I'm happy with the Rotovelo 2. I have never ridden a Rotovelo 1. So I can´t compare the two. The front elastomer suspension is quite stiff and doesn't have that much travel but it takes the edge of holes and bumps. It's stiff enough so the body doesn't roll when pedaling. My old glassfibre Quest with standard suspension did roll quite a lot in comparison. It is quite a lot slower than a Quest. On my 30km TT course my average cruising speed is 38.5 kmh at 205 watts with the Rotovelo 2 and the rain hood. I didn't have a power meter when I had the Quest but my average cruising speed was 43.9 kmh on the same course with the racing hood. I suspect I was probably a bit stronger then. Different tires etc. However the speed difference on a regular ride is much less, 1-2 kmh. Usually I average about 30-31 kmh. If you have ridden a fast velomobile and you weigh pros and cons you might like the rotovelo 2. If you have not you might always feel the need for more speed. Even if you are a slow rider a fast velomobile will make a big difference. I made a quick solution for attaching a rear light and varia radar. I should make a better more aero solution when I have time. So there are some losses there. RV2 weighs half a kg less than my old glassfibre quest. So it is heavy. However as my videos show I live where it is really flat. So weight is not that important for me. However if I lived in the hills or mountains I would perhaps bought a much lighter velomobile instead. The bottom bracket is low. Luckily it is not too low. But I would wish it was 5-15 cm higher. I really like the steering handle bars. I absolutely love the toughness of the shell. I like the ease of access for maintenance (I don't have a front derailleur so super easy access to the bottom bracket isn't that important, the foot holes is good enough)

Well the Terrain seat is way higher than a foot off the ground. This trike is the only trike that I have flipped (twice actually). When riding "off road" if you hit a hidden rock or tree stump things will happen... Besides for me the helmet is excellent it protects from the sun while giving good airflow. And last why take up the time to write a comment like yours? Is that time well spent? Go out and ride instead with or without any head gear 😀

only an idiot would post something like this...recumbent trikes are very dangerous and what if you get hit by somethging else? duhhhh

Sometimes the trails are elevated and it is potentially possible to sustain a fall by inadvertantly going off-trail. Helmets also protect against falling objects as well. Safety is never a bad or silly idea!

Considering how many people die annually from slips trips and falls, usually due to hitting their head, maybe we should wear helmets walking around. Its not about the hight you fall from its what you hit your head on and how hard. The extra speed from falling from an upright bike 3-4 feet higher off the ground is not particularly significant when you consider the impact forces on an unprotected noggin. inattentive drivers are still one of the bigest threats any cyclist faces and being lower to the ground wont protect your head.

Inattentive drivers are the biggest concern to me. Being hit by a car, at bumper level, could lead to involuntary brain massage. 😬Also, having a single tire slip off the edge of a trail can cause the trike to flip. Added to that is the possibility of flipping the trike taking a turn too fast, maybe under-estimating your speed descending a slope or hill. So yeah, I wear a helmet, just like I do on my upright road bike and my electric scooter. Head injuries=not hilarious.

Yes and no. It depends... At the time it was the cheapest trike I could find. The next step up was almost twice the price. The "no name" brakes and gearing worked fine. Gearing fine for flat land (it came with a front deraileur post, so you can upgrade) Great on paved roads. I liked that the seat was very low to the ground, but it may be too low for some people. No height adjustment. The bucket seat works but was for me in the long run not that comfortable. 20 inch rear wheel and rear deraileur means problem if you ride "off road" grass will get caught. If you ride on gravel roads with big pebbles you have to try to avoid them hitting the rear deraileur. Pedal steer effect (possibly dependant on seat placement). But easy to learn to live with. I would recommend adding mud guards to the front wheels or avoid rain. The neckrest was useful for attaching a rear light to. But otherwise not useful for me. I sold it last year but don't regret buying. It worked really well for me. But if you can afford the next level up I would recommend that instead.

If only it were true... It's probably the camera field of view and height above ground that gives the illusion of speed. The video and GPS data is "manually" synced so the display may be off a little bit. However I'm doing indoor winter training for the first time so by spring I'm hopefully faster for real.