Fulcrum TT wheels in Giro???

Good question. Technically speaking, a fairing would be illegal under UCI rules, so I would venture a guess that maybe the flanges of the hub were extended?? Although....the mavic carbones are actually fairings over the rims and they've been getting away with that for how many years now? The UCI is pretty haphazard in the application of their rules, so who knows? This Fulcrum wheel may very well be using a fairing on the front hub...
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? 😉

It's just a fairing. I can't remember who it was, but someone was using one at the TdF last year. The UCI just hasn't been enforcing the rule.

artmichalek said:

It's just a fairing. I can't remember who it was, but someone was using one at the TdF last year. The UCI just hasn't been enforcing the rule.

I just can't wrap my mind around how a fairing like that would be of aero benefit anyway... it seems like it would create more drag under 80% of conditions, and not give any benefit the other 20% 😕

Any idea on what wheel it is? It is not on the Fulcrum website.

Well I did find this... look at the bottom, but not much info.

http://www.velonews.com/tour2005/tech/articles/8373.0.html

wilmar13 said:

I just can't wrap my mind around how a fairing like that would be of aero benefit anyway... it seems like it would create more drag under 80% of conditions, and not give any benefit the other 20% 😕

Wheelsets have a lot of drag around the hub area. I suppose putting a fairing there smoothens the otherwise turbulent air.

hd reynolds said:

Wheelsets have a lot of drag around the hub area. I suppose putting a fairing there smoothens the otherwise turbulent air.

If you look at the hubs on the Bora/Racing Speed there's no way that fairing is going to reduce drag much. My best guess is that under certain cross wind conditions (maybe 10-15 degree yaw) the fairings are meant to produce a bit of thrust.

artmichalek said:

If you look at the hubs on the Bora/Racing Speed there's no way that fairing is going to reduce drag much. My best guess is that under certain cross wind conditions (maybe 10-15 degree yaw) the fairings are meant to produce a bit of thrust.

Thrust... mmm.. plausible. It would be interesting to know what the UCI have to say about the wheel fairing. Fairings in the form of streamlining to reduce drag is one thing but to produce thrust is entirely different and is the opposite. And if that is the case, putting it in an area that also influences steering is very pecualiar.

FWIW, other fairing offenses debutted and later banned by the UCI was the Once LOOK TT bikes used in the prologue by Alex Zulle in the 1993 TdF as well as the back saddle fairing used by Thierry Marie in the 1986 TdF. The saddle fairing was banned not so much for the aerodynamics *altho it smoothened the turbulent air flowing from the rider's backside* but more for the leverage it gave the rider to push forward on the pedals.

artmichalek said:

If you look at the hubs on the Bora/Racing Speed there's no way that fairing is going to reduce drag much. My best guess is that under certain cross wind conditions (maybe 10-15 degree yaw) the fairings are meant to produce a bit of thrust.

yeah that is what I was thinking, the hubs have minimal drag, yet by having a fairing open on both sides, have you really improved anything? The cross wind thrust is the only thing you would have to gain... hey maybe you should give that idea to those manufacturers wanting to put disc brakes on road bikes: I can see the marketing machine now: "the increased stopping power of disc brakes comes in handy to offset the increased forward thrust the brakes create" 😄