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@@mobilemiall see part two for the answer 😉

@@mobilemiall I’ve never reached a speed in a velomobile that felt unsafe.

@@mobilemiall thanks!

@@johnscarlett5497 I have connections that allow me to acquire a new one and then sell it after the trip. Benefits of being a dealer and having friends in the right places.

@@devasfpv2232 it was the best ever day of cycling. Going downhill the other way from Brenner pass would also be fun all the way to Bozen. From there to Meran is flat. But then it’s uphill until the Reschen See.

@@landsurfingpro3370 the new 4More is the most budget friendly option. About 3/4 the cost of the other models. There’s always the used market as well.

@@landsurfingpro3370 56/33 Front with 11 speed 11-40 rear. Just spin at a reasonable rate that I can sustain without too high a heart rate. And train beforehand. This was with a prototype Bülk Urban that was actually several pounds heavier than the models now going into production. I don’t remember how much weight I had with in gear and water. Maybe 15 or 20 pounds beyond the weight of the bike? I know I packed really light for this tour due to the climbing, but stuff adds up quickly.

@@landsurfingpro3370 it’s a 360 camera mounted on the hood of my velomobile.

@@Bigboy4018 dream day of touring. Having the Urban made the day what it was. Tight turning circle was perfect for these trails, and the lightness and stiffness really helped with the climb up the mountain.

@@2020pine respect! Those are some really epic climbs.

@@Guenther-Eichinger yes. The wheel wells can get quite dirty very quickly!

@@darryljordan647 see the description below the video. There is a very nice thorough video from Jan at Velomobile World. No reason to film a video that has already been done!

@@thechocolategourmand on an urban and 4More you can remove the entire front wheel for a tire or tube change, but not on a closed wheel design like the Bülk MK1. You’d have to remove the whole strut for that. Rear wheel required removing the axle with the special axle removal tool. But why remove the wheel when you can just pull the tire off in a couple seconds without removing the wheel at all?

@@mnveloguy On a non enclosed bike I remove the wheel every single time because it’s easy and gives excellent visibility and control of the bead seating process to ensure no pinches, etc... For enclosed it sounds like leaving the wheel on is the “easiest” option available. Anyways, good to know and thanks for the video.

@@thechocolategourmand easy enough to check the bead to make sure it’s not pinching the tube without pulling the wheel off. Most tires will seat nicely on the rim with the exception of the Schwalbe pro ones that require mounting fluid.

@@mnveloguy yeah I suppose with the bulke laying on its side it’s probably pretty straightforward. On a bicycle it makes less senes. My scorpion is super simple with a single Allen key as my go to. I’m curious about routine maintenance on the bulke. Chain replacement and cable replacement, in particular. Does the bulke skip chain tubes since the bike is already enclosed?

@@thechocolategourmand there are chain tubes. Chain runs under the seat and it’s best to have tubes there to keep something from falling into the chainline. Chain lasts an eternity, so aside from cleaning it, you really don’t need to access it. When I clean mine once a year I connect an old length of chain and pull that through. Then I can easily pull out the chain, clean it, reconnect it to the old chain, and pull it back through. Super quick and easy. Cables are all easy to get to and would only take a few seconds to replace if ever needed.

@@Bigboy4018 no. In fact I posted a video a couple weeks ago of the descent from the Achensee to Jenbach. No brake fade whatsoever. Pulsing the brakes and having open wheel wells helps a lot with keeping the brakes from overheating. That’s part of why I chose an Urban for this trip.

Ben, what category was your hardest climb?

@@2020pine no idea. I just kept pedaling.

@@arnaudhumbert-n1y on the climb? The average speed was fairly slow. I think I mentioned it at one point at least in the video. By the end of the day my average speed was up to 14 miles per hour. Not especially fast, but for having ridden over a mountain pass and starting the day with 25 miles of climbing, I think it is quite a good average speed. I think on the pass I was mostly 3.5-5 miles per hour. No electric help needed. I wasn’t in a hurry. I don’t mind climbing slow because it means more time to enjoy the great scenery.

