Bike

There are various ways to classify cycle vehicles. Most often, velomobiles are divided into ^[4] :

• utilitarian
• sports
• record racing

Cutaway modern cycle car

Frame

The vast majority of cycle mobiles are framed. The frame of a cycle car is made of round or square pipes with various cross-sections and strengths, depending on the purpose of the cycle car and the perfection of its design. Alloy steel, aluminum and titanium alloys , carbon fiber , Kevlar , as well as aircraft plywood are often used materials for the manufacture of a modern cycle car. Most cycle cars have a spinal frame, although sometimes there are spatial ones.

Body

The bike can be equipped with a fully closed or partially open body. The body of the bike can be a carrier or in the form of a removable fairing mounted on a frame (chassis). Fiberglass, aluminum alloys, carbon fiber, Kevlar, plywood or a waterproof fabric stretched over the frame are used as typical materials for a cycle car body ^[5] .

Drive unit

The bicycle may have a foot, manual or combined drive. The drive can be carried out on front, rear or on all wheels. Torque can be transmitted to drive wheels using a chain, belt ^[6] , driveshaft or steel (Kevlar) cables. From the point of view of the movement of the legs (hands) of a cycle mobile, the drive of a cycle mobile can be circular, elliptical or linear ^[7] . On some velomobiles, an auxiliary electric motor is installed, for example, “BionX” ^[8] .

Gear shift system

As a rule, a cycle car has a classic or planetary speed switch , however bicycle variators such as the NuVinci N360 ^[9] or B. Frolov's variator can also be installed.

Prototypes of modern cycle mobiles can be considered “self-running crews” of Shamshurenkov and Kulibin of the 18th century. The first modern body cycle cars appeared in the USA at the beginning of the XX century. These were three- and four-wheeled vehicles equipped with a chain drive and a plywood (wooden) body. Description and instructions for the construction of such cycle vehicles can be found in the famous American magazine "Popular Mechanics" ^{[13] [14]} .

Interwar

After the end of the First World War in Europe, a need arose for an inexpensive and easy-to-use vehicle, more comfortable than a bicycle and not requiring fuel for riding. During this period, a large number of various cycle mobiles were created, both for everyday use and for sports ^[15] .

One of the first European cycling vehicles to receive media coverage was the Omni Bike of the Frenchman Alua Sito ^[16] . Invented by him in 1924, a two-seater bicycle with a combined drive became known on both sides of the Atlantic ^[17] .

"Velocar" Charles Moshe

In the late 1920s French inventor and entrepreneur Charles Moshe (1880-1934) ^[18] developed and launched the serial production of the Velocar bicycle ^[19] in his factory ^[20] .

This four-wheeled double cycle bicycle weighed, depending on the model, 35–40 kg, equipped with a three- or five-speed bicycle gearshift system and independent chain drives for the driver and passenger ^[21] . Total from 1928 to 1944 About 6,000 Velocar cycle mobiles of various models were produced ^[22] . Velomobiles were actively used by the French during the German occupation during World War II , when the use of conventional cars was severely limited by the occupation administration. Both men and women rode the Velocar with equal success ^[23] . A cycle car was often the only vehicle in the family ^[24] . Several dozens of “Velokars” have been preserved in museums and private collections ^{[25] [26]} .

Manfred Curry's Landskiff

“Landskiff” (Landskiff) is a four-wheeled sports and tourist cycle bike developed and patented by Manfred Curry in 1926. ^[27] M. Curry went down in history primarily as an outstanding yachtsman and designer of high-speed yachts. "Landskiff" in Russian means "land boat."

The cycle car made a splash and was shown at the famous AVUS exhibition in Berlin. The inventor did not rely on the production of cycle vehicles, but on the sale of drawings for self-production "How to build a Landskiff yourself" ^[28] .

In a cycle mobile, a drive was used that imitates the movements of rowing , therefore it is better known in English as “Rowmobile” ^{[29] [30]} . The advantage of such a drive, compared with a bicycle, is the uniform load on all the muscles of the body, and not just on the legs, as in a bicycle. Thanks to such a drive, a person can produce significantly more power than a bicycle drive. This drive combines such valuable qualities as simplicity, lightness, compactness and efficiency ^[31] . Not surprisingly, shortly after the invention of the race at the Landskiffs, they quickly gained popularity and began to compete with cycling competitions ^[32] .

Competitions at the Landskiffs became popular not only in Germany, in the homeland of the inventor, but also in the UK and the USA ^[33] . Athletes during the race developed up to 55 km / h on this cycle mobile. ^[34] Enthusiasts made both an open and a body version of the bike ^[35] .

The bike was successfully used for tourist trips. In 1927, German miner Johan Fischer built his version of the Landskiff, on which he made a trans-European journey. The journey took several years. During this time, the former miner visited Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Spain on a cycle mobile. In total, D. Fisher covered about 56,000 km during his trans-European trip to the Landskiff ^[36] .

In 1930, an international cycling race took place at the Herne Hill Velodrome in London, in which athletes at the Ledskiffs performed in a separate category ^{[37] [38]} .

The popular cycle car also fell into the lenses of movie cameras of the time ^[39] . The actual number of manufactured cycle cars is unknown. It is believed that only one copy of this unusual cycle car has been preserved, which is stored in the German Polytechnic Museum in Munich.

