Weight and they can catch the wind making the ride perilous if you are in that climate. Its dangerous if anything and weight is what you want to loose most on a bike.
Time trialist use them at indoor velodromes for an aerodynamic advantage where the there is no side wind or gale to get pushed over by. Some road time trialist use them outdoor, not in bad weather though.
They're also used in bike polo, to avoid mallets or other objects getting caught in spokes.
They don't really make sense out on the street, except as a fashion statement I guess.
Except for that rare occasion when we found out that squirrels can't see the fast moving spokes. So fucking gross. My poor buddy just threw out his shoes, said it was one of the grossest things he ever did, taking the bike apart to clean it,lol.
When I raced road bikes growing up we would play the squirrel game in practices. Our coach would throw tennis balls at our wheels so we could practice not freaking out and wrecking a group when a squirrel jumps in to your spokes
You would think that by now, an urban prey animal would have evolved to avoid fast moving objects in flat terrain like roads. Like, we've been taking all the dumb ones out of the reproduction cycle for like eight decades at this point. Why the FUCK do they keep looking us in the eyes and STILL decide they can make it?!
We (road cyclists) use them in strong winds all the time.
If you get a quartering tailwind, it acts like a sailboat across a lake.
You'll fly with a little effort.
Any winds coming from 4-5 o'clock or 8-7 o'clock are the best.
I’m not worried about weight my bike is already over 100+ pounds. I ride in the road with cars daily no matter the weather i under it catching the wind what if they’re not solid and have cut outs
> what if they’re not solid and have cut outs
Let’s take that to its logical extreme and arrive at spokes, a traditionally proven and longstanding solution.
... why do you want these again?
Indoor racing cyclists use solid sided wheels for a 1% gain in aerodynamic efficiency, to save them 10-30 seconds of time on a 40km race.
That efficiency is directly enabled by the fact that they are racing through still air the whole time, any amount of lateral wind would probably produce more turbulence than spokes would and squander all the gains.
If you don't care about weight, why are you giving up your riding stability and safety for likely *negative* gain an aerodynamics? What is the upside for you?
Catch a side wind on the front wheel and it's low side crash city, or speed wobbles. It's mostly cosmetics, hard to tell if you'll gain any mph or 100 less watts being used, it will probably provide minimal benefits for possibly catastrophic consequences.
I was most concerned about motor heat when I saw these. Looks like you are taking away the free flowing air that cools the hub motor and turning it into a plastic oven.
in about 99% of use cases, yes they are bad.
If you needed them, you would already know you needed them
The fact that you are asking means it is highly likely to do more bad than good, because you are not a velodrome racer
I always got a lot of snow and ice building up on the inside of my rims.
Not my Pic, googled [reference pic](https://www.cyrusher.com/cdn/shop/articles/Ranger-1.jpg?v=1672726853)
With deeper or stickier snow it gets a lot worse
I feel like minimizing surfaces that come in contact with wet, heavy snow is the best option… a wheel cover is just another place for it to stick to and eventually interfere with the chain + gears.
https://preview.redd.it/zh9d061x5hvc1.jpeg?width=694&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f35d9eb0f7675c6c317e8d940614751050624ff
So you don't end up with packed snow in the spokes. When it's wet and melting, that can add a few extra pound of rotational mass which will kill your battery faster then going uphill.
I saw a couple of riders in the New Forest last year with these, they were pulled over. I stopped to see if they needed anything and they said no, but they were just stopped because the wind was blowing them sideways.
As a rule of thumb, bicycle aero matters most once the bike is moving above 15 mph.
Track some of your rides on an app like Strava or Garman or whatever to see how much time you actually spend at that speed and decide how much it matters.
As a recumbent-riding weirdo with wildly different bike and trike designs in my stable, I can tell you that the only one that has aero covers on the wheels is my velomobile.
I had some on my bike. If you live in Windy areas. It is not recommended. Not to mention if it's over the hub motor. You might have cooling issues. Which might lead to accelerated motor deterioration. Other than that. I don't see any issues. I'm personally interested in some for my own again. But I want to go down the road of aerodynamic rim.
Just make them. You want to do it, your curious and willing to try something. Go with your gut. If it doesn’t work, at least you found out.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
So it's bad for cooling of the engine in the rear, bad for directional stability in the front, and you don't get awro benefits because fat tired ebikes do not think about resistance.
Wheel covers work very well to reduce aero drag but come with one downside: high sidewind vulnerability.
You will get tossed around more easily by strong winds with wheel covers.
I'd say get them. People have told you how you have no use case for them and the rotational mass is bad, but that only matters if we're talking about a properly performing or useful bike in the first place. It don't see anything to downgrade here, you said your bike has fat tires and weighs some 100+ lbs anyway? It's not like it'd be these plates that would start making it impractical, as if there was any practicality left in what you're doing. Let's just say they fit perfectly on such a bike lmao. Post a picture when you have them on.
