I'm writing a piece for a magazine

[AnaCastan]

Hi allemaal,

Sorry because I cannot properly write Dutch, so I leave my message in English.

I'm Ana Castan, a writer for Ciclosfera, a Spanish magazine about urban cycling, available both online and in print. 

I'm contacting you because, in our next issue, I’ll write about the different vehicles (besides regular bikes) that use the cycling network in The Netherlands. I noticed various velomobiles in Amsterdam and I think it might be really interesting to write about them.

Can any owner of a velomobile help me?


Those are my questions:
- Those bicycles are used in competitions, right? Besides that, do you use it in a regular way to go to work or to commute?
- Do you know how many velomobiles there are in The Netherlands?
- and if there is any norm, rule, or law under which they have to be used?

If you prefer, you can answer my questions in Dutch, I can read it

Thank you so much for your help,

Ana

[Willeke_IGKT]

Velomobiles are seen as 'fiets' so follow the same rules as bicycles, with one important exception, those cycles that have 3 or more wheels and are over 75 cm wide are allowed to use the car lane in many places but not all.

Most of the people here use their velomobile for everyday cycling, going to work, holiday trips and some of us also for racing.
Noticeable difference with many kinds of cycling races, people often ride their velomobile to the race rather than transporting it, take out their gear, add the number and transponder and race, to ride home after the event.

[Hardloper]

Check the driver list at Velomobiel.nl and Intercitybikes.nl and you can make a try for the total count of the Velomobiles in the Netherlands. But you have not a count of the Milan / Bülk / Alleweders / Waw / etc / and you who not want on the list with the country.

[PieterTrapt]

- Those bicycles are used in competitions, right? Besides that, do you use it in a regular way to go to work or to commute?
Yes, there are velomobile competitions, but their main use is for commute. Velomobiles are great for distances of -roughly- 15....35 km (so 30....70km ida y vuelta), especially when most of that distance is in the countryside. They are not very handy in cities, though.

- Do you know how many velomobiles there are in The Netherlands? 
Probably a few thousand.

- and if there is any norm, rule, or law under which they have to be used?
They are regarded as normal bicycles, with one exception: they are also allowed on the road, meaning that velomobiles can chose to take the bicycle path OR the road.

[365cycle]

Hi Ana,
yes, some of us race. But this might help:

TEDx Reinventing the Wheel

And here is a video of a true city to city commute (Houten through Nieuwegein to Gouda): what's in a name - my bike was delivered through the aforementioned company Intercity Bike.  

Looking forward to your article!

[Bacchus]

Can any owner of a velomobile help me?

Not an owner here (I ride an open recumbent) but I have experience in them.

- Those bicycles are used in competitions, right? Besides that, do you use it in a regular way to go to work or to commute?

Velomobiles are primarily built as practical human powered vehicles. These are multiple track, often tricycles. That makes them more stable and a bit more roomy and practical, which are beneficial properties in a public road environment. Of course, like basically all vhicles they are raced too but they definately are not purpose-built race machines.
Next to velomobiles, there are faired recumbent bicycles. These are only built for competition and record attempts and are not safe to ride on public roads. They are the fastest human powered vehicles on land though with a 200 m sprint record of 144 km/h (Reichert) and 92 km hour record (Russo). The BHPC sees a few in their track competition.

- and if there is any norm, rule, or law under which they have to be used?

There are no specific laws. Generally they are considered to be bicycles except some can be considered multi-track cargo bicyles by their width of over 75 cm and thus are allowed on a main road (but not motor way) where a parallel bicycle path is available.

[Raymond]

- Those bicycles are used in competitions, right? Besides that, do you use it in a regular way to go to work or to commute?

I'm riding an open two-wheeler, not a velomobile. I participated in a recumbent race once last year. There were some velomobiles, but most participants were racing with open two-wheelers and some with partially faired two-wheelers.

I know of one example of pure velomobile racing, but that is far away from the Netherlands. It's the HPV Super Series in Australia. The velomobiles used there are probably not suitable for the open road, and purpose built for racing on raceways.

[AnaCastan]

Thank you so much for your input, Willeke, Raymond, Bacchus, 365Cycle, Pieter, and Hardloper!

Now I understand what those bicycles are actually used for.

I'm writing the piece next week, so if I need any clarification in the meantime, can I reach out here again?

By the way, thank you all for responding to my request so quickly.

Ana

[365cycle]

I'm writing the piece next week, so if I need any clarification in the meantime, can I reach out here again?

Always welcome. I also sent you a request on LinkedIn so you can reach me directly.