My experience with DFXL velomobile (Micke)

STORIES FROM VELOMOBILE COMMUNITY

Title: My experience with DFXL velomobile

Author: Micke (France)

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It's almost 18 years since I started using my bike to go to work. At first, despite the 5km distance, the electric bike seemed indispensable. But the lack of comfort and the distance, which had increased to 15km, soon led me to discover recumbent bikes. I used a tricycle and then a 2-wheeled recumbent (high racer) before switching to a velomobile in 2011 with the purchase of a second-hand Quest.

The velomobile combines the advantages of the tricycle (comfort, stability in winter: in Strasbourg, that counts) and the 2-wheeler (speed), with the added protection from the elements and the safety provided by the electric lights and indicators, as well as the hull in the event of an accident. The velomobile replaced our second vehicle (which financed its purchase).

At that time my use was 99% utilitarian: work, food shopping, dropping children off at school/day nursery (with a trailer behind the Quest).

The velomobile is really the best choice in this context: low maintenance, easy loading (volume and weight), efficient in peri-urban areas.

In 2013, my commute grew to 30km, so I mixed velomobile days with train days to avoid fatigue.

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I sold my Quest to acquire a DFXL in 2019, which I saw at the time as the most accomplished evolution of the fast AND commuter-friendly velomobile. The maintenance hatches, the easy access to the front wheels and the complete electrical circuit are just some of the features that seduced me from the start. I can also choose the transmission that suits my needs, and I'm still happy with it today.

I started using the DFXL on my journeys and found it to be much faster and more agile than the Quest. I soon had the opportunity to add pants to it, and despite the little gymnastics involved in fitting and removing them, the aerodynamic gains were such that I kept them on every day. The turning radius is increased despite the purchase of special wheels, but in the end this doesn't pose a problem on my daily commute.

I'm using the train less and less in favor of the velomobile, and my journey time is stabilizing at around 45/50 minutes, which isn't that far off the train journey time (30 minutes plus 10 to get to the station). Since 2022, I no longer use the train at all to get to work. The DFXL means I don't lose any time, even on days when I'm tired or slightly ill. It's possible to ride “cool” without losing more than 5 minutes on the way.

The DFXL's efficiency is such that I'm starting to get the hang of it on a few races and time trials. The advantage of my “velotaf” practice means I don't really need to train to have fun in these races and look for podium finishes (CLM France 2020, PLB Muco 2020/2021, 4h Chambley 2021, World Championships 2022).

Today, the velomobile allows me to think about my mobility in a different way. I also use it for my business trips in Alsace when I can guarantee satisfactory parking conditions at my destination (almost always, in fact). In fact, I wouldn't be able to use it as much if I didn't have a private, secure underground parking lot at my workplace.

In fact, I find myself thinking as if I were in a car, and that any detours I have to make on my journeys only “cost” me a little time. With averages generally between 40 and 45km/h on my main routes, adding 10km doesn't take me more than 15 minutes.

To conclude, here's a list of the advantages (many) and disadvantages (because there are some) that I see today in using a velomobile, and more specifically a DFXL in my case:

Disadvantages

• The purchase price: it's expensive, especially for those who compare it to a bike for Sunday morning riding. In my reality, it's an investment for sure, but it replaces a car, allows me to do regular physical activity and has enabled me to evolve in my conception of mobility.

• Visibility: why is this an inconvenience? when you always hear “we can't see you! It's hard to go unnoticed on a regular route, and those close to us always end up hearing “I've seen it.... blah blah blah... it's too low... it's dangerous... blah blah...”. As much as we can answer questions and take arguments apart, it can be a burden for those close to us.

• The specificity of the equipment: It's best to be self-sufficient (you quickly become so, in fact) when it comes to maintenance and minor repairs. Dealerships are a long way away, and local bicycle craftsmen are often reluctant to touch anything they don't know (and rightly so... I'm not sure they often have a parallelism to make on a normal bike!)

• Organizing your journeys: You need to plan for parking at your destination, as well as the possibility of changing/cleaning up on arrival. On regular routes, you'll quickly find your habits, but for rarer destinations you'll need a bit of organization.

• Transport: Compared to a normal bike, it's big and heavy, so not easy to transport. By train, you don't even have to think about it in France, and by car, it requires a bit of DIY. In short, it's not easy to get around when you want to run an errand (so you go by bike!) or visit a dealer (see previous point).