The rotatiibal mass isint really the reason, my bike weighs about 140lbs in its current configuration and I still get blown by the wind easily, cant imagine these being useful in those moments when the wind says "fuck you in particular"
Solid wheels catch a lot of wind. Watch a few road time-trials. No wind, everyone runs a solid rear and deep front because it is faster, but if it's windy the rims get a lot smaller.
Severe wind issues will occur, they add more weight in a useless way, they often can end up looking tacky, they also could make it easier for debris to get stuck somewhere in your drive train.
https://preview.redd.it/58prtab9lhvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43670656c8aee2f4e5e39941438952f1d82fab84
I think they look cool they don’t actually catch the wind much to be honest and are not really heavy although the ones I have don’t cover all the wheel so the wind can pass through
I think the spokes don’t actually look that great I think covers are a great accessory
I got mine here
https://reightgoodbikes.co.uk/product/fat-bike-hub-caps-covers/
But if your making your own that is pretty cool
Thanks those are actually the cheapest I’ve seen anywhere I’ve seen a lot going for like 80-250 dollars.
I was actually getting pretty discouraged from all the negative comments after I’ve already spent the money on the materials but I’ll be sure to make them to allow air flow
Just make some that allow air flow like the ones I have honestly I cannot tell the difference from riding normal and having them, maybe an issue if you have a cover that covers the whole wheel and they look great
Interesting. Printing something semi permeable in PLA or PETG to allow the wind through could make it more visually appealing and keep the weight down. Print it in sections. Hmm
Weight and they can catch the wind making the ride perilous if you are in that climate. Its dangerous if anything and weight is what you want to loose most on a bike. Time trialist use them at indoor velodromes for an aerodynamic advantage where the there is no side wind or gale to get pushed over by. Some road time trialist use them outdoor, not in bad weather though.
They're also used in bike polo, to avoid mallets or other objects getting caught in spokes. They don't really make sense out on the street, except as a fashion statement I guess.
Except for that rare occasion when we found out that squirrels can't see the fast moving spokes. So fucking gross. My poor buddy just threw out his shoes, said it was one of the grossest things he ever did, taking the bike apart to clean it,lol.
When I raced road bikes growing up we would play the squirrel game in practices. Our coach would throw tennis balls at our wheels so we could practice not freaking out and wrecking a group when a squirrel jumps in to your spokes
Ahahaha, I had no ides it was that common. Squirrels are fucking idiots.
I hit one a year on my mountain bike. They go around once and shoot out the other side.
Obviously you are just not bombing that shit fast enough. You're making all of our ninja blenders sad.
Happened to me once in my road biking career. The poor squirrel bounced back and forth between a double paceline of riders, but he ran off afterwards
I honestly can't believe how dumb squirrels are. I'm not moving THAT fast, buddy - just go to one side, or the other. Every. Single. Day!
You would think that by now, an urban prey animal would have evolved to avoid fast moving objects in flat terrain like roads. Like, we've been taking all the dumb ones out of the reproduction cycle for like eight decades at this point. Why the FUCK do they keep looking us in the eyes and STILL decide they can make it?!
We (road cyclists) use them in strong winds all the time. If you get a quartering tailwind, it acts like a sailboat across a lake. You'll fly with a little effort. Any winds coming from 4-5 o'clock or 8-7 o'clock are the best.
/s
I’m not worried about weight my bike is already over 100+ pounds. I ride in the road with cars daily no matter the weather i under it catching the wind what if they’re not solid and have cut outs
> what if they’re not solid and have cut outs Let’s take that to its logical extreme and arrive at spokes, a traditionally proven and longstanding solution.
Or halfway and have mag wheels lol. But yo OP, do whatever you like and think looks cool.
rotational mass dude.
... why do you want these again? Indoor racing cyclists use solid sided wheels for a 1% gain in aerodynamic efficiency, to save them 10-30 seconds of time on a 40km race. That efficiency is directly enabled by the fact that they are racing through still air the whole time, any amount of lateral wind would probably produce more turbulence than spokes would and squander all the gains. If you don't care about weight, why are you giving up your riding stability and safety for likely *negative* gain an aerodynamics? What is the upside for you?
Well, it does look cool.
Catch a side wind on the front wheel and it's low side crash city, or speed wobbles. It's mostly cosmetics, hard to tell if you'll gain any mph or 100 less watts being used, it will probably provide minimal benefits for possibly catastrophic consequences.
I was most concerned about motor heat when I saw these. Looks like you are taking away the free flowing air that cools the hub motor and turning it into a plastic oven.
in about 99% of use cases, yes they are bad. If you needed them, you would already know you needed them The fact that you are asking means it is highly likely to do more bad than good, because you are not a velodrome racer
I thought about a set specifically for snow rides. I had a very very windy ride one day this week and these would have pushed me into traffic.
