Would you buy a covered bicycle?
It seems like the perfect mobility device, but why can't we make it work?
Why can't we seem to figure out how to make a solid covered bicycle?
I'm not looking for anything that fancy just something that fits more in that valley between bicycle and car. Sure, there are really expensive small EVs that are more like cars, but I think those are overkill for most people.
Yes, it would be great for a covered bike to be motorized but I don't think that's necessarily a requirement. Just two wheels and a roof, is that too much to ask?
I know, I know, there are limitations around wind resistance and drag. I'm not a physicist but I can imagine that these difficulties are less so than the ones already solved by electric cars. We have electric cargo bikes with canopies for children, but why not just cover up the rider of the bike as well? Why should our kids be warm and dry while we're still facing the elements.
Ok, the other question is what is the market for a product like this? If there was a market for it, it would probably exist already. Well, you can see a few cheap canopies that can attach to almost any bike. And these are actually better than nothing, I appreciate their availability. But it seems pretty reasonable to create a cover that can fit over 99 percent of all bikes. Most bikes fall into the same dimensions without too many departures.
I'd love to have something that I could ride in the winter months without having to to worry about the rain or the cold or the wind. And I live in California! This seems to be such a worthwhile product for someone who lives in a colder climate and wants to extend their window of bikeable time in a year.
There have been some odd-ball devices like the PEBL or the Veemo. I've been thinking more about this after reading that the Veemo appears to be resurrected as their parent company was just acquired. I recall seeing some of the Veemo promo videos a few years ago and they're fairly compelling. They make it seem like the perfect little urban vehicle that can be used in all weather at all hours of the day.
But until this goes into production and I see some real world reviews, it's hard to really get behind it. They also originally said the product would cost about $5,000 USD in 2016 but the latest estimates push the cost to at least $12k, likely more. I can understand production costs going up but the Veemo may be dead on arrival at that price point. I do think there would be a market if they could sell it in the $5-$8K range to position it with higher-end front-loading cargo bikes.
You know that I've been bullish on autocycles like the Nimbus. Yes, I still have placed my deposit to order one if it ever comes to fruition. A quick side note about Nimbus. As someone who put down a deposit to purchase a Nimbus One to receive in "late 2023" I haven't received any communications from them since my order was processed in November 2022. There have been some rumblings that the company has gone bankrupt but they've said those rumors are untrue and the will have updates soon. Who knows? Let's just say I'm not expected to be behind the "wheel" of a Nimbus anytime soon and I'm open to other ideas.
Having a fully enclosed bicycle does take away some of the fun that comes with riding a bike. It's nice to have the wind in your hair most days. And it's good to be more aware of your surroundings and engaged with the environment. But I still see a huge benefit to being able to get around on a bike in all weather conditions. We've seen how popular electric cargo bikes have gotten. Can you imagine how quickly they'd become mainstream if you just put a canopy over them. Is that too much like a car? Does that defeat the purpose?
The lines have clearly gotten blurry around what is a bike or a moped or an electric motorcycle or an autocycle or a small car...you get the idea. Perhaps we need to think less about overly categorizing these products and just consider what will make them more usable. Our Tern HSD cargo bike sells an accessory to fully enclose the rear cargo area for children. I'll likely purchase that accessory before next winter. But if they also sold a slightly bigger accessory that went around the driver too, I'd make that purchase without thinking twice. I don't doubt that we'll see more products like this soon. I'm just surprised that we aren't there yet.
Anyone else eager to buy an enclosed bike?
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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