Pedeluxe Pedal Cyclecar

“Pedal Cyclecar” is a three-wheeled closed-body cycle car, patented in 1929. The cycle car was mass-produced in London, Great Britain ^[40] . The Pedelux was almost entirely made of aluminum. The front wheels were steered, the rear - driving. Management was carried out by a car-type steering wheel. To protect against the weather, the bike was equipped with a hinged windshield and awning. At the request of the customer, it was possible to install side windows. The Pedeluxe was equipped with the Sturmey-Archer three-speed planetary gearshift system. The drive circuit was closed in a casing. The brake system was combined: the brakes on the front wheels had a manual drive, the brake on the rear wheel had a foot brake. The seat of the bike was equipped with adjustments. In front of the body was a small trunk. "Pedelux" was repeatedly modernized and produced in different versions ^[41] .

Attempts have also been made to create a folding bike ^[42] .

1940–50 Scandinavian cycle cars

Velomobiles in the Scandinavian countries appeared later than in other European countries. The appearance of cycle vehicles in Sweden and Finland was due to the fact that during the Second World War the population of these countries was forbidden to use cars. There was a need for a vehicle for everyday riding, which would be safer and more comfortable than a regular bicycle, but set in motion only by the muscular strength of a person ^[43] .

Swedish velomobiles

In 1940, the Swedish inventor Karl Johansson developed and patented the cycling car (in Swedish cykelbil / cykelbilen) “Fantom” (“Phantom”). Two models of a cycle car were created: a single three-wheeled with a closed body and a two-seater four-wheeled with a convertible body. The plywood body of the bike was mounted on a steel frame. The open version was equipped with a folding awning. The single-seat closed-body modification weighed 65 kg. The inventor did not have the opportunity to establish mass production of a cycle car, so he decided to sell the drawings. Phantom is the most popular bike project. Since the 1940s and to this day, more than 100,000 drawings of this bike were sold ^[44] .

Since the Phantom has never been mass-produced, the true number of cycle cars built is unknown. Several cycle vehicles have been preserved in private collections and museums. Velomobiles, as noted, were both single and double, but the vast majority of Phantoms were single. Unfortunately for those who want to build their bike, the “blueprints” were in fact sketches giving only a general concept for the bike, and not specific instructions for its manufacture.

The success of the Phantom sparked the advent of other cycle mobiles in Sweden. In 1943, Pedobilen was invented ^[45] . The design of the Pedobilen generally resembled Johansson's cycle car: a three-wheeled layout, a closed body, but, unlike the Phantom, its design was made like a canoe. The spatial wooden frame was fitted with a waterproof fabric. This technology made it possible to make an inexpensive and durable cycle car weighing only 29 kg. Some "Pedobilen" survived to the present day ^[46] .

In 1945, shortly before the end of World War II , the “CB-101 Pilot”, a fundamentally new bicycle design, was designed in Sweden. It was a two-seater cycle mobile project with improved streamlining and comfort. The bicycle was planned to be equipped with a completely closed aerodynamic body and suspension of all wheels. The cycle car was supposed to be driven, separately for the driver and passenger, by a linear drive. Management resembled the helm of a light aircraft ^[47] .

Finnish Velomobiles

Velomobiles appeared in Finland shortly after the end of World War II . In the post-war country there was an acute shortage of fuel and cars.

The first Finnish body cycle cars (Kinneri) were built by the Saryakivi brothers in 1946. ^{[48] ​​The} three-wheeled two-seater cycle car was designed and built for everyday use. Later, the brothers took part in this cycle mobile in the First Scandinavian cycle mobile championship in Helsinki in 1949. ^[49] Cycling riders from Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway took part in the competition.

In 1949, Reynaud Karpion and his friend Matti Naranen designed the Amphibike cycling amphibian and made a record-breaking swim in the Baltic Sea along the Helsinki-Stockholm route ^[50] . Prince Bertil Gustav personally met brave athletes after their arrival in Stockholm ^[51] . A floating cycle car developed up to 45 km / h on land and 5 km / h afloat. The double amphibian cycle car weighed 65 kg.

In order to satisfy consumer demand, private companies launched serial production of Ajatar and Liperin cycle vehicles in the late 1940s. Recently, one can meet replicas and restored models of these body cycle cars ^{[52] [53]} .

Revival of interest during the 1970s Oil Crisis

The 1973 oil crisis provoked a sharp jump in fuel prices and led to its shortage in the United States . The sharp increase in gas prices forced the US government and society to consider alternative ways to get out of this situation. In the market there was a need for a vehicle for short trips around the city, which would not consume gasoline and was more convenient than a bicycle.

Robert Bundschuk's Pedicar

Pedicar ("Pedicar") - a practical bike for short city trips, developed by American aircraft engineer Robert Bundschuh in 1971 ^[54] . A pre-production prototype of a cycle car appeared in October 1972 and received wide coverage in the press and on television ^[55] . Video about a cycle mobile ^[56] .

