Fab Velo in the rain: A DIY roof for your bicycle

There must be few cyclists this year who have not yearned for a roof. Mark Richardson is no different, but, unwilling to pay for an off-the-shelf human-powered vehicle (HPV), he has built his own fab velo using a discarded bicycle, wheelchair and office furniture, and much ingenuity.

{{cta-cycling}}

Richardson is an engineer with a passion for DIY personal transport, micro-scale production and upcycling. Although the fab velo relies almost entirely on low-tech, discarded items, a 3D printer was used to produce couplings that allow disparate components to form modular structures without any need for welding.

https://vimeo.com/84000803

Bring on the weather

If you want to protect yourself from downpours, but prefer to buy rather than build, the Veltop bicycle roof system can be retro-fitted to almost every conventional or electric bicycle. The simple design comprises a windscreen, universal fixing, two lightweight spars and a water-resistant hood with roll-down windows. Prices start from £245.

A less expensive, if more eccentric, means of protecting oneself from inclement weather is offered by the Nubrella - a shoulder-mounted, folding canopy designed to shield people, including cyclists, from rain, wind and snow. The device has already found customers in 70 countries and a new-and improved version has recently been launched. As a specialist piece of equipment for photographers and others who need hands-free weather protection, the Nubrella is an interesting proposition, but for many cyclists it would represent a sartorial fate worse than Lycra.

When it rains, it pours

Cycle insurance from the ETA covers against theft, accidental damage and vandalism (including at race events) includes third party insurance, a breakdown recovery service for cyclists and worldwide cover - all for one competitive price.