@@devasfpv2232 unlike many others, you know what happened on the rest of the day 🙂 The video will come Saturday and it is worth waiting for!

@@mnveloguy I even watched it live on the garmin map! That's why I'm looking forward! Saturday is marked 😁

@@devasfpv2232 I had over 90 minutes of video from this day of riding. I cut it down to 65 minutes between the two videos. It was hard to know what to cut. There was so much to show.

@@DynamicRealism they come installed, but should be easy enough to remove. They are glued in. They will be installed in all race hoods, at least for the Bülk series. I’ll likely need to remove them from my hood as well. Like you I prefer to wear a helmet and will probably also need the clearance.

@@mnveloguy many thanks for this clarification

@@johanvbenthem the indicator lights work just fine where they are and are much further apart from a lot of models such as the DF, quest, Strada, mango, and a number of other models. I have ridden especially with several DF riders and noted how poorly positioned the indicators are. Here on the 4More they are far enough apart to easily tell which way the rider is turning. They need to be mounted in the HotSpot so the electrical can easily be removed and sent for servicing. It is part of the concept of the 4More to make it very user friendly.

@@daniele_go very well. Later in the trip I also summited the Brenner Pass. The lead up to the Brenner from Brixen is a long series of nasty somewhat short but very steep climbs. The Urban, even as a prototype and only the third one built (and still with the aluminum front frame and swingarm) was very stiff and responsive in the climbs. Aside from losing my breath because of the elevation, the climbing was easy. In part 2 of this video you’ll see how the ride went after the climb. It’s worth watching and I think will put in context how well the Urban climbs. It will be uploaded on Saturday.

@@VeloQuest what do you mean? The reflector is on the back just like it always is.

@@mnveloguy 3:01 that one doesnt have it. but the other velo's in the video have it.

@@VeloQuest oh. That 4More was filmed before it finished production. It has reflectors and air vent and wheel covers and a hotspot now. We just were time crunched and had to pull it from production for the photo shoot we did atop a mountain in Romania.

@@Thibauddeves normally TH-cam automatically generates subtitles. I’m not sure why that did not happen for this video.

@@Thibauddeves I just checked. If you click the CC button it activates subtitles. The button at least on mobile is in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

That’s just a car

@@Kq4hcuDan the air intake in the nose delivers quite a robust breeze. So, too, does riding with the combi hood. If that’s not sufficient, then you could also take the bit of aero penalty from removing the front hood. The windows can be double glazed which really helps defog the windows. If you want a radio, install some exciters. I know a few people that have done that on their own. There’s a limit to what the factory can and will install. All three of these things are something you could install on your own. At one point I had fans behind the seat in my quest to improve the woeful airflow in that velomobile. In the Bülk I haven’t needed that.

@@dipdip7250 ghey, no it isn't

@@mnveloguyI’m surprised they don’t have an option for a small solar panel across the top to help the battery last longer. (Especially with fans, exciters, radar, and power assist!)

@@guidos.6043 well, the factory doesn’t offer the option to install fans, power assist, or stereo system. The provided battery with one headlight and running lights running lasts at least a good 12-14 hours. If you’re doing a brevet and need more battery life than that, a spare battery is a lot lighter with zero aero penalty. The designer of the Bülks has a solar panel roof thing that he’s been playing around with and the trailer he designed can have a solar panel installed, but those options aren’t high priorities to get to market because there just hasn’t been demand for them.

@@devasfpv2232 yes. The urban is one hot number.

@@mnveloguyMight actually be the “definitive Bülk”. The only reason why I went with the Mk1 is because of the price increase and at that time it wasn’t clear whether the Urban would receive tank steering which I wanted.

@@20windfisch11 the Urban has been highly popular in the US. I am curious to see if it will catch on as much in Europe.