In 1972, Environmental Tran-Sport was founded by the inventor and three pre-production Pedicars were built to probe the market and advertisements ^[57] . All three copies were painted in a catchy yellow color, making the cycle car clearly visible on the road. A bike with a weight of 57 kg had a wheelbase of 1500 mm, a width of 1000 mm and a height of 1400 mm. The fiberglass body of the cycle car was not carrier. The basis of its design was an aluminum frame. "Pedicar" had a two-door closed body ^[58] . Large glazing area and high landing provided a good view from the cab. There was a small trunk behind the driver's seat. Access to the trunk was through the trunk door and from the interior of the bike. The pedal car was driven by a drive based on the swinging pedal levers ^[59] .

Contemporaries positively evaluated the appearance of the pedal car. The bike was equipped with a five-speed reverse gearbox developed by R. Bundschuh. The Pedicar was well-equipped. The list of equipment included a headlight, retroreflectors, direction indicators, a window regulator, a wiper, a radio tape recorder, a sunroof and a rearview mirror ^[60] .

Thanks to its streamlined body, the Pedicar had 30% less air resistance than a bicycle. Tests have confirmed that the energy spent by a person while walking is enough to ride a cycle car at a speed of 15-25 km / h. The maximum speed was about 40 km / h. Cycle brakes were disc ^[61] .

Pedicar gained the greatest fame during the 1973 Oil Crisis . The bike was personally tested by Paul Dudley White, the famous American cardiologist and personal doctor of President Eisenhower , Alan Crenston, an outstanding journalist and senator, and many other celebrities. R. Bundshukh planned to sell 15,000 cycle cars in the first years of production, bringing the production of Pedikars to 50,000 units per year over time. The retail price of the bike was to be 550 dollars ^[62] . These were Napoleonic plans, which were not destined to come true. After a flurry of articles about the bicycle in 1972–74, Pedikar and its creator suddenly disappear from the public eye. For unknown reasons, the project is completely collapsed. The exact number of Pedicars released is unknown.

Sterling Heights PPV

PPV (People Powered Vevicle) is a two-seater bicycle designed by Stirling Heights, developed during the 1973 Oil Crisis . The fiberglass-bearing body had a fast, sporty design. The bike was equipped with an original three-speed gearbox and could accelerate to 40 km / h. "PPV" was produced serially by the American company EVI. About 5,000 such cycle vehicles were produced at a price of 380 dollars. ^[63]

The advantages of the cycle car included a double layout, comfortable seats and a good design. As an option, the choice of body color, removable fabric roof, headlights, seat belts and a sound signal were offered. Technical characteristics of "PPV":

• Length: 1900 mm
• Width: 1165 mm
• Height: 980 mm (without removable roof)
• Ground clearance: 125 mm
• Weight: 61 kg

At present, in the USA there is an informal club of owners and lovers of a cycling car “PPV”. Despite the fact that the bike appeared about forty years ago and was released in relatively small quantities, on the secondary market you can still find ads for its sale ^[64] .

Американская компания Surrey, производитель разнообразной велотехники, выкупила права на производство «PPV», модернизировала его и предлагает веломобиль под названием «Impello» по цене 2395 дол ^[65] .
«Impello» оснащается велосипедным семискоростным планетарным переключателем скоростей, дифференциалом в заднем мосту, эргономичными сиденьями, дисковыми тормозами , усиленными алюминиевыми ободами и двумя держателями для напитков.

Веломобили в СССР

The first body cycle cars in the USSR were built in the 1930s . ^[66] In 1931, the First All-Union meeting of young participants of the Voluntary Society to promote the development of road transport, tractor and road business was held in Moscow. The main purpose of this event was to popularize technical creativity. During this period, home-made pedal cars were popular among the pioneers . Seminars were regularly held on the topic of how to build such a car. In the Moscow Central Park of Culture and Rest. Gorky held competitions pedal cars. After the start of the Great Patriotic War and until the 1970s, bicycle cars (with the exception of pedal cars for children) were not built in the USSR.

The revival of interest in cycle cars in the USSR is often associated with the American bicycle "Pedicar" of the aviation engineer Robert Bundshukh, developed in 1971, who became widely known in the USA during the 1973 Oil Crisis . In the USSR, closely monitoring the latest technology in the country of a potential adversary, Pedikar unexpectedly gained fame, even more than in his own country. The Pedicar concept, as a vehicle for short city trips, attracted both experienced engineers and enthusiasts, especially due to the shortage of personal transport among Soviet citizens ^[67] . Soviet designers assumed that such bicycle cars would be stored in apartments, so their designs were often folding and as light as possible.

Utility bike with linear drive

The first Soviet cycle mobile with a linear drive based on swinging pedal levers was Vita, built by Yu. K. Stebchenko, a teacher at the Kharkov Polytechnic Institute in 1975 ^[68] . A couple of months later, V. Ulyanovsky, the chief designer of the Moscow factory of refrigerators , created and built a folding two-seat bicycle “Hummingbird-35” in 1976. ^[69] Double “Hummingbird-35” weighed only 35 kg ^[70] . The cycle car received the silver medal of the VDNH of the USSR and was recommended by the USSR Minavtoprom for serial production in the 1980s, but the slowness and workload of Soviet enterprises did not allow this ^[71] .

During the operation of cycle cars with linear drive, a number of disadvantages of such a drive were identified. Most of the complaints were caused by the low efficiency of the drive, which, according to the testers, was caused by the inability to effectively use the reverse movement of the driver's legs. The drive based on swinging pedal levers had a number of advantages, however, the inventors could not eliminate significant shortcomings, which led to a decline in interest in this type of drive in the late 1980s.

