Null Winds Technology (www.nullwinds.com) is introducing patent-pending, drag-reducing Upper Wheel Fairings for road bikes through a Kickstarter campaign launched on April 14, 2014. Future applications will improve the fuel economies of many automotive vehicles with exposed wheels.
To be sold in kit form adaptable for installation on most traditional road-style bicycles, Upper Wheel Fairings will be first available as campaign rewards on Kickstarter. Made of aircraft aluminum, and weighing just over two pounds, the fairings increase bicycle speeds over most terrain whenever headwinds are present.
Upper Wheel Fairings have been road-tested on traditional road bicycles, demonstrating significant gains in speed — up to twenty percent — under various headwind conditions. Since the use of fairings is not permitted in most bicycle races, this product is intended for non-competitive applications. For the commuting cyclist, Upper Wheel Fairings can provide an economical, drag-reducing alternative to more expensive aerodynamic wheels commonly used in bicycle racing.
Most vehicles with exposed upper wheels are aerodynamically handicapped, configured to dissipate propulsive power needlessly by augmenting critical wheel drag. Shielding the faster-moving upper wheel surfaces from impinging headwinds more optimally minimizes overall vehicle drag. The correct mechanical model for overall vehicle drag indicates that substantial gains in speed occur in only light headwinds for many vehicles with drag-inducing wind-exposed wheels.
The wind profile diagram for a vehicle wheel indicates how under null headwind conditions, the effective wind speed rises from null at the bottom, to up to twice the vehicle speed near the top of the wheel. By shielding the upper wheel surfaces, the effective wind on the most critical drag-inducing vehicle surfaces is greatly reduced. If a headwind is also present, the effective wind is reduced significantly more. And since the power needed to overcome drag rises in proportion to the cube of the effective wind speed, for most road bicycles the relative gains in speed tend to quickly increase when facing rising headwinds.
About Null Winds Technology
Null Winds Technology was founded in Los Angeles, California, by Garth Magee in order to introduce innovative wheel drag-reducing technology, first to the bicycle world. Shielding a bicycles’ faster-moving upper wheel surfaces from headwinds yields dramatic increases in speed without sacrificing crosswind stability. And gains in pedaling efficiency increase in rising headwinds. Potential future applications for this patent-pending energy-saving technology include electric bicycles and automotive vehicles that have exposed upper wheels, such as industrial trucks.
