MONCTON – People in the city of Moncton are seeing something strange on bike paths and streets this summer.
The unidentified orange object is rolling around the city and looks like something you might see in outer space.
It’s a velomobile – driven by Moncton’s Steve Mills.
“I get all kinds of looks,” he said. “Everything from the thumbs up to some shock.”
It looks like a space craft or an orange missile. Mills imported the three-wheeled peddle bike from the Czech Republic two months ago. The avid cyclist was looking for a way to bike to work without getting soaked in the rain.
“I am trying to reduce my fuel consumption as much as possible,” Mills said.
An environmentalist at heart, Mills says it’s also a pretty cool way to get to work, though wasn’t cheap.
“It cost me the price of a small new car, roughly $15,000.”
Still, he says, zooming through the city in the orange missile is truly cosmic.
“It’s very stable. And the front wheels are canted in a bit at the top so as you are cornering it feels like you are on a rail.”
But when Mills ventures on the street, he admits he creates a little chaos and has even caused some road rage.
“I try to use my horn to let people know I am coming behind them.”
He says defensive driving is a must since he’s so low to the ground. So, like it or not, the little space craft-like orange bike definitely has people talking.
“They are an ideal solution for people to commute to work and back or to run around town a little bit. And it would be awesome to see more people get them.”
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