There were any number of bicycles at Interbike that you might say are pushing the edge of design, material fabrication, and manufacturing. The new custom carbon-fiber frame from Seven Cycles, and the bamboo frame tandem from Calfee, represent two extremes of the avant-garde.
But the coolest, most innovative ride we saw at Interbike 2006 was not a bicycle, but a tricycle, called the Aerorider.
The Aerorider is a single-seat, human-powered vehicle, made by a small company in The Netherlands. Its founder, Bart De Wert, was at Interbike with a hope of developing greater awareness for the Aerorider in the USA and, stimulating orders.
With gas prices still quite high, with hybrid automobiles coming into vogue, with ride-sharing organizations such as FlexCar reaching critical mass, and bicycle commuting entering the mainstream, the timing has never been better for HPVs in America.
To be completely accurate, though, the Aerorider is a hybrid. The primary power source is the rider. But the Shimano Nexus, 8-speed drive-train has an power-assisted electric-motor to make climbing hills easier. According to the manufacturer, the idea is to get us from home to office in our work clothes, without breaking a sweat.
The design features a very low drag-coefficient, which means that this patented shell makes the Aerorider the most aerodynamic recumbent on the planet. Top speed is about 45 KPH, fast enough to ride the roads, though local regulations will be the determining factor. The battery has a range of 20 kilometers to 80 kilometers, depending on terrain and how much you draw on the asynchronous, electric motor.
I did not have a chance to test ride it, but I did sit in the cockpit and close the fairing. It was comfortable, almost cozy, like a sail plane. The controls felt natural. It was easy to imagine what it might be like riding to work on a cold and rainy, winter day in Portland, Oregon, or Madison, Wisconsin, or anywhere drivers are already seeing bikes and willing to share the road.
When I got home, I told my wife to put an Aerorider on my Christmas list. I was only half kidding. At about $7,500 USD / $7000 EURO (including VAT), the price is close to what you would pay for that custom Seven road bike, or one-third of the cost of a new Volkswagen Beetle, one of the most cost-effective automobiles on the market today.
The cost to drive it?
About 1200 calories a day on my commute.
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65 Responses to
“Keep your Prius. Give me an Aerorider.”
Michael Wolfe
October 22nd, 2006 at 8:40 amHi David!
The Aerorider is pretty nifty! There are other, similar options out there that are unpowered, like the Leitra, the Cab Bike, and the Quest. In fact, my friend John Williams in Philomath has a Quest, and likes it very much (and moves very quickly on it!) Check it out at: http://www.velomobiel.nl
——————–
The Quest is very cool, indeed, Michael. Thanks for pointing it out. When you say unpowered, I am assuming you mean the machines do not have a power-assist from an electric motor. The developers of Aerorider just introduced a new machine, without the power-assist, to address that market. It is called the Sunrider. Check it out. http://www.aerorider.com/en/sunrider.html.
And while we have you on the phone, many congratulations on your successful Furnace 508 – amazing, simply amazing.
For R2R readers: check out Michael’s blog, The Long Haul. There is a link to it on the right side of this page, under the Road Warriors heading. Be forewarned: everything you thought you knew about riding a recumbant is about to go out the window.
Brian Lee
November 6th, 2006 at 1:16 pmJust to let everyone know real prices, since I have just ordered one – The US dollar price around $7500 is about right (without VAT) due to the current Euro conversion rate of about 1.27. However, the Price mentioned in Euros for someone shipping it to the US is not 7000 Euro, it is about 5900 Euro without the VAT – no VAT to pay if shipped to US.
Shipping is expensive – Air shipping is about $1600 due to the large volume of the Aerorider. I’m currently looking for a cheaper way to ship all the way to Minneapolis.
I have test-driven one while recently in the Netherlands, and it was really nice – very nicely built, quiet, very comfortable, and very quick to take off with the electric assist.
I am going to buy a US made lithium polymer battery to power it:
http://www.texaselectricbikes.com/catalog/lithium-polymer-battery-volt15-hour-p-165.html
This battery only weighs 10 lbs and gives 16 AH of energy, giving an Aerorider a minimum range of 25K and a max range of 100K peddling hard.
——————————–
Brian -
Thanks for the update and the reality-check on the cost to get one state-side. What are your plans for the Aerorider? Are you going to use it for transportation? Or for cycling-related events, etc.? Either way, congrats on your purchase and keep us informed. You have to be one of a handful of folks in the country with one of these machines.
-dr
Mary Arneson
November 29th, 2006 at 5:05 amWow. I’m excited that an Aerorider is coming to Minneapolis! I’ve ridden one in Germany and have talked with the manufacturer, but I’m kind of looking at them from the other side. I ride an unpowered enclosed trike, the Cab-Bike (in Minneapolis), and the Aerorider feels BIG in comparison. The downside is the maze of regulations for powered vehicles. Minnesota just opened up a niche for electric vehicles, which would make it a little easier to use one on the street, but they aren’t welcome on suburban 40+ mph throughways or on commuter bike routes. Another option to consider is a regular velomobile with a Bionx power assist. That would be smaller and lighter but still offer some help up the hills. (See: http://waw-bionx.blogspot.com/ ).
Brian Lee
December 8th, 2006 at 8:02 pmHi David and Mary,
To answer your questions:
This Aerorider is the answer to my guilt about contributing to global warming gases, and my desire to get exercise every day.
