hotbike

UCI banned Fairings , calling them "Cheating". What more proof do you need that they work?


Model 318 Aerodynamic Fairing by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr


Model 318 Aerodynamic Fairing by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

PdalPowr

That stuff bolted on looks about as aerodynamic as pizza boxes.

02Giant 

Are those low voltage track lights?

Marcus_Ti

Are those the special Aerodynamic Zip-Ties that U-Line sells I see?

rollagain

This guy's ahead of us all; he's achieved dashboard cup-holders. Full-sized floor pump; no messing around there. Even got a styrofoam cooler, or part of one. I can't figure out the mic stand, though.

Marcus_Ti

Mic stand is a GoPro mount. Clever call.

rollagain

Ah. The Eye in the Sky.

Cyclcist11023131

TrojanHorse

That's not an aerodynamic fairing - that's a crime stopper. Don't even need a lock!

rgconner

The thief is going to sue him for the hernia!

Retro Grouch 

That's a lot of effort.

My question is how well all that stuff stays attached. I have enough trouble just futzing with fender stays.

hotbike

Model 317 Velomobile by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
It's an updated version of the Model 317 ...

Velo-Top by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Model 318 is the same bike , with this square 90° box, the 318 Fairing is definitely more aerodynamic than the right angle box.
Coroplast™ material allows a more rapid turnover on new design updates. Fiberglass projects always seem to get bogged down while trrying to get enough pre-orders to justify building a mold.
The 3xx models are based on the Type 3 Prototype Aerodynamic Fairing, which I built over 30 years ago.

Type 3 Aerodynamic Fairing by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr
The Type 3 from 1986. That was before LED lights, and the rear Panniers never got built...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/116299...57639939606343

My entire album at flickrBike Design Showcase

fietsbob

want to see a fairing? go to the battle mountain IHPVA meet IHPVA



A Visit to Battle Mountain During HPV Speed Challenge NevadaGram from the Nevada Travel Network

nowadays these are competitions between University Colleges of engineering.




...

fietsbob

I have used a Zzipper fairing Zzipper Main Page, model thriller, upright .. 30 years ago..

was a bit more comfortable sitting up behind it, than I would be , bent way over low aero bars ..

cool air went around, rather than through my clothing.. so I did not have to wear such a heavy jacket..

from their site ;









....

phughes

Man their website is a pain to read. It takes a lot of time to sift through the rambling bits of extraneous information, to figure what, if any benefit their product has. I do think there is merit to what they produce, and they look nice, though I haven't seen one in person for quite a while. I always liked their ingenuity, and thought the product for bents were very nice.

BlazingPedals

Aerodynamic fairings work, and non-aerodynamic ones work too -- as long as speed isn't the goal.

hotbike

Yes the headlights are 12volt track lights, with LED MR16 bulbs. The other lights are 12 volt LED truck and trailer lights from the local auto parts store.
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hotbike

For comparison, the model 317 has a bigger front fairing, for the 318 the top was lowered and the bottom raised . Internal support for the rain canopy has been left out. The 318 front fairing would be awesome if it had the 317's rear tail box, but it has those rear panniers ...
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hotbike

Comparing the new 317 with the original type 3, the lower fenderskirt is 18 inches wide versus 14 inches, so 4 inches wider, and at the handlebar bulges, 22 versus 20, so 2 inches wider. But the bulges, or nacelles, are much sharper, distinct & well defined. IDK what happened with the original ( I suspect certain persons may have touched the fiberglass, ran their hands over it, before it hardened, but I fell asleep, so I didn't see them do it).
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JanMM

This team was training for a world speed record at the Hilly Hundred in 2008. Going so fast it made me dizzy to watch them blaze past. That's what a fairing can do.

Dirt Farmer

Is that a "Davey and Goliath" creation?

Garfield Cat

When I think about fairings, the immediate response is recumbents. That's aero already.

I am curious and tempted to try aero but on a Bacchetta carbon.

https://www.bacchettabikes.com/bike/...aero-2-0-650c/

Imagine the downside, uphill on an aero fairing bent, and then an electric motor that kicks in.

himespau 

With all the flat front surfaces and hard angles, what makes you think your fairing is at all aerodynamic? I could buy your type 3 being aerodynamic, but not so much the newer ones.

hotbike

The word you're looking for is "compound curves". No, we can't create compound curves in Coroplast™ .

Aerodynamic Charts and Graphs by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Aerodynamic Charts and Graphs by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Aerodynamic Charts and Graphs by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

Aerodynamic Charts and Graphs by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

I am fully aware that fiberglass (or carbon fiber) would be better materials for creating the curves. However, there are design issues to be resolved with the configuration in general. And the lack of *other* people building fairings for upright bikes leaves a large burden on me, I have to try things to see if they work.
Coroplast™ is 50 times cheaper than Fiberglass, and Fiberglass is yet 70 times cheaper than Carbon Fiber. I wish I had the money to experiment with Carbon Fiber some more.
Anyway, here are the charts and graphs from the December 1983 Scientific American ....
Keep in mind I am also trying to defeat wind-chill, carry cargo, and create a surface to mount LED lights on. I originally set out to create aerodynamic panniers for a touring bike, but that was before mountain bikes appeared and touring bikes vanished...
I also had to contend with a lack of Cargo Bikes (in the 1970's you couldn't find any, outside of Amsterdam). I always wished for a cargo bike to do the duty of a touring bike (hauling my gear).
So, most fairing-builders have gone to recumbent bikes, I am nearly alone , other than the Zzipper company, and they don't carry cargo , or have LED lights, . And you can't paint clear. The white coroplast™ board is a perfect canvas for an eye catching graphic design.

The major mistake in the design of the Type 3 was the angle of the wedge , around the front wheel , it was only 22°. With the Model 317 it was widened to 108°, which was actually not bad, but now the 318 has an angle of approximately 72°, but it is actually curved...

Here's the lower portion (Fenderskirt) mock up, you can see that the ends of the Coroplast strake become parallel as they go aft:

Fairing • Mockup by AviationMetalSmith, on Flickr

I hope this message encourages someone, or perhaps a dozen, other builders to try to create Fairings for Upright Bikes. There are dozens of Recumbent Streamliners. If another builder comes up with a better design , what will I do ? Give up my design and copy theirs? or stick to my design and keep promoting the advantages over the disadvantages ? I really can't tell you , because everyone else is building Recumbent Bikes ...

I think an upcoming project will revise the 317 front fairing and make it more like the 318 front fairing, but keeping the nice tail box that the 317 has. A Lycra bodysock will then turn it into a full-streamliner.

bikecrate

I'm wondering if the weight gained for all those items isn't killing any aerodynamic advantage.