This is an Idea I've been thinking about for a few years, and finally decided to post it here. A quick search for prior art here found the "Inflatable Bicycle Fairing" (linked), which I think is different enough that I can still post this.

So, consider the standard bicycle frame. There is a diagonal section between the place where the pedals go, and the place where the handlebars are mounted. We want to attach a kind of "Y" shaped piece of metal to that section of the bike frame.

The bottom part of the "Y" is what gets attached. If you have a water-bottle mount at that place, it may need to be removed until the "Y" has been installed. The two thin "arms" point upward and forward. There is no interference with the front wheel's turning.

The two thin arms of the "Y" are quite long, and curve upward and then backward toward the rear of the bicycle. They keep curving until they can be individually attached to the rear part of the bicycle frame, after it forks for the rear wheel.

A person sitting normally on the bicycle seat will be under the two thin curved "Y" arms. Above the rider we attach some cross-pieces, perhaps 2/3 of a meter long, and then attach some waterproof fabric, tautly between the cross-pieces.

The rider now has SOME amount of protection from the sun and rain, without adding a lot of mass to the bicycle, or wind resistance (the fabric is flat and parallel to the ground, since it doesn't follow the curved "Y" arms).
-- Vernon, May 30 2012

Inflatable Bicycle Fairing Inflatable_20Bicycle_20Fairing
As mentioned in the main text. [Vernon, May 30 2012]

A selection of solutions http://www.eta.co.u...ella-rain-and-shine
None of which look particularly effective or useful [pocmloc, May 31 2012]

http://www.bakfiets...bike-rain-roof1.jpg Google, google, google is your friend. If you don't google for your thing it drives me round the bend! There is no need to post it, no need to annoy, just google for the thing you want, and images ahoy! [pocmloc, May 31 2012]

[+] but you'll still get wet once you start moving.
-- FlyingToaster, May 30 2012


Purely as a pedantic reference:

//diagonal section between the place where the pedals go, and the place where the handlebars are mounted//

Downtube, between the bottom bracket and the head tube.

//where it forks for the rear wheel//

Seat stays, most likely. The lower one is the chain stays. Fork is pretty specific to the front wheel.

(The only parts of the frame not mentioned are the seat tube and the top tube)
-- MechE, May 31 2012


As FT said, in order for this to work, the canopy needs to extend as far forward as it takes the rain to fall from the canopy to below your feet. Also to the sides enough that crosswinds don't blow the rain in. That's going to end up requiring a fair chunk of mass, and sail area, which will matter if you're leaning into a curve and a gust comes along. Also the support tubes will interfere with vision. Also, this does nothing about road spray, which is much of the problem (my own or from cars). I do have fenders, but they don't do enough in case of a puddle.

Neutral, I don't think it would do any good and it would interfere with riding, but whatever.
-- MechE, May 31 2012


Similar ideas have been proposed repeatedly over the past 130 years. All have failed, because of issues with drag, balance, visibility, increased weight, etc. etc.

If it could be done, someone would be selling them.

The idea is half-baked, but not in any way original, and so is suggested-for-deletion, Prior Art.
-- 8th of 7, May 31 2012


hmmm, could the problem not be solved instead with a smallish cone on an extended rod?
While stationary the rod would point vertically, and act as an umbrella, but tilt forward at an angle determined by speed to deflect rain around the rider with minimum drag.

Joust the rain!
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 31 2012


Consider the vectors …

Firstly, the forward motion of the bicycle.

Secondly, the angle of the prevailing wind.

Thirdly, the angle of the incoming rain.

To dynamically articulate the "cone" so as to effectively protect the rider, who will be changing speed and direction continuosly, will requre a rigid support structure and some powerful and fast-responding actuators.

This will add even more mass to the bike, without considering the power source and the control system and sensors.

The radical answer would be to fix two bicycles together in parallel, cover them in a rigid shell, and use the control system powerplant for propulsion. Oh, wait…
-- 8th of 7, May 31 2012


Mmmkay, cars are good, back to bikes though...

The vectors involved could be compensated dynamically for changing conditions by the rider. If a preset default setting accounts only for speed in a windless rain shower, then angle, cone size, and rod extension could all be adjusted on-the-fly. Throw in some goggle wipers for the tire back-spray and you're good-to-go.

"PANCHO! Fetch my wheeled steed!"
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, May 31 2012


[MechE], there are a couple things I didn't describe as clearly as I should have. The "Y"-arms don't have to be especially thick tubing (less interference with vision). And they connect to the frame at the rear of the bike after the frame forks for the rear wheel. Each long curving arm can have 2 attachment points back there, against bike-frame tubes.

One solution to wheel-spray, when your bike fenders are inadequate, is to ride more slowly. Note this also allows the canopy to be more effective against rainfall, at least from the front.

Finally, I only specified SOME protection from rain. Not complete protection.
-- Vernon, May 31 2012


[MechE], the usual solution to that is to install mudflaps. You can make your own easily enough, out of an old plastic drinks bottle, or two sheets of bicycle inner tube flattened out and glued together with rubber cement. A big flappy mudflap hanging down from the bottom of your front mudguard does wonders for catching your own road spray. I personally don't have one but then I have slick tyres and rather long wide mudguards in the first place.
-- pocmloc, May 31 2012



random, halfbakery