aralsopp had a velomobile, which got a bit unexpectedly deconstructed. Signs are that he might be getting a new one. He's in Sarf Lahndan.
Yep. There may well be a VM in my future. Possibly a Milan. Not sure yet... Still a bit jumpy from the incident. There are good ways to get out of a VM (stop at favourite chippy, handbrake on, open hatch, climb out against a low sun, sport a light sheen of sweat, buy food) and there are bad ways (get rear ended by a car, tipped over, then travel for 8 metres or so pinned under the front bumper using your shoulder as a brake). When I've stopped thinking about the latter, I'll get back to doing more of the former.
They're great machines, and I miss mine a lot. Insurance rumbles slowly towards a conclusion...
Jumpiness entirely understandable. What you went through was scarier than any of the accidents I've had.....Fingers remain crossed for the insurance.
UK owners (there are at least two- LeeW with an SL, Richie B has a GT) of Milans seem to love them, but it's not all good. Low ground clearance, hard suspension with not much travel, no foot hole (on the SL), and not very waterproof. A big turning circle on account of those closed wheelarches. Raederwerk aren't the easiest people to deal with for non-German speakers, their English isn't too good. You might have seen Richie B's blog on his GT
http://mongrandboucle.blogspot.co.uk. From his reports, it works for him in Glasgow despite those drawbacks ('prob the best commuting bike I've used'). Also, with the canopy, very noisy (there's footage of a Swedish SL on YouTube, sound is horrendous). Waiting list for those is six to twelve months.
FWIW, the Milan comes under the category of 'if only'... If I do get a VM (ifs buts and maybes on job and location will determine that), I'm pretty sure I'd need a tighter turning circle just to get it in and out of the garage (approach thereof being easy when there's no cars out front, tight and fiddly when there are). A foot hole might be needed too on occasion. Evo-K is lovely, open arches, but no foothole, fiddly access, and £££££. The WAW and the Mango, on paper at least, tick all the boxes for me- choice of drivetrain, practicality, decent service and support, looks, choice of open/closed...The WAW (again on paper) edges in front for me. The Quest XS I don't think I'd fit, the Quest has closed arches, and the Strada, as good as it is, is derailleur drivetrain only (if my job moves 20 miles down the road, that's 10,000 miles a year on commuting alone, and I'd want all the gearing I'd ever need- thinking a Rohloff is the answer to the question).