hpv.popol.eu
Welcome
What is an HPV ?
In my
humble opinion, lots of vehicles are HPV's: every kind of vehicle or
vessel that is used to transport people (with their freight) and that is
powered by human muscle power, is an HPV. So canoes, babyprams,
rollerskates: they're all HPV's.
On this website, we will focus on those vehicles that have wheels (2, 3,
4,...), are not very common, and mainly used for recreation and
commuting.
Introduction
The
webmaster had a very strict education, or rather a kind of Tyrannosaurus
Papus as a father. I only learned to ride a bicycle at the age of 12,
thanks to a friendly neightbour. My father wasn't happy with it, and it
took me two more years of asking and begging before I got my first
bike.
The ownership of a bicycle was a passport to a new world: we never had a
car and all our holidays were by train. At the age of eight, I knew most
of the railway stations in the country...
My first bicycle meant the start of a new chapter in my life. I remember
it like it was yesterday: I was given a brand new, metallic blue,
10-speed 'sports bike' by the end of the schoolseason, in June 1971. My
first trip was from the bike shop back home. For an unknown reason, my
father bought the bike at the other end of the 'big city', Antwerp, so I
had to find my way back all by myself. The 5 Miles journey was my maiden
trip and it triggered an unknown sensation:
FREEDOM !
The next day, I took off in the morning, and went out for what would
become a routine during the next two months of holiday: an exploration
of the unknown! (Don't laugh: to me it really was) I started with a
short trip around the village, so that I wouldn't get too far from home
if anything might go wrong with the bike. During the following days I
gradually expanded the radius, and then I started to explore new
horizons, i.e. the towns in the province of Antwerp. After the Summer, I
must have done hundreds of miles, riding five days a week trips between
25 and 50 Miles. And that is where and how my passion for HPV's started.
In 2018 that Summer of '71 is nothing but a distant blurred memory. I
survived two motor bike accidents, broke two vertebrae while skiing, and
had two heart-attacks.. In 2015 the dodgy ticker needed a quadruple
CABG. Nowadays I a fat old man, with little dreams to fulfill.
Since I have to "live" of a disability allowance, money is tight. My
bike projects always start with second-hand buys, that I turn into
something I like. Below are a few pics of bikes of mine, I will show
more on the next pages. If you feel the urge to contact me, please feel
free to use the form behind the 'contact" link.
Some pictures:
Paul
Webmaster
With my sister, probably in 1960.
Beach Cruiser
Own design
Customized with springer fork, banana seat and sissy-bar.
The red leather streamers flew in from the USA!
Batavus E-Go
My current e-bike
Due to heart problems, the e-bike is my favourite bike for
everyday use.