Author Topic: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike  (Read 3395 times)

Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« on: 07 December, 2018, 03:59:48 pm »
Does anyone have any experiences, good or bad, of using a front fairing for a modicum of weather protection in the rain and cold on a recumbent trike (esp the ICE Sprint)?

I’m trying to work out if they work enough to justify the expense and weight and which if any are best at the job.


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Kim

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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #1 on: 07 December, 2018, 04:59:38 pm »
I know Tigerbiten OTP uses one.  AIUI it'll keep the wind off your feet and lower legs, but delivers accumulated rain into your face when you hit a bump, so it'll help keep you warm but not necessarily dry.

You'll also have to give some thought to how you attach lighting, so it doesn't just reflect off the inside of the fairing.

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #2 on: 07 December, 2018, 09:38:21 pm »
I've used a Streamer fairing on my ICE Sprint.

It does help stop a lot of the air flow over your body.
But it doesn't stop you getting wet in the ran.
The water dripping off the front soaks your feet.
The spray off the front wheels at over 10 mph soaks your bum.
But your knees stay dry ....... ;D

As Kim says, in the dark you need your light outside the fairing, otherwise reflected light stops you seeing where you're going.
But in dim light and rain the whole fairing lights up, so you're more visible.

I like it because it much better at making your trike look bigger from the front.
It can also make half of a good roll cage with the seat headrest making the other half, don't ask me how I know ........  :facepalm:

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #3 on: 12 December, 2018, 12:55:03 pm »
Thanks, I think I’ll cross that model off the list. Even though I use neoprene overshoes, the soles of my feet get really cold and wet around the cleats whilst on the recumbent, facing into the wind as they do. It sounds like I need to keep searching for a solution.

I’ll try ‘sealing’ around the cleats to see if that helps, but what I really want is some wind and rain protection for my feet in winter that won’t interfere with lighting if I get stuck out after dusk.


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dat

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #4 on: 12 December, 2018, 01:04:43 pm »
I had an Windwrap XT, it decreased visibility. Although I could see over it, a blind spot was created a few meters in front of me.

Kim

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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #5 on: 12 December, 2018, 01:18:28 pm »
Thanks, I think I’ll cross that model off the list. Even though I use neoprene overshoes, the soles of my feet get really cold and wet around the cleats whilst on the recumbent, facing into the wind as they do. It sounds like I need to keep searching for a solution.

I’ll try ‘sealing’ around the cleats to see if that helps, but what I really want is some wind and rain protection for my feet in winter that won’t interfere with lighting if I get stuck out after dusk.

Some proper waterproof boots might be a good idea then.  Overshoes are rubbish.

Personally, I find that the recumbent position leads to cold feet in winter.  It's worse on trikes, as you don't have to unclip and put a foot down at junctions.  It's a circulatory thing, rather than anything to do with air flow: I can be sitting on a stationary trike (waiting for a group or whatever), and my feet will almost instantly warm up if I unclip and stand up.

I tend to stick to a DF bike in winter, unless the ice situation merits three wheels.

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #6 on: 12 December, 2018, 07:28:59 pm »
Kim, I don’t really have the choice to ride a DF any distance anymore, so have to make the best of the trike.

My LBS said waterproof boots (Shimano ones at least,  which seem to be the only brand that does wide fitting cycle footwear that fits my feet) are no better than standard shoes on the sole, i.e. water and wind can get in via the cleat.... all the waterproofing is the top, just as with overshoes. My Endura neoprene overshoes were brilliant on a DF, but just don’t cut the mustard on the trike.

I’ll try bodging a fix to the soles of my shoes to seal the gap around the cleat.


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Auntie Helen

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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #7 on: 12 December, 2018, 08:16:04 pm »
MyShimano winter boots were waterproof and there was no link between the cleat and inside the boot so no water got in there. I found them warm enough when triking..
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dat

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #8 on: 12 December, 2018, 08:20:07 pm »
I had some shimano winter shoes, very heavy. I wouldn't of wanted to use them on a recumbent.

Kim

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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #9 on: 12 December, 2018, 08:28:29 pm »
MyShimano winter boots were waterproof and there was no link between the cleat and inside the boot so no water got in there. I found them warm enough when triking..

Yep, my MT91s are properly waterproof.  You can happily stand in a puddle with them.  They're not actually winter-specific (indeed, I'll wear them at any time of year for off-road riding where decent boots are appropriate), so best to go up a size and use a thick sock.  The advantage of a recumbent is that water doesn't run down your leg into waterproof footwear like it does on an upwrong.

Yes, they're heavy, but so much better than overshoes.  It's not like you're going to notice the weight.

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #10 on: 13 December, 2018, 09:41:22 am »
The only way I can see to make a fully waterproof front shell is to either build it yourself or find the front end of a dead velomobile.
Plus recline angle and crank length can make a big difference on how well you can see over a nose cone that covers your feet.
In daylight it make no real difference, but in the dark I found with the fairing on it was a lot harder to spot potholes.
Velomobiles tend to have a dip between where your knees go to help with this.

Think about it.
If you have a bad cut in your leg, your put on your back with your leg in the air to reduce the blood flow to the cut.
In the recumbent position you're over halfway there.
The reduced blood flow means less heat is transferred to your feet from your core, therefore they run cold.
That's why as soon as you put your feet, it increases the blood flow and your feet warm up. 
I think the best way to keep your feet warm in cold and wet conditions is fully waterproof boots and electrically heated socks.

Also that's why on a recumbent in very hot weather, you cannot remove enough heat from the soles of your feet where the cleats are and you can end up with a burning sensation.

Luck ...........  ;D

Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #11 on: 13 December, 2018, 01:01:59 pm »
For a while now I've been considering building a nosecone similar to the front end of a velomomobile using clear 1.5 m.m. thick flexible  polypropylene sheeting and a lightweight frame of either plastic tube or aluminium strip.

I could probably build the entire thing for less than the cost of a small perspex windshield.

Don't know if I can source enough motivation to do it though. :-[
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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #12 on: 13 December, 2018, 01:30:23 pm »
I have seen pictures of recumbents with a small fairing such as you would use on an upright, covering only hands an knees and leaving the feet outside. How well would that work?
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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #13 on: 18 December, 2018, 08:14:28 am »
I think it should be possible to make very effective foot-fairings out of soft drink bottles. I made hand fairings like that years ago and they were perfect for cold days in eliminating wind chill. Alternatively two waterproof drawstring bags might do the job.
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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #14 on: 20 December, 2018, 03:26:53 pm »
Thanks all. I decided to go down the route of waterproof boots first, before facing into the cost and logistical challenges of attaching a fairing.

First ride out today and whilst the new boots (Shimano MW7) didn’t get a proper ‘wet’ test, they were MUCH warmer than my regular cycling shoes plus neoprene overshoes, and my feet were toasty warm despite having my thinnest merino socks on. I think that’s cracked the problem, though at a cost of about £170 for the boots plus SPDs, still must be less than a fairing!

Thanks again to all that replied.


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Re: Front fairing for ICE Sprint trike
« Reply #15 on: 20 December, 2018, 06:27:07 pm »
I had a Windwrap XT on an ICE Sprint 26.  It did keep my feet and shins dry and warm. There was no dripping onto my feet, but drips did come off the top into my face when hitting bumps. I didn't find any restricted visibility issues of note. I mounted lights above the fairing on both sides using the T-cycle optional light mounts. It did not make me quicker but the extra weight and length wasn't really a problem either. I would consider one again if I had a need or desire for rides of more than a few miles in cold temperatures.