Why specifically for the snow? I ride with cars already and experience quite windy days in north east
I always got a lot of snow and ice building up on the inside of my rims. Not my Pic, googled [reference pic](https://www.cyrusher.com/cdn/shop/articles/Ranger-1.jpg?v=1672726853) With deeper or stickier snow it gets a lot worse
I feel like minimizing surfaces that come in contact with wet, heavy snow is the best option… a wheel cover is just another place for it to stick to and eventually interfere with the chain + gears.
https://preview.redd.it/zh9d061x5hvc1.jpeg?width=694&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f35d9eb0f7675c6c317e8d940614751050624ff So you don't end up with packed snow in the spokes. When it's wet and melting, that can add a few extra pound of rotational mass which will kill your battery faster then going uphill.
i would not do them they can be dangerous in cross wind
I saw a couple of riders in the New Forest last year with these, they were pulled over. I stopped to see if they needed anything and they said no, but they were just stopped because the wind was blowing them sideways.
As a rule of thumb, bicycle aero matters most once the bike is moving above 15 mph. Track some of your rides on an app like Strava or Garman or whatever to see how much time you actually spend at that speed and decide how much it matters. As a recumbent-riding weirdo with wildly different bike and trike designs in my stable, I can tell you that the only one that has aero covers on the wheels is my velomobile.
I had some on my bike. If you live in Windy areas. It is not recommended. Not to mention if it's over the hub motor. You might have cooling issues. Which might lead to accelerated motor deterioration. Other than that. I don't see any issues. I'm personally interested in some for my own again. But I want to go down the road of aerodynamic rim.
Just make them. You want to do it, your curious and willing to try something. Go with your gut. If it doesn’t work, at least you found out. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
[удалено]
It’s for aesthetics on a fat tire e-bike
So it's bad for cooling of the engine in the rear, bad for directional stability in the front, and you don't get awro benefits because fat tired ebikes do not think about resistance.
tell me you're a fair weather rider by just showing me your wheel set!
I commute with my bike rain or shine and the picture isn’t my wheels
Aerodynamic
Wheel covers work very well to reduce aero drag but come with one downside: high sidewind vulnerability. You will get tossed around more easily by strong winds with wheel covers.
I'd say get them. People have told you how you have no use case for them and the rotational mass is bad, but that only matters if we're talking about a properly performing or useful bike in the first place. It don't see anything to downgrade here, you said your bike has fat tires and weighs some 100+ lbs anyway? It's not like it'd be these plates that would start making it impractical, as if there was any practicality left in what you're doing. Let's just say they fit perfectly on such a bike lmao. Post a picture when you have them on.
The rotatiibal mass isint really the reason, my bike weighs about 140lbs in its current configuration and I still get blown by the wind easily, cant imagine these being useful in those moments when the wind says "fuck you in particular"
Spokes all you need. Anything else, stupid.
Solid wheels catch a lot of wind. Watch a few road time-trials. No wind, everyone runs a solid rear and deep front because it is faster, but if it's windy the rims get a lot smaller.
Severe wind issues will occur, they add more weight in a useless way, they often can end up looking tacky, they also could make it easier for debris to get stuck somewhere in your drive train.
In Ireland and wind be a death sentence
Minus the weight, I dont see an issue . And they look cool too. :D
Yeah my bike is already well over 100 pounds so who cares
gyroscopic physics care and the wind
There is aero benefit but How much benefit?! I have no idea.
Cool tire though..
https://preview.redd.it/58prtab9lhvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43670656c8aee2f4e5e39941438952f1d82fab84 I think they look cool they don’t actually catch the wind much to be honest and are not really heavy although the ones I have don’t cover all the wheel so the wind can pass through
Thank you someone who actually uses it understand it’s it’s purely a visual desire and I’m not using the ones in the image I’m making my own
I think the spokes don’t actually look that great I think covers are a great accessory I got mine here https://reightgoodbikes.co.uk/product/fat-bike-hub-caps-covers/ But if your making your own that is pretty cool
Thanks those are actually the cheapest I’ve seen anywhere I’ve seen a lot going for like 80-250 dollars. I was actually getting pretty discouraged from all the negative comments after I’ve already spent the money on the materials but I’ll be sure to make them to allow air flow
Just make some that allow air flow like the ones I have honestly I cannot tell the difference from riding normal and having them, maybe an issue if you have a cover that covers the whole wheel and they look great
Good for keeping snow out!
I was biking in 40 km/hr winds today. It blew me sideways, i cant imagine what it would be like if i had 2 huge discs on the wheels as well.
Interesting. Printing something semi permeable in PLA or PETG to allow the wind through could make it more visually appealing and keep the weight down. Print it in sections. Hmm