April showers
The weather is still sub-par, this week we
had snow, rain and strong winds but things are expected to improve next
week. I’m still in the process of
setting-up my new DF velomobile and I am riding my first brevet in the DF this
weekend. I hope that things will go
well, I’m still waiting for shorter cranks so this weekend I will not be able
to push too hard because the knees are still touching the top of the shell from
time to time.
Intercitybike
Major announcement from Intercitybike: DT
Swiss the manufacturer of the rear shock for the DF is unable to deliver the
product; the company is months behind in delivery. Daniel is looking at alternatives but it may
be difficult to adapt another shock. Unfortunately with less than 100 shocks
purchased a year, Intercitybike may not have enough purchasing power to put
pressure on DT Swiss.
As a result, this may have an impact on
deliveries for a while until an alternative is found or deliveries can be
secured or the rider willing to ride with a fixed tail.
Bluevelo
During my visit to Bluevelo last week, I
had a chance to chat about the business with Randy, the face of Bluevelo.
The shop is full of velomobiles, some no
longer produced like the Team and others cannibalized for parts as well as demo
velomobiles and new arrivals. Randy
confirms that while they still have molds for several velomobiles, since
Velomobiel.ru started production, Bluevelo no longer produces composite velomobiles
in Canada, even the venerable Cab-bike is out of production. However, last year, Bluevelo started offering
the aluminum Alleweder AAW4 velomobile that Randy assembles in his shop.
Bluevelo is probably the busiest importer
of velomobiles in North America but the operation is still relatively small in
size, probably a reflection on the still limited market. Most of the sales are through the Internet
and by phone. This means that I am one
of the few who actually pick-up their velomobile at the shop. Randy confesses that helping a rider with a technical
issue at a distance can be challenging at times. It is difficult especially since you can’t see the problem first hand but
with the help of pictures and a bit of patience, issues get resolved.
The DF is a learning curve for Randy too, I
have the 5th DF velomobile and he has to familiarize himself with
the different components and setup.
For those who have been wondering, Ray who
still lives in Toronto, 2 hours away, is still involved in the business even
though he’s passed-on the day to day stuff to Randy when the shop moved to
Collingwood two years ago.
Velomobiel
I've learned this week that Velomobiel is apparently planning a new
velomobile project following the launch of the Quattro. The plan is to build a new
velomobile that would be lighter, leaner, with a smaller frontal area that
would be launched in early 2016. I can’t
wait to see the new fast and light design!
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