Helmet Windbreak, Rev 1
Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:17 pm
There's always room for improvement, especially on a prototype / first attempt!
You may remember the photos in the original post.
The "windbreak" stuck out quite a ways and was pretty obvious.
But it did work.
Below is Rev 1.
Doesn't stick out quite so far, is a little less obtrusive, works at least as well.
Also a couple lessons learned.
I took that same 3/4 wide by 1/2 high foam weatherstrip and glued the 1/2 wide edge
on rather than the 3/4 "base". So still sticks out 3/4".
I cut an angle on the top outer edge with a razor knife to maybe help smoothen
the airflow a tad.
I left the outer bottom edge square, though. Reason being that if airflow follows
a curve maybe the curve on the bottom of the first version was helping the airflow
move back in toward the throat.
I know airflow tumbles after passing a square corner, but I thought so what as long
as it stays away from my throat.
While I was experimenting, I only put a strip on the front of the helmet, not going
back along the side near as far. The strip in the photo is only about 5" long.
I wanted to see what I'd get along the sides with no strip.
Well, I'm putting the side strips back on. It was very easy to feel where this frontal
strip ended. The wind hit me along the sides of the neck as usual.
But there's no blast of air on my throat at the base of my neck, and the airflow below
the front edge of the helmet does feel like it's maybe breaking up a little more than
with the rounded lower edge. And it still doesn't hit me above about the top of the
shirt pocket line, and what hits me there isn't quite as strong.
Again, this was tested this past morning at up to 85 mph at between 48 and 38 deg F
for 40 miles with basically no covering over my throat above the top snap on the jacket.
The collar on this jacket doesn't close around the neck at all, leaving it bare. A perfect
test.
Not to say I couldn't feel some cold on my throat and under my chin, but no strong
bone chilling blast of air on my lower throat.
The cold I did feel will be corrected as soon as my care package from home arrives
with my heated jacket cord and the flap of material I'll snap to the lower part of the
helmet, under the windbreak strip, and tuck into my jacket before I fasten the snaps.
Pics probly early next week of that.
You may remember the photos in the original post.
The "windbreak" stuck out quite a ways and was pretty obvious.
But it did work.
Below is Rev 1.
Doesn't stick out quite so far, is a little less obtrusive, works at least as well.
Also a couple lessons learned.
I took that same 3/4 wide by 1/2 high foam weatherstrip and glued the 1/2 wide edge
on rather than the 3/4 "base". So still sticks out 3/4".
I cut an angle on the top outer edge with a razor knife to maybe help smoothen
the airflow a tad.
I left the outer bottom edge square, though. Reason being that if airflow follows
a curve maybe the curve on the bottom of the first version was helping the airflow
move back in toward the throat.
I know airflow tumbles after passing a square corner, but I thought so what as long
as it stays away from my throat.
While I was experimenting, I only put a strip on the front of the helmet, not going
back along the side near as far. The strip in the photo is only about 5" long.
I wanted to see what I'd get along the sides with no strip.
Well, I'm putting the side strips back on. It was very easy to feel where this frontal
strip ended. The wind hit me along the sides of the neck as usual.
But there's no blast of air on my throat at the base of my neck, and the airflow below
the front edge of the helmet does feel like it's maybe breaking up a little more than
with the rounded lower edge. And it still doesn't hit me above about the top of the
shirt pocket line, and what hits me there isn't quite as strong.
Again, this was tested this past morning at up to 85 mph at between 48 and 38 deg F
for 40 miles with basically no covering over my throat above the top snap on the jacket.
The collar on this jacket doesn't close around the neck at all, leaving it bare. A perfect
test.
Not to say I couldn't feel some cold on my throat and under my chin, but no strong
bone chilling blast of air on my lower throat.
The cold I did feel will be corrected as soon as my care package from home arrives
with my heated jacket cord and the flap of material I'll snap to the lower part of the
helmet, under the windbreak strip, and tuck into my jacket before I fasten the snaps.
Pics probly early next week of that.
