Yesterday, we had a wildcat transit strike and I was forced to hitchhike into work. This has added to my ongoing frustration with a 45-minute commute by streetcar that takes 15 minutes by car. Annoyed, I began looking into buying a car, which I do sporadically following transit annoyances. But the combined cost of ownership--leasing, insuring, fuelling, parking--is ridiculous when living in the city. So I started looking at options, and have discovered the velomobile.

Velomobiles are typically single-passenger, human-powered bikes with lightweight covers. This makes them comfortable, environmentally friendly, all-weather vehicles.  You can also get them with electric motors to ease long commutes.

I'd seen a velomobile in Toronto recently, but was only slightly impressed. Sure, it looked cool and dry, but the design was somewhat clunky.

Now, however, a new store called Bluevelo has opened in Toronto, apparently capitalizing on a growing trend driven in part by high gas prices. The store sells some very, very cool vehicles, including the WAW pictured above.

I've contacted Bluevelo for some more information, and possibly a test drive. Sure, velomobiles are more expensive than bikes, but without the insurance, parking and gas costs, they're far, far cheaper than cars. And they're also freaking cool.

I can post more information as I get it. In the meantime, I'd love to hear from any velomobile users out there.