the inside of the Versatile.

inside

1.left turn signal-(indicator)
2.right turn signal-(indicator)
3.headlights button
4.parkingbreak
5.blinker
6.headlights
7.buzzer
8.headlights-flash
9.disconnecting battery
10.chair

Parking the Versatile at work.

parking the Versatile at work

In a garage where the bicycles are kept, I've made a little corner for the Versatile. The schoolchildren use the school bicycles every other session to get to the Sport Hall. Now and then, a careless student causes a domino-effect and the bikes fall over. To protect the chassis of the Versatile, I've built an extra stall in the garage (on the right).

damage prevention

A stall for the Versatile.
Simply a normal table on concrete blocks, a wooden board on the side, with strips fastened to the legs and a wooden door. That provides sufficient protection.
Last week, a class from Pretoria (South Africa) came to visit. When I asked if they could come up with a good name for a velomobile, they couldn't come up with anything beyond 'pedal car'. They don't have any point of reference for it. They themselves can't bike to school. It is too dangerous. Do we realise that we live here so free and happy...?

PET in PET

PET in PET
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

When I load up from the shopping trolley, six 1.5 liter bottles of water fit easily on one side behind the seat. On the other side and around the seat, you can find space for even more stuff.

magazine 'De Standaard'

magazine second page
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

Front page of the newspaper: 'De Standaard' - Belgium

Front page of 'De Standaard' - Belgium
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

8 of 10

8 of 10
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

Had to get up early even though it was a weekend. But we weren't bothered by that. It is after all a festival day for velomobile enthusiasts. Spare clothes in a waterproof pack, fleece and rain jacket for standing outdoors all day, and naturally liquids to protect the kidneys from crystallising. The kitchen clock says twenty to eight, as I seal up the Versatile and am on my way.
Against a headwind going to Ghent. The ride takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Just 10 o'clock as I turn in to the 'Blaarmeersen'. I had promised Dries to be there a quarter hour earlier. Following the signs, 'velodroom' I come like Alice, in Wonderland. And there they stand... the velomobiles for the test weekend!

An American (Illinois) in Ghent

An American (Illinois) in Ghent
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

In the white tent, the participants can sign in and take their badges. The badge is then turned in to the attendant of a velomobile to allow the participant to make a round with the velomobile. Also, the participants sign an agreement to take responsibility for any damage to the vehicle. In the photo, a gentleman from Illinois in the United States, who flew over especially to test the velomobiles. Maybe you are thinking: crazy. But it isn't, if you've decided to get rid of your car and switch over to a velomobile. With the savings, you can fly repeatedly after a few years.

Radio 1 reporter

Radio 1 reporter
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

In addition to 'De Standaard' (the article appeared the next weekend in the magazine section), there was also a reporter from Radio 1. He took a ride in the Alleweder en interviewed several people. You can catch the atmosphere if you surf to www.radio1.be and listen to 'brood en spelen' (Bread and play?). Too bad it isn't 'color-radio'... (see the photo with the three velomobiles in yellow, red, and aqua).

Sociability is trump.

A lot of people.
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

125 riders tried out my seat. Not a single pilot did any damage, there wasn't even a scratch on the exterior. Thanks indeed to all the people who drove around so carefully with the velomobiles. An impression of the atmosphere on this photo, with the WAW (red), Versatile, and Leitra (white). The latter is made in Denmark. There were people who asked a lot of questions. A very sociable and pleasant atmosphere, and on Sunday sun-drenched...

WAW and Versatile

Versatile and WAW
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

The east parking lot was marked off with ribbons and the young test riders quickly reached speeds of 30 km/hour on the straightaway. Braking before the subsequent corner probably prevented excessive speed and accidents. With my velomobile, 250 km were ridden in the parking lot over the weekend! Sunday, it was continually in use, and there was a line of 3 or 4 people waiting, where you could have a little conversation again.

Aerorider

aerorider

Aerorider was there, too. A yellow and a brown version. Here you see Wouter driving off. With the electric motor, you are soon tempted not to pedal along. Pedaling unassisted is difficulty, since you have to move a 70 kg vehicle. It certainly is a nice-looking design.

Versatile, WAW and Quest.

testweekend-velomobiles
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

Sunday there was also a Frenchman there. He came from southern France and was looking for a velomobile with electrical assist in order to ride around in a hilly region. Also a man from Slovakia with a beard and hat was a colorful figure and along with the American lent an exotic color to the event. At 17.30 we said our farewells, with a few more photos and set out on the journey homewards. Sixty km along the dikes of the Schelde in just under two hours. And they say that today, people were sitting for 7 hours in the traffic jam around Brussels. The velomobile gives you a feeling of freedom then.

Pulled over to the kerb by the police.

Mid-day yesterday with the Versatile from Waasmunster to Ghent and back (96.6 km).

In Melle in the Frater Street (cycleway along the left side) a woman in a white van passes me, rolls down her window and hollers something about a cycleway. I continue on, undisturbed and begin to come up to speed. I see her stop up ahead and swing open her door. That doesn’t keep me from passing diagonally ... it looks like it’s a police officer. While I pass at about 42 km/hour, she shouts: ‘pull over to the kerb.” Whether she would have shot me if I hadn’t obeyed, I don’t know. In any case, I braked with full power and set myself down in a parking place. She, while pulling up, calls down: ‘that’s just a bicycle; you belong on the cycleway.” I: ‘No, you do not have to use the cycleway with it.’ She: ‘who says that?’ I: ‘the law ... three wheels and no motor! Unless the police order you to ride on the cycleway, but I couldn’t know that you were an agent (no typical police car and just her head visible)'. She: 'But it’s dangerous'. I: 'there’s a flag on it, and don’t you think it would be dangerous to ride 40 to 50 per hour on a cycleway like that?' She: 'mmm...I’ll have to look up and see if you can ride with that on the road...’ And off she went in her car.
If she had only read the newspaper the week before...
I have to ask Johan Vrielink whether he’ll produce a bulletproof velomobile...

By the way: for the new episode of 'Flikken' ('Cops', a Belgian TV show) a recumbent bike is used in a scene on September 15.