The Moscow Club of Biotransport Enthusiasts was founded on May 14, 1986 by Ulyanovsk Veniamin Veniaminovich, the chief designer of the Moscow Refrigerator Plant. From 1986 to 1993, the club held Moscow Golden Ring alternative festivals. The events were attended by lovers of cycle cars from all over the USSR. The festival traditionally ended with a run of cycle mobiles along the Golden Ring of Russia ^[72] . In the late 1980s. KEB was one of the largest cycling clubs in the world. The club continues its activities now. May 14, 2011 KEB turned a quarter century.

"Bumblebee" E. Pinigina

Evgeny Borisovich Pinigin became the laureate of the All-Union competition of ecological transport in Nikolaev for the Bumblebee body cycle car in 1989. The cycle car took the first place in design ^[73] . “Bumblebee” has a number of technical solutions that distinguish it from its analogues: suspension of all wheels on a damping rubber tape, front pneumatic diaphragm brakes of its own design, plug-in manual drive, as well as the possibility of fixing the front suspension in the roll position for cornering ^[74] .

Velomobiles of the team of Professor V. Dovidenas

V. I. Dovidenas, professor at the Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute , together with students and colleagues, designed and built, starting in 1975, twelve cycle cars of various types. The cycling enthusiast team included B. Varno, Ph.D. those. Sciences A. Ramonis, V. Ruzgis, I. Piliponis, A. Remeika and the staff of the Prenai Experimental Aviation Plant. The best bicycle of the team was Vilnius-82.

Sports cycle mobile "MADI-VS1"

In 1982–84, under the guidance of Professor A. Narbut, a group of MADI students designed and built several bicycle models. The team’s best cycle car was MADI-VS1, built in May 1983. The sports single-seat cycle car was built by students N. Belov, N. Dubinin, Yu. Medovshchikov, A. Ortega-Khil and O. Khokhlova ^[75] .

Front-wheel drive and steer wheel bikes

The Velotron by V. Mazurchak and the Ant by N. Vatin

Vladimir Mazurchak, an engineer from the city of Poltava , began developing a simple, compact and reliable bike for everyday use in 1980. It took the designer several years to optimize the design. The result is a reliable, technologically advanced and efficient three-wheeled cycle bicycle “Velotron”. The front wheel of the cycle car is both driving and steered. The front wheel drive bike won a prize at one of the bike festivals in the Lithuanian city of Siauliai. The front-wheel drive scheme made the drive compact and efficient ^[76] .

The cycle car has gained recognition among supporters of biotransport. Cycling enthusiasts have built many variations on the theme of this bike ^[77] .

In 1988, Nikita Vatin from Klaipeda built the "Ant", one of the best Soviet cargo cycle cars. The prototype of the "Ant" was the "Velotron" of V. Mazurchak. "Ant" was conceived as a vehicle for transporting a welding machine and other equipment weighing up to 100 kg. The volume of the loading platform was 0.2 m³. The front-wheel drive convertible bike could easily be converted to a recumbent bike and a garden wheelbarrow. To carry out such a transformation, less than a minute was needed ^[78] .

Velomobiles A. Galkin and A. Kudryavtsev

Leningraders Alexander Galkin and Andrei Kudryavtsev created a number of technically advanced and original cycle vehicles in the late 1980s. The creative tandem went down in the history of Soviet and Russian cycling, as the creator of the high-end cycle cars Cruise, Kroha, Mackerel, Dolphin, Dolphin-2 and Dolphin-3.

Utility cycle cars A. Egorova

Alexander Yakovlevich Egorov, a design engineer from Kolomna, is the author of many cycle vehicles designed and built in the late 1980s. ^[79] The inventor created bicycle cars for practical tasks: take children to kindergarten or school, daily trips to work and to the store. The most advanced designer’s cycle mobiles were Sail and Troll. In 2008, Aleksandrov S.V. and Galkin A.S. was replicated by the Sail bike with subsequent modernization. The control system was improved, a windshield, a roof and a trunk with a capacity of 30 l were added ^[80] .

Pedal car "Hope" V. Krasnova

Nadezhda is a comfortable four-wheeled pedal car built by V. Krasnov from Kolomna in February 1990. The load-bearing closed body of the cycle mobile is made using ship modeling technology: the parts of the plywood body are connected by wire strands, followed by gluing the seams with fiberglass strips. Thanks to this original technology for a cycle car, Nadezhda weighed only 34 kg and accelerated to 45 km / h. ^[81]

Velomobile-streamliners "Moscow fish"

Bicycle designer Boris Zakoldaev created several bike-streamliners equipped with a streamlined body that looks like a fish. In particular, the Golden Fish racing streamer, presented at the Moscow Festival - Review of Velomobiles in August 1988. The newer model of B. Zakoldaev, called “ZAK”, became the only Russian streamliner to participate in cycling competitions overseas. Alexander Nilov, the USSR champion in cycling among juniors, set a record on the cycle track in Krylatsky in a single race, having traveled 60 km in 1 hour. Streamliner "ZAK" was awarded the VDNH medal in 1988, received prizes from exhibitions in Switzerland, the USA and the Netherlands. Several different specimens were made ^[82] .

