Roll Over America Velomobile Tour

September 26, 2011 9:46 PM

Roll Over America: a coast-to-coast mass Velomobile tour.

Twenty-two riders from Europe were joined by North American velonauts/velomobilists who converged on Portland and rode to DC in July and August of this year. Blogs and photos document the journey from packing the velos for shipment via shipping container to the National Mall.

posted by BlooPen (9 comments total)

I for one abhor the fancy trappings of these new-fangled velomobiles. Give me a good old-fashioned velocipede, I say.
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:23 PM on September 26, 2011

Well, for twoleftfeet, how about two right wheels? If I recall correctly, this was designed so women or formally-attired men could ride their velociwhoozit without catching petticoats or tails in wheels or chains.

(from UC Davis' Pierce Miller Collection)
posted by foonly at 10:41 PM on September 26, 2011

how about two right wheels?

Yes! That is velocirapturous!
posted by twoleftfeet at 10:53 PM on September 26, 2011

Velociamish
posted by stbalbach at 11:11 PM on September 26, 2011

Velociamish

Funny, the velomobile those Amish are looking at, the one in day-glo yellow with diagonal red and blue stripes, has the colour scheme of a Dutch ambulance. Velocimbulance? Ambufiets?
posted by Skeptic at 1:25 AM on September 27, 2011

Is it wrong that I get turned on by Amish women on bicycles?
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:44 AM on September 27, 2011

Since the FAQ doesn't include a "What is a velomobile?" I looked it up on Wikipedia. Note that the last pictured velomobile with the flames is also on the Roll Over America front page in a shipping crate. Neat!
posted by odinsdream at 5:23 AM on September 27, 2011

They set a pretty grueling schedule (4-5 days of >100mi/day followed by an off day). I'll bet those things are dreamy on the flats, but I can't imagine trying to climb in one of them.
posted by Panjandrum at 6:43 AM on September 27, 2011

The flaming velomobile is owned by Wilfred Ketelaar (Noordhorn, The Netherlands) who may be the same person talking to the Amish above since he's standing next to it.
posted by stbalbach at 8:33 AM on September 27, 2011