"The Making of a Velomobile" Stephane Boving of Katanga Builds the WAW-Laidback Bike Report

★​TABLE OF CONTENTS AND LINKS BELOW-CLICK "SHOW MORE"★ From the Czech Republic we chat with Stephane Boving owner of the Velomobile company Katanga. We learn about the manufacturing process and everything that goes into the designing and building of these sleek recumbent human powered vehicles. Stephane took us on a live tour of his shop and gave us a step by step look at how he assembles the velomobiles known as the WAW. Joining us again on the panel were Velonauts extraordinaire Josef Janning discussing his new Quattrovelo along with Doug Davis and Luc Fornier. We'll also have Bryan, Larry and Carl so don't miss this Velomobile report.
Here is a Table of Contents for this month’s video. Just click on the section of the video you’d like to jump to:
00:02:30 This Month’s Sponsor-Linear!
00:04:12 Panel Introduction
00:07:40 Special Guest Introduction
00:08:55 Slideshow presentation and Interview with Stephane Boving from Katanga
00:37:22 Live Tour of the Katanga shop
00:53:30 Final Questions for Stephane
01:06:15 General Velomobile questions for our Velonaut Panelists
01:14:33 Quattrovelo Report from Josef Janning
01:22:44 Laidback News Report with Bryan Ball
01:25:50 Laidback Sports Report written by Denny read by Bryan
01:32:45 Google+ Community Picture, Video and Discussion of the month post winners
01:35:20 Special offer from Linear
01:37:30 Coming up next month “Bent Riding and the Law” with Doug Grosjean
01:38:28 Thanks to all
01:42:15 Shoutouts and Announcements
01:44:05 How you can support the Laidback Bike Report?
Please Support this month's Sponsor
Linear Recumbent Bikes www.linearrecum... and take advantage of their offer to our viewers:
Mention the Laidback Bike Report when you order any folding Linear before March 15th, 2017 and get your choice of these two special deals:
50% off shipping.
OR
A 30 day test ride. Try it for 30 days and return it for a refund if you aren’t delighted.
To find more info go to the Linear Recumbents FaceBook page or call 607-587-8835.
Links Discussed on the Show
Katanga www.katanga.eu/
Spezi www.specialbike...
Quattrovelo en.velomobiel.n...
Here is the tour Josef Janning will be leading in summer 2017. We ran out of time to talk about it: 3wheels4france.eu/
From Bryan's News Report
Chris Kegel Foundation secure.peoplef...
CruzBike Windtunnel test: cruzbike.com/bl...
From Denny's Sports Report
Dallas Senior Games www.dallasparks...
Bike Sebring www.bikesebring...
Amanda Coker / goamandacoker
BentRider www.bentrideron...
The Velomobile Observer by Luc Fornier velomobileobser...
CRABS www.facebook.c...
The Bent Society of South Florida www.tbssfl.com/
Trailside Bike trailside.bike/
Swamp Rabbit Trail greenvillerec.c...
Trident Trikes tridenttrikes.com/
and last but not least our own Laidback Bike Report Website www.laidbackbik...
G+ Recumbent Bike Rider Community plus.google.co...
Contest Winners for January
Picture of the Month
Kenn Kiser “Transporting my Trident Stowaway”
plus.google.co...
Video of the Month
Marco Roepers “Greenspeed Rail Recumbent”
plus.google.co...
Discussion of the Month
Julie Lovegrove “New Tour to South Asia”
plus.google.co...
Pulcher Picture of the Month
Pilleus Pulcher “To Work and Back on New Year’s Day”
plus.google.co...

[@JohnAnderson-kl1wy]

As the owner of WAW301, it was great to see some of the work that goes into the making of my velo. My thanks and appreciation to everyone involved. Thanks to Gary for the report.

[@GarySolomon]

Thanks for taking the time to watch, John! I was thinking about the two velos Stephane showed that were being built and shipped to the USA. I wondered if Dennis and Jeffrey were watching and seeing their velos actually being built :^)

[@karlInSanDiego]

Stephane, you and your crew were very generous to share your story with everyone. Thank you!

[@velovloger2553]

Stephan has been excellent to work with and very informative. I do look forward to his maintenance manual, but all and all I LOVE my WAW!

[@GarySolomon]

VeloVloger thanks for watching.