I might have considered a completely human-powered vehicle like the Cab-Bike had I lived a little closer to work. But my commuting distance is currently about 13 miles, and will be going up to 19 miles next year. I have tried riding to work and it took an hour each way, and I had to take a shower on each end.
I looked at all the options and noticed this Aerorider on the web last year. This past summer, I was lucky enough to have been sent by my work on a special assignment in the Netherlands for three months. While there, I commuted by bike every day – 6 miles each way, and loved it – (only problem was the constant showers needed. But what a great bike system the Dutch have. Better than their roads for cars – since you can go many places by bike that you can’t get to by car.
After experiencing the lifestyle and freedom of biking to work, and getting in great cardiovascular shape, I got on a mission to figure out a way to do the same thing in Minneapolis, but “How to minimize travel time, handle the cold and the rain, and avoid the showers?”
While in the Netherland , I also was able to take a test drive of the Aerorider – Bart at Aerorider was kind enough to haul one an hour from Ijmuiden to give us a test drive.
What a great vehicle! I realized then, that this was the answer to my quest! Cheat a little with the electric assist – which by the way gets you off to a very quick start, helps keep your speed up the hills, and if you go full assist gets you there at full-speed, without breaking a sweat. Yet you still get your workout in while commuting at the same time. I will lose 20 minutes each way in commuting time – but I gain 20 minutes of light workout going to work, and 20 minutes of hard work-out coming home on low-assist.
I am lucky enough to live on Theodore Wirth Parkway, and can ride parkway most of the way to work – the 25 mph speed limit is perfect since the Aerorider will be registered as a moped with a top speed of 30 mph. (Just to let everyone know – many states, including Minnesota, will allow the Aerorider to be classified as a moped, and in Minnesota the registeration fee is only around $10/year, and there is no U.S import tax since it is motorized – I believe the unassisted velomobiles are taxed at about 3.7%.)
For those coldest sub-zero days, I may buy one of those small 36 V golf-cart heaters, and for carrying groceries, I am looking into getting a hold of a used aerodynamic Tanjor trailer. Mary – Let me know if you have any tips for me!
Save the Earth! and Peace to All!
Brian
Andrew Sturtevant
January 2nd, 2007 at 7:28 pmI live in Maine and just ordered an Aerorider and am very excited. I am wondering if Brian Lee has received his yet? I am interested in hearing how this works out.
Andrew
Brian Lee
January 5th, 2007 at 3:46 pmHi Andrew,
Congratulations on your recent purchase. Did you get a chance to test-drive one? What drove your decision to buy one?
I ordered mine in November, and expect it to receive it in late February. I ordered it without a battery and got a discount.
I am currently trying to buy the best 36V Lithium battery pack at a lower cost here in the U.S.. Aerorider only sells the lead-acid and nickel metal-hydride batteries which are pricey due to the Euro conversion rate. Which battery type did you settle on? I also hope to find a battery that also works at low temperatures – the new lithium iron phosphate batteries look promising, especially the A123 batteries, safer, high energy density and long-lived. However, noone is yet building a suitable 36V battery pack and charger using A123 batteries.
PowerStream.com is offering lithium iron phosphate battery packs at 10AH and 20 AH packs, but the battery is new to them and they have no information about the low temperature characteristics. Although they claim it can be cycled 2000 times – 4x a normal lithium polymer battery pack.
I’ll let you know via this site how this all works out.
Best Regards,
Brian Lee
Andrew Sturtevant
January 13th, 2007 at 3:28 pmI was not able to test drive anything, and basically placed the order after many months of lengthy e-mails withy Jeff Klines in St.Louis. I have biked for several decades, and finally decided that the combination of a relatively flat commute and my love for cycling make this velo a perfect fit for my lifestyle. I also love the idea of mixing fitness with playing my part to save the environment.
I went with the standard NiMH battery since I am fairly new to the electric bike thing. Jeff did advise me to purchase batteries stateside, but I figured when the bike got here I would like to know for certain the unit has everything needed to plug and go. I am very interested to hear of your success with other battery companies and types!
I’ve read a little about the lithium packs, and like the light weight options, I am interested to know what the real usable life is, however, since it seems they tend to lose power after a few hundred charges. This concerns me since my one way communte is 20 miles, which means I should see a lot of charges over a year.
Tell me a bit about the handling of the velo? Is it hard on hills? Is the braking resonsive? Does it get extremely hot when the sun os out? Whatever you can share I will savor! I won’t get mine until March, but I would not be able to ride until then anyway due to the snow here.
I may have read this earlier, but what state do you live in?
I look forward to comparing notes in the months ahead!
Andrew
Brian Lee
February 5th, 2007 at 3:53 pmHi Andrew,
I am from Minnesota, thus my interest in a battery that works well at low temperatures. The battery I am going with is the A123 Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery. Unfortunately the A123 Systems company has no interest in providing the e-bike community with a battery solution at this point. They are concentrating on the electric car, supplying Dewalt with batteries for their high-end rechargeable tools, and the radio control community..
To get my A123 batteries at a reasonable price, I am buying 36 V Dewalt batteries at a discount on ebay. I now have the 5 that I need for a 11 AH battery pack. I purchased the DC9360 Dewalt packs at prices from $75 to $90 each. The radio control community is using them and has a lot of information on line about how to tear apart Dewalt’s and build battery packs and charge them. The advantages to this battery is that it can take 2000 charges or more, is very safe, and and I believe maintains power and voltage throughout its life.
