Beate's old Go-One 3

[The Toecutter]

You can never go wrong increasing clearance where you need to. Ultimate drag reduction is worthless if it makes your vehicle impossible to use. It's a very fine and difficult balancing act, but far from an impossible one.

Keep testing it, and tweak the problem areas as needed. You'll get there!

[beate]

First test ride today: slightly faster than previously with the cardboard cover. At certain sections of my default track i reached the fastest speeds ever, and an average of 30 kph despite of myny stops and slow downs. Time for further observation and especially to concentrate on other aspects - seat, overall stiffness and (important for this forum) wheelcase aerodynamics. And - most of all - enjoing driving around with the VM.

[The Toecutter]

Are you finding that this speed increase holds true for subsequent rides?

If so, how large of a difference has this tail piece made? Have you discovered any more issues/problems that you need to fix for it that you haven't already shared?

How many miles do you put on yours each week?

[beate]

I am just observing. Under certain conditions it might even slow down, on others there is a speed increase of just 5-10%. I am riding it between, say, 20-100 km a week.

Well, the tail is not finished yet - there is still a lot of work on the bottom side. I think i'll do this in the next time, but the priority has lowered somewhat. The bike has so many other spots for improvement... and driving it is more important than modifying it.

[beate]

While the positive effect of the tail still is uncertain - and the canopy indeed makes some difference - i'l concentrate on a few other issues. First of all the back idler close to the swing arm. It has been problematic for years - see my explanation in post #14.

Here a rough sketch of the situiation - the positons of the two idlers are not exact, but thee do demonstrate the situation:



There have been rumors around that the idler in the back could be taken out not only without disadvantage but even be an improvement (these rumors concern the 3 modified for racing i showed several times).

Here is an old simulator showing the situaton for a different well known velomobile of that time, the Quest: https://web.archive.org/web/20200312...tml?bike=Quest

It turns out that the situation i a GoOne 3 with the 2nd idler removed should be very close to the numbars given here, even (very) slightly better if You enter the correct numbers for my bike but with just one idler. One condition has to be met, however: the suspension element i the back must be adjusted to a sag of 30%. Otherwise the chain far away from the axle, and the suspension would pump, or in case of a blocked suspension the chain would glide on the slot in the body of the velomobile (or on the chain hole in the swing arm), even if You enlarge it.

The nice thing is that the chain will run almost perfectly through the axis of the swing arm when on the slowest gears, and in the mostly used gears the positive and negative effects of that mod (less friction on the idler vs increased losses due to pogo) mostly seem to cancel out.

[beate]

A few changes.

Some work on the canopy: smoother transitions toward the frame, wider roof, and some preparations for new glass. In theory aerodynamically better, but i doubt that'll be measurable (or noticeable unless i improve the rolling resistance).



And the tail has just got new color and some experimental skirts. It just serves for some tests in long term stability and to find better ideas for a new and improved tail.

[The Toecutter]

So you've solved the rear wheel clearance issues then? If so, your options to experiment with additions to that tail section have opened up. Don't stop there. More slipperiness is in your grasp.

[beate]

Originally Posted by The Toecutter

So you've solved the rear wheel clearance issues then?

No, i probably did not. But i replaced the quick release clamp by an "old fashioned" one made of steel and since then can clamp the wheel a bit stronger. I still do not know how much this will amoung.

If so, your options to experiment with additions to that tail section have opened up. Don't stop there. More slipperiness is in your grasp.

Well You still see the tail like it was in summer, except of te color. And the two skirts on the bottom, which also turned out to need improvement.

I had to solve a few mounting issues that had developed over time - that's why it is useful to proceed not too fast and to test things over a few months. I actually extended the tail by two plates in order to be able to test for the wheel clearance issue . But i need a day with a dry road in order to test, and the weather is currently a bit rainy.

On the other hand the new design of the canopy will probably give me more options to integrate a new tail in an optically nice manner. I'll just have to take new photographs of the silhouette. And i am pretty sure, I#ll find a solution. But probably not before i receive my 2nd velomobile - i ordered a Leiba Cargo with 2 seats or space for me and my bass guitar:

[beate]

Too crazy?



(and pretty difficult to make it from wood and to make it leightweight)

BTW: super professional device to test for the clearance issues :-)

[freebeard]

Too crazy?

Solid inner walls with an outer fabric skin?

I don't see how anyone (well... me) could get in and out of that white one. Is it that the top of the door is at the middle of the vehicle? I could get one leg in but then not the other.