[@coniow]

Hi Gary, A shout out to you and Josef Janning for his report on the QV. This is where I first came across it, then subsequently ordered one, and it arrived last week! An amazing machine, now I have to get used to a whole new way of riding :-) ! Brian Ball's report also helped a lot: One of my big worries was shoulder room. The fact that he had lots of room, (and with him being quite broad across the chest) reassured me, and now I have sat in mine I find I have inches to spare. Lots of room!

[@GarySolomon]

Hi Con-I'm incredibly jealous of you and your new QV🙂 I hope you have years of great rides and tons of fun in your four wheeler.

[@hardysiebecke9950]

Thank you very much for this last Laidback Bike Report. That was a very interesting interview with Stephan Boving learning a lot about the production, the staff and the marketing of the WAW. For 5 years now Katanga takes part in SPEZI as an exhibitor but I had no idea who is Stephane Boving and what realy is his WAW and what are the differnces to other velomobiles. I was very exited about learning more on these questions. 2017 we will put the 11 velomobile manufacturers registered at SPEZI more in the focus of interest as usual. There will be some press releases with velomobiles as the top theme and there will be a lecture with the title "Velomobile quo vadis". And of course there will be a lot of new things coming by the manufacturers and their about 30 velomobile models.

[@GarySolomon]

Hi Hardy Siebecke! I'm so glad you watched the show. Though velomobiles are small in number there seems to be strong interest and endless fascination with them. They are esthetically beautiful machines with the potential to change the way we transport ourselves. Stephane was an outstanding guest and is an all around great guy. You've made a wise choice I think emphasizing velomobiles at this year's SPEZI. I can't wait to see you and everyone in Germersheim in April 😄

[@rhein228]

One should note that Katanga is taking a different route from other producers in the market. The Dronten guys with their Romanian factory joint venture (to which Räderwerk, the German producer of the Milan has joined) are now moving away from separable body -- neither the DF nor the QV can be taken apart, the shell is glued to one piece and not bolted together as the Quest or Strada. Both now use access hatches to make maintenance a bit easier, both do not use gelcoat any more, rather spraypaint the velomobiles. The modular construction of the WAW has advantages such as the option of fitting a shorter or longer nose, it there is a downside to it: to replace the rear tire, you have to take the tail section off, and luggage space is more restricted compared to say a DF xl, which is of similar dimension.

[@GarySolomon]

And we'll work on getting someone on from the other manufacturers to tell that side of the story probably next year. Thanks for this clarification, Josef.

[@daniele_go]

excellent video, extremely informative! It just forces me to quickly take the decision to buy a velomobile!

[@GarySolomon]

I am really glad you enjoyed it! You bring up a precaution I need to add for our viewers. Watching this video just might cost you and a lot of other folks a lot of money;^)

[@yourrightiamwrong9643]

thank you for the videos, so few of them about recumbents on youtube

[@GarySolomon]

Ran Chen thanks for watching! My plan is to increase the number of bent videos on KZbin 😁

[@yourrightiamwrong9643]

Gary Solomon mine is to build a tilting all wheel steer velomobile so good that you would evengo to china to interview me

[@GarySolomon]

Ran Chen that sound awesome! Please feel free to contact me at [e-mail] with any further updates and information on this. Good luck!

[@yourrightiamwrong9643]

Now its just a brain stormed day dream. But i am learning all kind of mechanic, fem and cfd stuff to back it up. Its going to take a looong time before (if ever) is realized. See you at Spezi 2017

[@Bri-wi8kq]

An interesting video, thank you.

[@GarySolomon]

Glad you enjoyed it☺

[@petersilva037]

Great video! Next month, talking about legal issues with velos, would be great to talk about Quattrovelo, and whether it is legal west of the pond.

[@GarySolomon]

Peter Silva that is a great question and one I hadn't thought to ask. Thanks for the suggestion and for your kind words about this month's show!

[@Pushyhog]

nice one guys!

[@GarySolomon]

Pushyhog thanks for watching!

[@screaminlordbyron7767]

What is WAW short for?

[@zawest2011MoBiLe]

And, just out of curiosity. How much is it to to participate within the SPEZI? The reason why I ask, is because I would enjoy checking something like that out. And, thank you for your assistance in regards to the Orca velomobile.

[@GarySolomon]

+Zachariah West it's 10 Euros for admission.

[@MarcoRoepers]

KZbin shows me this video in a strange 3D format. So it looks to me it is all messed up by KZbin, I watched this on an other notebook, same results: Maybe you can do something about this, Gary Solomon

[@GarySolomon]

Thanks, Marco! It somehow got changed to 3D in the settings😠I removed the setting but it may take some time for it to revert back to normal. I'll keep and eye on it.