Scorpio / Golden Eagle bicycle racing team

The Scorpio racing bike team was founded by aviation engineers Alexander Zhdanovich, Vadim Mazaev and Vladimir Strakin ^[83] . The team developed the Scorpion-2M racing bike, which took second place in the sprint at a distance of 200 meters in international cycling races in Poland in 1989.

In 1990 A. Zhdanovich left the team, leaving the Scorpion brand behind him. In the same year, V. Mazaev and V. Strakin founded the new Berkut team. Designers have developed a series of high-class racing cycle cars "Berkut", "Berkut-2", "Berkut-Polinter", "B-200". The team took part in cycling races in Poland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Also, the team designed and launched the Berkut-301/311 trike with front-wheel drive and front steered wheels. These trikes were successfully sold between 1992 and 2003. around the world ^[84] .

Racing Velomobiles V. Smirnova

Vladimir Smirnov, on his Vector-Skif bicycle, a bicycle of his own design, accelerated to 75 km / h, setting an all-Union speed record for a cycle mobile in a sprint of 200 m on the move ^[85] . The record was set at the 1990 All-Union Festival of Ecological Modes of Transport in the city of Poltava. The record set by V. Smirnov remains unbroken until now (for the CIS countries).

Championships and festivals of cycle cars

• The annual bike festival in Šiauliai (1983-1989) ^[86]
• Bicycle festivals "Golden Ring" ^[87]
• All-Union Festival of Ecological Modes of Transport - 1988, Novgorod ^[88] .
• All-Union Festival of Ecological Modes of Transport - 1989, Nikolaev .
• The first cycling championship of the USSR - 1990, Minsk .
• All-Union Festival of Ecological Modes of Transport - 1990, Poltava ^[89] .
• The second cycling championship of the USSR - 1991, Zaporozhye ^{[90] [91]} .

Modernity

Modern bicycle cars are produced by both numerous enthusiasts from improvised materials and serially by commercial firms. Such velomobiles, as a rule, have a three-wheeled arrangement (“tadpole” or “delta”) and frame construction. The frame material most often used is steel, aluminum or carbon. The streamlined body is made of fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar or aviation plywood. According to studies, a cyclist spends 80% of energy at a speed of 30 km / h to overcome air resistance. The higher the speed, the greater the value of air resistance, which grows exponentially. The fairing of a cycle mobile helps reduce air resistance, which helps to develop, depending on driving conditions, 10-60% higher speed than a bicycle ^[5] .

Serial Velomobiles

Homemade Velomobiles

After 1991, CIS cycling enthusiasts continued to build home-made cycling vehicles of various types. The largest number of home-made cycle mobiles with a body was created by cycle cyclists from Russia and Ukraine ^[92] .

"Dragon-2" by A. Ganshin

“Dragon-2” is a universal three-wheeled cycle car built by the Ukrainian cyclist Alexey Ganshin in 2010. The single cycle car has a frame structure with a streamlined, removable body. The bike was made for everyday trips in any weather and on roads of all types ^[93] .

Specifications:

• Number of seats: one
• Length: 2900 mm
• Width: 740 mm
• Height: 900 mm
• Track: 630 mm
• Seat height at bottom: 320 mm
• Layout: delta trike (front wheel steering, rear - drive)
• Body: fiberglass, streamlined
• Frame: spinal, steel (made of round pipe 48 * 1.2 mm)
• Type of transmission and gear availability: chain, 21 gears
• Front wheel: bicycle, with a diameter of 20 "
• Rear tires: bicycle, with a diameter of 28 "
• Weight: 40 kg (chassis weighs 31 kg, fairing - 9 kg)
• Maximum speed: 50 km / h

Racing cycle mobile "Dolphin" S. Dashevsky

Sergey Dashevsky (born in 1955), a Russian amateur athlete and bicycle rider, starting in the late 1980s. builds racing cycle cars for hours-long cycle marathons ^{[94] [95]} . His fastest bicycle was the Dolphinchik streamliner, where a Russian athlete successfully performs at competitions in Europe ^[96] . The basis of the bike-streamliner is a homemade ligade type M5 with a riveted aluminum frame. The fairing of a cycle car is made of fiberglass in the early versions and carbon fiber in the later versions. The rider is located almost horizontally and the fairing does not have a protruding cockpit that provides better streamlining at speed, but negatively affects visibility. In 1999, Dashevsky set a Russian record by developing on his cycle mobile 76.1 km / h in the sprint at 200 meters on the go at the World Cup in Switzerland.

Sixteen times in a row (1996–2011), Sergey Dashevsky took part in the annual daily cycle race “Schötz 24-Hour” (Switzerland). Each year he became either a winner (7 times) or a prize winner. Dashevsky also set an absolute record for the number of exits to the start of these popular competitions. On August 6, 2011, Sergey Dashevsky won the 24-hour race on the Delfinchik racing bike, having traveled 633 km at an average speed of 26.35 km / h. ^[97] The closest rival was 120 km behind.

Velomobiles V. Halaburdy

Vladimir Halaburda - Kiev portrait painter and creator of more than fifty cycle mobiles ^[98] . The inventor assembled his first cycle bike in 1977 ^[99] .

