delcrossv

timtak

Thank you. I bought some yellow (hi visibility?), smooth-surfaced, correlated plastic and some small stainless steel (aluminium would have been better but) hooks to attach to the spokes. I will use some cable ties near the hub too but I will try to get the outside surface as smooth as I can using hooks on the interior near the rim. The hooks on one side will be easy but once one side is sealed, the other side will be more difficult. Hooks may allow me to rotate the cover off the spokes. If I am careful to orientate the hooks in the right direction, hopefully they will not come off in use.

Gluing the edges to the rims seems like a good idea too. They will rip off easy enough if I don't like them.

The instructions at
The Recumbent Bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle Information Center
are good but they don't have so many images.

Someone did something similar to this, I think, on the slowtwitch triathlon forums at the thread below but alas the images are no longer showing
HOWTO: Building a deep front wheel fairing: Triathlon Forum: Slowtwitch Forums

I have some carbon wheels with about 50mm rims. I use them off an on, but off more than on in Winter since I went and bought tubulars, which feel nice and can be pumped up rock hard, but punctures are a pain and I get more punctures in the Winter wet.

It will be a while but I will post motorcycle windshield and wheel fairing pictures when they are done.

Thank you and everyone for their suggestions.

timtak

It is not thin (4 mm?) and weighs perhaps 400g but it should keep the rain off a bit at least, if I can get it mounted.

Motorcycle Windshield by timtak, on Flickr
Amazingly cheap at 10 USD. The packing looked like it was worth that.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Clear-Racing...ZX-6R-03-04-CL

Cafe

I've ridden street motorcycles all my life and can tell you cowlings/windshields are for the old guys that can't hack the elements. It's ok to put a fairing on your bicycle for "performance" *wink* *wink* I won't tell anyone the real reason...

Honestly unless I am on the freeway hitting 70+ a fairing wouldn't cross my mind.

People don't have cowlings or fairings on bicycles because they don't want them. It's just more weight, it will look ridiculous(I know, that shouldn't matter), is not needed for the speed you will be going, and could make you slower and add more wind resistance, not to mention dangerous in the cross winds...

would love to see pictures of that cowling mounted on your bike though and some wind tunnel readings when you get to that point. I'm sure you will prove me wrong.

K.Katso

As was suggested previously, why not get a time trial bike? Or at least a clip-on aerobar? I know you said you think it is "inappropriate," but I disagree. You'd be surprised how fast you can jump from the aerobar to the brakes in an urgent situation. You can see most problems coming anyway. If you can't, then you probably shouldn't be on the aerobars to start with. If you are doing this purely for chasing segments, and being in the aerobars creates a dangerous situation, what does that say about the segment? Is it worth the risk to start with? Quite frankly I don't think this little experiment is going to produce the results you think you might be getting from it. How are you going to go about measuring improvement anyway?

timtak

Windshield on the bike. Yeah! It was very easy. 6 cable ties and some green string.

Covers a large part of my body by timtak, on Flickr

Motorcycle Windshield on Road bike by timtak, on Flickr

Motorcycle Windshield on Road bike by timtak, on Flickr
I have yet to try it except to the shops and back in drizzle, and yes it did keep a surprising amount of rain from hitting my person, especially since (thanks to that suggestion of putting my saddle level) I use my drops a lot these days.

I will coat the green string knots in epoxy to prevent their coming undone. I have clipped the cable tie ends.

I think that I like looking weird on my bike. Looking weird, in lycra, a helmet, strange spectacles, low form, long stem, and now a windshield makes me want to go faster, to justify looking weird. I would feel like a posterior if I didn't put any effort into riding this, er, beast.

The windshield weighs perhaps 400grams. I put that amount of weight on and off all the time. This was $10 delivered. I could, in theory, do roll down tests like wphamilton but I think that I will leave it to my subjective aero-feel as to whether it comes off at the end of the Winter.

I shall ask Specialised to do wind tunnel test but I will not hold my breath.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_9n...y2cxeXM7f-xihA

I am slowly making an aero rear wheel. The high visibility of a yellow rear wheel seems like a real plus.

Hi Katso
As I think I responded previously, there are two reasons why I don't ride a time trial bike
1) They are more expensive
2) I want to have my hands on my brakes all the time since I ride in traffic.

I do use clip on aero bars but it was not until I had chopped them to be as short as Cinelli Spinachi (which I sort of reinvented and called them a "trispoon (click for photos)") that I found the bar to brake distance to be sufficiently small for me to want to use them in traffic. I am not brave when it comes to physical danger. Cinelli found that the time from their short Spinaci bars to brakes was the same as from bottom-of-drops to brakes.

I do want to 'win Strava' but I do this primarily to keep un-fat. The segments are my commute, which I can not change easily. I am attempting to tailor my bike to my ride, which is a lot easier than attempting buy a house at the end of a road without traffic that would suit a time trial bike or longer aero bars.