@@mnveloguy I actually think this is the sporty velomobile with the least compromises. Easily accessible, okay luggage space (and a trailer is possible), fits a wide range of people, better turning radius than the Mk1 or Milan, good ground clearance which makes it possible to ride on more cycle paths than the other fast velomobiles. It’s not as sturdy and doesn’t pack as much stuff as an Alleweder or the coming Velion, but I feel it’s a decent jack of all trades.

@@20windfisch11 hard to beat the price of the 4More as well. Both it and the Urban are excellent new practical Velomobiles. I had a client here today that was originally going to buy tank steering MK1, but he didn’t like the turning circle. He seriously considered the M9 with tank steering, but in the end he bought my Urban serial #1 because he liked the ease of getting in and out, the small turning circle, the amount of ground clearance, the way it handled, and the ease of maintenance. He called it a more practical option. The urban has been very popular in the US simply because it is so practical. There are faster models, but the Urban and 4More have an awful lot of really good features that people are looking for.

@@user1522p thanks

@@DavidGierke-nl1dl check my channel. I did further testing beyond this. Under 160 watts with the combi hood, and I got as low as 116 watts with the race hood and super fast race tires. A lot of Velomobiles can do under 200 watts on the flat including older models like the Quest and DFXL. Wattage does depend to some extent on the rider and system weight though. I weigh 61kg. Someone heavier than me will definitely need more watts, but I think the rider would have to be quite heavy to need 200 watts with the race hood to do 30mph on the flat. I use duo Assioma power meter pedals. I’ve not studied how they work, but there is probably some information about that on their website. It’s a pretty respected brand of power meter pedals.

@@mnveloguy Thanks for your insight! As a newcomer I have many questions that probably seem silly to an expert. I will definitely look at the Assioma web site to find out about their power meter pedals. I am 6 feet two inches tall and weigh 234 pounds, so I guess that I fall into the "needs more wattage" category!

@@DavidGierke-nl1dl the good news is that bigger riders also usually can more easily generate big watts. I think that’s why in professional cycling the sprinters are the big muscular guys and the climbers are the skinny toothpicks.

@@star_man0941 prior to my velomobile I used my recumbent bike to run a lot of errands. The only downside was when it rained or was really cold, and also I often ran out of space in my panniers for groceries. But it still was a lot nicer than using a car.

@@ericsandin3402 fiberglass usually runs quieter than carbon fiber. Urban and MK1 should be the same with 4More being a bit quieter.

@@mnveloguy Thank you. Do you know any velo that is remarkably quiet, compared to all others? I remember having heard one of the newer models being quiet/better insulated, but don't remember which, unfortunately.

@@ericsandin3402 that would have to be the 4More. The Bülks aren’t bad, but I guess it depends on what your definition of quiet is. I did once measure the decibels in the Bülk with racehood at 15mph and got around 70db. No velomobile is whisper quiet. If you’re concerned about noise, it’s best to wear earplugs. I tried that once, but I found it very unnerving to ride that way because I’m used to being able to hear the feedback from the road and traffic.

@@mnveloguy Thank you. I'm always using passive (no electricity) headphones while riding a road bike. Model "Windfree". They take away wind turbulence and makes it significantly easier to hear the cars. No point using them inside a race hood I guess. But without they would be a game changer if you haven't tried 'em.

@@scotthussin158 😂 definitely not, but he sure would like to eat a lot of the groceries!

Yep. And it's not the only practical model out there. Most of the models in the Top 10 I released yesterday can haul groceries as well. The one exception would be the Snoek, but it was made for racing, so that makes sense.

@@steveborn3455 thanks for watching.

