Fairing free...

Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say that
I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying along
with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the going gets cold
again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open spaces for me. Does
anyone else find fairings intrusive?

Scott Haluzak Greenspeed Tandem

 

"Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say
> that I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying
> along with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the going
> gets cold again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open spaces for
> me. Does anyone else find fairings intrusive?
>
> Scott Haluzak Greenspeed Tandem

I did when I had a Windwrap on my Haluzak. It was nice in the cold season, but it tended to get in
the way. I much preferred riding without it when the eather warmed up.

Funny though, now I ride a TE and the fairing is not obtrusive at all. I wouldn't ride wthout it! In
fact, I do a fair amount of riding with fairing and bodysock.

Tom Thompson

 

"Tom Thompson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]D-163254.news.dfncis.de...
>
> "Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say
> > that I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying
> > along with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the going
> > gets cold again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open spaces
> > for me. Does anyone else find fairings intrusive?
> >
> > Scott Haluzak Greenspeed Tandem
>
> I did when I had a Windwrap on my Haluzak. It was nice in the cold season, but it tended to get in
> the way. I much preferred riding without it when
the
> eather warmed up.
>
> Funny though, now I ride a TE and the fairing is not obtrusive at all. I wouldn't ride wthout it!
> In fact, I do a fair amount of riding with
fairing
> and bodysock.
>
> Tom Thompson
>
I agree with you both. To me main benefit of a USS bike is the open view, free from clutter, flying
carpet feeling I get from riding it. Anything added that would interfere with the open view would
take away from the experience. Once you go to OSS you lose that USS feeling and as Tom said, the
fairing on the GRR doesn't seem obtrusive at all. In fact it looks and feels kinda strange without
the fairing on the bike.

skip

 

Scott wrote:
> Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say
> that I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying
> along with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the going
> gets cold again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open spaces
> for me. Does anyone else find fairings intrusive?
>
Not me. I love having a fairing, even in hot weather. Makes it feel more as if I'm in a cockpit than
on a bicycle. Still, it's nice to occasionally take the fairing off and enjoy how light and
responsive the bike feels without it.
--

John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____

 

MAN!!! You got me! I saw the title as *FREE FAIRING* and almost had heart failure rushing for
another fairing. Oh well, I will relax now!

Chris Jordan

[email protected] (Scott) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say
> that I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying
> along with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the going
> gets cold again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open spaces for
> me. Does anyone else find fairings intrusive?
>
> Scott Haluzak Greenspeed Tandem

 

Hey, John: No fairing on the Baron, I suppose?

Scott

John Foltz <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Scott wrote:
> > Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say
> > that I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying
> > along with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the
> > going gets cold again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open
> > spaces for me. Does anyone else find fairings intrusive?
> >
> Not me. I love having a fairing, even in hot weather. Makes it feel more as if I'm in a cockpit
> than on a bicycle. Still, it's nice to occasionally take the fairing off and enjoy how light and
> responsive the bike feels without it.

 

I have a very full and deep front fairing on my upright road bike and I wouldn't go without it at
any time. My recumbent fairing is longer, but doesn't have so much depth and curves and the some of
the following features aren't present. In the Winter, the upright's fairing keeps more than half the
rain off me and I have to wear much less clothing to stay warm. My hands fit just inside the fairing
and gloves are unneeded. In the Summer, it blows bugs and other small items over my head. Many
times, rocks sent flying by cars have bounced off of it, instead of me. Several thrown eggs and
other unpleasant projectiles have been blocked by it. And of course, the bike is faster with the
fairing-----faster for me than any two-wheeled recumbent, that isn't a quadraped. It also makes me
much more visible and is a good place for mounting a high headlight and rearview mirror. I have a
pair of small stereo speakers inside and the whole fairing acts as a speaker diaphragm, making the
audio from a radio or recorded music very full-bodied. However, most of the sound is deflected back
at me and doesn't annoy people that I pass very much. I don't like to offend others on the paths
with my classical music. That could ruin a skater's whole day, to hear a few bars of a Bach
performance.

Steve McDonald

 

John Foltz <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> Not me. I love having a fairing, even in hot weather. Makes it feel more as if I'm in a cockpit
> than on a bicycle. Still, it's nice to occasionally take the fairing off and enjoy how light and
> responsive the bike feels without it.

It keeps the sun from burning your legs too!

 

Scott wrote:
> Hey, John: No fairing on the Baron, I suppose?
>

Not until I figure out how to clear my toes without obstructing my view of the road. A nice tailbox
might work, though...
--

John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____

 

Hi John,

With your level of athleticism, the tailbox would help..... ;-) See you at the rally, will be
booking rooms soon.