Campag4life

That thing is awesome. I think you can rig up a generator and a windshield wiper especially if you ride your bike in the bath tub.
You just can't make this stuff up. Or rather, you do...lol.

timtak

It is definately faster. I estimate that it makes as much difference as my 50mm carbon tubulars that cost me 400 USD second hand. I estinated that they made about 1khm or 3% difference. It probably is not nearly that much but it is tangible, and it keeps the rain off. I wish it were a bit taller and it would keep flies out of my mouth too.
I am having a laugh but, what am I making up?

There is another thread about an aero Dutch handlebar bag making a difference and it is smaller. But it is expensive and so not "made up." A 10USD fairing makes him go faster? He must be riding in his bath tub. It can't be Campagnolo. It can't be life. It can't be true?

It is not made by Campagnola.

znomit

John Nobile, tour divide:

sced

Way to go timtak! Keep it going.

That fairing doesn't look half bad. You could buy another, flip and trim it, and attach with pop rivets to get more coverage.

68venable

Pretty neat.

wphamilton

I like it! Is there enough clearance with your wrists when you turn the bar sharply?

timtak

Tom Nobile looks cool. I would like a rear box like that, which can really improve aerodynamics apparently (although perhaps not with the sleeping bag on the side).
This looks cool too.
https://www.elkinsdiy.com/pedal-recum...cycle-fairing/

Here is the thread about the smaller, but more pointed "speed up bag" which claims a 15% improvement in aerodynamics and a 6% improvement in speed on a "basic bike" or 3% on a more expensive bike.
https://www.bikeforums.net/recumbent/...ag-anyone.html
But the project failed
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/s...th-bicycle-bag

Upon second thoughts
1) I can only feel a slight aero difference in the drops at maximum speed
2) Part of that difference is due to the fact that the windshield reflects the noise of the front wheel towards my ears. The the higher road noise to wind noise ratio gives the impression, rather than the reality, of improved aerodynamics. I think that carbon wheels likewise, give the impression of improved aerodynamics due to the same mechanism but for different reasons. They also increase the sound of the wheels, and road noise to wind noise ratio, as a result of the rims acting as a sound box.

Thanks. The perspex bends so I think I would be okay turning in an emergency, and it is okay on the hoods with my arms fairly straight but it does get in the way a bit if I get into an aero tuck on the hoods with forearms horizontal whether I am turning or not. I have to hold the side of the hoods or use the drops. Not ideal, but

Thank you. I have decided that I want to do that but the same fairing does not seem to be available.

A Specialized S-Works Venge costing 4000 USD has about the same improvement in aerodynamics over a round tube bike as shaving ones legs which is on average 70 seconds on an hour 40km time trial race, or about 1% improvement in speed (I am not sure of the improvement in aerodynamics of bike plus rider). Zzippers offer about 20% improvement in overall aerodynamics at only about 300USD.

I also wonder about leg cowlings
https://www.ebay.com/itm/USED-HONDA-E...45b5bb&vxp=mtr
https://www.ebay.com/itm/84-Honda-NN5...8ef353&vxp=mtr
https://www.ebay.com/itm/86-HONDA-SPR...5c18e5&vxp=mtr

lowracer1

Ideally, I think the original poster just needs to get a recumbent. I started with lowracers of various makes and models and finally progressed to a full carbon velomobile. Its good for over 40mph on flats and most terrain that doesn't involve long steep climbs. My best strava segment which I created myself was flat and 18miles in length and had an average speed of 34.9mph. Wattage was 269 watts.

lowracer1

yeah, I don't quite believe what the manufacture's claim when they say 15 or 20% increase in speed with a small aero trunk bag or some of the other junk they try to pawn off on us. On a road bike you can gain up to 15% increase in speed just from going from sitting bolt upright with hands on the tops vs leaned over and hands on the drops. If you are already in a tuck, there is nothing that will gain an extra 15% on a road bike. You can make small improvements here and there that might add up to some extra seconds in a 40k. Rotor cranks claimed about 7 seconds in a 40 k which realistically is a pretty decent margin. I use them in the quest . The setup uses a 155mm crank arm length with a 58/44/32 chainring cluster. What I like about the rs4x rotor cranks is that even though the cranks are 155mm, the effective torque length at the peak of the power stroke is 182mm. There really is no dead spot in the power delivery with a rotor crank, so that is worth some wattage efficiency as well. I think the reason that they finally quit making them is due to most of the general road bike consumers weren't willing to purchase a product that was heavier than other cranks being that most of these consumers are weight weenies. The general way of thinking is that lighter is faster. I know now that not necessarily to be true. The same goes with fairings. Yes they are heavier. I'm a firm follower in the quote by a famous person " Lightweight feels fast but Aero IS FAST"

Campag4life

Completely agree. Plus, if you mount a small lawnmower engine on it with that aero profile, you should be able to cruise at 55 mph.
That plus a Bose stereo and now you have a fully transformative riding experience.

