Originally Posted by Homeyba

Don't worry, nothing awful or derogatory. It's just a regional thing. If I may type in generalities it's not just fenders. If you go to a big randonee, one with lots of participants like PBP, it's often easy to determine a region or even country, that someone came from just by the type of bike they are on and the accessories they are using. In the colder regions you often see bikes designed and built to carry more of a load with things like handlebar bags and heavier duty rack/bag combos along and more robust parts. Riders from colder climates have to carry more gear to stay comfortable and keep their bikes going while riding in less than stellar conditions. In warmer regions you see many more riders on sport geometry bikes because they aren't carrying the loads, they don't require quite so robust parts because they aren't riding in as harsh conditions on a regular basis. Riders in different regions tend to use the tool (bike) that best suits their riding environment, that's all.