Being disabled since childhood, V. Halaburda tried to develop a leg damaged in infancy by cycling. However, the bike was uncomfortable and a headwind inflated the injured leg, causing pain in it. In order to rehabilitate and maintain good athletic form, the inventor begins to build cycling cars ^[100] . Distinctive features of his cycle vehicles are a body made of aviation materials (aviation fuel tank, parachute fabric, plexiglass) and a combined (foot and manual) drive ^[101] .

For more than 30 years, V. Halaburda has been using its cycle cars as everyday transport. "Yellow", the last bicycle designer, is the most perfect creation of Halaburda ^[102] .

Bicycle ark "Penguin-MS" L. Mikuly

“Penguin-MS” is a two-seater multifunctional amphibian cycle car built by Ukrainian inventor, traveler and designer Leonid Mitrofanovich Mikula (born in 1942) in 2005 for an expedition to the South Pole .

Initially, the partner in the trip was to become Tbilisi citizen Jumber Lezhava, an honorary Citizen of the world and a Georgian extreme traveler, whose name is listed 11 times in the Guinness Book of Records. ^[103]

To solve this problem, the Donetsk inventor designed the original floating cycle car. The pedal vehicle combines the functions of a cycle car, boat, sled, and also serves as the home of the team during the campaign. Making the model on a scale of 1:10 took 6 months. Изобретателю потребовалось 9 месяцев, чтобы построить полноразмерный велоковчег. Веломобиль был сделан в 2005 г. на судостроительном предприятии «Бельтинг» в г. Киеве ^[104] .

Получилось универсальное, многофункциональное транспортное средство, приводимое в движение мускульной силой человека на суше и ветром с помощью паруса на воде. Веломобиль оснащён независимым педальным приводом. Для передвижения в условиях Южного Полюса велоковчег оборудован титановыми полозьями, лыжами, лопастями-насадками на колёса и несколькими видами парусов, закреплённых на воздуховоде-антенне-мачте. Обтекаемый кузов веломобиля выполнен из стеклопластика. Кузов обладает высокой парусностью, что, в зависимости от ситуации, может быть как недостатком, так и преимуществом.

Вентиляция салона обеспечивается притоком воздуха из антенны-мачты. Посадка/высадка осуществляется через люк в крыше. Герметичный кузов состоит из двух частей, разъединяющихся лишь в случае крайней необходимости. Двухслойный стеклопластиковый кузов имеет толщину 15 мм. Пространство между слоями стеклопластика заполнено утеплением, которое придаёт дополнительную жёсткость кузову. Корпус велоковчега покрыт теплоизоляционной краской «Thermo-Shield», которая удерживает до 8—45 % тепла в зависимости от способа нанесения и герметичности поверхности ^[106] . Благодаря хорошей теплоизоляции достаточно горящей свечи, чтоб поддерживать плюсовую температуру внутри веломобиля в условиях полярного «лета».

Велоковчег был представлен украинской общественности 4 ноября 2005 г. в г. Донецк . «Пингвин-МС» позже был показан на автомобильной выставке «SIA-2006», проходившей в Киеве 23—28 мая 2006 г. Велоковчег привлёк к себе внимание и был назван одним из самых интересных экспонатов выставки ^[107] . Веломобиль также вошёл в экспозицию, посвящённую дню города Киева 28 мая 2006 г.

Велоковчег прошёл два этапа испытаний: зимнее и летнее ^[108] . Зимой 2007 г. Л. Микула проехал на веломобиле 800 км из Киева в Донецк. ^[109] Летом 2008 г. украинский путешественник провёл летние испытания велоковчега по маршруту Киев-Астана ^[110] . Общий пробег велоковчега после испытаний превысил 5000 км.

Путешественник планирует за тридцать дней антарктического лета преодолеть 1600 км от британской полярной станции Халли на северо-западном побережье Антарктиды до Южного полюса ^[111] . Запланированная стоимость экспедиции на велоковчеге составила 75 тыс. дол. Основная часть расходов приходится на транспортировку веломобиля из Донецка в Аргентину, а оттуда на побережье Антарктиды. В связи с финансовыми трудностями сроки путешествия постоянно переносились. В феврале 2011 г. проведены очередные испытания «Пингвина-МС» в поле под Донецком. Старт экспедиции намечен на октябрь 2011 г.

Л. Микула и его велоковчег «Пингвин-МС» были показаны на телеканале «Донбасс» 12 января 2011 г. Интервью с изобретателем (7:30—19:30 мин.) ^[112]

Международная ассоциация мускулоходов

Нефтяной кризис 1973 года заставил обратить внимание общественности на проблемы энергоэффективности и экологии. Университеты США стали организовывать соревнования мускулоходов с целью выяснения потенциальных возможностей такого вида техники. Массовость участников этого движения и серия неофициальных рекордов повлекли за собой образование Международной Ассоциации Мускулоходов («International Human Powered Vehicle Association» или сокращённо IHPVA). Организация была создана в США 28 марта 1976 г. IHPVA была основана американскими профессорами Дэвидом Гордоном Уилсоном, Честером Кайлом и Алланом Абботтом ^[113] .

