Humans have always wrestled with how to get from here to there. So, as I research my seventeenth century historical novel, I came across the types of wagons peasants’ used in France. A charette (on the left) was little more than a wooden box with two wheels and a board for the driver to sit on…all pulled by an oxen, horse, or mule. Even that was beyond the means of the poorest peasants.
What a difference two centuries make! I saw the big orange thing (photo on the right) while on my bike ride and thought of a kayak. I had to ask the guy…what the heck is that? He called it a velomobile…basically a three-wheeled recumbent bike with a fiberglass shell. His aerodynamic contraption weighs about 65 pounds and can go up to 30 mph with no electric assist. They cost $6,000 – $10,000. He said the shell protects him from the elements. In winter he only needs a tee shirt, but in summer it’s a like an oven inside. We pointed out his flat tire which he fixed and mentioned the tires are hard to find.
We may see more of these man-powered vehicles, but I can’t imagine there is a big demand. Velomobiles come in many shapes and sizes and are raced in Australian and European countries. A common problem seems to be the trapped body heat.
Come to think of it, I might prefer the charette and a good mule.
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Jeanne Meeks ~ Fiction Author 