To answer your other questions about the Aerorider:
I was able to test drive one for only about half an hour on a flat area around an industrial park in the Netherlands, so I really don’t have an idea of how well it handles hills. It has really good pickup on a start, much better than I can do on a bike, so I believe it’s hill climbing for at least light grades is going to be OK. I’m guessing a 10% grade is going to be slow, but that some human peddling torque should help on steep grades.
Handling is interesting, and may some getting used to, for several reasons:
First – Controls: Since you are controlling everything with the same two hands: brake levers in both hands, steering through moving both hands left and right, throttle through twisting the left hand, shifting through turning a small knob below your right pinky, you are doing a lot with your hands. Fortunately, you aren’t using them all at once and most moves are very similar to a combination of motorcycle and bicycle moves, which we are all used to, except for the fact that your hands are in a nice natural thumbs-up handshaking position, and your arms are in a nice relaxed position at your side.
I did not like controlling the shifter with my lower right hand using my thumb and my right pinky. It seems awkward – how often does one use their pinky? So, I asked Bart if he could move the shifter control up to the top of the right grip handle and he said no problem, and he thought it was a good idea. This way, you can control the shifting with your stronger forefinger and thumb. You may want to ask Bart to do the same.
Brakes:
Another thing that I did not care much for was the fact that the brake levers are upside down with the levers up, and thus opposite that of a bicycle. According to Bart, this is because if they install them in a bicycle position, which they have tried, the cables interfere with access into the seat which is from above. I thought about this a lot, and realized it was probably just because my hands are so used to the normal bike position, so I decided that I would just have to get used to them. While on this topic – the brakes do work very well, and stop you very quickly, probably because they are disk brakes and you can stop yourself with brakes on all 3 wheels. One handle controlling both front brakes, simultaneously, the other the rear brake. I forget which controls which…
The ride: The ride is smooth, and pretty quiet – you have a hard time judging your speed. Riding in the recumbent position is very comfortable. The contoured padded seat is very comfortable. The airflow is great and the greenhousing was not noticeable at all in mid 70 temperatures we had in early September in the Netherlands. The electric fan and good side vents work very well to keep the solar heating down.
Since you cannot lean into your turns, you cannot turn as sharply as a bicycle, and do the same kind tilting and swerving maneuvers that you can on bicycle. This takes a little getting used to, and to be honest – I really don’t know how well it will handle high speed maneuvering, say in an emergency. Bart says that he’s only heard of one accident, and it was when someone missed a turn and ended up in a canal – the entire electrical system had to be replaced.
Despite what may be somewhat limited maneuverability because of it’s upright position, the vehicle feels very stable at all times, probably because your body and the Aerorider’s center of gravity are very low. I did not push the vehicle on turns, and was being very careful. I think the ride was just a little stiff, but not bad, the tires and suspension are designed for ease of peddling and efficiency, not necessarily a really soft ride. You can choose softer tires and less pressure for a softer ride – I chose the softer hybrid tires, since I will be facing some bumps on a parkway ride to work. I believe you can also adjust the suspension to your tastes.
Other things I noticed when pointed out to me: The front windshield is very curved to be aerodynamic and this causes a little bit of visual curvature distortion that you can notice if you move your head side to side, although you really have a very nice wide field of view.
The construction and finish inside and out is top-notch – much nicer than the Twike, which I have seen once while here in Minneapolis, and which was also pointed out be a recumbent biker who also got to test-drive it.
One other thing – If you have not set up your shipping – Ocean Trans offered me the best shipping deal – They do not charge for the extra fuel that the 500 kg volume-equivalent weight would call for: In other words, other shippers charge you as if you would be using up the fuel to ship a 500 Kg parcel.
More later when I get the Aerorider in late February.
Brian Lee
Charlie
February 19th, 2007 at 1:15 pmHello Brian,
I’ve read your posts here with great interest. I’m seriously considering purchasing an Aerorider from Bart. What I’m most worried about is the legality here in CT. Is your Aerorider going to be limited to 20mph top speed with the motor? This is what Bart is indicating he’s doing now in order for the Aerorider to be classified as a bicycle here in the U.S.?
Regards,
Charlie
Brian Lee
February 21st, 2007 at 3:00 pmHi Charlie,
Glad to hear that you are considering an Aerorider. Mention to Bart that you are reading my posts – perhaps he will give me some kind of commission.
From Minnesota State definitions, the Aerorider can be classified as a moped. With the state law information I passed on to Bart, he thought he could send it to me without the 20 mph limit. Every state is a bit different, so you need to check out Connecticut.
Try this website, for starters:
http://moped2.org/mstates.htm
By the way, in designing my own battery pack using the new safe lithium iron phosphate batteries from A123, I have recently successfully tied two 36V Dewalt battery packs I purchased on eBay together using some parallel connections built into the battery packs. The Dewalt battery charger charged them perfectly, taking about twice the normal 1 hour charge time. I believe I can extend this to 5 battery packs, giving me an 11 AH state-of-the-art safe 12 lb. lithium battery for about $500 that will handle >2000 charges, with a cheap $30 charger that will charge them in 5 hours and balance them overnight. If you have any interest in making your own custom Dewalt battery pack and want to do it right, please let me know: I have managed to find and purchase a bunch of the exact connectors needed to fit to the built-in balancing ports of the 36 V Dewalt battery.
