Pros and cons of fairings

[rsbeach]

What's your experience been with fairings? I just got a Stratus XP and am considering adding a fairing.

Does the extra weight make climbing harder?
Can you still use fenders with a fairing?
How much speed do you gain on the flats?
What is the benefit of a smaller fairing (teardrop vs. full)?
How much easier in headwinds?
Do you get a great benefit in tailwinds?
How much of a problem are sidewinds?
Does it really keep you dry in rain?
Does a "hot pocket" develop in hot weather?
Have you dropped the bike more often with a fairing?

Thanks for your input.

[Tom2slow]

I am so glad you asked, I am also interested in these questions, more from a Trike point of view, but still the same type of info needed.

[Wilbur Bud]

Does the extra weight make climbing harder? Climbing? In Indiana? I've noticed no impact when climbing.

Can you still use fenders with a fairing? Yep, no problem, full Freddy front and rear.

How much speed do you gain on the flats? 1-2 mph, but difficult to judge.

What is the benefit of a smaller fairing (teardrop vs. full)? No idea. I have a larger one, that stretches from the front axle almost to my helmet visor.

How much easier in headwinds? Not a lot, IMO, probably that same 1-2 mph from the flat.

Do you get a great benefit in tailwinds? Definitely noticeable, and fun sometimes, but limits my workout because I usually stop pedaling at 25mph and above.

How much of a problem are sidewinds? Noticeable, especially with my LWB bike and almost no weight on the front wheel. I watch for it on gusty days.

Does it really keep you dry in rain? Somewhat. I can't say I'm dry when I ride, rain or shine, but it does eliminate the need for rain pants on some days.

Does a "hot pocket" develop in hot weather? No idea, I don't eat those because of the gastro-intestinal distress post-consumption. If you meant does the fairing shield you from the cooling effects of the wind, I still don't know, as I take my fairing off in the spring once the weather breaks, the single biggest fairing benefit for me is cutting out the wind chill in the winter when we drop to low 20F's and below, other than that, I like the wind in my face and any additional drag is just better exercise for me.

Have you dropped the bike more often with a fairing? I've never dropped my bike, but I assume you mean crashing and in that case no, all my crashes are related to bad judgment by the operator about how much stiction there is on the rear tire in rainy or icy conditions.

What didn't I ask about? Well, headlights can be a PITA if mounted inside the fairing. Better to mount them outside, but if inside then you need to seal the lighting compartment off, otherwise you get reflections that wash out your vision of the road.

Clear sight of the riding surface just about to pass under the front wheel can be compromised by lighting, glare, dirt, scratches and scuffs, you have to get used to looking farther ahead over the top of the fairing and remembering. As I primarily commute, its not much of a problem because I have the road memorized, but it could bite you while touring.

Does the mounting system damage the bike? Well, it can, depending on how primitive it is, how tight it needs to be, how many times the wind knocks your bike over and dislodges the fairing while parked, etc. Better to put some protective tape or liner between the mounts and the frame.

[BlazingPedals]

What's your experience been with fairings? I just got a Stratus XP and am considering adding a fairing.

Does the extra weight make climbing harder?
Can you still use fenders with a fairing?
How much speed do you gain on the flats?
What is the benefit of a smaller fairing (teardrop vs. full)?
How much easier in headwinds?
Do you get a great benefit in tailwinds?
How much of a problem are sidewinds?
Does it really keep you dry in rain?
Does a "hot pocket" develop in hot weather?
Have you dropped the bike more often with a fairing?

Thanks for your input.


Before I got my lowracer, I used a fairing on my V-Rex for almost all of my riding. Generalizations, in my experience:

Weight is weight on climbs. Whether you notice it or not depends on how much weight and what speed you're climbing. At some point, your speed drops enough to lose the aero advantage that the fairing (may) represent.

Yes you can still use fenders.

Speed benefits can range from nothing to 10-15%, depending on the coverage and individual setup. Generally, the more reclined you are, the less a fairing will help.

A handlebar fairing would still keep your hands warmer on cold mornings, but not offer as much in the way of aerodynamics. I've seen them used on TourEasys where front panniers get in the way of a full Super Zzipper. With something like a RANS fabric fairing, you get a place to store small items and get a very small speed benefit.

Too many factors to make any statements about tailwinds or headwinds, other than to say that if it helps with no wind it'll help with wind, too. Sidewinds were never a problem for me.