Thank you

Everyone has their own opinions. I am sharing mine. You of course can make your own top 10 explaining why you think your list is the best. Over 100 Buelks have sold in the last year. No other model can come close to that, so it is not just me who thinks it is the top model. The 2nd most ordered model is the 4More. The WAW has not been updated since 2015. A lot of technological development in stiffness, light weight, maintenance access, and handling have happened in those years and the models I have listed above it have all benefited from that development. I'm looking at performance, ease of use, practicality, and sales figures. I am free to sell any model of velomobile I want. I have chosen to sell Buelks and Milans because after studying each model very carefully and riding them, I determined the Buelks and Milans would suit the most riders here in the US. I do also sell the DFs which did not even make my list, because while they are good designs, there are not really any orders for them anymore. It was the same for the Milan SL. People have chosen to order the more practical Buelk instead.

​@@mnveloguyeffectivement vue comme ça aucune pertinence

He almost only recommends Bulks. This top 10 seems to be for sales but in which countries I have no idea. If it isn't for sales then it might just be his opinions. I know he has tested all the Bulk models. He has tested the Alpha W9 and a couple of other Alphas. Has he tested a Waw, Snoek, DF, QV ? I really don't know. This review is mainly comparing features.

@@nicksutton2964 I know the WAW quite well. I built a clone of the WAW. From a construction standpoint I probably know it better than any other model. I haven’t ridden a QV or Snoek, but I’ve watched both be built and talked to a lot of people that have. I know the designs, driving characteristics, and features of every velomobile on this list quite well. I’ve either driven them, owned them, or talked a lot to different owners and designers. There will always be people who have different opinions from me, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many different designs. But as I said before, way more Bülk MK1’s have been sold in the last year, and really since it came out, than any other design. And really most of the people buying a Bülk are not buying based on my recommendation. Well over 200 have been built since it was introduced a little less than 2 years ago.

@@nicksutton2964 the Bülk also has extensive safety features. There is a lengthy write-up covering that and the design as a whole on the Velomobile World Website. That was also part of the thought with the modular design. I know I’ve covered the safety aspect in some of my other videos about the Bülk and rider safety. Different designers take a different approach. Daniel thinks a fixed seat is better in a crash. The Bülk Team thinks having the seat sitting free on a stack of foam pads is better because the energy won’t transfer as strongly. The Bülk uses padded headrests. The Alphas have a hard surface. The Bülk has padded shoulder rests over the rider shoulders. The Alphas have a curved rim which is quite hard when your shoulders bang into it. There are design elements of the front end as well that prevent things like the front frame from being pushed back towards the rider. The carbon is layer up with a layer of Innegra between in critical areas to prevent the carbon from shattering. The Bülk Team studied all known crashes when designing the Bülk. Those are the only two lines of Velomobiles I know that are specifically safety designed. I would imagine there must be some safety considerations with the velo.nl designs, but they have not publicized anything about it.

@@mnveloguy so do you think the Bulk is the safest then? Doesn't the Alpha also use Innegra sandwich construction? I think it is still early days. We are seeing new ideas being tested and refined all the time. People report their experiences to the best of their abilities and there are no agreed safety standards for velomobiles (yes?no?) and it is unlikely that they will materialize any time soon.

@@nicksutton2964 it’s purely my personal opinion, but I think the safety designs of the Bülk make more sense to me from an engineering standpoint. I applaud both developers for focusing on this area. Velomobiles are quite well-refined now in the stiffness and aerodynamics areas. I think safety and maintenance access are the next areas we will see development and refinement in.

@@nicksutton2964 I have both. I can't comment on the construction, but I can comment from personal experience. Both need to fit right to be safe. That's the starting point. When correctly fitted, both stop the body from coming forward in a sudden stop accident. They do it with foam pad in the rim of the cockpit that your shoulder hit if thrust forward. The W9 has a seat that's bolted in, while the Bülk seat can pop out. Theoretically, at least, that means the W9 is more sure to catch you while you can slide under the shoulder stops in the Bülk, if the seat gets loose. But there's a safety downside, too. The seat in the W9 is very limited. It won't fit you. It will just get as close as you can. That, in its own right, is less safe than the Bülk, which can be adjusted to fit just about any rider. They're made, as far as I know, of the same material. The W9 is lighter, but that's because it's thinner. It really is thinner is some places that stand out, like the bridge you put your feet on to get in and get out. That, in its own right, indicates that there's less wall between you and the accident, and thus less safety. Here's one other safety issue, also discussed above. The W9 is just flat out not stable in cross-winds at medium to high speeds (anything over about 28 mph). The Bülk is a rock. And velos go more than 28 mph, even if you're not trying to go fast. Just go down a bridge and look at your speedo. That means the W9 is ALWAYS more dangerous than the Bülk, every time you go out for a ride.