Best Regards,
Brian Lee
Charlie
February 27th, 2007 at 9:42 amHey Brian,
Thanks for writing!
Bart and I have exchanged a few emails back and forth where I’ve been asking questions and he’s been answering them. The last question I asked was regarding not limiting the top end motor speed to only 20 mnph as in CT electric assisted bicycles are lumped with mopeds which have a top end speed limit of 30 mph. I never received a reply after that? I followed up with an email stating I wanted to order an Aerorider with the following features:
- No charger or batteries. (I’d supply)
- 1:14 motor gearing instead of the standard 1:12
Bart mentioned this could be done at no extra
cost and I live in hilly territory. (I would expect
the top end speed to be about 24mph this way)
- Color to be factory Yellow.
For the last two weeks, I’ve had no reply from Bart?
That’s never a good sign!
Charlie
Charlie
February 28th, 2007 at 10:17 amWhoops! I had all overseas emails filtered out by my IP’s spam filter program. Corrected! Hooked up with Bart again and I’ve ordered an Aerorider!
Charlie
Brian Lee
March 7th, 2007 at 12:30 pmHi Charlie,
Glad you were able to get your Aerorider in with Bart.
I must share with you and anyone else interested in Aeroriders, what I have recently learned about shipping in Aeroriders into the U.S..
Bart is currently able to sell them to you and then have you import them yourself as a low speed electric-bicycle, but limited to the 20 mph speed limit by speed control software in the Aerorider. As such, they are not considered a motorized vehicle, and therefore don’t have to meet the Motor Vehicle Safety Standards(MVSS) of the DOT, and if you look at the Harmonized Tariff Schedule Section 87119000 (moped with auxiliary electric motor) they are Tariff free. This is interesting: for tariff purposes they come in as an electric moped, but for safety standards, they are a special category – low speed electric bike.
I was hoping to import one as a moped, since they meet the requirements for Moped in Minnesota. However, if I tried to import it as a Moped it would get hung up in customs, since as a Moped it is supposed to have a sticker indicating that it meets DOT MVSS. As an low-speed electric bike it is not. It is an expensive and involved step to get the safety certification needed for a moped, and this has not been done for the Aerorider in the U.S..
Now, there is one way to get around this and have yourself an Aerorider Moped that can go 30 mph: You need to import the Aerorider as a plain bicycle/tricycle without the motor installed ( you don’t want to have it labeled as an electric bicycle on import, or you can’t then upgrade it to a custom moped), pay the 3.7% tariff on it a bicycle/tricycle, and then custom install the motor yourself. Then, in my case, I can get it registered in Minnesota ($10/year) as a customized experimental moped, and run it at up to 30 mph. You will have to check with your state to see if this works for you. By customizing the Aerorider yourself, the U.S. government and the Aerorider Company are then freed up from any responsibility for your personal safety.
This is my current plan.
Best Regards,
Brian Lee
Charlie
March 8th, 2007 at 11:11 amThanks for this great information Brian! Perhaps I should just stick with the original plan of 1:14 gearing and 20mph top speed….
Thanks!
Charlie
Charlie
March 9th, 2007 at 7:07 amOh Brian….
I would like to stay in better touch with you as we both go through this process. Do you mind? My home email is:
chblow@snet.net
Please give me a holler!
Thanks!
Charlie
John J
March 10th, 2007 at 5:44 pmHi Brian,
Just stumbled across this site. I’ve been running two Dewalt packs in series for a 72V motor since about Sept. of 2006. I was searching for the exact connectors that you purchased and had little luck finding any. Would it be possible for you to share where you found those? It would truly be appreciated as I am planning on upgrading my battery system and would like and easier method to charge them. I’m on a forum that deals with the Tidalforce bicycle also and there are several folks there that would love this information. I was also wondering if you protect your packs from backfeeding into each other by using a diode between the two. Thanks in advance for any help.
John Jackson
Brian
March 11th, 2007 at 9:33 pmHI John,
I have noted some of your discussions on e-bikes using Dewalt battery packs. I was going to try posting something for you guys once I actually finish building my first full-fledged battery pack for my Aerorider. I almost have all the components together to build my battery system.
Regarding the connectors that mate to the Dewalt. I found a source in Taiwan that only sells them in volume and the minimum purchase was 1000 connectors and 10,000 pins that need crimping. Costs for shipping were much higher than I expected, and I am now looking to recoup my costs, so I would be happy to sell these connectors pins to you and anyone else who is interested in them.
I have asked David to pass my email on to you privately. Please contact me when you can.
Best Regards,
Brian
Doug Green
March 18th, 2007 at 10:05 pmHi, Brian, John et al
I am seriously considering buying an Aerorider from Bart.
I have the same concerns as you regarding top speed and hill climbing power.
I live on Vancouver Island (Canada, west coast), and my commute is mostly flat, except a medium uphill close to work, and large uphill to get to my house on the way home. Roughly 23 miles round trip.
I don’t mind a bit of a workout coming home, but there are no showers at work, so getting there has to be ‘no sweat’…and I’m not sure the 600 watt ‘stock’ setup will quite manage the commute to work with no sweat.
I would really like to communicate more with anyone who owns an Aerorider, and learn more about ways to increse the range and / or power assist capabilities, and also learn more in general about the vehicle.
PLEASE email me:
dougmgreen (at) gmail dot com
Thanks!
