Velogemel
A Velogemel is a sport sledge modeled on a bicycle , which can be used on slopes and snow-covered roads. The vehicle allows fast journeys in a comfortable position.
The name is a combination of the words Velo ( Swiss German for bicycle) and Gemel , the Grindelwald dialect word for sledge.
Construction
Similar to the bicycle, the Velogemel has a frame with a saddle and a handlebar that is not permanently attached. In contrast to the bicycle, the Velogemel has two runners (instead of the wheels) that allow gliding over snow.
The Velogemel is still made by hand today. Wood is usually used as material: ash wood for frames and runners, maple wood for handlebars and saddle. As with modern bicycles, the wood can also be replaced by metals.
technology
The Velogemel is controlled with the handlebar, just like a bicycle. The feet are used to stabilize and for braking, but can as when on flat stretches impeller also be used for pushing, or placed on footrests with ideal driving. The surfaces of the runners are made of steel strips. The front is flat, the rear concave, similar to the hollow grinding of a skate.
history
The Velogemel was born on April 1, 1911, when the carpenter Christian Bühlmann (born August 5, 1872 in Beatenberg ; † May 19, 1953) applied for a patent for the Velogemel . This describes his invention as a single-track, steerable sports sled. The Velo-Sledge could not establish itself outside the home of the inventor and is still a curiosity of the Bernese Oberland village of Grindelwald . In the glacier village, on the other hand, the Velogemel are still a popular means of transport. The device is still manufactured today in the same carpenter's workshop.
A Velogemel World Championship has been held every year since 1996, in Grindelwald, of course.