The ultimate fuel saver

Neville Whitlock has heard people complain about the rising cost of petrol. "Get used to it," he says. "It's never going to get any better."

He can be seen on the Hutt Road every day dealing with fuel costs in his own way, in his eye-catching velomobile. He imported the machine as a kitset from the Netherlands last Christmas, at a landed cost of about $5,500.

"Before I got it I'd been biking to work for a little over a year, which is great on a fine day, but when you're biking home in the rain, into the wind, there's got to be a better way," he says.

"I wanted to go a little bit faster, be more comfortable and I wanted to keep out of the weather."

Some research threw up the velomobile. It took him 70 hours over a week-and-a-half to assemble and he has commuted on it daily since mid-January.

He says he's had it up to 50 kmh on a flat road and still wind and he can cruise at 40 kmh with no special cycling fitness.

"I never go out for a training ride. The only cycling I do is when I want to get somewhere."

The furthest he has driven the machine so far is 120 km during one weekend, but he plans a trip to Wanganui, and is considering taking part in the Round Taupo ride.

Does he feel safe in it?  "I've had one scare which, frankly, was my fault. The road suddenly got narrow and I was beside a truck at the time." It was a situation he should have anticipated and avoided, he says.

* For more information on velomobiles visit www.dutchbike.eu

What's the velomobile like to drive?  Jim Chipp takes a test drive:

You only realise how low the velomobile is on the road when you climb down into it and peer over the bullet-shaped bonnet at the road ahead.

A joy-stick between your knees steers the front wheels, with one lever for the running brakes, and another to apply and release the park brake, and a twist-grip and thumb lever controls for the two gearing systems that make up its 24-speeds.

A long chain passes through tubes underneath the seat to the rear wheels. Behind the seat there's enough luggage space for a modest family's groceries.

It moves off slowly, but gathers speed quickly and is surprisingly easy to keep rolling at a speed that won't hold up suburban traffic. It's hard to believe it weighs as much as 31kg.

It's a little disconcerting being so low-slung, well below the bonnet level of most cars and I found myself wondering whether drivers could see me.

Though it appears bigger than a bike, it's not really. The width across the widest point, the front axle, is only the same as my mountain bike handlebars. The difference is that I can ride my bike in the gutter, handlebar overhanging the kerb, whereas the velomobile can't.

The big surprise is the noise. Whereas bikes are virtually silent, the velomobile's chain and gears are quite noisy and, despite its fully independent suspension, the metal structure clatters along the road.

Echoing around inside the alloy shell, it all adds up to the point where there wouldn't be much point installing a stereo. I imagine the carbon fibre models available in Europe are much quieter, as well as lighter.

I had wondered about how its cornering stability, remembering what death traps the old three wheeled Morgans had been, but at the relatively modest speeds I could cycle at I don't think there's any danger of overturning it.

Even around Petone, where it must be a fairly familiar sight, it attracts attention and everybody seems to love it.

Mr Whitlock would like to see the lots of them on the Hutt Road every morning. I'd like one, too, but I think I'll wait until they are more familiar sight and drivers are aware of them.

Till then I'll stick to my mountain bike.