Hwang, U.S. Laxman Nayak, R. Newport Human-Powered Vehicles for Third-Agers as a Mode of Local Transport Per Lindhardt A Simple Trike with a Roof - for Elderly People in Denmark David Gordon Wilson The Design of Advanced Human-Powered Vehicles / Velomobiles and Product-Liability Litigation: Can they Co-exist in the Light of Apparently Outrageous US Cases? Johannes Lund The Danish Bicycle Design Competition 1996 T.A. Taylor & K.Blake Designing a Practical Velomobile for the Next Century Anselm Kiersch Tuning Velomobiles for Everyday Use Bill Patterson Single Track Vehicle Dynamics. The Effect of Frame Geometry on Handling Qualities Ian Sims Stability of Faired Recumbent Tricycles in Cross Wind Andreas Fuchs Trim of Aerodynamically Faired Single-Track Vehicles in Cross Wind Frank Lienhard Minimizing Aerodynamic Drag of Fully Faired Racing Recumbents S. Gloger & H. John Investigation of the Passive Safety of Ultra Light Vehicles Werner Stiffel Smallish Recumbents Anders Brage Line-Go. A Linear Driven HPV Design Family Clemens Bucher Recumbents with Encapsulated Drive Chain Thomas Senkel Aluminium im Bau von Leichtfahrzeugen M. Wächter Measurement and Simulation of the Vibrational Stress N. Zacharias & F.Riess on Cyclists C.G. Rasmussen Fiber Composites as Shock Absorbers Binoe and Leikier The Pilican Niels Holme Larsen The Nihola-Bike Hans-Peter Barbey Fortbewegung mit muskelkraftbetriebenen Fahrzeugen Peter Lis Lissy II Hans Joergen Pedersen Recumbents for Children Gregory Tikhiy The trike "G. Thun" Pedicab Manufacturers in the USA and the UK

       

Background

It will be an outstanding opportunity for designers and users of human powered vehicles to meet and discuss the state of the art. The future of "green transport" is of great concern to rational planners and politicians who want to find solutions to the many environmental problems caused by the extreme popularity of the automobiles.

The velomobile is one alternative. It has, as concept, attracted increasing attention through the last 10-20 years. It is important to encourage and support further development of practical velomobiles and other human powered vehicles. Therefore, the Third European Seminar will be sponsored by The Green Fond, Danish Ministry for the Environment.

Contents abstract

On basis of contributions submitted before the deadline March 1st 1998 we are able to present the following preliminary programme:

Aerodynamics of fairings is an important design factor. Ian Sims, Greenspeed Australia, and Dr. A. Fuchs, Bern CH, made investigations of fairings for three- and two-wheelers, respectively. They take a special interest in the side wind sensitivity and its influence on stability and safety.

Criteria for safe design and the consequences of product liability should be known by every designer. Smart styling often comes in conflict with safety and ergonomics. Prof. David Gordon Wilson, MIT U.S.A. will present his view on the subject from an American perspective.

Who are actually using velomobiles, and who are potential new users? Prof. Jürgen Eick, Rüsselsheim Germany, has analyzed a large group of velomobile owners, their age, sex, profession etc. and tried to understand their motives for choosing a velomobile for personal transportation.

The application of bicycles for taxi transport is a well established tradition in many Far Fast countries. Groups of pedicabs have started to operate in some of the big European cities. Carl Etnier and John Snyder, both experienced pedicap designers and operators, will discuss the potential of a wider use of pedicabs in the Western World.

Can we develop green cities with more emphasis on bio-transport ? Prof. Vytas Dovydenas, Lituania, has ideas and visions and analyzes the odds.

Philip Hwang and Dr. Laxman Nayak, University of Birmingham U.K., take a special interest in the transport needs of elderly people. They based their studies on a questionnaire survey of people aged 50 years. Per Lindhardt, Birkeröd Denmark, deals with the same subject from a designers and users perspective. His recumbent tri-cycles are designed for use in towns by elderly people.

Other contributions focus on the recumbent trike for daily commuting and long distance touring. Gregory Tikhiy, Haifa Israel, designed his trike by computer in combination with practical road testing.

Simplification and low cost design could lead to a wider use of velomobiles. Therefore, several contributions from Sweden, Holland, Germany and the U.S.A concern the use of low cost materials, light and simple structures and inexpensive processing. Some of the submitted papers deal with special components, testing and evaluation. Robert Schweier and C. G. Rasmussen demonstrate the use of composite leaf springs for shock absorbers. The University of Oldenburg, Germany, has established laboratory facilities for testing suspension systems. Matthias Wächter reports on a number of test runs with different bicycle suspensions. Further, on the subject of testing and evaluation, Anselm Kiersch, Valby Denmark, suggests a general evaluation procedure, which can be used for the comparison of different types of velomobiles. Finally, the chairman of the Danish Cyclists Federation and member of the jury of the One Million DKK Bicycle Design Competition 1996, Johannes Lund will summarize the results of the competition and explain why it will never be repeated in the same form.