Details and options

I have finally come up with a way to hold wires to the shell that is simple, easy to do, and very light.  The secret is in the one layer of carbon fiber used to make the fixture.  The other trick is sticking the tube to the shell with silicone.  The advantage of using silicone is that you can remove  it if necessary and we always have a few tubes of it in the shop.  The disadvantage is that it takes at least overnight to set enough to stay in place.   Here's a picture of it in the 1/4" diameter

Now I just have to finish the wiring in my velo so it is rideable any time.  It is still missing the connections for the headlights and brake light with only the signal/running lights working. 

Plastic drain for the rain gutter.  The piece of tubing used as a drain for the rain gutter is now easily made.  I just had to make some jigs to form the end of the tube rather than doing it free hand.  I'll use the channel for the wires to hold it to the side of the velo.

Mirror fairing with the light in the front of it seems to be working out nicely.  I had to come up with a slightly different clip to mount the mirror.  The mirror mounts so it is almost touching the shell rather than on a stalk. I suspect that it will now be possible to mount it on most velos. 

 

The Milan GT and Milan SL both come with suspension on all three wheels.  I do have the plug for making the rear fender for the SL without rear suspension in the shop.  I will move it out into storage where it can rest until some one really wants this version.  I will take some convincing to do so!!!!  The front suspension is the normal strut from Velomobiel.nl but with the stiffer spring in it.  The rear suspension is a double sided swing arm with two suspension struts, one on each side. 

Last Weekends Ride

On the spur of the moment I decided to go for a ride on the flatter island, Vancouver Island.  It was just about 1/2 an hour before the ferry left the island when I decided.  By the time I pumped up the tires found my repair kit and got going I had only 20 minutes left.  Just a little ways down the road I realized I forgot to take my battery from the charger.  By the time I turned around and got the battery I thought I won't make the ferry.  If I made the ferry I would ride on the other side if not just ride on the island.  I pushed pretty hard and had just enough time to make the ferry to get off the island.  This has to be my fastest trip ever to the ferry.  Maybe the reason is the small visor I made to try out.

As it turns out I didn't have it quite right as I still got a bit chilled going down hills at speed.  The back edge needs to be about an inch higher to deflect the onrushing air onto my helmet rather than my forehead.  The good part is that after coming off the first hill I was able to hold over 50 kph for quite a while.  This is about 2-3 kph more than before along this section.   I had the unusual situation of traffic not passing me as I was close to the speed limit.  Needless to say this didn't last.  It ended up being an excellent ride with the fastest two hour average ever at just over 35 kph.   I am lucky to get around a 25 kph average on Quadra Island.  It must have something to do with hills!!!

Ribs

No, this isn't about the kind you can eat.  In the photo below you can see the stiffening rib installed in the side of the Milan. 

 

This adds much needed stiffness to the long flat side of the Milan.  While the panel was strong enough without the rib it seemed to act like a sounding board for vibrations from the road.  To further reduce this I have rebuilt the rear fender.  Here you can see the first half.

 

What different about this one is that it considerably stiffer by the addition of an extra layer.  The extra layer is the material Bio-Mid which is made from sawdust from western Canada.  The material looks much like regular fiberglass but has a density similar to Kevlar.  It adds thickness to the laminate without a lot of weight.  Having this layer between two layers of carbon optimizes the carbon's properties.  



On the Road at Last

This is the first picture taken of the blue Milan GT on the road.  It is still missing a few bits but ride able.  The first thing I noticed that's different about it is the weight.  It looks like the Milan GT in carbon/Kevlar laminate will finish out in the low 60 pound range.  While I was hoping for under 60 with some more development this may still be possible.  The second thing I noticed is that it is noisier than the glass version.  Right now I am working at reducing the noise and think I may have it in hand.  My local short test loop has some very poorly surfaced roads so if I can make it acceptable on these it won't be a problem elsewhere.  The problem may be with a high tech thin laminate without excess resin in it transmits vibrations more.  Having a high resin content makes for thicker laminate and the resin itself is less prone to transmitting noise or vibration than the carbon or Kevlar material.  Some localized stiffening seems to help a lot.   Tomorrow morning ride will tell if it good enough. 

 

The first seat that I have infused.  It does have a couple of foam ribs on the back making infusion an easier overall process than our usual method with vacuum.  The disadvantage is than we end up using a bit more resin and have more materials that need to be throw any.  The big plus is the potential weight saving.  While this seat is a bit light for my liking I will test it some to see how it stands up.  The weight I would be happy with is under 500g.  This one weighs in at 414g without the holes in it but I would like to add a bit more carbon in a couple of spots.

Weight Wennie Seat

 

In the shipment with the SL plug Raderwerk sent their latest light weight seat.  I weighs in at a "heavy" 399 g.  Not yet sure if I am  comfortable going this light but it is an impressive bit of composite laminating.  To put this in perspective the Ventist seat pad is lots heavier. 

 

 

The Ventist seat weighs in at 476 grams.  This is the thin version of the pad.  The comfort one will be about 1/3 more.  

 

In the SL I will have to ditch the pad as it takes up too much space, it move me forward a couple of cm.  Given the choice between fitting and the pad I'll take the fit and deal with the comfort issue with some padding only where required.  More work but less weight.  

Fitting into the SL

Since receiving the pattern for the Milan SL this spring I have wondered if I can ride it.  Do I fit into the SL?  I am about 6'2" but have short legs.  I understood that I may just be a little too tall.   The hope was that my short legs would let me fit.  Well I now know what the answer is. 

We just got Milan SL sitting on its wheels last night.  When I first sat in the SL things were not looking too good.  I had the bottom bracket adjusted a bit too far forward and couldn't spin the pedals as my shoes contacted the sides.  The crank size is 152.  Moved the BB back a touch and couldn't pedal without my shins contacting the front of the door opening.  Next tried moving the seat back from its normal position.  Closer but still could not pedal properly.  Moved the seat back even further so there was almost no space between the seat and the rear fender.  Now it is possible to pedal if you are very exact about how you do it.  This is probably still too tight a fit for me to ride for very long.  Removed the seat pad and made sure I was fully back in the seat and I can now imagine riding this way.  Some careful padding of the seat will be required to get a comfortable enough fit. Still need to check to be sure once the SL is able to be ridden.   It may also require a modification to the door so there is slightly more room for my knees.  Moving the point where the seat mounts at the front end may end up raising it slightly as the floor is dished a bit to get the seat as low as possible.   Another issue may be if there is enough room for the rear idler. While it is looking encouraging to fit, it is not yet a sure thing.  At least it may be possible rather than not!

Progress

The first GT (green) with two other GTs in carbon/Kevlar laminate.  The little black thing in the middle is the first SL.  All three of the ones in progress should be done this month.