Ed - no fairing - Gin

John Foltz wrote:

> Scott wrote:
> > Hey, John: No fairing on the Baron, I suppose?
> >
>
> Not until I figure out how to clear my toes without obstructing my view of the road. A nice
> tailbox might work, though...
> --
>
> John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24 --- _\\/\-%) _________(_)`=()___________________(_)=
> (_)_____

 

I gave up using my body sock on my Easy Racer a few years ago; I rather wear more clothes in the
winter to keep warm than use it.

Not only did the sock make me feel like I was in a car instead of on a bike, but it made it a hassle
to get on and off the bike at steep hills and pit stops.

My Zzipper fairing is another story. I would not be happy without it.

Andrew Richard

"Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well, just took the fairing off the Haluzak after a long winter/cool spring, and I have to say
> that I definitely prefer the experience sans-fairing. Especially for USS, the feeling of flying
> along with the bike almost vanishing beneath me is preferable to any speed gains. When the going
> gets cold again, I'll replace the Zzipper, but for the warm weather, it's the wide-open spaces for
> me. Does anyone else find fairings intrusive?
>
> Scott Haluzak Greenspeed Tandem

 

[email protected] (Christopher Jordan) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> MAN!!! You got me! I saw the title as *FREE FAIRING* and almost had heart failure rushing for
> another fairing. Oh well, I will relax now!
>
> Chris Jordan
>
>

Sorry, Chris! I didn't mean to throw anyone into cardiac arrest. Should I help pay for a refill on
your nitro tablets?

Scott

 

For a picture of a Baron with a tailbox, see my ride report on the recently-held Horsey Hundred
(Georgetown, KY) at http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney/horsey2003.html. Very economical design. And,
it can do double-duty as a place to carry pizza!

Ed Gin & Shirleen Kajiwara wrote:
> Hi John,
>
> With your level of athleticism, the tailbox would help..... ;-) See you at the rally, will be
> booking rooms soon.
>
> Ed - no fairing - Gin
>
> John Foltz wrote:
>
>
>>Scott wrote:
>>
>>>Hey, John: No fairing on the Baron, I suppose?
>>>
>>>
>>Not until I figure out how to clear my toes without obstructing my view of the road. A nice
>>tailbox might work, though...
>>--
>>
>> John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24 --- _\\/\-%) _________(_)`=()___________________(_)=
>> (_)_____
>>
>

--
Larry Varney Cold Spring, KY http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney

 

Ed Gin & Shirleen Kajiwara wrote:
> Hi John,
>
> With your level of athleticism, the tailbox would help..... ;-) See you at the rally, will be
> booking rooms soon.
>

It might, but I'm too cheap to spend $600 on one. I haven't decided which bike I want to take to
Wisconsin - maybe both, if I have the room.

Is Fabbie coming? ;-)

--

John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____

 

Larry Varney wrote:
> For a picture of a Baron with a tailbox, see my ride report on the recently-held Horsey Hundred
> (Georgetown, KY) at http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney/horsey2003.html. Very economical design.
> And, it can do double-duty as a place to carry pizza!
>
Great pictures, Larry! Than's tailbox might be a bit on the small side to offer much speed boost,
but it sure looks handy for storing lunch!

I loved everything about the ride, except for Saturday's lunch. Have they modified the menu at all?
--

John Foltz --- O _ Baron --- _O _ V-Rex 24 --- _\\/\-%)
_________(_)`=()___________________(_)= (_)_____

 

Saturday's lunch is now at Midway College itself, and seemed to consist of lots of veggies, plus
different sliced meats like ham, turkey, and so on. Lots better than in previous years, plus you
don't have that hill to conquer just to get there! And knowing Than, he's probably got a larger
pizza box to use for the next tailbox design!

John Foltz wrote:
> Larry Varney wrote:
> > For a picture of a Baron with a tailbox, see my ride report on the recently-held Horsey Hundred
> > (Georgetown, KY) at http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney/horsey2003.html. Very economical design.
> > And, it can do double-duty as a place to carry pizza!
> >
> Great pictures, Larry! Than's tailbox might be a bit on the small side to offer much speed boost,
> but it sure looks handy for storing lunch!
>
> I loved everything about the ride, except for Saturday's lunch. Have they modified the
> menu at all?

--
Larry Varney Cold Spring, KY http://home.fuse.net/larryvarney

 

John Foltz wrote:

> Scott wrote:
>> Hey, John: No fairing on the Baron, I suppose?
>>
>
> Not until I figure out how to clear my toes without obstructing my view of the road. A nice
> tailbox might work, though...

I am reliably informed that a Several of years ago, Optima used to offer a front fairing for the
Baron. Since they no longer do so, it seems that it was Not Much Cop, an opinion confirmed by my
Sinister Agent who found it difficult both to mount and to see over. When he sold his Baron, the
new owner did not, to the best of my knowledge, perservere with the fairing, though he did keep the
tail fairing.

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
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