Sinclair c5 revisited

[Danidl]

Not wishing to rain on anyones parade, but it very bulky for a poncho. The value of a bike with 2 wheels is that it goes and parks anywhere . This is basically a rigid poncho and requires a huge battery to make up for the increased wind resistance.

 

[richtea99]

To be fair (again), it's got ultra-low drag compared to a poncho. If you can get up to speed and stay there, it will be efficient. Fat chance of that in UK traffic though.

£5k is silly money. There are 19 fully electric cars on Autotrader for less than that.

 

[MikelBikel]

This lady could give him a few pointers, I'm sure!

 

[Deleted member 33385]

This lady could give him a few pointers, I'm sure!

Those are three very impressive bubbles! Two are so impressive, that I find it hard to hear what she is saying! I doubt if any of those bubbles are powered by a mere 250W!

 

[Moss]

Sir Clive's nephew has come up with an e trike in a shell. I dread to think how that shell would fare in a minor prang like my recent entanglement with a tram line - out with the body filler and spray paint.

Sir Clive Sinclair's nephew taking orders on £3,999 Iris e-trike

Electric trikes are a thing at the moment. Not so long ago we reported on the Cabrivelo, which was looking for (and just about received) funding on indiegogo. That was an open-to-the-elements three-wheeler with two wheels at the back, and looked like a natural successor to Sir Clive Sinclair's...

ebiketips.road.cc

I remember the C5 very well; I delivered them Merthyr in south Wales to Coventry - Here's my daughter in one on a promotion day for them>
she's now in her 40's.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

I remember the C5 very well; I delivered them Merthyr in south Wales to Coventry - Here's my daughter in one on a promotion day for them>
she's now in her 40's.

Your daughter makes the C5 look positively roomy!

I'm going to bump this thread every time the shipping date target slips... as it always has done, every time the "Estimated shipping for new pre-oders", gets uncomfortably close:

 

[jimriley]

Your daughter makes the C5 look positively roomy!

I'm going to bump this thread every time the shipping date target slips... as it always has done, every time the "Estimated shipping for new pre-oders", gets uncomfortably close:


View attachment 40308

I smell a rat too!

 

[Deleted member 33385]

I smell a rat too!

He might genuinely be having problems with his daft plexiglass

I wish he'd get on with it! And at a cheaper pricepoint, because an enclosed pedelec would be very attractive to many people who currently wouldn't risk getting their work attire sullied, nor their health put in jeopardy on the tube or some other form of covid-filled public transport box on wheels!

I almost pre-ordered in 2010... but then I did some Googling...

 

[MikelBikel]

These are classed as three wheel scooters in some jurisdictions, haha, if only. Zoom, zoom, tuk, tuk!

 

[MikelBikel]

'FriKar', from PodBike "pricing revealed in 12days, taking pre-orders". Mm, so not available (yt note suggests about €5,000).

Will have a wiper, but Bubble top will mist/fog up, and pilot will cook on the sun, needs ventilation :-0
Pedals belt drive a generator, not direct to wheels, and no room for passenger, nice try though, pity.

 

[MikelBikel]

I forgot about the DryCycle, legal eapc it says, even with 4 wheels (light quadricycle?). Shimano E8000, 1kWh battery plus 12v ancillary lithium for wash/wipe & heaters, alarm, etc. Interesting concept but *from* €14,999 & still can't carry a passenger! Eek :-0.

DryCycle | Specification and Features of the DryCycle E-Bike

Full specification of the DryCycle. An eco-friendly four wheeled electric bike with a pedal assisted motor and the look of a car.

www.drycycle.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 33385]

These are classed as three wheel scooters in some jurisdictions, haha, if only. Zoom, zoom, tuk, tuk!

Yes, if only!

