CARFREE TOKYO

- a collection of notes and reflections on urban living from the perspective of a family of five in Tokyo. My epiphany was many years ago, but being hit by a motorbike and seeing my life flash before my eyes caused a sudden change that slowly made me reflect on whether American style auto-centric urban transportation of the Roosevelt era really is a capital G "Good Idea" for civilized modern cities in the 21st Century. This blog explores the good and the bad in urban planning and design, here and elsewhere. The goal is simple - not "death to all cars," just more walkable communities, quiet tree-lined streets, good public transport, traffic calming, Velib style bicycle sharing and a bit of common sense. The bolg is mostly theraputic, so I don't go wanting to throttle every dangerous driver I come across, but partly also out of a real desire to see positive change. This blog explores how it can be done, the people who do it, and how, in many small ways, this very old idea may at last have found its zeitgeist. Comments and suggestions welcome.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Here is one car I might consider driving...



This is what they call a "velomobile". Basically a high tech three wheel recumbent bicycle with a high tech fairing. These vehicles are manufactured and used mostly in the cold and windy countries of northern Europe, but even the guys at Greenspeed of Australia have gotten into the act lately.

There are basically two types of these faired recumbents - racing and general use. The racing variety are usually two wheeled and built purely for speed. These velomobiles are built for daily use, and are usually three wheeled (four wheels just adds extra weight without much benefit.

Is this the future of personal transport:

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