@@15a86 we will see if an MK2 comes, and if it does, what features it might have. My new Urban will be here in about 3 weeks. Then I can do some hill climb comparisons to the MK1 and see if the larger access hatch has an impact on stiffness. The Urbans I’ve ridden so far all had the smaller front hatch. Convenience is nice, but stiffness is more important.

@@ericguerber weight is very similar if outfitted with the same components. Speed difference between most of these models doesn’t show up until you are around 50km/h. Then you start to see some difference. I’m not sure how much because I’ve never tested both back to back and don’t know of anyone that has. The Bülk can take corners faster and I’ve been told it is a bit stiffer as well, so some of that speed difference might be made up accelerating and cornering. There is also the practical aspect. The Snoek maintenance access is much less convenient. The Snoek has less cargo capacity, and it’s a lot more Wind sensitive and not as stable at high speed.

Common knowledge is that a Snoek smokes any Bülk. Ben's also knows this. Recent info shows that the Snoek-L is also faster. So when you want speed first, Snoek is the best choice. Ben does not sell Snoek or Snoek-L and has never ridden one. Weight is about the same give or take a kilo.

@@hoekie3652 did you actually read my answer? For most people it’s irrelevant which is more aerodynamically efficient because they don’t fit in the Snoek. Even the Snoek L is pretty narrow at the shoulders. The Snoek L I would expect to be the same speed as the Bülk, but I don’t know of any truly scientific comparison that’s been done. To conclusively answer this question is not simple. There are so many factors with rolling resistance, wind, drivetrain efficiency, and our own variances as humans when riding.

@@mnveloguy I edited my post. It was a bit harsh first. And yes, Snoek-L and Bülk comparison have been done already. I love your enthusiasm, but perhaps you should just talk about what you know and sell.

@@hoekie3652 the comparison that I know of between Bülk and Snoek L was not quite as rigorous as I would like to see. Variables have to be carefully controlled and multiple repetitions done to eliminate variance. I was asked what I thought the speed difference was. I gave my answer and opinion and clearly stated that I do not know the precise difference. Frankly I don’t think it matters. They are all very efficient. I think there are more critical parameters than speed difference and I stated what I thought those were. I also was very clear at the beginning of this video that this is my opinion about models. Anyone can upload a video to TH-cam. If your views differ from mine, which appears to be the case, then by all means make a video stating your case and promote it.

@@wimh4301 4 of those are no longer in production (or will be out of production very soon), and the DF has had so few orders the last couple years, it essentially is also out of production.

@@mnveloguy They were at the beginning of 2024.

@@wimh4301 I don’t recall precisely when it was announced the quest, Strada, and quest xs went out of production, but it was quite close to the beginning of the year. And you can’t order them now anyway, but then that is also true at the moment for the QV, so one could argue it doesn’t belong on my list, and that would be a fair point. Our lists definitely prioritize different points. You’re top two fit only a small portion of the population and are purely speed oriented. I went with the most practical models that fit the largest range of riders, though the Bülk MK1 is no slouch know the speed department. It’s quite close in aerodynamic efficiency to the SL and Snoek. Im curious why you rank the Tuna so high? It’s sold quite poorly.

@@mnveloguy First of all, it's MY list ;-) The Tuna is a DF with pants. Very fast, suitable for many riders and not very sensitive to crosswinds. That's why the Tuna is so high on my list. I don't think the Bülk is suitable at all for riders of about 1.75m. Way too bulky and way too wide at the shoulders. I wobble in all directions.

