Velo Vision is published quarterly by Peter Eland (trading as Velo Vision), Daily news and updates can be found on www.velovision.co.uk

ISSN 1475-4312

Velo Vision, The Environmental Community Centre, St Nicholas Fields, York, YO10 3EN, UK

Tel +44 1904 438 224 (from UK, 01904 438 224) Fax +44 1904 438 236 (from UK, 01904 438 236) Email peter@velovision.co.uk Website www.velovision.co.uk

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Peter Eland DESIGN: Brian Holt WEBMASTER: Simon Ward PRINTER: Stephens & George Magazines Ltd, Merthyr Tidfil, Wales, UK. Tel 01685 388 888 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Jason Patient 01890 883408 ADDITIONAL HELP AND SUPPORT: Kriss Fearon, Mark Marsh and many more.

PUBLISHING SCHEDULE: Issue 6: 4 June 2002 Issue 7: 5 September 2002 Issue 8: 4 December 2002 Issue 9: 5 March 2003

VELO VISION AND VELO-VISION We weren’t first with the name. Velo-Vision (note the hyphen) is a progressive HPV-friendly bike shop in Köörten, near Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany, who also make their own recumbents. Velo Vision magazine is working in friendly harmony with Velo-Vision in Germany. Contact them on www.velo-vision.de

Cover illustration: Cannondale’s EasyRider recumbent is reviewed this issue – read our verdict starting on page 24. Photo by Peter Eland

[ contents ] MARCH 2002

4 News The Velo Nova project, Burrows’ new folder and

much more.

10Cool cycling

Human power takes one man from dead-end job to

tropical paradise.

14Innovate or die Bike companies have to take chances... or face the

consequences.

16You’ll never ride alone

One of the more bizarre cycling conversations.

18A voyage into velomobilia Riding with the Quests, and an overview of the species.

22Wheeling the oils of war Marthaler meets Congo’s cycling traders.

24Cannondale’s cracker

Testing the Cannondale Easy Rider recumbent.

28Mini Magic A budget folder faces our test.

30Centric or eccentric?

A very different, perhaps better, childseat.

32On the beat Sheffield’s hills are no problem for these police cyclists.

34Trailer masterclass One man’s experience of towing all sorts of stuff.

37Travelling backwards in time

Retro-direct gearing is revived.

38Letters

42You must be mad!

A cycling challenge as a disabled rider tandem-trikes

around Anglesey.

47How to subscribe

46Advertising

Please support these companies, who support

this magazine.

TIME OUT

It’s hard to know what to make of projects like Velo Nova, described in our News section over the page. Is it a daft utopian ideal born of wishful thinking? Or a visionary idea which could become a showcase for pedal power? As the consequences of messed-up priorities in contemporary transport planning become ever more obvious, all too often the humble yet oh-so-effective bicycle is still overlooked as a part of the solution. A highprofile centre, supported by national and international bodies, could be a significant boost to the status of human power, the ‘forgotten energy’. It could also become an embarrassing white elephant, a freak-show of the weird and wacky in pedal power. The eyecatching concept drawings probably give this impression to the more sceptical onlooker. They’re wonderfully inventive, but imagine them on a cold wet day with just a few bedraggled visitors... But the purpose of Velo Nova is to be much more than a fun day out playing on silly bikes. It’s intended as a centre of cycle industry research and innovation, a resource for planners, companies and individuals trying to get into cycling, an educational centre and a forum for the exchange of ideas and inspiration. It goes beyond just cycling, too, looking at all sorts of sustainable transportation and human power. If it can be all of these things, and also a great day out, wet or dry, then they’ll have done cycling a huge service. We wish the project well.

Peter Eland

PS Special thanks to everyone who resubscribed after our big renewal issue, Issue 4. Seems like most of you rather like the magazine, as we’ve had just a tiny dropout rate. Double thanks to all who scribbled kind words about the magazine on your renewal forms. To avoid too much selfcongratulation on the Letters page I’ve decided instead to put a selection of these comments on the testimonials page of www.velovision.co.uk, our website, where you’ll also find regular news updates to help bridge the gap between the quarterly magazines. You are also of course very welcome to use the free small ads facility on the website to sell or acquire bikes, bits of bikes or anything you fancy!

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