Целью организации является официальная регистрация рекордов скорости транспортных средств, приводимых в движение мускульной силой человека, пропаганда биотранспорта и организация соревнований гоночных мускулоходов. Рекорды IHPVA признаются Книгой рекордов Гиннесса .

Вначале IHPVA занималась организацией гонок веломобилей, позже к этому добавились мускулолёты, педальные байдарки и миниподводные лодки, приводимые в движение лишь мускульной силой человека. С 1977 г. организация издаёт технический журнал «Human Power». Долгое время главным редактором журнала был Дэвид Гордон Уилсон, один из основателей IHPVA. На сайте ассоциации доступен электронный архив журнала «Human Power» с 1977 по 2004 гг. ^[114]

В данное время IHPVA сконцентрировалась на проведении следующих видов соревнований веломобилей: спринт с хода на 200 метров, часовой и суточный рекорды.

Гонки веломобилей под эгидой IHPVA проводятся на трассе № 305, недалеко от американского городка Бэттл Маунтин (Battle Mountain), в штате Невада. Место проведения соревнований находится на высоте 1407 метров над уровнем моря. Заезды обычно проводятся в конце сентября, или в начале октября. В соревнованиях ежегодно принимает участие 10—20 хорошо подготовленных команд. Максимальная скорость замеряется на последних 200 метрах восьми километрового участка для разгона. Типичная скорость гонщиков во время спринта составляет более 100 км/ч.

Долгое время рекорд в спринте с хода на 200 метров принадлежал канадскому гонщику Сэму Уиттингхэму на стримлайнере «Варна Диабло-3». 18 сентября 2008 года гонщик на капотированном лежачем велосипеде конструкции Георгия Георгиева развил 132,5 км/ч в спринте на 200 метров с хода ^[115] .

15 сентября 2013 года голландская команда из Делфтского технического университета и Амстердамского свободного университета установила новый рекорд скорости езды на VeloX3, лежачем велосипеде с аэродинамическим обтекателем ^[116] . Себастьяну Боуйеру удалось его разогнать до 133,78 км/ч ^[117] .

19 июля 2009 г. Сэм Уиттингхэм на веломобиле-стримлайнере «Варна Темпест» обновил мировой рекорд в часовом марафоне, проехав 90,064 км за один час. Конструктор рекордного веломобиля — Георгий Георгиев ^[118] . Второго августа 2011 г. швейцарский веломобилист Франсиско Руссо установил новый мировой рекорд в часовой гонке, проехав 91,595 км за один час на веломобиле-стримлайнере «Eiviestretto» ^[119] .

Текущий суточный рекорд в гонках на веломобиле принадлежит канадцу Грегу Колодейчику (Greg Kolodziejzyk). 17 июля 2006 г. спортсмен проехал на «Критической мощности», веломобиле своей конструкции, 1041,25 км за 24 часа на треке «Redwood Acres Motor Speedway» в г. Эврика, штат Калифорния ^[120] .

Международные соревнования веломобилей в Польше

Международные соревнования веломобилей в Польше под эгидой Международной ассоциации мускулоходов состоялись 2—3 июля 1989 г. в г. Серадз. Всего в соревнованиях приняло участие 54 веломобилиста с Польши, СССР, ФРН, ГДР, Великобритании, Чехословакии и Нидерландов. В веломобильном фестивале участвовали представители всех возрастных категорий: от 9 до 59 лет. СССР был представлен наибольшей командой участников — 28 человек. Советские веломобильные энтузиасты выступали на самодельных веломобилях «Круиз», «Рига-1», «Велотрон», «Фараон», «Скорпион-2M» «Дельфин» и других ^[121] .

Система оценивания веломобилей была основана на правилах IHPVA. Такая система позволила оценить техническое совершенство веломобилей с разных точек зрения. Соревнования состояли из спринта с хода на 200 метров, часовой гонки, гонки на 30 км и слалома. Результаты гоночных заездов измерялись профессиональной аппаратурой, соответствующей стандартам УСИ .

Самым зрелищным спортивным соревнованием стал спринт на 200 метров с хода. Первое место занял Герхард Шеллер, профессиональный велогонщик из ФРН, на веломобиле «Вектор-007». Немецкий спортсмен показал наилучшее время этих соревнований — 9,25 сек. Это соответствует максимальной скорости 82 км/ч. Советский «Скорпион-2M» завоевал второе место в этой категории с результатом 12,14 сек. Третье место занял польский спортсмен Яцек Жулковский на британском «Trice» конструкции Питера Росса, проехав дистанцию за 12,52 сек.

Международные соревнования педальных автомобилей

Гонки на педальных автомобилях — технический вид спорта, участники которого соревнуются на четырёхколёсных миниавтомобилях, приводимые в движение исключительно физической силой спортсменов. Соревнования обычно представляют собой кольцевые гонки продолжительностью от 45 минут до 24 часов ^[122] .

Во время гонок на выносливость каждая команда обычно состоит из четырёх водителей. В суточной гонке число водителей гоночного веломобиля увеличивается до шести. В целом соревнования напоминают гонки автомобилей на выносливость. Соревнования гоночных веломобилей на выносливость проводятся в Великобритании, Франции ^{[123] [124]} , Италии и Гонконге ^{[125] [126]} .