@@wimh4301 you are actually taller than I am. I am 1.68 and pretty skinny. I use thick shoulder pads, but I fit the Bülk better than the Quest XS which was also too wide in the shoulders. Everyone has different tastes. My ranking also is looking at the options from the perspective of the general public rather than what I would personally choose. I’m ranking based on efficiency, ease of setup, ease of maintenance access, practicality, etc. For me the Urban and 4More offer everything the Tuna does without the tiny front wheels that I have serious misgivings about. Everyone is looking for different things.

@@rickhoran not in production anymore. The QV was even borderline to be on this list because it currently has paused production, but I know the intent is to get it going again and remaining orders are being filled. The Orca also was mainly outfitted with e-assist due to its weight, so it wouldn’t have made the list anyway. I think it’s been out of production for several years now. It’s rare to even see them available used.

@@yaksauce the 4More has a starting price of $6000USD. You can also find used ones. Right now I know of several DF’s for around $5000 and a Quest in Florida for $3799 a friend of mine is selling. For what you save in gas, healthcare costs, and insurance, especially in a multi-car household, it quickly becomes worth the investment.

@@user1522p it was a ton of fun. Later that day a group of 5 of us did a ride around Minneapolis. Video is also on my Channel. Group rides are the best!

@@susanmaclachlan9861 I just did a century ride with close to 3,000 feet of elevation gain with an average speed of 22 mph and only needed 115 watts to do it. You don’t need e-assist for a bike to be practical. I grocery shop and commute with mine every week in a hilly urban area. So do a large percentage of my clients, some of which likewise live in urban and/or hilly areas like I do. They range in age from their 20’s to their 80’s. None of them have needed e-assist. Feel free to set up your own channel and produce a top 10 video of e-assisted bikes. This channel is dedicated to practical human powered bikes.

I find the Bülk quite practical. I do 80% of my travel in that, rather than a car. My commute, round trip, is 35 miles, and I bike it. I can carry plenty of groceries, half a dozen bags, and can ride it 11.5 months a year in Indianapolis (we get about 2 weeks of real snow per year, and I don't ride in that - too little visibility to cars). I do all my errands in it. The only times I'm in a car are when I have to drive out of town to a trial or a hearing (yeah, I'm an attorney), or when I'm doing something with another person. So, yeah, pretty practical.

@@susanmaclachlan9861 just to be clear in case it came across as sarcastic, I genuinely mean to make a top 10 video. There isn’t a lot of velomobile content. I think a variety of perspectives is beneficial. My focus is human power. I’m sure there would be benefit to another channel talking about e-assist.

@@Bobbylegs37 mine is for sale. Very nice Volae sport. Has only been ridden inside since 2017 on the bike trainer. Make me an offer I can’t refuse 🙂

@@Bobbylegs37 thanks. Eventually TH-cam will make chapters of the video.

@@mnveloguy Sorry I couldn't wait, I kept trying to click back and forth to compare them 😅

@@Bobbylegs37 well, thank you for your service 🙂

Thanks for watching. How's your Buelk working out?

@@mnveloguy Absolutely Fantastic Sir! Thank you for All your help with the purchasing process!!!

I don't have a specific number. My testing course has been flooded much of the summer and is now blocked by road construction. Maybe 5%? I do notice some reduction in speed in places where I'd be riding above 25mph. Really depends on the riding situation. If you have a lot of tight turns or a really twisty riding area where you'd be going down hills at higher speeds, then the wider track can compensate for some of the speed loss. Either way, both bikes are way faster on the flat and downhill than an upright bike and a lot more comfortable. That said, my primary ride is the mk1. I ride almost entirely on road with rolling hills where the higher speed potential of the mk1 comes into play. I use the Urban mainly for running errands and commuting during the school year where I have a lot of stop and go and corners to negotiate.