Q: What gave you the idea?
A: Originally, I was making a vehicle for the Electrathon (held annually in May by the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa). New technology is emerging, let's use it. But I didn't want to make something I only used once a year. The cost/benefit isn't there.
Q: How is this vehicle extraordinary?
A: The frame is made of titanium which is light and strong. It's got joystick steering and homemade motor controls. There is nothing ordinary about this. I had to be a welder, a bike mechanic and an engineer to figure out how to mount things.
Q: The blueprint for this hybrid is yours but were there other people who helped?
A: Yes, Ron Irvine who worked at Alexander Metal helped me with materials and I, in turn, helped him with his motor controller. And Jason Carroll of Maison du Velo in Hull was helpful with used parts and tires.
Q: Most of what you used are bicycle parts, but what other items have you used that may be for other applications?
A: I tried to use existing parts but if couldn't get them, I modified existing parts. If I wasn't able to find the part, I made it.
Q: What's this? (Pointing to a stainless steel cut-out of a butterfly, hinged in the middle, mounted to the handlebars.)
A: That's the artistic side of my creation. It's a contemporaneous tachometer. At 50 km, it stays upright.
Q: What if you have to carry something, groceries, for instance?
A: I carried three bags of groceries the other day. The plastic bag loops over the joy sticks. And I have a compartment in the back where I carry drinks and snacks. (This compartment, part of the stainless steel backrest, closes with Velcro.)