Subject: Add a fairing Posted by: DJ on December 13, 2001 at 14:35:51: In Reply to: faster bikes posted by greg on December 10, 2001 at 22:55:02:

Message: Most resistance above 10kph comes from moving the air around & over the rider. The best way to reduce this & go faster with the same horsepower is to put a fairing on the bike. Even a small bubble one over the handlebars can add some speed. A full fairing on a recumbent bike can really cut the drag. Humans are limited in power output....gears don't increase power output, they just keep the RPMs in the powerband of the human (80-100rpm) or the diesel engine (1500-3500rpm) or the gasoline engine (3000-5000; 5400-9000 for VTEC hondas; 7000-12000 for motorcycles). The top speed of any bicycle or car is a direct result of DRAG=POWER*Velocity once the proper gears are being used.