The Velomobile: a fully faired recumbent quadricycle

Today, we head to Brittany to discover the construction of a fully faired recumbent tricycle, more commonly known as a velomobile.
This small machine is a human-powered means of transport, but it can also be equipped with electric assistance to help the rider on more demanding journeys.

Mr. Denis Bodennec took on the challenge of building his own velomobile. He used the vehicle molds from the company Velomobiel.nl and sourced epoxy resin and composite materials from Sicomin.

For this project, Mr. Bodennec used epoxy resin SR 1500 combined with its standard hardener SD 2505, allowing him to manufacture most of the velomobile’s parts, as this standard laminating system is perfectly suited to components of all sizes.

Each component is produced by first applying an epoxy primer with a spray gun. After curing, a first layer of 200 g/m² carbon fabric is applied, followed by a layer of carbon Innegra taffeta, and finally another layer of 200 g/m² carbon fabric.

The front and rear of the velomobile include a hybrid aramid/carbon fabric between the carbon layers to improve resistance to potential impacts the vehicle may encounter.

In the end, Mr. Bodennec’s velomobile is largely made of carbon fiber, allowing it to combine lightness and strength. In fact, building this magnificent velomobile required approximately 50 to 60 m² of 200 g/m² carbon fabric.

Thanks to Denis Bodennec.