A good front fairing (with 'full' coverage) will keep your body drier in light rain. It does this by diverting all the water up and over your shoulders and into your face.

I never notice a hot pocket behind the fairing. The air behind the fairing is still turbulent.

The only crash I can blame on a fairing is the time a trike was riding in front of me where I couldn't see him through my opaque fairing. I rubbed his wheel hard enough to lift the front of my bike, which of course put me down. This would not have happened with a clear fairing or if I'd kept better track of where the trike was.

[bobkat]

The above posts pretty well sum up fairings.
I've used one off and on for 2 - 3 years. Yes, it is warmer in cool air, and they probably do add a couple MPH or so. A bit heavier but I think you get back more in speed and 'freshness' than the 2 - 3 pounds of weight penalize you.
I'm out there for exercise so usually don't put it on unless I'm doing long tours or centuries where I think I'm fresher at that 90 mile mark than my upright riding buddies.. When riding slow speeds like on rails to trails I usually don't bother with it. A simple law of aerodynamics is that the faster you are riding the more help you get from it. Probably little help at slow speeds.
But would I put one on again? I'ver just bought a new bike, a V3, and with some long rides coming up I did break down and buy the mount for it to put it on from the other bike. I think it really does help and leaves you fresher on long rides.
The only time I actually took it off was trying to ride in a 40 - 50 mph gusty direct crosswind. Almost blew me across the road into traffic a couple of times so I took it off and stashed it in a farmer's bale pile and got it later!
But have never schmucked because of it. I love it in the cold, too.

[bobkat]

One tip if you put one on is that if you use a bike kickstand it might be more easily blown over by lighter winds. Park it facing the wind and put on the front brake and hold it set, licking the front wheel with a piece of velcro or a heavy rubber band thing (angletech sells these and they work well till you lose them! LOL) and it won't blow over, short of a near tornado!

[countersTrike]

One tip if you put one on is that if you use a bike kickstand it might be more easily blown over by lighter winds.

AHA! That is JUST what I need! I new I was missing something! :roflmao2:

[gcottay]

I've tried a couple bents -- one a Stratus -- with good fairings and found them slightly claustrophobic, so would suggest making a test before your invest.

[Jeff Wills]

What's your experience been with fairings? I just got a Stratus XP and am considering adding a fairing.

Thanks for your input.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Easy Racer bikes are pretty popular. Check out the collection at last year's Recumbent Retreat: http://www.recumbentretreat.org/photo_album/data/media/35/RR_2007_Group_Photo_472_KB.jpg

IMO, the Easy Racer design benefits greatly from the fairing. The upright seating position is a barn door compared to most highracers and lowracers, so the fairing does a lot of good.

To your questions:
Does the extra weight make climbing harder? Don't know. We've ridden our bikes to Timberline Lodge, at 6,000 ft altitude on Mt. Hood.
Can you still use fenders with a fairing? Yes, and they're recommended if you ride in the rain.
How much speed do you gain on the flats? About 10%
What is the benefit of a smaller fairing (teardrop vs. full)? It's smaller.
How much easier in headwinds? About 10%
Do you get a great benefit in tailwinds? About 10%
How much of a problem are sidewinds? Not much- I've been able to handle 20-30mph gusts from the side.
Does it really keep you dry in rain? Not really, but I'm a big person, so I sit well away from the fairing.
Does a "hot pocket" develop in hot weather? No, it's comfortable enough in 100+ degree temps
Have you dropped the bike more often with a fairing? I've had it blow over when it's on the kickstand. My wife's crashed hers, but it was caused by pavement cracks, not the fairing.

Me: http://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/jeff-big.jpg
My wife: http://home.comcast.net/~jeff_wills/diane-big.jpg

[rsbeach]

Thanks to all of you who contributed - it's been very helpful. It's nice to see the consistency of experiences.

[pro_jo]

I have a fairing and an AEROTRUNK on my Stratus XP and I love them both. I am probably 2 to 3+ mph faster than on my bare Rocket (It is much easier to reach 30 mph on a downslope - which I have never done on the Rocket - on the Long Leaf Trace).

The fairing is easy on and off but I mostly ride with it on.

It does effect visibility of the road just ahead a little, adding some blur.

I have carried a spare tire inside the fairing when my SAG was out of town.

I have had horse flies draft in the dead air behind the fairing but they didn't bother me.

It makes the bike look really good.

http://bentrider.info/photos/may08/AT2354.jpg