[@TheAegisClaw]

Josef will you be making QV videos on your channel as you did for the DF?

[@GarySolomon]

I'll pass this along to Josef for his response.

[@TheAegisClaw]

Gary Solomon thanks Gary

[@zawest2011MoBiLe]

I'm interested in the velomobile, and the only velomobile that seems to be anywhere near being able to be usable by me. Would be the Orca, due to various physical challenges that I now deal with. I currently ride a Tour II GT recumbent tadpole trike. During the summer months, and have to put it away during the colder and rainy time of year. I would like to get a velomobile that's easily accessible so that I could participate within long distance tours and continue to ride throughout the colder and rainy time of year. And, the Orca not being available in the U.S. makes the velomobile inaccessible unless there other velomobiles with similar accessibility as the Orca and available within the U.S.

[@GarySolomon]

Hey Zachariah-I contacted my Velo expert Luc Fornier and here is his reply to you: The Orca can be imported in the US. Importing is his only option as there are no European velomobile dealers in North America the Milan being out of the question in his case. He should send a question by e-mail to Flevobike to see if the shipment can be arranged but of course, he will have to perform the initial setup himself. His only other option would be an ELF which is not a velomobile as it is too big for much of the cycling infrastructure and pedaling this monster is next to impossible. Unfortunately a velomobile is really not built for people with significant disabilities.

[@zawest2011MoBiLe]

Gary Solomon okay, and through which company would I be going through? Because other individuals have told me that Orca couldn't be imported to the U.S. And, that's why I asked you. Since I had a feeling that you probably had an actual connection that could be talked to about my perticular question. And, I greatly appreciate it.

[@GarySolomon]

Ok, Zachariah. I went right to the source and asked Flavobike the makers or the Orca. Here is their reply: He can contact me by e-mail: [e-mail] Normaly we don't sell overseas because it's hard for us to handle warranty and maintanance issues. If the buyer is aware of this we can discuss about selling to the US.

[@rawmark]

Pilleus Pulcher? Is that the name of a trike or the name of a person? If it is the latter, who is the trike manufacturer for the trike shown toward the end?

[@GarySolomon]

Mark Gailmor it's actually his handle on social media 😀

Regarding the beer loading capacity of the Quattrovelo: There's this video where they fit 26 six packs of beer bottles, 0.33 or 0.5 liter per bottle kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4G1iWuhadOto9k A little more than 20 there. :)

[@rawmark]

The only thing preventing me from purchasing one of these is that they are one-seaters only. And I can't imagine how one could hook up a trailer to one of these awesome machines but I would need to be able to bring along my dog or dogs with me. Otherwise, it's no good for me. Even if it does look like fun.

[@GarySolomon]

The Quattrovelo from velomobiel.nl actually has room behind the rider for a small person or certainly a dog. You might want to have a look...

[@coniow]

I find myself very impressed with the design and workmanship of the WAW, and I really like the idea of removing the fore and aft 'cones' for access. But also I am smitten with those sweet lines of the Quattrovelo! To the extent that I have just spent 2 hours reading the Blog about how it came to be: velomobiel.wordpress.com/ I want one of each!

[@GarySolomon]

Con Cahill there's nothing wrong with that. All that stands between you and your dream is $15-20,000☺

[@coniow]

+ Gary S, Plus the need to get a new passport, get over to the UK mainland, and then a trip across to Europe to make sure my wide shoulders will fit in! (No dealers in the UK :-(. Saw your clip on the ICE facebook page, looks like a very nice place to blow away the cobwebs!

[@GarySolomon]

That would be a complicated and expensive endeavor. Keep your hopes up. You never know... Yes, that was a wonderful trek along the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

[@alfredorosa2849]

Just watched this KZbin vid I have a question what are the laws for velomobile in Cleveland ohio

[@GarySolomon]

Hi Alfredo-As far as I know the velomobile is considered a bicycle by law. So it should be treated like any other bicycle on the road by police. This includes the new 3 foot law recently passed by the Ohio legislature. Thanks for watching the show!

[@alfredorosa2849]

Gary Solomon is it the same for homemade as long as there the same length and width

[@jackjohnson7396]

The price, how much?

[@GarySolomon]

This page from the Katanga website has their current price list: www.katanga.eu/waw/