Comparison PUKY F20 vs Kettler Melbourne

The greatest weight that a velomobile is able to carry for a long time without breakage, in other words, the maximum load on the structure that is permissible for normal operation. This load takes into account the weight of the driver, luggage, and in multi-seat models, passengers as well (that is, it is indicated for the car as a whole, and not for a separate seat). This parameter is connected primarily with the purpose and age category (see above): the “older” the velomobile is, the more weight it should normally carry.

Of course, when choosing a machine, one should proceed from the fact that the maximum load indicated in the characteristics should not be lower than that planned in real conditions; but at the same time it is desirable to have also a certain reserve. This is related to two things. Firstly, this parameter is usually given for flat roads; and when driving through pits, potholes and other irregularities, the velomobile may be subjected to off-design loads even with a formally permissible weight. Secondly, most often velomobiles are bought for children; and as children grow up, a margin of weight is simply a must — otherwise the machine will very quickly become unusable.

Also, do not be deceived if, when the maximum load (accidental or intentional) was exceeded, the velomobile did not break down immediately — overload anyway negatively affects reliability and can lead to early breakdown.

The presence of a sound signal (horn) in the design of the velomobile.

In children's velomobiles (see "Purpose"), the horn primarily plays the role of additional entertainment: the speed of such machines is low, and the plastic wheels often used in them (including options with rubber, see "Type of wheels") create quite a lot when moving. noise that notifies others about the movement of the machine. Therefore, there is practically no real need for a warning sound signal. But more “adult” velomobiles can move quite quickly and at the same time quietly, and the ability to give a sound signal in a timely manner (in order to attract the attention of others and prevent unpleasant incidents) can be far from superfluous from a practical point of view.

The diameter of the front wheel(s) of a velomobile. In fact, this parameter is important, first of all, taking into account the fact that large wheels have a higher cross-country ability than small ones. In addition, data on the dimensions of the front and rear wheels make it possible to evaluate the appearance features (see above): for example, some "special equipment" may have small front wheels and large rear wheels, like in real tractors.

The diameter of the rear wheel(s) of a pedal car. The value of this parameter is the same as the diameter of the front wheel (see the relevant paragraph).

The design of the wheels that the velomobile is equipped with.

— Plastic. The simplest wheels made entirely of plastic — in some cases they do not even have a pronounced tyre. The hardness of such wheels does not allow them to be used on surfaces with serious irregularities, and even on smooth asphalt, the level of vibration and noise is quite high. In addition, such structures are not very durable. Therefore, plastic wheels are found mainly in models for the smallest (see "Purpose").

— Plastic with rubber. A modification of the plastic wheels described above, supplemented by a kind of "mini-tyre" — a strip of rubber in the middle of the rim, where the wheel is in direct contact with the ground. This provides a softer ride and somewhat reduces the vibration experienced by the machine, but otherwise these wheels are completely similar to conventional plastic ones.

— Rubber. In this case, wheels are meant having a solid (not inflatable) rubber tyre. This option is a kind of transition between plastic and inflatable wheels: solid tyres are not as passable and “hardy” as inflatable ones, but they are cheaper, do not require monitoring the level of inflation and are absolutely insensitive to punctures and scratches, while their smoothness is much higher than plastic ones.

— Inflatable. The most advan...ced version found in modern velomobiles: in accordance with the name, such wheels have a rubber tyre filled with air — like on an "adult" bike or a real car. Inflatable wheels are far superior to all the varieties described above in terms of softness, easily “work out” road bumps and are suitable for even the heaviest or fastest velomobiles. Of their shortcomings, in addition to the price, we can mention the need to monitor the pressure inside the tyres and periodically pump up the wheels. In addition, damage to the tube makes the inflatable tyre unusable, so it is recommended to have a repair kit for such a velomobile just in case.

Appearance describes not only the general design of the wheels, but also some specifics of their functionality.

— Bicycle. Bicycle wheels have two key distinguishing features: the presence of separate spokes connecting the rim to the centre of the wheel, and a relatively small width (due to which they are poorly suited for off-road). However, the width in different models may be different; the same applies to the size, shape and number of spokes.

— Automotive. Wheels, the disk of which does not have pronounced spokes, and the overall width, usually, is greater than that of the bicycle wheels described above. In this case, the disk can be either solid or with slots. Similar discs are also used in off-road and tractor wheels (see below), but a distinctive feature of automotive varieties is the tread pattern - it is either shallow (on "universal" tyres and some racing tyres) or not at all (this option is found in entry-level models) . Thus, the main purpose of such wheels are relatively flat surfaces.

— Off-road. Wheels with a solid (or almost solid) disk, which differ from the automobile wheels described above by a deeper tread pattern, and sometimes by larger sizes. This design is designed to make it possible to successfully move not only on smooth asphalt, but also on rough terrain such as dirt roads or even off-road (although without much “fanaticism” - for example, such wheels are usually not intended for deep mud). ). At the same time, note that...in the simplest velomobiles designed for children (see "Destination"), off-road wheels can be a dummy, designed solely to provide an external resemblance to a real all-terrain vehicle; in terms of driving characteristics, in such cases they do not have advantages over automobile ones.

— Tractor. Further development of the idea of off-road wheels (see above). Tractor varieties are distinguished by a deep tread pattern with powerful lugs, as well as an even larger size. Thanks to this, full-fledged tractor wheels are able to successfully overcome not only dirt roads, but also difficult obstacles such as puddles, viscous wet earth, etc. However, this category also includes another variety - wheels that only imitate tractor wheels and are not intended for difficult conditions. They are found in children's models of velomobiles (see "Intended use").

Note that some models can combine bicycle and car wheels in their design (other combinations are not found for a number of technical reasons. In such cases, the type of wheels is indicated according to the majority principle - for example, for a trike with two rear wheels of an automobile type and the front bike will be indicated exactly the car.

General dimensions of the pedal car. This parameter allows you to evaluate, first of all, the convenience of the car in storage and transportation. Note that for models with a trailer (see above), dimensions can be indicated both with and without a trailer.

The total weight of the velomobile in curb condition. It is indicated, usually, taking into account all the additional equipment supplied in the kit — in particular, the roll bar and the trailer (if any, of course; see above for more details). The value of this parameter is twofold: on the one hand, a large weight makes it difficult both to transport the car and to ride it, on the other hand, it contributes to stability and reduces the risk of a rollover. Note that for each purpose (see above) there are certain weight ranges: for example, for children's velomobiles, 40 kg is too much, and for universal models, on the contrary, too little.