Can I ask - do you do this everyday? If you do, what has been the affect on your physical and mental wellbeing - mostly positive? Increased muscle strain? It must make for long working days too - does the physical activity outweigh the fatigue of long days? Thanks for posting.
4 times a week. I don't have a car since many years now. I'm 51 and have never been faster and had more endurance than now. I like to cycle fast and make my body work, but I'm old enough to know when my body needs rest. Then I simply ride slower for a few days. But most of the time the weekend is plenty of time to recover from the commutes and I even have the energy to ride long tours then. On average the commute takes 2,5 hours a day. With a car it would cost me around 1,5 hour. Commuting with the velo is much more fun and in the end much more cost-effective. Because of commuting by velo I can afford to work only 4 days a week, so it doesn't cost time at all, I gain a free day each week! Mentally cycling has done a lot for me. I've had my share of depressions and cycling was one of the ways I pulled through.
twilwel Hi Twilwel - many thanks for your candid reply. I so wish we had a better cycling infrastructure here in the UK - I live about 9 miles from my work (a very short trip really) and would love to cycle but there are no cycle paths and the roads are so dangerous (I know, I drive on them!) I'm very impressed with your fitness levels, sense of self and balanced approach to life - I readily understand the wellbeing you get from such exercise and I think we could all learn a lesson from your approach. Thanks for posting your vlogs - I'm fascinated by velos (although I feel like the only female who is! :( ) and I just love the Netherlands too so the videos are great viewing for me. Thank you.
piggyduff It's true that velos are mostly operated by men, but there are some women who are just as fascinated by them. It's a shame that in the UK there is no recognition of how much traffic overall can benefit from good cycling infrastructure.
@Twilwel. Same here in Ireland. Anytime theres any talk about improving cycling infra the same tired voices come out - Blah blah blah, cyclists should pay "road tax", be licenced, breaking red lights, think they own the road, don't wear helmets (it's not mandatory in Ireland) etc etc. Angry, frustrated people who could greatly benefit themselves by taking up such physical activity, but they prefer to spend their days bitching about cyclists holding them up, while they sit in their cars stuck behind a stream of other cars! They truly can't see beyond the end of their bonnets!
I see understand each of the things but I'm also searching for individuals that have velomobiles with electric assist. Since I have been through multiple surgeries within my left leg. And would like to find out what the quality of the available assists are like.
Hi again i looked ICE trikes web page and saw those elastomers. Is it simply a case of replacing the steel springs with the elastomers and putting the pieces together again? My Quest XS sticks to the road very well; the front suspension appears steady and not spongy at all, but i do think when i see your films that your Mango suspension is even harder it looks rock steady out on the road, and thus the bike is more efficient...what do think, would that be an improvement for my Quest XS?
If you are not afraid of a bit of tinkering. just try it out. Make sure the elastomer is not longer maybe even a bit shorter than the two steel springs inside the front struts. Leave the damping foam beneath the springs in. For a body weight of up to 80/85 kg I suggest the middle hard elastomer. I am 80kg and I have the hardest fitted myself. It's nice in the summer. but elastomer gets a bit harder in the winter and the ride becomes a tad to harsh. So it's not all roses with the elastomers, but I like it much better then the steel springs.
Magnificent Harry !!!
That's a wonderful commute route for a velomobile.
gee, if I had such a picturesque commute I might not have retired!
geweldig... Ik zou willen dat ik genoeg gespaard had, alhoewel mijn voorkeur uitgaat naar een cabbike hawk.
Soon.. I will be able to afford one at last !
Can I ask - do you do this everyday? If you do, what has been the affect on your physical and mental wellbeing - mostly positive? Increased muscle strain? It must make for long working days too - does the physical activity outweigh the fatigue of long days?
Thanks for posting.
4 times a week. I don't have a car since many years now. I'm 51 and have never been faster and had more endurance than now. I like to cycle fast and make my body work, but I'm old enough to know when my body needs rest. Then I simply ride slower for a few days. But most of the time the weekend is plenty of time to recover from the commutes and I even have the energy to ride long tours then. On average the commute takes 2,5 hours a day. With a car it would cost me around 1,5 hour. Commuting with the velo is much more fun and in the end much more cost-effective. Because of commuting by velo I can afford to work only 4 days a week, so it doesn't cost time at all, I gain a free day each week!
Mentally cycling has done a lot for me. I've had my share of depressions and cycling was one of the ways I pulled through.
twilwel Hi Twilwel - many thanks for your candid reply. I so wish we had a better cycling infrastructure here in the UK - I live about 9 miles from my work (a very short trip really) and would love to cycle but there are no cycle paths and the roads are so dangerous (I know, I drive on them!)
I'm very impressed with your fitness levels, sense of self and balanced approach to life - I readily understand the wellbeing you get from such exercise and I think we could all learn a lesson from your approach.
Thanks for posting your vlogs - I'm fascinated by velos (although I feel like the only female who is! :( ) and I just love the Netherlands too so the videos are great viewing for me. Thank you.
piggyduff It's true that velos are mostly operated by men, but there are some women who are just as fascinated by them. It's a shame that in the UK there is no recognition of how much traffic overall can benefit from good cycling infrastructure.
@Twilwel. Same here in Ireland. Anytime theres any talk about improving cycling infra the same tired voices come out - Blah blah blah, cyclists should pay "road tax", be licenced, breaking red lights, think they own the road, don't wear helmets (it's not mandatory in Ireland) etc etc.
Angry, frustrated people who could greatly benefit themselves by taking up such physical activity, but they prefer to spend their days bitching about cyclists holding them up, while they sit in their cars stuck behind a stream of other cars! They truly can't see beyond the end of their bonnets!
mooi ! fiets je elke (werk)dag 44 km naar stadskanaal ?
Yep en weer 44 km terug natuurlijk. Soms iets meer, want ik wissel de route weleens om het interessant te houden.
What do you use to display the watts, bpm, grade, etc on the video?
Virb Edit from Garmin. It's free, for Mac and for Windows.
what is that suspension you are referring to? Do have details about it?
I use the standard suspension struts, but instead of steel springs, I have put in elastomers from ICE trikes.
I see understand each of the things but I'm also searching for individuals that have velomobiles with electric assist. Since I have been through multiple surgeries within my left leg. And would like to find out what the quality of the available assists are like.
My question is: Do you have elected assist.
No, strictly human power. The numbers on the left in the video show speed and the power I exert.
Hi again i looked ICE trikes web page and saw those elastomers. Is it simply a case of replacing the steel springs with the elastomers and putting the pieces together again?
My Quest XS sticks to the road very well; the front suspension appears steady and not spongy at all, but i do think when i see your films that your Mango suspension is even harder it looks rock steady out on the road, and thus the bike is more efficient...what do think, would that be an improvement for my Quest XS?
If you are not afraid of a bit of tinkering. just try it out. Make sure the elastomer is not longer maybe even a bit shorter than the two steel springs inside the front struts. Leave the damping foam beneath the springs in. For a body weight of up to 80/85 kg I suggest the middle hard elastomer. I am 80kg and I have the hardest fitted myself. It's nice in the summer. but elastomer gets a bit harder in the winter and the ride becomes a tad to harsh. So it's not all roses with the elastomers, but I like it much better then the steel springs.
twilwel okay, thanks a lot.
"..no need to slow for the bumps...'; Those aren't EVEN bumps. You should see what we have in the States - 15 to 20 mph can put you through the roof.
Europeans know that everything is bigger in the USA ;-)