Doug
————————————
Very interesting question, Doug. I hope that you guys will keep the dialog on this and other Aerorider topics going here, as you ferret out the ups and downs of commuting by Aerorider – with and without the power assist.
It helps folks like Doug who are looking to find answers to this exciting new product and form of transportation.
Keep the pedals turnin’
dr
Bill
March 29th, 2007 at 1:30 pmHi Brian,
I have 4 DeWalt packs that I want to parallel — I would be very interested in helping you to recoup your costs for the Taiwanese connectors. I was just about to start opening up my packs in order to solder leads to the terminals, but I’d like to avoid that, if possible. Do you have pictures of your setup?
Thanks,
Bill (“Burners”)
P.S. Hi, JJ — looks like the search for knowledge has brought us together again
Andrew Sturtevant
April 27th, 2007 at 2:44 amBrian,
I am wondering if you have had delivery of your Aerorider yet? Mine is nearing completion, but I was hoping to hear some of your early impressions and experiences?
Best wishes,
Andrew
Al
April 29th, 2007 at 11:10 pmBrian, I am building an A123 pack and would like to ask you a few questions and find out your source for the connectors if you have none available.
Thanks,
Al
mary2al@aol.com
Brian
May 1st, 2007 at 8:25 pmHi Andrew and Al,
Andrew:
I have not yet received my Aerorider due to a supply problem with the wihdshields, going way back to January. Bart will be getting back to me soon concerning a better estimate of delivery time.
I would love to hear your experiences with your Aerorider as well. Please ask David Rowe, the Editorial Director for this website for my email address.
Al – I have sent you an email regarding your request for the 5 pin connectors for the Dewalt A123 packs. The supplier was:
http://www.jswire.com/CH2503electroni-connector.htmI
Unfortunately, they have a minimum order of 1000, and charge an arm and a leg for shipping. I still have a bunch and I would be happy to sell you or anyone else some to help them build their own kick-butt e-bike battery packs from these state-of the-art Dewalt A123 Lithium Iron Phosphate packs.
Best Regards,
Brian Lee
Brian Lee
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:47 amHi – The link in the previous post is incorrect and does not work. It should not have the l at the end it should be:
http://www.jswire.com/CH2503electroni-connector.htm
Thanks,
Brian
Bill Lutton
May 14th, 2007 at 6:10 pmHi Brian,
I would like to consider buying some of the connectors from you. Could you email me with specifics? (connectorsREMOVE@luttonREMOVE.com)
Thanks in advance,
Bill L.
Andrew Sturtevant
May 15th, 2007 at 4:25 pmBrian,
Looks like you and I are in the same boat with regard to the windshield. I have not heard from Bart since April 15th, and suspect he is busy promoting the new sunrider or something. Keep in touch if you hear anything. The last response I had from him indicated there are two Aeroriders waiting for windshields to be shipped to the US…so I guess that must mean our winshieldless trikes are side-by-side at this point.
I am very anxious to get it stateside, as I;m sure you are. I look forward to comunicating our experiences in the months ahead!
Andrew
Brian
May 21st, 2007 at 7:40 amHi Andrew,
Yes Andrew,
I think you are correct. I too am getting anxious. Bart is supposed to let me know when he has resolved his windshield issue and he is ready to ship. My guess is that he must be having some problem with the quality of the windshields, or some difficulty in manufacture.
Regards,
Brian
Andrew
June 13th, 2007 at 5:31 amBrian,
I received word from Bart that the windshields have arrived and we should have a shipping date by sometime next week! I sounds like our wait is nearing an end at last.
Andrew
Brian Lee
June 14th, 2007 at 8:26 amHi Andrew,
Thanks for filling me in. Bart recently told me probably early July, but he has not yet given me an exact date. How are you planning on doing your shipping? I found an air shipping company called Ocean Trans that will charge fuel costs according to actual weight instead of volume equivalent weight which is big for a light, yet bulky, Aerorider.
Brian
Andre
June 19th, 2007 at 2:33 amBrian,
I was just going to use the company Bart recommended, but thanks for the tip! Do you have a contact number for the company you’re using?
Best Wishes,
Andrew
Brian Lee
June 19th, 2007 at 1:17 pmHi Andrew,
The Netherlands Freight company Ocean Trans is at this website:
http://www.ocean-trans.com/
The email address is:
info@ocean-trans.com
My contact was Richard Bakker.
The quote in December was 875 Euros, but will vary according to fuel prices etc..
One catch…. They want wired money or cash…
Let him know I sent you.
Best Regards,
Brian
Doug H
July 12th, 2007 at 5:11 amI am also very interested in the Aerorider and have been doing a lot of research. Your blog is the only one with recent postings. I have read Jeff Kline’s postings as well and have found them to be very informative. What I’d like to hear about is the long-term care and maintenance of the vehicle. Jeff has had his for about two years now and should have some really good data to share.
If anyone has this information to share, please feel free to email me (wavjammer AT yahoo dot com).
Andrew S.
July 14th, 2007 at 2:42 pmHi Doug,
I was able to have an e-mail conversation with Jeff Kline during my research phase, and he was very helpful. He did warn me that I would need to be prepared to “be a mechanic” to maintain and upkeep the velo. Mostly the normal bicycle stuff, cables, tires, chains, etc. He did also have a broken steering bar once, as well as a broken cables caused by rubbing on a tire.