• Front tire consumption: This has a lot to do with my riding: more than twenty roundabouts on each trip, often at high speed, and a DFXL equipped with pants that require thin tires. For 2 years, I rode with Pro-One tubeless tires. However, these fantastically efficient tires didn't really go the distance: 3000km max and many didn't go beyond 1000km. The range of high-performance tires in this size (ETRTO 406) isn't great, and until 2021, there weren't really any alternatives. I then tried the Contact Urban which, despite their 32mm width, when mounted on my rims, were only one mm wider than the Pro-one. The Urban tires last for around 8 to 10,000 km, but are not designed for tubeless mounting.

Advantages

• It (almost) rolls itself (on the flat). This is undoubtedly the biggest advantage, but it depends on the terrain. The velomobile can be really fast if the terrain is favorable: little relief and above all few stops (so as little city as possible). If these criteria are met, cycling at 40km/h is really accessible.

• Comfort: Riding as comfortably as you would in your living room or car is pretty good. I'm not even comparing it to an upright bike. My neck, wrists, back and buttocks no longer ache. It's only my legs that are stressed.

• Absence of fatigue: this follows on from the previous point: as only the legs are involved, cycling for days on end doesn't really pose a problem. No aches or pains prevent you from getting back on the handlebars the next day. At most, you'll be riding a little slower. That's something I hadn't realized before the DF.

• Regularity of journey times: Even if I drive faster in summer when the weather is fine, the loss of time in winter, at night or in the rain remains fairly small. The use of the roof when it's raining or cold largely compensates for the loss of efficiency due to the temperature or humidity of the road.

• Safety: Despite the comments “we can't see you”, “it's too low” etc., the opposite is actually true. Drivers are much more respectful when overtaking. On the other hand, you have to be careful, because none of them is aware of the speed at which you're coming into an intersection, and you're regularly denied the right of way more or less completely, depending on how long it takes the motorist to realize that you're coming faster than he thought.

• Maintenance: Strictly minimal (fortunately, given the inconvenience it can represent). 45,000km with the DF: I had to re-tension the brake cables twice, never touched the rear derailleur, the original transmission is still not worn out according to the chain elongation control tool. In the end, I had to intervene more to change parts that had broken (steering rods, rear suspension ball joint) than to carry out “normal” maintenance. Aside from the question of the front tires, I was very busy before the switch to the Urban.

My DFXL equipment

• Roof/Hood: Extremely practical when it's cold, rainy or windy. The pinlock visor on the screen helps prevent/delay fogging (no problem as long as you're driving. It's like glasses: it's when you stop that the fog appears). However, I've had a few night rides in the rain where visibility was not great, or even hazardous for the speed at which I was riding. In fact, at night, the drops on the visor or goggles will reflect the headlights of cars in front of you, greatly hindering your vision. Similarly, as soon as it rains, the light is reflected by the wet road and the lighting loses much of its effectiveness. In fact, the light is set too low to be truly effective in these conditions. All these points have been improved on recent productions.

• Pants: increase the turning radius, but are so much more efficient for riding... The purchase of wheels specially centered for this use is essential.

• Drivetrain: Schlumpf MD, 61 chainring and 11v 11-36 cassette. Ideal for my riding. I use the Schlumpf for exiting the underground garage, emergency stops where I haven't had time to downshift (really safer when it's in the middle of traffic and I have to restart on the 61/11). The 11-36 cassette coupled to the 61 in front is ideal for the flat and the few short climbs near Strasbourg. In terms of speed, it gives me a range from 15 to 60km/h with a sustainable pedaling frequency. The progressiveness of the first 11/12/13/15 gears means that I'm efficient on the flat, and don't have any big holes to deal with when reaching speeds of over 40km/h. The schlumpf also allows me to venture out on longer or steeper climbs. It's not necessarily the ideal playground for DF, but it does open up the possibility of trips or outings organized by non-bikers.

• Rear lighting: the standard equipment is not up to my standards. I immediately added a secondary light coupled to my GPS. I also replaced the brake-indicating LED with a model equipped with a diffraction lens to improve angular visibility.

• Tubeless: Converted to tubeless at the front from the start, and more recently at the rear, it's a real pleasure not to have to stop on a vélotaf trip for a puncture. In the worst-case scenario, I carry a spare wheel (from the original pair) and can set off again after just removing the tape from the pants and undoing a screw.

• The “dringdring” bicycle bell: essential if you want to be considered a bicycle: on cycle paths, the use of the horn is to be avoided, as you're immediately considered a motorized machine that's out of place. The dringdring is also particularly effective for waving at children, who are unscrewing their heads as I pass!

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