Nearly winter.

Brisk autumn...
The first snow hasn't fallen yet. Between 0 and 5 degrees C, I ride now in a sweater with long sleeves. After the getting out, I immediately put on a fleece jacket to keep my sweaty body from cooling down too fast. I cover my neckwith a scarf or a neck gaiter such as they wear on motorcycles. While riding, the cold wind slips under your chin into the space under the protective cover (which zips up to close the hatch). Also the eyes need to be shielded with glasses during the winter. (photograph on dutch version: www.brunovdbl.bogspot.com).

During my ride home, I caught sight of a woman pushing a pram on the right side of the bicycle path. In such circumstances, I think: should I honk my horn or come alongside quietly? She looked as if she would stay to the right, so I came past, not too fast (25 km per hour). And as soon as I passed her, there followed a frightful scream. A phenomenon that I had already experienced earlier. Is this due to the appearance of the velomobile or to the conscience of the one you are passing?

One year without car... 3000 Euros saved.

It was a year ago that I gave away my car. What has that accomplished for me? Insurance (650), license/taxes(200), annual inspection(50), repairs would have been necessary (500 Euros, but possibly double to remove the rust) and gas for approximately 8000 km(550). A total of somewhere around 2000 Euros without even figuring in the parking costs. Further a bicycle compensation for the daily commuting distance (16 km x 2) of 1000 Euros. Already there's a 3000 Euro profit. Is a 6000 Euro Versatile really expensive? I don't think so. At this rate, it pays for itself in two years.

This October 650 km by velomobile. (And 200 km with the twister-recumbent.) Maintenance expense: 0.

Tints of red, yellow and green adorn the Schelde dikes. Autumn is to be admired now in all its beauty. The amber tree is clothed in scarlet. You smell the beginning of the decomposition of the leaves. A mushroom-smell enters your nose as you quietly cycle along the meadows. Under the wheels, the leaves crackle, dried out and not yet washed away by the rain. After a short cold spell, it remains warm for this time of the year: today 17 degrees and lovely sunshine. Last week I had a bit of a cold, but I cycled to work nonetheless. Though it had been slow. After a stormy night (a week ago) some branches were lying on the path. On a concrete section in Hamme a broken branch blocked the whole width of the road. Noticed too late. This required me to squeeze me the brakes all the way for an emergency stop. The Versatile managed to just brush the leaves as it passed through. Fortunately the branch was not too thick and couldn't tip the velomobile. By dusk even on a totally familiar route I will certainly make sure to have the lights on in the future. The batteries last with turning on and off in the mornings just 14 days with. I estimate that they can burn continuously for three hours. Now that it's really dark in the mornings, I ride the whole route with the front light on. The rear light (LED) remains on wheneven you turn the key. Charging the batteries after a week ensures that I won't be without light. Also in the evenings, we can run late, with the rehearsals for the musical (' Doctor De Vuyst'). One of these days I will install some extra LEDs on my the flag. We'll have to see how they can be best fastened. A photo follows..

Flevobike has improved its website. New photographs --among others -- of my aquamarine little car. Delivery date for current orders is now July 2005. (See: www.flevobike.nl) Kees van Hage has ordered a silver-metallic Versatile number 23!

Short sleeves at 5 degrees C (41 degrees F).

11th of October and finally a 'Versatile-temperature'. This morning 5 degrees: short sleeves and thin long pants were more than warm enough. It warms up very fast in the velomobile. Above 25 degrees (77 degrees F), it's like sauna weather. You can ride better then on a normal recumbent. It's hard to call it a 365-day-bike, unless you are a sauna enthusiast and can change chothes at work. Extra air intakes like the ones in the LEITRA would be welcome. You can stick your little finger under the PET-structure and let in some extra air. But in cold weather and rain you realize the advantages of a velomobile.

In this biting east wind, I wanted to let my pupils run around outside. They declare me to be crazy at first. Some power of persuasion is needed, but after running, they come indoors, flushed and convinced that it was for the best. We gradually build up endurance. Each session, we run somewhat further, longer. Cross is a winter sport, and the pupils need to learn to live with the seasons. We become estranged too much from nature ... in the car, in front of this computer... After teaching for four hours in the morning, the pool. . . After a few laps, I'm totally relaxed. The pool is open on Monday mid-day for the 17- and 18-year olds. Not a single pupil comes to swim of his own accord. The students have only 1 hour free at noon during which they must also eat. A possible explanation for the paltry participation. Next week the other years get the opportunity to swim. Possibly more people will come.
As I rode away from the school in the Versatile, a class window opened and a few urgings to ride faster. The pupils are so easily distracted...

Renovated swimmingpool of the school

New swimmingpool of the school
Originally uploaded by Bruno 007.

In case anybody is interested in the renovated pool, I'm including a photo. Dimensions: 20 meters by 8. Note the surfer on the tiles on the background. The temperature of the water: 28 degrees C. It streams continuously over the left edge and is filtered there. Do you like to swim with a group? Rent the pool for instance for a Saturday morning. Info on the Heilige-Maagdcollege (translated: Blessed-Virgin School), Dendermonde. (See also: www.hemaco.be).

1000 km in September.

In September, the Versatile was ridden 1000 km. Included are 250 km of the test weekend ( I didn't ride myself) and among others a ride to the dentist: from Dendermonde to Mortsel (85 km). A painless dentist is worth the trip. One day I rode to work twice: the opening of the new school pool was the reason. At the end of September I rode along with my wife once more in her car to Dendermonde. In Waasmunster-town, we were already caught in a traffic jam. And, oh yes, you guessed it, I could have ridden that 16 km faster with the velomobile. It took 40 minutes more with the car. In 1991 I could get to Dendermonde in 15 to 20 minutes. Now that is only possible on a quiet Sunday morning. With the bicycle, you know what time you will arrive. My commuting subsidy provided me with 105 Euros in September. The school pays that much for a teacher riding a bicycle, and the ministry of education reimburses the school. But the ministry appears to be more than a year in arrears with the payments. They have underestimated the number of teachers that would bike to work ride. A mere 30,000 of the 150,000. If they had e-mailed a simple questionnaire to each school, they might have been able to plan for this in the budget ...