One other resource you may consider is lifecycles.com in New Zealand. They appear to have been using an Aerorider for quite some time, and I notice on a few blogs out there the owner of the company has posted a few comments.
I expect delivery of my Aerorider the third week in July, so I would certainly be happy to keep you informed on how things pan out.
Odi
July 17th, 2007 at 5:16 amBrian,
I just bought two dewalt batteries and would like to get some connectors from you as well as any information you have on charging them with one charger. This stuff seems really cool to me.
Thanks,
Odi
Doug H
July 17th, 2007 at 6:12 amThanks for the info Andrew. I wanted to make sure I was looking at this realistically, because I went nuts the first time I saw the Aerorider. I truly is a beautiful machine.
Brian
July 24th, 2007 at 8:58 pmHi Odi,
If you want to contact me about the 5 pin balancing port connectors for a Dewalt 36V battery check out this forum posting:
http://visforvoltage.net/forum-topic/batteries-and-chargers/578-a123-developer-packs
If you read through the postings, my pack is shown and later also how to contact me if you join the forum.
David Rowe – You’d also be welcome to give my email address to Odi.
Thanks,
Brian
Lance
August 14th, 2007 at 1:31 pmDid you receive your Aerorider allready? I found a recent report about a visit to the factory (2 august 2007) which shows a model without the windscreen. The problems with the front windscreen seems not to be fixed at that moment. To see the photo’s http://www.solarwebsite.nl/nieuws/nieuws.htm
(sorry it is a dutch site)
Very nice discussion on the aerorider by the way. I think I need to visit the factory once to experience the product myself. Untill now I am getting more impressed/ interested by the product. Right now i drive a small car (opel corsa) 23 km one-way to my work and it takes me up to an hour on my way back due to congestion. But there is a separarte cycling-path almost all the way next to the road…..
Andrew
August 18th, 2007 at 2:32 pmI have not received the Aerorider yet, but the windshield has been installed and it is almost ready for shipment! I expect it to be state side sometime late August.
Good luck with your research!
Andrew
Peter
September 12th, 2007 at 7:28 pmHi
So, has anyone received their Aerorider yet? I’m wondering about the process with Bart, how you like the thing etc. It sounds like it would work for my situation, although it looks like California requires helmets to be worn when operating one?!
thanks
Peter
Andrew
October 7th, 2007 at 3:20 pmI am picking my Aerorider up this Tuesday at the Airport. Bart has been very good to deal with, and has been very patient with my continuous e-mail questions. No complaints other than the long wait. It is kind of to be expected, however, since the company is quite small and makes the velo essentially one at a time.
I hope my next post will be sharing some real life driving of my Aerorider!
Andrew
Andrew
Eric
October 10th, 2007 at 4:04 pmFill us in about your arrival when it gets here!
I sent Aerorider an email with some questions, is it normal for them to take a bit of time to get back to you?
I was looking to see if anyone had one near Seattle to look at/test out.
Anyway, VERY exciting for you, put up some pictures somewhere and link them!
Andrew
October 13th, 2007 at 2:16 pmHi Eric,
Bart is pretty good at getting back to you but often takes a few days. I think the small company is pretty overwhelmed with orders these days, so he is a busy guy. Very often I would send a followup e-mail if I did not hear from him in a few days.
I think there are a couple aeroriders in the mid-west…but not sure exactly who. If you ask Bart he would likely send an e-mail to the owners closest to you to see if they are willing to discuss a test drive directly with you. I know this, because he has already done so with me.
I did pick up my aerorider
, and am having a ball with it! I hope to have a way of sharing photos and experiences with all interested in the near future. It is a very well designed velo.
Andrew
Brian
October 13th, 2007 at 7:47 pmHi Andrew,
Glad you got your Aerorider.
I’m still waiting on mine.
I just had a discussion with Bart via some emails and apparently he cannot get any more Kasbauer motors. He said that he just set someone up with a Crystalite 406 hub motor with a 48V Kasbauer controller. Was that you? I told him that I would not mind having a hub motor, and that my order still stands.
Please fill us in on your experience.
You might consider joining the endless-sphere forum or the power-assist forum, or the velomobile forum to discuss your experience and give us pictures.
Best Regards,
Brian
Andrew
October 15th, 2007 at 5:24 pmHi Brian,
Bart told me about the motor being discontinued, though when I look at the Kasbauer website it appears they still sell the 600 watt motor. I actually must be one of the last Aerorider orders with this motor since I defintiely do not have the hub motor. I’ll be interested to see how the 48V hub compares.
Pictures of my velo are currently available on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11471010@N07/
I’ll update these every other week or so. I am having a great time with this velo. It is proving to be quite a learning curve, and certainly uses muscles a bit differently than my bike!
Best wishes,
Andrew
Brian
October 15th, 2007 at 8:52 pmHi Andrew,
Thanks for the link to your great pictures. It’s a great looking vehicle.
I just hope that Bart can meet all of my special requests and ship mine so I can ride it before winter.
Please give us your driving impressions and more pictures.
Best Regards,
Brian
Andrew
October 16th, 2007 at 10:07 amHi Brian,
I’ll be rootin’ for you man! The wait is worth it, but certainly still frustrating. I’ll be interested to see how your custom ordered items work out!
Andrew
Lance
October 16th, 2007 at 1:15 pmWhat a nice looking velo and what a beautifull place you live in for a comute by bike in the early morning!!
