For a one time project I am looking for someone who would like to make drawings of the bicycle caravan I designed in my head. I would like to build it with lightweight biobased products (and a celpanel for the bottomplate).
The bicycle caravan I have in mind, looks a bit like a gypsy wagon and when wanted, one can transform it into a small theaterstage with background.
I am a hobbyist, have no ambition or possibility to become a designer or caravan builder. I am looking forward to a sabbatical of 3 months. In the first month I would like to build the caravan; the other two months I would like to cycle around with it.
Taking a course in Rhino would be too timeconsuming for me.
is there anyone here who would like to help? A drawing will prevent many mistakes during the building process.
In return you may borrow the caravan some time and /or I can return the favor. I ‘ll write you a personalized story if you like, a theatre play, a poem or whatever.
I’m not a cyclist, but I should think towing this around would be a bit of a mission; on the other hand it’s difficult to see how it could be much smaller given what you want from it.
A one month build from scratch is perhaps a bit of an ask unless you had access to a workshop, tools and money, (assuming you had the skills as well?)
I’d be inclined to look at those pics, and then build a real simple flat trailer of about that size - like real simple, a piece of 18mm plywood with an axle and two wheels simple.
Then I’d load it up with as much stuff as you think you want to travel with plus a one person tent , strap it all down and go for a ride over the weekend, camping out with it all..
This would give you a real-world experience and also plenty to think about…
In any case, from my distant point of view, I’d be inclined to lean towards a trailer based on your ply base, with a perimeter of maybe 300 x 300 boxes, to pack away your stuff and give it some structure , and at night I’d pitch your tent and inflatable mattress in the middle and sleep the deep sleep your tired muscles would demand of you..
And it wouldn’t be too hard to make it into a small tent-like stage from canvas, or tent material, a few flags etc or whatever when the moment called for it, assuming you had enough energy for the performance..
as a naval architect, boatbuilder, cyclist and fan of velomobiles I find your post quite interesting.
But I believe a month to build it would be by far not enough. I’d guess at least 6 months, depending on the base you start from and the quality you need to achieve. Off grid long distances require just the best you find or make.
Especially as I see the wind resistance and weight on a caravan like the one shown above.
I believe to be able to ride uphill and against the wind in open areas the bicycle must be one part with the cabin aft. If you then want to add an electric motor, the design effort goes through the roof…
I started my own velomobile design, as I find the existing ones to low to be seen in a car’s back mirror. And found that the seating position on itself for an variable size of riders is some effort on its own. Of course yours would need to suit only you. But lightweight will be a challenge.
Actual Velomobiles weigh about 30 kg. With that small cabin and everything in carbon. These things are actually way faster than any normal roadbike because of the cabin as the wind resistance eats most the power.
The red one above will weigh about 50 kg or more. In town may be ok, but for long distances uphill and aganst the wind? I’d like to see the legs that are capeable of that… With that flat front more than a challenge even for every trained cyclist. Even the velomobilists complain about the weight uphill.
Aluminium is not light enough and forming it in 3D to get a wind slippery cabin is another challenge. You’d need a well equipped metal boat building workshop and still it would be quite heavy.
Laminating it in carbon needs a mould or a core set up on station frames. The frames must be cut and set up very precisely if you want to reach the designed effiency. There are some epoxy resin products with an green label. But recycling laminated glass or carbon is still impossible, no matter how green the resin is used to laminate it.
Any other material may be recycable but will be too heavy.
