Carl Georg Rasmussen is a
mechanical engineer
Mechanical may refer to:
Machine
* Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement
* Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...
with a PhD in physics; an
ecologist
Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
specializing in
noise pollution
Noise pollution, or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise or sound with potential harmful effects on humans and animals. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport and propagation systems.Senate Publi ...
; and a
light aircraft
A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a Maximum Takeoff Weight, maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997.
Light aircraft are use ...
pilot. He is the designer and manufacturer of the
Leitra
Leitra is a Danish company and also the name of the velomobile it produces.
In Sweden designs for a two-person, four-wheeled velomobile called the Fantom were sold as blueprints in the 1930s and 40s. Many thousands of sets of DIY instructions ...
velomobile.
Velomobile
A velomobile (); velomobiel, velo, or bicycle car is a human-powered vehicle (HPV) enclosed for Aerodynamics, aerodynamic advantage and/or protection from weather and collisions. Velomobiles are similar to recumbent bicycles, pedal go-karts and ...
s were produced in the 1930s, but commercial production ended after the second world war. Rasmussen's Leitra, or "light individual transportation", was motivated by the oil crisis; it is the first commercial production velomobile using "modern" materials and designs.
Rasmussen was interested in daily transport and tours, which guided his design choices for the Leitra. He last owned a car in the 1980s. Rasmussen had an early Leitra confiscated in 1982 by
Danish police
The Police of Denmark (, , ) is the Denmark, Danish National Police force, and the interior part of the Danish security forces (the Danish Defence, Danish military being the exterior) in the Kingdom (The Danish Realm: Denmark (proper), Green ...
as a dangerous vehicle; this led him get legal status of velomobiles in Denmark. Rasmussen also organizes velomobile tours.
Rasmussen rode a Leitra in the 1987
Paris–Brest–Paris
Paris–Brest–Paris (PBP) is a long-distance cycling event. It was originally a bicycle race in France from Paris to Brest and back to Paris in 1891. The last time it was run as a race was 1951. The most recent edition of PBP was held on 20 ...
(PBP). Although the Mochet
Velocar
Velocar was the name given to velomobiles made in the 1930s and 1940s by Mochet et Cie of Puteaux, France and colloquially to the company's recumbent bicycles.
was the inventive maker of lightweight powered cyclecars (Le P'tit Auto) and ped ...
is French, Rasmussen is probably the first PBP velomobile rider.
In order to increase awareness of velomobiles and share knowledge, Rasmussen instigated a series of Velomobile Design Seminars. Since 1993 there have been eight such events, spanning five European countries. Topics covered include technical, societal, environmental and commercial factors. Illustrated proceedings from the Seminars are now freely available online. The ninth seminar is planned for September 2020, to coincide with
Eurobike
Eurobike is an international bicycle trade fair held annually since 1991 in the first week of September, on the grounds of Messe Friedrichshafen, one of the largest and most modern exhibition centres in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. The bike show i ...
.
Rasmussen often rides 10,000 kilometers per year.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rasmussen, Carl Georg
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Danish cyclists
20th-century Danish inventors