Andrew
October 17th, 2007 at 1:42 pmThanks Lance,
Maine is a beautiful state for cycling. From coast to mountains I feel very fortunate indeed. My morning commute is all back roads with hilltop views and valley ponds and streams. This is one of the reasons I sold a car to get the velo. Slow down and enjoy the view. I guess nostalgic stuff like this happens once one gets over 40 huh?
Eric
October 19th, 2007 at 9:21 amAndrew,
The new velo looks great! I’ll look forward to checking in and seeing your picture updates of it.
How well does the windshield wiper work in the rain? Does it have any problems scratching the from window (is the window glass?)? Just curious, I’d be using mine in Seattle if I got one, where there is obviously quite a bit of rain.
Anyway, congratulations on the new vehicle, keep up the good picture posting!
Eric
Andrew
October 26th, 2007 at 8:34 amThe windshield is very effective, though in the rain the side windows do tend to fog up. The windshield on mine is a three layer process, with an anti fog coating on the inside, and real glass on the exterior making it quite scratch resistent. I have heard through the velo-vine that the manufacturer is considering a fully glass windshield since the waiting period for the current configuration is slowing down production. I don’t know if this is true.
The problem you may have in the rain is that the curve of the windshield seems to be a bit distorted, and only seems magnified in poor weather conditions. In addition, the stock headlight is just not enough if you are in the rain at night. I have had to rig up another light through the vent to compensate for this since autumn in Maine means increased darkness and wet weather.
I will say that I actually enjoy this vehicle in windy and rainy conditions. Just keeping dry while cranking is a treat! The only worry I would have for you would be ample energy in rainy conditions. You will have every electrical device on, lights, wiper, and fans, as well as the increased drag from the wet road, wind and rain. You will want to be sure to purchase more than enough battery modules.
Good Luck with your research!
Andrew
John Hair
November 27th, 2007 at 8:29 pmBrian,
I just found your blog. Did you get Aerorider yet? I’m interested in one and found all the comments very helpful. I emailed the company 4-5 days ago but haven’t heard anything yet, but it seems to take them a while to respond according to comments here. With the dollar plunging, it may be worth waiting, except the bikes take a long time to arrive! I’d love to find someone in Connecticut who has one so I can at least see it up close before ordering.
Thanks for this blog,
John
Brian Lee
November 29th, 2007 at 11:21 amHi John,
Bart has been on some kind of trip for the past 3 weeks, so delivery of my Aerorider was postponed. This would account for your lack of a response. He was supposed to get back on the 28th. I am expecting shipment very soon.
For your information this is my present situation: Bart will be shipping the Aerorider to me without a motor or controller as a pedal-powered import subject to an import tax of 3.7%.
I will be installing my own Crystalyte 406 hub motor and a 72V 40A controller purchased from Justin at website: http://ebikes.ca/ , and using a custom 66V Dewalt-Based A123 20s3p 6.9 AH battery system built from batteries I purchased on eBay.
The simulator at ebikes.ca indicates it should be able to push this to about 30 mph even at the 56V low battery level. I can adjust the controller to limit it to any max speed, and plan on making it 30 mph so that I can register this as a custom moped in Minnesota and drive it faster than a standard ebike/etrike/velomobile.
I am hoping to get 20 miles of range not pedaling, to 30 miles of range with pedaling, on one charge. The stock Dewalt charger will charge my pack up in 6 hours, so I can charge while at work and be ready for the 16 mile trip home. These packs are spec’d to last at least 2000 recharge cycles.
Bart is reliable, but is overwhelmed by demand, so hang in there, make sure your needs are clearly and succinctly spelled out, and be persistent.
Best Regards,
Brian Lee
John Hair
November 29th, 2007 at 9:16 pmI’m amazed at the alterations you’re making! If I’m able to get the bike I’ll follow your very thorough advice–from ordering, custom fitting the motor and batteries, and shipping! You’ve done some great homework. I live in Connecticut and work from home, but plan to use it as my main transort as much as possible. Looks like there’s a small area behind the seat for a bag or two of groceries. Most roads around me are two lane country side roads with little traffic, although some are quite hilly. I’m looking forward to hearing how well your bike does on hills in your area. Did Bart send you brochures to order from, or did you take care of all that when you visited the Netherlands?
Regards,
John Hair
Brian
November 30th, 2007 at 6:49 pmHi John,
If you are interested, I can give you more information about picking a hub motor and installing it yourself. There are some pretty good web-based tools – see the simulator at http://www.ebikes.ca for example. My setup is going to be more optimized for efficient speed on the flat. I don’t have that many hills here in Minneapolis to deal with. Only a couple, and they are only 5% grade.
If you want to handle hills better, you’ll want to have it geared for better torque and less for speed than my setup. Getting it to be efficient for both speed and torque is more difficult. I believe I can handle 5 to 10% hills well with my setup, but I’m not sure how efficient it will be, because, to get the torque I need I’m using a controller that can deliver about 4x the wattage of Bart’s stock setup.
The ultimate setup would be to link the motor to the same rear derailleur gearing as the pedal chain, so that the motor can be geared down adequately during hill climbing. This would require a more custom approach and was more than I wanted to bite off – a hub motor is much simpler.
