16/06/2020
What is velomobile?
(fairy tale)
Velomobile is a faired bicycle, mostly trike. It provides protection against rain like a car and is powered through pedaling, like a bicycle. This is its story:
His father was a hard working car while his mother was a bicycle with endless love to nature. She was impressed by his power and endurance, she loved him for all the comfort and luxury he provided for her. He admired her slim body and genious simplicity. They both loved the freedom of riding everywhere they wished, but they could not stay together because they were both cursed. Father car is useful, but he slowly harms everyone who is nearby, by making them put on more and more weight. Father car causes obesity and pollution, turns cities into concrete parking lots and is responsible for climate change. Mother bike pedalled between city and forest trails and made everybody happy, but she must spend half of each year in the dark garage.
The young velomobile lived with his aunt who was a tram. She insisted on adherence to given schedules and allowed no individual adjustments. Velomobile inherited from his parents the love of freedom. But he was shy and often sad. He believed he would never be as good as his father. “I will never be able to take as much load, or drive as fast or as far as he does”. He also thought about his mother. “I cannot ride on forest trails and jump over fallen trees. I am so fat and awkward compared to her.”
For a long time it seemed he was right. People always wanted stronger and bigger cars. Fooled by advertising they believed the huge off-road with 2,6 liter engine will bring them closer to nature. Or that it would make them look more sporty. They were prepared to get a second job to pay back the symbol of their wealth and freedom.
Others looked for more and more advanced bicycles and were prepared to pay +2000€ to have it 0,5 kg lighter. But sadly such jewels spend more time in the garage than common commuting bikes before and their owners spend hours and hours in traffic jams.
But then different sort of people came. They did not measure their worth from the things they owned, on the contrary, they tried to own and consume as little as possible. They knew that happiness comes from relationships and experience rather than from things. They knew that every new purchase is future waste so they prefered solid crafted products which can be repaired again and again. Products manufactured locally from ecological materials with as little energy consumption as possible. They were caring about the planet and wanted to minimise their carbon footprints.
These people discovered Carcle and found it amazing: the way to work changed from an boring, expensive and unecological journey into healthy exercise which makes them happy by producing endorphins. And because they could avoid traffic jams and no entry zones, their journey took even less time than before! They were even happier when they realised they did not need the car even if it rains, if they had to bring children to the playgroup, to go shopping, or even if they had to wear a suit for an interview. And other people saw it was good and changed their habits too. And then all the oil rogue states in the world collapsed, climat change stopped and velomobil saw he was unique and valuable. And they all lived happily ever after.
