Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by root on February 22, 2009 at 4:41am

i'm sorry, but using this canopy sort of seems like a death wish to me. i can easily see a person catching an unexpected cross wind and getting blown right into the lane of traffic

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Permalink Reply by RodimusPrime on February 22, 2009 at 5:58am

i don't think i could try it. . it looks claustrophobic.

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Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on February 22, 2009 at 6:06am

Jill - nice try but I have to say that gear doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. Part of the reason people buy goggles, boots, etc. is to have full mobility no matter what. I admit that if all you're doing is riding around the block somewhere in northern Wilmette or Highland Park far far away from traffic it might be a fun thing to have.

Here's my gear for winter, for example: athletic thermals (base layer like capilene), athletic pants, a shirt, 2-3 jackets (windbreaker, insulated synthetic coat, waterproof shell) depending on how cold it is, wool socks, a pair of Merrell high top (basketball high top style) winter shoes, a helmet, a balaclava, and ski goggles. If its snowing or raining I tend to avoid the weather but when I have to I get my rain slicks out I know something is going to get wet anyway. So I bring along an extra pair of shoes when it rains and definitely a change of clothes - but I almost always bring these along anyhow to the office. I also have fenders on my bikes.

Be warned that I agree with "root". You might be a few steps away from a lawsuit if you get around to selling your canopy en masse.

No commuter or serious cyclist could ever take this idea seriously. It would take a Galilean or Newtonian moment of inspiration to eliminate drag, ventilation issues for cross winds, issues with fogging, ease of use, the additional weight the device adds, and problems with durability. Such an idea is appropriate for a child's stroller but completely inappropriate for a bicycle. A bicycle is not a stroller, a car, or even a motorcycle. For most of us who don't want to spend an arm and a leg, a bicycle is its own animal, a machine designed and ridden one way around the globe for well over a century - outside and in the elements.

However, please view this page about specialty bikes:
http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/

I think we would be most interested in a velomobile design - if you can develop one that's cheap, lightweight, safe, durable, and easy to use you would be a legend and an inspiration to us all.

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Permalink Reply by T.C. O'Rourke on February 22, 2009 at 1:36pm

Since all we have to go on is a small photograph, I think you gents are being a bit harsh. Something like this might have potential for some people/circumstances. Given that nobody here has tried it, I think the claims of impossibility and warnings about lawsuits are a little premature.

That said, Jill if you really want people to test your product, which appears to be in a prototype phase, asking them to send you cash ("plus shipping") in exchange for "plans" is inappropriate.

Your intentions may be good, but frankly this is coming off as a scam. The fact that your post contains numerous typos and your website features one small photo of the product, a crude drawing on what appears to be a dirty napkin, a link that leads to yahoo.com and harsh warnings/disclaimers isn't helping your case either.

My advice: refine your canopy, make some videos of it in action and get some testimonials.

P.S. 5 or so years ago I often saw a older man riding around northern end of the Lake Front Trail (and adjacent roads) with a similar homemade canopy.

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Permalink Reply by Vondo on February 22, 2009 at 3:29pm

I won't get into the potential problems with this because as T.C. has said, nobody has tried it. It may be a good idea in some circumstances, who knows. One thing I will say however is that from a business standpoint, your sales model needs tweaking. Most people won't shell out for an unproven product that they have to build themselves. If you are so confident in your design, bring it to a cyclo-centric (is that a word?) event like a critical mass or something similar and put on a demonstration. It sounds kind of weak, but believe me, this is probably the best approach to promote your product. This way people get to see it in action and maybe try it out without having to pay money to build it themselves. It may or may not be the next big thing, but its going to take some live salesmanship and on site demos to get this off the ground. <- My two cents.

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Permalink Reply by Ali on February 22, 2009 at 4:02pm

I am going to side with an old norse saying; "There is no such thing as bad weather, there is just bad clothing." I think if dressed appropriately, you will keep warmer and safer than that canopy...Sure seems like a lot of square footage, could be an excellent land sailing rig downwind....

-Ali

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Permalink Reply by root on February 22, 2009 at 4:19pm

omglol @ the napkin drawing. i didn't see that the first time.

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Permalink Reply by root on February 22, 2009 at 4:21pm

props for the zero rake fork though, you can do mad barspinzzzz even with that canopy on

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Permalink Reply by Todd Allen on February 22, 2009 at 5:48pm

If you want a full canopy the best way to do it is to start with a recumbent tricycle. A trike gives needed stability and gives a much lower crosswind profile to boot. There are many commercial variations on this theme called velomobiles sold in Europe. Unfortunately they are all low volume production and silly expensive. Especially the ones with good performance.

I built a welded aluminum skeleton/coroplast skin fairing for my motorized recumbent bicycle. It was built for aerodynamic performance with tight tolerances to minimize cross section and wind drag. It didn't enclose my head. I did get a modest performance boost but the impact on handling caused me to remove it after a few weeks. It was scary in winds over 15 mph and especially bad when it was gusty. On rural roads getting passed closely by large trucks at highway speeds was also scary due to the gusts that often accompanied them.

My expectation is that this hugely bigger canopy that appears much less rigidly constructed on a much taller bike would be far more prone to wind trouble. Considering that the sort of stormy weather where one would most appreciate having the protection is where it would be the most dangerous makes me think that it would be of very limited use.

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Permalink Reply by o0_dan_0o on February 22, 2009 at 6:31pm

i wont make any disparaging remarks about the entrepreneurial spirit exhibited here.

nice try! ive often thought that selling plans for things would be a good way to make a buck.

but im a pretty smart guy and after looking at the napkin drawing im just gonna build it myself!

oh wait, thats a horrible idea.

but good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Chuck a Muck on February 23, 2009 at 2:22am

That sure is a craptacular looking contraption.

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Permalink Reply by cutifly on February 23, 2009 at 3:47am

No scam or automated software, I have been talking to her for a few weeks via the email. I think she is creative and has a good idea. I am sure the more you bust her balls the better her revisions will come into play. I do give her credit for giving it a go for sure.

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