Alleweder — Wikipedia

L’ Alleweder is a lying tricycle, a velomobile from the Alligt firm in the Netherlands.

The name ‘alower’ comes from the Dutchman, “by all time”.
The shell is used both for aerodynamics and protection.

The first was built by Bart Verhees the late 1980s in the Netherlands. It is built today (2008) in different versions, in the Netherlands, Germany and the United States.

It measures 2.60 m long and 0.82 m wide, has an aluminum or fiber fairing, and weighs much less than the driver, depending on the model of 30 to 42 kg (models with electrical assistance or electro-muscular hybrids)

The Albeeder is one of the best -selling veloromobiles, if all versions are counted.
118 units were made from the A4 model at the end of 2007.

See references ^{[ first ] , [ 2 ]} :

The design of the first Albeeder was carried out by Bart Verhees in the late 1980s, for the protection of severe weather and comfort conditions. He studies mechanical engineering. Passionate about aeromodelling, he has the skills to make a light fairing in aluminum plates. With simple tools that everyone finds at home, he makes his first fairing of Albeeder (“all time”, in Dutch). The following year he made the second, the bodywork no longer needs a frame: self -supporting shell like a plane fuselage, then with an envelope, wheels. The 20 -inch two -wheeled Verhees prototype (50 cm ) and one at the back of 26 “(65 cm ), which are suspended pleased to improve comfort. It moves with (over more than 50,000 km), and participates in HPV races (European title in its category). He finished his studies in 91 and decides that the Alizeder is ready to be produced, and made the advertisement so as to sell minimum 10 units to start production. Perhaps too pioneering, he does not receive an order.
It takes a year. Bart rolls with his allevader and meets Flevobike. Johan Vrielink, boss of the lying bicycle company, is impressed by the design.

Flevobike Begins to develop a kit according to the purpose of Bart Verhees. In collaboration with Titus Van de Brink student engineers, and Bart Massee, Flevobike develops a ready-to-monter. In 1992 the first batch of 25 ready-to-monstry bikes found buyers. The first models are a challenge to assemble. You should cut the body plates yourself with the small scissors provided, and curl the edges of the plates on a table edge.

In 1993 the Altereder was found under the fire of the ramp with the assistance “a bicycle for 365 days”, organized by the magazine Bicycle& (Bike in Dutch) and the Technical University of Eindhoven. The Albeeder won the price (25,000 NLG = € 11,300) in front of the JOUTA ZX and the Leitra.

An important element is the time race in which competitors must demonstrate that their vehicles are fast and practical. The qualification of models requires:

• at least 35 km over an hour
• With 60- 80  litres, 15  kg luggage,
• protection of weather conditions,
• Little maintenance.

As the first -day driver Jacobs rolls with an excellent average of 40 km/h , he scores points on this part. Already a member of the NVHPV (Dutch VPH association) and Flivobike customer, he is already riding on one of their lying bikes. The competition draws a lot of attention from the Dutch media, newspapers and national television.

It is a good start for production. An agreement is made between Flevobike and Bart Verhees: Flevobike sells the ready-to-to-at-monst and Bart the ready-to-work. Bart organizes his workshop, sales are below the objectives, and at that time he receives and accepts a good offer for another engineering activity.

Allert Jacobs is hired in Flevobike, to strengthen the family team of three who finds it difficult to follow the sudden success. A tireless velomobilist, it makes some modifications on the transmission, suspension, braking and the rear, based on its in -depth experience.

Another important improvement is the machining of all plates to the right shape, at Fokker Aviation factories, easier to assemble than the first series of 25 very labor consumers. The prefabricated set returns to a nice price (1150 then 1350 then 1,600 € € ) which contributes to the success of the Albeeder. After having set it up, few customers need a maintenance service. They know how to do for themselves. The market share for a prefabricated set was however limited. Between 1993 and 1998 Flevobike sold 500 Albeeder; The year 1995 culminates with more than 100 sales.

In 1995 Ymte Sijbrandij was hired in Flevobike, and shortly after with Allert Jacobs, they decided to be co -owners of the company. They have many ideas and decide to invest in Flevobike.

In 1996 Allert Jacobs began the “C – Alower” project, an all -time with less maintenance (closed transmission), better aerodynamics therefore speed and more lightness. The carbon and fiberglass monohull design is based on aerodynamics drawings and reduced models. Work of assumptions and estimates. The designer collaborates with the personal mono company Temple man Specialized in fiberglass and epoxy that manufactures mussels in C (Arbone) -Alleweder, completed at the end of 1996. Faster (+15%), lighter (-8 kg ), without maintenance of the interior chain to the fairing, the C – Alized A 120 liters of luggage space. It is not intended for production, but after seeing the prototype governing, smoother and linear, a number of people want to have one. The C-Allewed is long to build, it makes it expensive (from 3400 it climbs to 7,000 € € ). Thirty is sold by Flevobike.

In the meantime, Flevobike suffers. The company (which manufactures a full range of lying bikes) evolves from a small family business in a company of 11 people including owners. No more turnover, but less profit and flexibility, as well as much more paperwork and organization. This is not what Johan Vrielink, the founder, wants. He therefore decides to transform himself into a family business. In 1999, they decided to sell the fifty models and refocus on engineering and a small production of prototypes for other companies in the cycle industry. The production of the alower stops. Temple man , which already made the fiberglass and carbon fairing of the C-Allewed, takes up this model and sells it under the name of Limit (pillar of rigidity, carbon fiber, and Kevlar shell).

Once the bicycle virus is contracted, it’s hard to leave business. In 1997 Bart Verhees returned to the market with a new model of its Albeeder. Successful features: aluminum wheels with disk and the steering bar is also used for braking. He sells a few dozen of the new model, which does not prove to be profitable enough and, after price increase, returns to his previous work. Nico Pluimers takes up the model, tries to resume production but leaves after a year for the same reasons. He sells at Leo Visscher d’Alligt . Léo is already in the profession of lying cycling, makes a lot of improvement at the Alower and is more successful.

Versions sold by Alligt which is based in the Netherlands. Basic price with SRAM DUAL DRIVE transmission. The A4, A6 and A7 weigh 34 kg.

• A4 in aluminum. Sold in kit 2845 euros, or 3995 mounted. With more than 350 copies sold, the Aleweder A4 is the version that has launched Alligt. However, it has not been produced since 2019. Dimensions 250 x 81 x 95 cm. The A5, narrower version, is no longer sold either.
• A6 and A7. Both with a resin and fiberglass shell. Several colors to choose from. Dimensions 245 x 81 x 95 cm for the A6 whose access is facilitated by a wide opening. The A7 is narrower and a little faster, 250 x 76 x 95 cm. It has not been sold since 2013. Sold in kit 4195, mounted 5195, supplement of 400 euros for an aramid shell (Trade name: Kevlar).
• A8 in aluminum. This 2011 prototype, more oriented towards speed, has not met with great success with only five copies sold. Alligt therefore stopped production of it in 2013. Dimensions 265 x 77 x 96 cm. The nose is in aramid, the lower, narrow and long shell than on the A4, the pace is close to that of the WAW of the Katanga brand.

The German company Lohmeyer Leichtfahrzeuge (or Akkurad) manufactures its version of the Alligt bikes, most often equipped with electrical assistance. It takes care of the Germanic language markets.

The Valomobileusa company in the United States manufactures and sells the FAW+, an improved version of the Alower A2 produced by Flevobike.

The Alaweder is currently the most common velomobile in the world, and continues to be improved. All versions combined, more than 700 have been produced.