I don’t know why roofed bikes and bike-caravans have appealed to me so much for years. They are expensive and take up a lot of space at home. I probably won’t buy one. And yet I’m always looking to see what’s new in this area.
They would be handy in spring and autumn. So here’s my list which velomobiles are available with a roof:
- Quadvelo https://www.quadvelo.com/
- Podbike https://www.podbike.com
- BAYK https://bayk.ag/newsticker/
- Onomotion https://onomotion.com/blog/
- Citkar https://www.mubea-umobility.com/insights/blog
- Hopper https://hopper-mobility.com/
And which may be ready for series production in 2025:
- ELF https://organictransit.com/ (Study according to “Das MÖ”)
- Pedilio https://www.pedilio.de/
- iris https://www.grantsinclair.com/product-page/iris-etrike-electric-vehicle
- Twike https://twike.com/
- Veemo SE https://veemo.ca
In my opinion, it would be enough for a cargo-bike manufacturer to offer an optional roof like the one built by “Ekki Mobil”. (picture in title) A cargo-bike with a box at the front would be ideal. It would also be much cheaper than any of the velomobiles listed above. What do you think about it?
Honestly, I just wear safety glasses: clear when it’s cloudy or dark, tinted if it’s sunny. That takes care of rain/snow and bugs in my eyes, and a coat takes care of everything other than my face.
If you want to get fancy, you can also use a balaclava or a scarf. Helmets w/ facemask are bulky.
I use ski goggles currently for my winter rides, but I’ve been considering a helmet with facemask to integrate everything. But maybe it would be too bulky. There’s a lot of bulk with a balaclava, headband, hood (for wind blocking) and helmet already.
I just let my face get cold, but it doesn’t get that cold here, and the coldest I’ve ridden in is 5F (-15C), and winters are usually about 15-30F (-10-0C), and are pretty dry. But my eyes drying out sucks, hence the glasses. Oh, and I’ll add a teenie weenie beanie if it’s particularly cold.
I worry ski goggles would cloud up too much, but then again, I haven’t tried them. I’ve only worn a face mask when the air quality sucks, and that’s separate from the glasses. If they were integrated, I’d go back to worrying about fogging up.
Ski goggles are designed to not fog up. They are after all intended to be used at speed and in the cold. Mine are vented so I can feel a little bit of wind while using them.
They’re designed for that but it doesn’t always work well.