Is a fairing worth the trouble.
Printed From: BHPC Forum
Category: Public: Open to anyone
Forum Name: Social Rides
Forum Description: Anything with a cake-stop
URL: https://forum.bhpc.org.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=7413
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 10:38pm
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Topic: Is a fairing worth the trouble.
Posted By: skids
Subject: Is a fairing worth the trouble.
Date Posted: 25 June 2022 at 1:11pm
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Hi, I have a ICE QNT and am considering adding a front fairing along with some form of tail box. I have read that the racers on this site gain 2 or 3 m.p.h at race speeds but I wonder if I would gain much at the speeds I ride which I guess are in the range 14-16 m.p.h. Is there a collective opinion ? best wishes Simon
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Replies:
Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 26 June 2022 at 11:31pm
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Depends what shape the fairings are. If they are good then you might see a small improvement but the main reason for a front fairing on a street bike is weather protection (which is significant, especially in winter) and a tailbox gives you convenient luggage space with, at worse, no increase in drag. ------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed |
Posted By: skids
Date Posted: 27 June 2022 at 7:33am
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Thank you for your reply : I can see that a front streamer type of fairing would be kind to the feet in the winter. I've read that some have even attached a small umbrella just to keep their feet warm. I think I will try making some fairings/wheel spats with the aim to keep warm and dry in the winter (and June for that matter!) rather than for greater speed. best wishes Simon
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Posted By: Woolly Hat
Date Posted: 28 June 2022 at 6:43am
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I agree with Geoff completely but apart from weather protection, I find that a front fairing makes the riding experience much more fun, by removing the turbulence around your feet and legs and making everything feel so much smoother. For trikes, the windwrap fairings seem to be good and copying a shape like that might be a good place to start and it will need to hinge to be able to get in it. I'm not a fast rider but a fairing each end does make a noticeable difference to the ease of riding and while it may not add lots of mph for a given power, I'm sure you'll be able to tell and for road use, I think it's a great idea. The other thing to consider is putting discs over your spokes to make the wheels more aero. Especially if you've got a 26" or 700C at the back. I can't tell the difference on or off with my 20" front wheel but I can with the 26" at the back which is why I've modified my rear wheel cover and it's going back on. It creates a lot less drag in the rear fairing too. ------------- Ross Low Racer 77 and WozzaMarauder |
Posted By: GeoffBird
Date Posted: 29 June 2022 at 4:22pm
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Yes, you kinda feel safer too. A good front and rear fairing might give you 2 mph on your average speed - depends how fast you go normally. At racing speeds, you might get 3 mph and another 2 mph from a ripstop bag, but the latter is not safe on public roads. ------------- Right Time - Right Place - Wrong Speed |
Posted By: skids
Date Posted: 29 June 2022 at 4:46pm
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More useful insights! Lets face it I've an itch that needs scratching! I've just fitted a new deluxe seat cover to my Q-NT. It looks very smart and is comfortable if a little hot in this weather (22 degrees C in the sun). Quite windy here today and I'm quite a bit slower riding into wind than with the wind even at my glacial speeds. So the question is do I buy a streamer or try and build my own ? best wishes Simon |
Posted By: Woolly Hat
Date Posted: 30 June 2022 at 9:06am
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Simon, you can spend a lot of money on fairings and back boxes or you can spend a lot less and take a lot of hours to make your own. There's a lot of satisfaction in building them and then tweaking or rebuilding them to make them better. It depends what you prefer to do with your time and money. Just remember that it doesn't need to be perfect to be effective. Colin ------------- Ross Low Racer 77 and WozzaMarauder |
Posted By: RoyMacdonald
Date Posted: 30 June 2022 at 3:47pm
I have an ICE Sprint 26 and I always ride with a Windwrap front fairing, otherwise my feet and hands get too cold in the winter weather. I'm an old man though. I've experimented with riding with a tail box and also Radical Race bags, measuring my speed on a known downhill and I found the Novosport tail box gave me an extra 2 km per hour at 42 kph. Had a lot more room for stuff in the tail box as well. Here is a fun table.  All the best. Roy
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skids wrote:Posted By: skids
Date Posted: 04 July 2022 at 2:24pm
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Thanks again for the messages. I'm going to look at making a tail box and some wheel spats. A front fairing is a bit more of a challenge so I may end up with a commercially produced one. best wishes Simon
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Posted By: Ethan
Date Posted: 15 January 2023 at 1:37am
| Hey skids, when are you going to post pictures of your work? |
Posted By: skids
Date Posted: 15 January 2023 at 8:37am
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ooops!!!! My project has been overtaken by events so i on hold but I hope to start in a few weeks time. S
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