End of February Update

End of February Update

In the middle of winter, manufacturers are still working on their latest designs.  There is a lot of interesting stuff to appear on the market.

Cycle JV Fenioux

For those looking for a hood for their velomobile, CycleJV offers a hood for the Quest/Strada/Mango It is offered in two versions, the first is made of fiberglass, weights 880g  (31oz) and costs €450 for white and an extra €40 for colors.  the second is made of carbon fiber, weights 750g  (26oz) and costs €550 for white and an extra €40 for colors.  Shipping is an extra €20.

The company is offering a new hatch cover for the Quest/Strada/Mango and Quest XS equipped with two sizes of windscreen.  The hatch is a bit more open than the original foam hatch cover, it is equipped with a NACA duct and is made of fiberglass but a carbon version is in the plans.  The hatch cover is currently only available in white.  The price is set at €259 (not sure if it includes the VAT and delivery timeframe is 3 weeks.  This may be a good option for those riders who need to wear an approved helmet for competitions as most if not all hoods on the market significantly restrict movement of the head with a helmet.

The Mulsanne velomobile is finally going into production, the first shell is expected to weight 9.5kg and is expected at the beginning of April.  Meanwhile, the LeMans 002 is about to get on the road.  The newest version will see some improvements with a new boom

Katanga

Katanga is now offering a fully enclosed chain for the WAW.  The new feature will certainly improve chain life and reduce the need for maintenance and cleaning.

Intercitybike

Daniel Fenn is very active these days making the DF faster.  After working on the new hood, Daniel did more testing of the new wheel pants and provided more information and pictures.  We learned that the pants are taped-on with hockey tape but it is not clear how long it will take to install and remove.  The current version is very efficient but probably not suited for daily use; it is probably something to take to the track or special race events.  Daniel also indicated that he is working on a tail extension for the DF to further improve the aerodynamic performance, I guess his development lab is very active. Go Daniel!

Daniel is also looking for a female rider to challenge the 12/24hr records in the new and improved DF… anyone interested?  Maybe he is looking at challenging the men’s record himself.

A lot of riders are currently trying to determine if the modified DF will be more efficient than the new Milan SL MK3.  I guess we’ll really find out when the race season starts; as they say “When the green flag drops, the bullshit stops!”.

Velomobile Club Of Great Britain

Following on the steps of the French group, UK riders have formed the Velomobile Club Of Great Britain on Facebook.  Probably not as structured as the French group who have legal status, we see the idea of velomobile clubs moving ahead.

Meanwhile in France, in the French forum people are discussing the impact of the new association on the current recumbent cycling association and on the relationship and potential influence of local velomobile vendors may have.  I’m sure things will settle down but some see it as desertion!