new 'benter seeks advice on fully-faired rides: three wheels or two?

[[email protected]]

I'm new to 'bents, and I'm considering buying a recumbent to build up
into a velomobile for commuting.
My options are to buy an ActionBent Tadpole Trike for $1400, or my LBS
has a USS,
MWB bent for $900. Then I'll buy a BionX power assist system and build
a full
fairiing for it.

So my qustion is this: which bike is the better option for this?
Here are my thoughts:
advantages to trike:
1) don't have to design fairing to accomodate putting feet down at
stops
2) lower profile
disadvantages to trike:
1) wider

advantages to 'bent:
1) narrower profile
2) upright means more visible?
disadvantages to 'bent:
1) upright means more area for crosswinds to play with

Please advise on any others. I'm especially interested in stability at
speed in a
fully-faired velomobiles.

TIA

 

[Jeff Wills]

[email protected] wrote:
> I'm new to 'bents, and I'm considering buying a recumbent to build up
> into a velomobile for commuting.
> My options are to buy an ActionBent Tadpole Trike for $1400, or my LBS
> has a USS,
> MWB bent for $900. Then I'll buy a BionX power assist system and build
> a full
> fairiing for it.
>
> So my qustion is this: which bike is the better option for this?
> Here are my thoughts:
> advantages to trike:
> 1) don't have to design fairing to accomodate putting feet down at
> stops

Not true. Every velomobile I've seen has had slots underneath the
rider's feet to allow the rider to back up.

Craig Johnsen's been working on his "Pod" velomobile for a while. He's
just posted new pictures:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/signin.html?id=2128450950

> 2) lower profile
> disadvantages to trike:
> 1) wider

Not completely true. Narrower trikes end up a little wider than a rider
with fairing. However, taller trikes need to be wider for the same
amount of stability.

>
> advantages to 'bent:
> 1) narrower profile
> 2) upright means more visible?
> disadvantages to 'bent:
> 1) upright means more area for crosswinds to play with
>
> Please advise on any others. I'm especially interested in stability at
> speed in a
> fully-faired velomobiles.
>
> TIA

There was a stretch during last year's Race Across Oregon where John
Williams, piloting his Quest velomobile, maintained 60+ mph speeds.
This was down a slope, but *that* velomobile, with *that* rider, is
stable enough. The entire tale can be read at:
http://www.ohpv.org/albums/rao2005/index.htm

Full hardshell fairings are neat and sexy, but they can be very hard to
live with on a day-to-day basis. However, the Rotator Coyote:
http://www.ohpv.org/albums/pir2003/roadrace/pages/neils136.htm
and Mark Mueller's Coroplast-covered Greenspeed:
http://www.ohpv.org/albums/pir2004/pfphoto/pages/P1010072.htm (on the
right)
are used quite often, so it *can* be done.

Personally, I wouldn't dive in without finding out what a faired
bike/trike is like first. A Tour Easy with front fairing and body sock
will give 90% of the improvement with 10% of the hassle, unless you
really *like* building and tinkering with things.

 

[Johnny Sunset]

Jeff Wills wrote:
> ...
> Personally, I wouldn't dive in without finding out what a faired
> bike/trike is like first. A Tour Easy with front fairing and body sock
> will give 90% of the improvement with 10% of the hassle, unless you
> really *like* building and tinkering with things.

And even a clumsy doofus with no prior sewing skills and poor fine
motor coordination can make their own bodysock, e.g.
<http://www.ransbikes.com/Gallery/Archive/Sherman.htm>. [1] I did cheat
by using supplemental staples and fabric cement.

[1] Probably 95% as fast as a socked Ti-GRR at one-quarter the cost.

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Johnny Sunset" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Jeff Wills wrote:
>> ...
>> Personally, I wouldn't dive in without finding out what a faired
>> bike/trike is like first. A Tour Easy with front fairing and body sock
>> will give 90% of the improvement with 10% of the hassle, unless you
>> really *like* building and tinkering with things.
>
> And even a clumsy doofus with no prior sewing skills and poor fine
> motor coordination can make their own bodysock, e.g.
> <http://www.ransbikes.com/Gallery/Archive/Sherman.htm>. [1] I did cheat
> by using supplemental staples and fabric cement.
>
> [1] Probably 95% as fast as a socked Ti-GRR at one-quarter the cost.

However, unless you are into going fast it would be best to avoid fairings
and body socks altogether. They add a lot of needless complication for not
much benefit, other than increasing your speed slightly.

If the weather is such that you think fairings and body socks would help,
then you should be advised never to go cycling when the weather is not
halfway decent. After all, cycling is a recreational hobby for the vast
majority of us. This is true of bike commuters too unless they are so poor
they cannot afford a $250. used motor vehicle.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

 

[Ken C. M.]

Edward Dolan wrote:

>
> However, unless you are into going fast it would be best to avoid fairings
> and body socks altogether. They add a lot of needless complication for not
> much benefit, other than increasing your speed slightly.
>
While I can understand your point, I have the understanding that
fairings can help to make not-so-good weather easier to ride in.

> If the weather is such that you think fairings and body socks would help,
> then you should be advised never to go cycling when the weather is not
> halfway decent. After all, cycling is a recreational hobby for the vast
> majority of us. This is true of bike commuters too unless they are so poor
> they cannot afford a $250. used motor vehicle.
>
I say that for $250 the op would be better off making improvements to a
bike or clothing for riding in not-so-good weather conditions. A $250
used MV is likely to give the op more headaches than any hpv.


Ken
--
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles

Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/

 

[[email protected]]

What about the cold-weather & rainy-weather benefits of body socks?
I'm thinking of building a velomobile around three design constraints:
I want to commute (about 20 miles, back roads & small towns),
therefore, I want: -enclosure for cold weather & rain
-streamlining for speed.
-weatherproof luggage space for casual clothes
Thanks

 

[Edward Dolan]

"Ken C. M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>>
>> However, unless you are into going fast it would be best to avoid
>> fairings and body socks altogether. They add a lot of needless
>> complication for not much benefit, other than increasing your speed
>> slightly.
>>
> While I can understand your point, I have the understanding that fairings
> can help to make not-so-good weather easier to ride in.
>
>> If the weather is such that you think fairings and body socks would help,
>> then you should be advised never to go cycling when the weather is not
>> halfway decent. After all, cycling is a recreational hobby for the vast
>> majority of us. This is true of bike commuters too unless they are so
>> poor they cannot afford a $250. used motor vehicle.
>>
> I say that for $250 the op would be better off making improvements to a
> bike or clothing for riding in not-so-good weather conditions. A $250 used
> MV is likely to give the op more headaches than any hpv.

I would just dress for the weather and forget about turning your bike into
an HPV. That is what fools do and they invariably end up with an expensive
piece of junk that makes a bloody racket and looks foolish to bystanders.
You will never be as fast as you think either. And finally, the damn wind
will knock you on are your ass when you least expect it if on a two wheeler.
No, I would keep a bike a bike and forget about fairings and body socks, let
alone full body hard enclosures.

I drove cheap klunker cars for decades for just getting around town. You
hardly ever see any old wrecks on the streets anymore. Everyone thinks they
have to have a $20,000 car or truck when I know you can get by on just a few
hundred. Now you see why I am so Great and why others are not. It is the
difference between $20,000 and $200.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

 

[Ken C. M.]

Edward Dolan wrote:

>
> I would just dress for the weather and forget about turning your bike into
> an HPV. That is what fools do and they invariably end up with an expensive
> piece of junk that makes a bloody racket and looks foolish to bystanders.
> You will never be as fast as you think either. And finally, the damn wind
> will knock you on are your ass when you least expect it if on a two wheeler.
> No, I would keep a bike a bike and forget about fairings and body socks, let
> alone full body hard enclosures.
>
I would do the same thing, forget about the total enclosure thing. Just
dress better for the bad weather. And on the worse days use public
transit, if available.

> I drove cheap klunker cars for decades for just getting around town. You
> hardly ever see any old wrecks on the streets anymore. Everyone thinks they
> have to have a $20,000 car or truck when I know you can get by on just a few
> hundred. Now you see why I am so Great and why others are not. It is the
> difference between $20,000 and $200.
>
Sure I guess if you have the ability to do some repairs and or maint.
yourself you could get by with an inexpensive used MV for use as a
second vehicle. Personally I would just make lifestyle changes and
remain car-free.

Ken
--
You never have the wind with you - either it is against you or you're
having a good day. ~Daniel Behrman, The Man Who Loved Bicycles

Homepage: http://kcm-home.tripod.com/