Penn State University senior Peter Ginzburg rides his bike a lot around campus, but sometimes bad weather gets in the way.
So Ginzburg, a mechanical engineering major, came up with a concept for a velomobile — essentially, a combination of a bike and a small car. He ended up with a prototype for an aerodynamic shell that looks sort of like a car and attaches to a recumbent bike or trike. The velomobiles made by Ginzburg’s four-person company, GinzVelo, come with enough storage space for two full backpacks. Velomobile owners can bike where they need to go at as much as 45 miles per hour, carry books or groceries, and be sheltered from rain or snow.
GinzVelo’s vehicles are also designed with safety in mind. The materials are currently stored in an industrial racking system with the hopes of moving into production as soon as possible. The shell is made of fiberglass and plastic in a way that distributes the impact in the event of a crash — the shell will break, but the rider won’t get hurt. The windows are made of a shatterproof polycarbonate.
GinzVelo is partnering with a State College recumbent bike shop to sell its velomobiles. The company has already sold its first vehicle and hopes to finish it this spring. Several more have been reserved. Plans are to have them manufactured by specialty companies on the East Coast and market them to bicyclists, students, and people who live in areas with lots of traffic.
“We hope this will take off in cities where people crawl anyway,” Ginzburg says. “You can get away with not paying insurance or high gas.”
Source: Peter Ginzburg, GinzVelo
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen