I'm considering a fairing for my high-racer after spending 6 hours riding in steady rain with temperatures around 50 degrees Fairenheit (for this year's MS-150 in Colorado). I ride a Challenge Seiran, visible here: https://bikezen.org/pix/seiran/target0.html

My concerns:
-- easy to get in/out of the pedals quickly (in traffic, at stop lights) without bumping my shoes into the fairing?
-- do fairings scratch easily, and do I get reduced visibility or bad glare when that happens?
-- significantly reduced air flow while climbing mountains in the summer?
-- cost

Pros:
-- speed
-- less wind and bugs in my face
-- warmer and drier legs and torso in inclement weather

Some alternatives look much cheaper and perhaps more practical, if not faster: wind-resistant/Goretex clothing.

Thoughts? Experiences? Suggestions?

Glare is a problem with certain sun angles, but it depends on your eye height relative to the level of the fairing top. Specular reflection is relatively unaffected by scratching. The only way I could get around it, (particularly bad in fall and spring) was to smear auto paste polish on the part of the fairing that bounced the sunlight and not wipe it off. The white smear dramatically reduced the glare. I also noticed there was a current of air that blew over the top of the fairing and curved down and followed the inside of the fairing out to ground level. Saw several leaves follow that path before I figured it out. Fairing weight will be noticeable on hills, such as multi mile uphills in Colorado. They do scratch easily but if the scratches are not very deep it is easy to polish them out. My fairing (Rotator pursuit) was much longer than yours is likely to be and owing to the pedal position and curve of the fairing, low speed turns could result in the fairing hitting my feet. They were warmer (feet and legs) in cool weather. Bumpy roads resulted a booming vibration in the fairing, somewhat noisy; ditto at high speeds. OTOH when I had the fairing on even other bents couldn't draft behind me, there is no pocket of dead air, and I noticed no difference sitting in behind a DF rider or riding along side: the fairing was equivalent to a permanent DF draft. The few high speed down hills I did with and later without the fairing showed less difference than expected, a hill where I hit 37 with the DF, 39 with the unfaired bent was ... 39 with the fairing. It may be that unexpected vortices suck the advantage out at higher speeds. Finally fairings are speed benefits only if you habitually travel above about 17mph, but they really shine above 20mph. You and Stamfap (?) a British poster on over 50 group, seem to have a similar attitude toward weather. He goes out on an ATB tandem for 6hr rides in intermittent rain and sleet. You have to deal with road spray off the tires before the fairing will help in the wet. Rooster tails that escape the tire and fairing with still get you in the face or back.
Steve

IMHO a fairing is most useful as a way to beat cold weather. But it does have a few drawbacks. sch already mentioned a few. Another problem (for me anyway) is when there's a strong crosswind the fairing serves as a big sail and it can be difficult to hold a straight line (somewhat dangerous in traffic). Another issue you must consider is if you're using it at night--a headlight shining through the fairing does produce a lot of glare. So you either must live with that, or rig up a way to mount your headlight in front of the fairing. As far as wind in your face, I guess it depends on how you mount your fairing. I usually look over the top of my fairing, so it shields my body but I do get a blast of air (and associated bugs) in my face. But I can lower my head a bit and look through the fairing if desired. Finally, if you travel with your bent, a fairing requires a little more work to transport.

I have a fairing but it is on a LWB bent. You don't look through the fairing, but over the top unlike the higher bb ones. I find it helps during long rides, but on shorter rides I always figure "I'm out there for the excercise so why make it easier with a fairing?" so don't use it. Nice on cold days, especially windy cold days. They get scratched a bit but you never notice it. Keep it in a soft case while not in use.

WRT speed, putting a fairing on a high/low racer isn't the same proposition as putting one on a bent with more upright seating. With a very reclined position, you're already streamlined, so adding a fairing only serves to increase your frontal area. But other pros and cons still apply.

Pro:
protection from *light* rain, winds, sun, and cold, plus the 'cool' factor

Con:
added weight & complexity, harder to transport, can affect handling in crosswinds

Don't forget, having a fairing to protect from rain means the rain gets deflected - usually into your face. Some people dislike this more than getting their clothes soaked.

I am wondering how much actual protection there would be on that particular bike. Usually the fairing with the remote base-mounted fairings sit away from the rider rather than close like a Tour Easy

You would also (if you were ordering a Mueller or Zzipper fairing) probably have to go with the experimenter's kits.

Thanks for the opinions. At this point I'm leaning against the fairing -- mainly because:
-- I like the air flow when it's hot.
-- We get serious crosswinds the last 10 miles home, which is mostly along a hogback.
-- I'm a perfectionist, and the scratches would probably drive me nuts.
-- My reclined seating position would likely diminish the fairing's benefits except perhaps at high speeds.

The only thing that might steer me back towards a fairing would be some very favorable comments about one of the newer fairings like this one: https://windwrap.com/gx.htm . Spending $600 takes considerable thought for me...

This is pretty much my decision when I thought about them too. My Burley Canto has to use a remote fairing mast (like anyone with a crank ahead of the handlebars). I had extra money this winter. I almost bought one. But after my wife lost her job, I could not justify that much money for an accessory of around $600.