Британский чемпионат педальных автомобилей — соревнования гоночных педальных автомобилей на выносливость, которые проводятся в Великобритании семь раз в год с марта по сентябрь ^[127] . Британский чемпионат — самый массовый среди чемпионатов педальных автомобилей в Европе. Гоночный сезон имеет продолжительность 60 часов, включая суточную гонку в Шенингтоне. Около 30—40 команд ежегодно участвуют в гонках на педальных веломобилях. Типичная длина кольцевой трассы составляет около 600 метров. Средняя скорость команды-победителя составляет 30—35 км/ч.

Австралийский чемпионат веломобилей

Австралийский чемпионат веломобилей — один из самых массовых соревнований гоночных веломобилей в мире. Чемпионат состоит из двух шести часовых и одной суточной гонки. Популярность соревнования растёт. В последние годы в состязаниях принимают участие 150—250 команд ежегодно ^[128] .

Технические требования австралийского чемпионата гоночных веломобилей ^[129]

• Веломобиль должен иметь не менее трёх колёс. Все колёса должны быть функциональные и нести нагрузку.
• Веломобиль должен быть одноместный.
• Максимальная общая длина: 2700 мм
• Максимальная общая ширина: 1100 мм
• Максимальная общая высота: 1200 мм
• Максимальная высота сиденья относительно земли: 610 мм
• Минимальная колея: 600 мм
• Минимальная колёсная база: 1000 мм.
• Веломобиль должен иметь днище, которое защитит ноги в случае их соскальзывания с педалей.
• Радиус разворота не должен превышать 10,00 м.
• Запрещена тросовая система управления (только жёсткие тяги).
• На веломобиль должно быть установлено по меньшей мере два независимых тормозных механизма. Тормоза должны быть установлены на все колёса.
• Веломобиль должен быть оборудован, по меньшей мере, двумя зеркалами заднего вида.
• Сиденье должно быть установлено таким образом, чтобы гонщик имел хорошую обзорность.
• Веломобиль должен быть оснащён звуковым сигналом достаточной громкости.
• Обтекатель должен обеспечивать хорошую обзорность.
• Веломобиль должен иметь надёжные дуги безопасности над головой для защиты пилота в случае переворота.
• В конструкции веломобиля не должно быть колющих/режущих выступов. Детали привода, включая цепь, должны быть надёжно закрыты защитными щитками.
• Во время ночных гонок веломобиль должен быть оснащён, по меньшей мере, двумя передними фарами и двумя задними стоп-сигналами. Питание светотехники должно быть от аккумулятора (батареек).

Гонки «лунных» веломобилей НАСА

Гонки «лунных» веломобилей НАСА — международные соревнования на внедорожных веломобилях, проводящиеся под эгидой НАСА в США в г. Хантсвилл, штат Алабама. Состязующиеся делятся на две группы: школьники и студенты университетов (колледжей). Каждая команда должна состоять из шести человек. Участники должны самостоятельно изготовить «лунный» веломобиль для преодоления внедорожной трассы длинной 1127 м. «Кратеры», «лунная пыль», «застывшая лунная лава» и прочие неровности на трассе имитируют препятствия, по которым предстоит ездить настоящим луноходам . Всего на трассе присутствуют 15 различных препятствий ^[130] .

Главной целью состязания является популяризация технического творчества молодёжи, воспитание командного духа и развитие способностей юных конструкторов преодолевать трудности. Конкурс также призван мотивировать студентов и школьников изобретать, и воплощать в жизнь самые смелые технические и научные идеи.

Соревнования проводятся с 1994 г. Начиная с 2007 года гонки «лунных» веломобилей стали международными. В последние годы в состязании принимает участие около сотни команд.

Для того, чтобы победить, команда должна иметь как технически совершенный веломобиль, так и хорошую физическую форму. Каждой команде даётся две попытки. В соревнованиях победит тот, кто сможет быстрее всех разложить луномобиль и успешно проехать трассу соревнований. Призовыми местами награждаются первые три команды в каждой категории участников ^[131] .

1—2 апреля 2011 года прошли восемнадцатые международные гонки «лунных» веломобилей. В них приняли участие более 80 команд из США, Пуэрто-Рико, Канады, Германии, России, Индии, Пакистана и Эфиопии ^[132] . В категории школьников победила команада Пуэрто-Рико с результатом 3:18. В категории студентов вузов сильнейшей оказалась команда из Пуэрто-Рико с результатом 3:41 ^[133] .

Российские студенты выступали в двух командах: МИКО (Международный Институт Космического Образования) под № 2 и МАИ (Московский авиационный институт) под № 77. Команда МИКО, прошлогодний победитель гонок, на новом луномобиле «Луноход-3» заняла шестое место в категории студентов вузов. Состав команды МИКО: Евгений Закутин (Россия), Роман Тарасов (Россия), Марин Бойер (Франция) и Томми Кнабе (Германия). Команда посвятила своё участие сорокалетию Лунохода и пятидесятилетию полёта Ю. Гагарина ^[134] . Руководитель команды и директор Международного института космического образования — Ральф Хеккель.

Команда МАИ в дебютной гонке не смогла успешно преодолеть трассу. Полное видео соревнований доступно на сайте USTREAM ^[135] .

• Лигерад
• Трицикл
• Тандемный велотрайк
• Twike
• Велоприцеп
• Велорикша

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