Goodbye to Quest

STORIES FROM VELOMOBILE COMMUNITY

Title: Goodbye to Quest

Author: Max Weldert

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Shortly before 2023 Christmas, the last Quest rolled off the Velomobile World production line. After almost 24 years, production of the former bestseller was discontinued. The Quest made velomobile history, and to this day no other velomobile has probably covered more kilometers. The list of riders on velomobiel.nl even includes people who have covered over 200,000 km on a Quest.

 

I also have a very special bond with the Quest. How often have I been unfaithful to the vehicle over the years, wanting to drive something faster and lighter, only to return to the Quest in the end. The Quest and I simply belong together. This is not only due to its timeless, elegant shape. Sometimes I laugh with joy when I glide along on the Quest and take a look at the speedometer. It runs incredibly smoothly and quietly and is much more efficient than some people think.

 

To this day, no other velomobile has managed to infiltrate my subconscious so deeply. The comfort and the high feel-good factor contribute significantly to this. The seat fits my back perfectly, I have enough space everywhere, I don't bump my knees or feet anywhere and I can ride comfortably even with street shoes and thicker clothing without it squeezing my shoulders. At the same time, it is incredibly suitable for everyday use, offers plenty of storage space, high ground clearance and soft suspension. There are also hardly any of the various childhood illnesses that occur with other velomobiles. I rarely had any defects or unforeseen failures with the Quest. Only the pulley broke a few times, but velomobiel.nl has since developed a new one. I have always been spared the breakages in the aluminum bracket that other riders have reported. I would therefore describe the Quest as very reliable and low-maintenance. The drive is very well encapsulated, virtually no rain or dirt gets in and apart from a little chain maintenance and new tires every now and then, it just rolls and rolls. You can tell how many years of experience have gone into the vehicle and that the builders of velomobiel.nl are enthusiastic cyclists themselves.

 

Someone recently told me that you will always have a special bond with your first velomobile. Strictly speaking, however, I covered my first 7000 km of velomobile kilometers in a Mango. However, the velomobile virus only really took hold of me with the Quest - Quest no. 457 to be precise, which I later unfortunately crashed. From a 20-inch Quest from 2001 to the carbon Quest built in 2018, I was able to experience various stages of evolution of this classic bike for myself. The Quest has come a long way, and a modern Quest with a carbon swingarm and stiffened frame is not comparable to the first models. This should not be forgotten by people who ride a ten-year-old, poorly maintained Quest and then switch to another velomobile. For a fair comparison of different velomobiles, you should always use vehicles from a similar year of manufacture. And in my subjective opinion, the Quest performs pretty well in terms of speed. At the 2013 World Championships in Leer, I reached 83.6 km/h on the flat in a sprint on a Quest. Despite open foot holes, a protruding head cover that was actually made for a Mango, a chainring that was too small and butyl tubes. Here in Münsterland there are flat stretches of road where I can do a 50 km/h average. With newer vehicles, I'm sure I could do even better, but I don't think the Quest has anything to hide here. Of course, it is important that the vehicle is well maintained and that you pay particular attention to a smooth drive.

 

The Quest was the bestseller for many years. In some cases, you had to wait years for a new vehicle and the used market was booming. In recent years, however, fewer and fewer Quests have been produced as demand has fallen significantly. This may also be due to the start of production of the DF (XL), which has now been overshadowed by the Alpha series and the Bülk. With the Snoek (L), velomobiel.nl has also developed its own everyday racehorse that is sure to shake up the market. The development of the velomobile market has not stood still and more modern models have become faster, lighter, stiffer and safer. While the Quest was the fastest velomobile available at the time, today it is certainly no longer in the high-speed class. Its aerodynamics, weight and drivetrain stiffness can no longer keep up with modern velomobiles. Nevertheless, it remains a great all-rounder that cuts a fine figure when traveling, in everyday life or even in races with a few modifications.

 

My nostalgia and love for the Quest certainly shines through in this article. The Quest and I simply belong together, and the production stop of this classic will not change that. But what can the reader take away from this article if the Quest is no longer available to buy? I think what is often forgotten when choosing the right velomobile is the factor of how comfortable you feel in a vehicle and whether it offers enough space. In my opinion, this is much more important than the question of which vehicle requires the least watts to achieve the highest speed. I have the feeling that the Quest is better than other velomobiles at delivering my full performance without compromise, and this for many hours.

 

Finally, I would like to thank the team at velomobiel.nl for this unique velomobile that has brought me so much fun for over 10 years.

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My most beautiful Quest so far. At least this hood can still be ordered from Velomobile World :)

My first Quest, no. 457