Hey cycle fans. We’ve finally reached fall here in Minnesota. Lots of brightly colored trees, cooler temps, some really nice cycling weather. I’d like to say fall is my favorite season, but I’d be lying, because you see, right after fall comes…winter.
For those of us that really love cycling, winter can be a real drag. It’s cold, snowy, icy, windy…. Yuck. The really dedicated cyclists own lots of warm clothes and bundle up to head out on their fat tire bikes or their beater commuter with studded tires. I’ve tried that, but I never found a solution to keep my hands and feet from freezing. That meant if I wanted to stay in cycling shape through the winter I’d have to ride indoors. I know some people find ways to enjoy riding indoors using cycling apps like Zwift, training plans, and all those things, but after around an hour I’m bored to tears. I knew if I was going to stay in shape and flourish in the many cold winter months in Minnesota that I would need a different option.
So there’s this thing called a velomobile. I’ve known about these for a while after running across them in online cycling forums. Outside of my budget-friendly cheap guy pricepoint, kind of niche, riders seemed to be obsessed solely with speed. I’m a leisure and touring cyclist. I don’t care if I’m the fastest rider, right? I couldn’t see myself justifying the investment in a velomobile. And surely they’re not suitable for winter riding. But they did look cool. I started doing some YouTube browsing about velomobiles and ran across a channel from a Finnish guy, Saukki, who owned a Quest velomobile. Finland is cold, real cold. A lot like Minnesota. This guy was using his velomobile to commute to work most of the year. Even in the dark and snow. In shorts and a t-shirt. The interior of a velomobile is fully enclosed so there’s no wind, and it retains your body heat so that as you exercise, you actually act as your own heater. Plus it had enough space in the wheel wells to mount treaded tires for better grip in the snow. That got my attention.
My first velomobile was a used Quest XS. I was the third owner and it had lived quite a life already. With some minor maintenance I was able to get it up and running. I purchased it as a Christmas gift for myself just in time for a real cold winter. I finally could go out for a couple hours to stay in shape on those cold snowy winter days without looking like an eskimo on a north pole expedition.
I spent two winters riding the Quest before upgrading to a Buelk MK1. While the Quest was great, the MK1 was an entirely different level of efficiency and fun. So much so, that since getting it I’ve gone largely car free. Instead of just riding once or twice on weekends for exercise, I now commute with it and run errands in addition to my weekend rides. A bike I purchased solely for pleasure to ride in the cold has ended up being a life-changing investment in my health and well-being. I’m cycling far more, at higher intensities, and doing long rides I never would have even considered with a traditional bike or recumbent.
Most of us don’t enter the winter with thoughts of buying a new bike, but if you love cycling outdoors and want to do it in greater comfort, now is actually the perfect time to get a velomobile. In addition to becoming an advocate for velomobiles, I’m also now the largest US dealer for velomobiles, something I never anticipated when I started riding. A few times a year I import a container of velomobiles. The shipping is less expensive this way and clients have the chance to come here to Minneapolis for help setting up their new bike or have it ground shipped to their home. Shipping to Minneapolis is only 650 euros and right now standard metallic paint colors are free of charge. In addition, prices in the US will be rising in 2025, so this is your last chance to buy at current prices.
If you’d like to get in on this offer, you can set up a free consult with me through my website or email me at info@northlandvelo.com to order. I’m happy to help you find the right model for you, and even set up a test ride here at my shop. If you don’t want to wait until February or so for a custom config, I also have several models in stock ready for immediate delivery before the worst of winter hits.
You can suffer boldly on the trainer or bundled up on your bike. You definitely get a lot of respect from me for it, or you can come to the dark side and join those of us cycling in ultimate comfort in our velomobiles. Oh, and we have mini wiper blades. And room for a snack bar right next to your very ergonomically shaped super comfy reclined seat.