Regards,
Brian
Andrew
December 4th, 2007 at 6:16 pmJohn,
If you choose to go with Bart’s stock velo and live in hilly terrain, I would recommend you consider ordering a higher voltage (48v)option that is available to New Zealanders (See Life Cycles site), and even consider an optional 14 gear internal hub for the bicycle gearing. The stock 36v system is great for grades below 10 degrees, but you still have to work pretty hard for hills. There are a few hills in my area that I wish I had one or two lower pedal gears.
Brian, I will be very interested to hear how your alterations work out! I am interested in the concept of replacing my stock motor with one without the speed limiter. I still average the speed of a fast road bike with my 36v system, but there are times I would like to increase my speed at busy intersections, etc. I fear I am not as mechanically minded as you all, and am a bit scared to start altering this large investment!
Also reaffirming that Bart will eventually answer, but he is certainly overwhelmed these days. He even hinted in a recent e-mail to me that he was going to not be taking any new orders from USA until he could gear up for serial production.
Best reagrds,
Andrew
Charlie
December 6th, 2007 at 1:05 pmJohn,
Glad to see there’s going to be another velomobile driver in CT. I’m located in the northwest hills. Where about are you?
I originally ordered an Aerorider, but then changed to a Go-one3. I added a power-assist system that ran through all 27 speeds of the Go-one3, but then decided to change over to the much simpler Currie USPD with a lower gear ration. Top speed is 32mph and I have gobs of hill climbing torque with the 48V powerpack motor….
Brian: Glad to see you’ve found a way around the motor shortage issue!! Hope you get your Aerorider soon!!!
Charlie
John Hair
December 6th, 2007 at 1:25 pmThanks Brian and Andrew,
Some hills are at least 20 degrees around here. There are usually alternate routes to avoid them, but those are just the hills I know of. I’d rather have the bike prepared for those unknowns around the bend. I hate to sacrifice speed–I’d hoped to be able to go 25 mph at least. Brian, that hub motor goes right on the wheel, correct? Which wheel do you have it on? Andrew, would I have to order the Aerorider through Life Cycles to get that optional battery, or could I figure out how to put that together in the states once I get the bike?
Do either of you have an email address for Bart? I left a message online through the site and would like to send another message to an exact address. Hope he’s still taking orders!
Best,
John
John Hair
December 8th, 2007 at 4:33 pmHi Charlie,
I live in Fairfield County. The Go-one3 is a great looking vehicle (!), which is what drew me to the Aerorider. Why did you choose it over the Aerorider? Do you miss the Aerorider windshield wiper? I’ve read that the Go-one3 mechanicals are not enclosed and road grit (salt and sand during winter) could be a problem. Have you noticed this–or is this an older-model problem? Are the Aerorider mechanicals more enclosed?
John
Andrew
December 8th, 2007 at 6:13 pmHi John,
Bart’s email is bart@aerorider.com, and he will eventually answer.
You can order the 48v option direct from Bart, though he only offers the Lead Acid batteries for the higher voltage.
Hills of 20 degrees would be too much for the stock motor and gearing…so I would highly recommend upgrading the options on both.
Andrew
John Hair
December 10th, 2007 at 8:06 amThanks Andrew,
Thanks for your information. How does your Aerorider handle winter weather gunk (road grit, salt, etc.)? Do you have a lot of cleanup after that kind of a ride, or are the parts protected from the elements?
Thanks! John
Charlie
December 10th, 2007 at 11:08 amHi John,
The main reason I went with the Go-one3 instead of the Aerorider was that it was just much easier and faster to get the Go-one3. In addition, the Go-one3 looked much easier to add a custom power-assist setup to handle the really steep hills I face in northwestern CT. I was a little worried that the Aerorider motor (600W when I was looking to order one…) might not be up to the task. I also didn’t like that I’d have to pedal against the motor when just pedaling without motor power. (Aerorider)
I’m using a 48V powerpack motor with a Currie USPD drive running a 15.2:1 gear reduction to the back wheel. For power I’m using a 48V 13ah nimh battery. There isn’t a hill I can’t easily climb!
To get around bad visibility in the rain, I’m told by other Go-one3 owners that wax on the windshield does wonders. I just got my Go-one3 working the way I want recently and have not ridden in the rain yet…
The Go-one3 is definitely more open in the rear than the Aerorider, but that’s okay as I never intended to drive either in harsh winter conditions. I’m hoping that we’ll get some breaks where the roads will be dry enough for a spin now and then this winter.
Charlie
Gordon
March 20th, 2009 at 11:18 amOkay guys…I’ve recently discovered the Aerorider and have been communicating with Bart in Amsterdam. Sounds like they are no longer for sale(?). Does anyone know where I can get one?!?!?
Thanks.
Gordon
March 20th, 2009 at 11:20 amBrian, I’m coming from Iowa to Minneapolis soon. Are you still there and may I see it?!?!
Don
July 6th, 2009 at 7:19 pmWould like to contact Brian Lee, to purchase connectors for the Dewalt 36 volt battery packs. How can he be reached?
Paul
May 21st, 2010 at 6:59 amI know this article is a few years old, but I’m wondering if anyone knows where to get an Aerorider? The US website (aeroriderusa.com) looks defunct and according to the parent company website (aerorider.com) it is not in production.
Thanks
Robbie Hatfield
July 8th, 2010 at 4:50 amLooks like Brian never actually got one or discovered it was a piece of junk? Oh well, the fact that it’s no longer made suggests the later. Guess I’ll move forward with buying that Hummer.. LOL