Reynolds 

How do you start/stop?

Bunyanderman

looks like 3 wheels.

Reynolds 

You're right, just googled it. I didn't know about fully enclosed front wheels velomobiles.

lowracer1

I would never stoop to install a bose anything in my house , car or velo........ The Quest does have a stereo system though. I run a tepai digital 20W/CH T amplifier with an ipod, plus Pandora via Bluetooth. The ipod is analog into the amp hardwired though. The speakers are Dayton audio exciters which are glued onto the insides of the carbon shell. The carbon shell becomes the tranducer . It can play at pretty high levels. Haven't measured it with the db meter ( not like I'm going to enter it into a car audio soundoff) I'm using some focal pod tweeters to extend the high end. The entire audio system complete with battery only weighs 2.3 lbs. The battery is a 11.1 v lipo 5000mah battery that is normally used for rc cars and such. Run time is generally around 14 hours on the amp before needing to recharge the battery which only takes a half hour.
I should add that I do applause and appreciate the original Ops efforts at trying to make some aero advancements for his purposes. I just think that he should maybe look at changing platforms. While the upright crowd tends to frown upon and dismiss his project, the recumbent community always welcomes that type of creative energy. The safety bicycle has pretty much reached a plateau on its geometry regarding aero efficiency. The recumbent still has a long way to go. His windshield project will be more than likely only enjoyed by him. NOw if he put the same efforts into something recumbent related, there would be a good sized following wanting to copycat or even be asking him to build some for them as well.

wphamilton

I am skeptical of a 15% aero improvement of the "speed up bag." The reason is, and you can verify this yourself now with your wind-screen, you'll get turbulence right behind the screen. While you're at speed hold your hand near the edges and behind and you'll feel the wind pouring around it. So what's left IMO is the improvement due to the smooth shape of the windscreen vs just the front part of the bike, but with a greater surface area so it's more of a wash. To me he attraction of a handlebar screen is in blocking some wind, rain and bugs.

I'm following your lead on this and ordered a kawasaki windshield from them for my fairing.

Carbonfiberboy 

Or instead of imagining how it might or might not work, we could look at wind tunnel testing:
(Author's emboldening)
Aerodynamics of Real-World Bicycles | Off The Beaten Path

And bar bags were more aerodynamic than Carradice bags, neither of these findings any great surprise. The rest of the information is also worth a look. Keep those backs flat!

timtak

Looking at my time last night, the fairing seems to have made me slower!

Thank you Carbon fibre boy.
A bit longer quote
"Fairings actually increased the wind resistance in most positions. We tested many different fairings, and the photo above shows the “best” setup, and even that decreased the wind resistance only if the rider assumed a full aero tuck. It’s obvious that fairings only work if they form one body with the rider. Otherwise, you are just pushing one extra object through the air."

I think that as it stands, sloping upwards as it is, my fair is pusnng more of the wind into the "parachute" of my body

unless I am in a fullt areo tuck. I will try making it taller, and tuck more.

Now that I have the parabolic shape, I think I will purchase some perspex to bolt on the top.

The windshield supplier seems to be out of replacements and other suppliers fairings for the same Kawasaki ninja 2003/2004 model have a "double bubble".

In an ideal world, or one not run by the devil, Specialised and Giant would be selling bike fairings in the right shape, and Oakley would be selling cycling glasses with the frames at the bottoms.

Very true.
I am glad I have been of some small use.

Thanks Lowracer. I agree. If I had the cash I would probably get an M5 recumbent or something similar and I probably will one day.

Carbonfiberboy 

I don't think there is a "right shape." As the wind tunnel link said, a fairing is just another thing to push through the wind. I think the problem is that at the speeds traveled by bicycles, the hoped for fairing effect does not occur. Instead the wind just fills in behind the fairing, causing drag, and then impacts the rider much as it would have without the fairing. The fairing would need to be immediately in front of the rider, preferably attached to the rider at the shoulders, rather like what is shown for the dummied fairing in the low position. This is obviously impractical. A fairing would certainly have some effect as a rain shield, water droplets having more mass than air molecules. For that matter, the lower the rider's position, the warmer and drier they will be. This is very noticeable to those who have ridden aero bars in the rain.

For those who may not know this, water bottles on the frame contribute very little, if anything to total drag. Bottles mounted behind the rider, like one sees on tri bikes, do cause significant drag, partly because the wind is never exactly head on.

FWIW I use ordinary bike sunglasses which fit very closely to my face. The upper frames are in my eyebrows and not in my normal range of vision at all. I can't see them without excessively straining my eye muscles. You should try out more glasses at your LBS or eye doctor's. A close fit is essential and also protects your eyes.

Jax Rhapsody

What the hell is a kickstand?