 

[Deleted member 33385]

Does anyone know who this chap is? Stopped by the Police but fully legal... total hero. I'd love to know what his vehicle actually is! He's solved the heavy bodywork problem using nature's own 3D printing method.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7372529/Police-pull-appears-boat-driving-motorway-motorbike.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-49393998

 

[Deleted member 33385]

I forgot about the DryCycle, legal eapc it says, even with 4 wheels (light quadricycle?). Shimano E8000, 1kWh battery plus 12v ancillary lithium for wash/wipe & heaters, alarm, etc. Interesting.

DryCycle | Specification and Features of the DryCycle E-Bike

Full specification of the DryCycle. An eco-friendly four wheeled electric bike with a pedal assisted motor and the look of a car.

www.drycycle.co.uk

It's got too many wheels and is too heavy - I doubt that it'd be too useful with just two of these batteries installed:

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/mtb-ebike-e8000/BT-E8020.html

Very interesting links however MikeBikel, you're obviously keeping an eye open!

My frustration at the dearth of viable, low cost, UK-road legal enclosed ebikes will too, force me into a balsawood container to be stopped barefoot on the road by the Police... but I have a plan... When I say a "Plan" I mean the wheelbase, drivetrain and fold thus far, and a sketch, which I keep changing... I've been at it for years and it's in a folder called "Things to finish thinking through and making".

 

[MikelBikel]

This is a proper tease, "we only make them for our own delivery service, not for sale", b2b.
Then makes videos of versions carrying 2 on holiday or europallets!

 

[Deleted member 33385]

This is a proper tease, "we only make them for our own delivery service, not for sale", b2b.
Then makes videos of versions carrying 2 on holiday or europallets!

Nice! The cabin looks a little draughty though...


This looks very interesting and likely safer in a collision, but not when crushed flat by an an arctic lorry:

... it could do with a sunshade, else heads would cook and peel in the summer, especially the bald ones. Less than 6000 euros a punt, so they say.

 

[MikelBikel]

Another light quadricycle, or tricycle, single and double seaters are planned. Preorders in 6months time, on Indiegogo, so it says on mypodride .com.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

Another light quadricycle, or tricycle, single and double seaters are planned. Preorders in 6months time, on Indiegogo, so it says on mypodride .com.

It's great to see this sort of solution! However, going through a large puddle would mean that much of it will end up in the cabin, as well as up inside your trouser legs - it's not completely enclosed. Someday they'll be able to make superhard shells as light as PVC by weaving carbon nanotubes, once they discover how to grow those much longer.

 

[MikelBikel]

Nice! The cabin looks a little draughty though...

This looks very interesting and likely safer in a collision, but not when crushed flat by an artic

... it could do with a sunshade, else heads would cook and peel in the summer, especially the bald ones. Less than 6000 euros a punt, so they say.

Well in the summer, fingers crossed, we might need a cooling draught, when 'helping' the 250w motor uphill! hehe

I like the 'Glider' canopy, but yeah, misting, heat, sunburn (UV filter?).

But better *if* 'bodywork' absorbed some impact, bouncing, sliding one out of the way, rather than going under the wheels like on an upright bike! Fingers crossed again? Haha

They all have to avoid looking 'Fisher-Price', or do I mean Tonka!

We can wait for an Aptera at € ??,???, oh wait, that is a 3-wheel car!

 

[Deleted member 33385]

Well on the summer, fingers crossed, we might need a cooling draught, when 'helping' the 250w motor uphill! hehe
And if it absorbed some impact, bouncing, sliding one out of the way, rather than going under the wheels like on an upright bike! Fingers crossed again? Haha
They all have to avoid looking 'Fisher-Price', or do I mean Tonka!

It seems quite stable, but if it's knocked over, arms and legs would be contained (for good or ill) within the cabin instead of outstretched to be run over (plus detached, or is that a minus?) by other vehicles.

I like the 'Glider' canopy, but yeah, misting, heat, sunburn (UV filter?).

Maybe a roll-away sunblocking blind, plus fans. Or they could paint it topside to make it look more like a Koenigsegg.

Looking like that, it'd trigger violently uncontrollable fits of laughter wherever it went, causing accidents! Formerly driven by one of the Mr Men or Bill and Ben, as featured on The Muppets.