Commuting - Make your own fenders

I am commuting on 2" wide tires and having trouble finding fenders to fit-there is not enough clearence between the rear tire and the fender at the seat post so I was searching for ideas of making fenders out of something like the lawn signs-anyone have any ideas?

Find a metalworking shop nearby. Possibly an auto body shop can help you out. A fender is really simple, just a long thin piece of metal (aluminum ought to be light enough) with a curve in two directions. I saw how to make a piece like that in a book, it was like the second example on how to use a sheet metal brake. Only problem is, I don't HAVE a sheet metal brake.

A metal supplier should be able to sell you "drops" (I.E. random cutoffs from some order they had) for really cheap... I got a whole 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of 16-gauge aluminum for like 50 bucks, I would imagine you could get a chunk big enough to make a couple fenders out of for like 10. 16-gauge is plenty thick, for fenders you might even be able to get away with 18 gauge.

I met a guy in Austin who makes wooden fenders. They are really quite beautiful! My husband is a woodworker -- some day, I might get him to make me some. :)

Yeah, crab something together. A lot of bikers use lawn signs and plastic containers to make reasonably effective fenders. If you want to make them look quite presentable, stop down to your local lowbrow bike shop and pick up some spare Wald fender stays. Then, it would be an easy matter to use any suitably pliable material to cut flat fenders, bolt the stays to the material, that would help ensure a good fit.

I like the bent wood idea,, probably really easy to make a form out of an old rim cut in half, to hold the wood while you steamed/glued it into place.

Oh, how about pay some kid 20 bucks and a half rack to hammer you out a real nice set in shop class. Go down to the local high school and butter up some kid smoking cigs out by the metal shop.

Oh, how about pay some kid 20 bucks and a half rack to hammer you out a real nice set in shop class. Go down to the local high school and butter up some kid smoking cigs out by the metal shop.
you might end up with fenders that serve double-duty as a bong.

you might end up with fenders that serve double-duty as a bong.
Would he charge extra for that? And can he put a bottle opener on it too?

My Dad had an idea for making fenders out of roof flashing,the aluminum they use on roofs. Ducting or gutter material would also work. Use heavy-gauge wire(coat hanger,antenna) for the struts.

What bike are the fenders for? Disc or rim brakes?

you might end up with fenders that serve double-duty as a bong.


flippin' excellent, dude!

The bike has rim brakes.

I picked up a couple of political signs from last weeks election on the way home so maybe this weekend I will see what I can come up with.

Get some car fenders from a wrecking yard. They don't have to match each other, do they?

"and this extra cable housing I installed to your fenders, dude, lets you pull steamrollers in traffic without stopping... I wired a pizeo to your blinkie to get the bowl started..."

"and this extra cable housing I installed to your fenders, dude, lets you pull steamrollers in traffic without stopping... I wired a pizeo to your blinkie to get the bowl started..."

Some people seem to know a lot more about this than others. hmmmmmmmmm

haven't had a drink in years, but a beer tap in the glove box was something I always wanted.

If you don't mind plastic signs (coroplast) here's a site for you.
http://www.mile43.com/peterson/FendForYourself.html

Traditional wisdom for cheapos would have you using soda bottles cut in half and used for fenders. They mount to your down tube and post tube. Also, you lash an old newspaper (or anything else) to your rear carrier. Then you are set.

I have some old fenders from balloon tires that might work for you. Contact me through the forums and I can sell a pair to you.

Traditional wisdom for cheapos would have you using soda bottles cut in half and used for fenders. They mount to your down tube and post tube. Also, you lash an old newspaper (or anything else) to your rear carrier. Then you are set.

I have some old fenders from balloon tires that might work for you. Contact me through the forums and I can sell a pair to you.


Thanks Mike but I tried to modify fenders from a baloon tire bike but I only had about 1/16" clearance between the tire and the fender at the bottom of the seat post and stones get stuck at that point. I am going to try the flat fender design using the colorplast and if that works make more permenant ones out of sheet steel.

"and this extra cable housing I installed to your fenders, dude, lets you pull steamrollers in traffic without stopping... I wired a pizeo to your blinkie to get the bowl started..."

:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: I can see the kid now. this all too vivid.

"and this extra cable housing I installed to your fenders, dude, lets you pull steamrollers in traffic without stopping... I wired a pizeo to your blinkie to get the bowl started..."
:roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: I can see the kid now. this all too vivid.

See him? I think I was him!

Too frickin' funny. :D :D

Thanks Mike but I tried to modify fenders from a baloon tire bike but I only had about 1/16" clearance between the tire and the fender at the bottom of the seat post and stones get stuck at that point. I am going to try the flat fender design using the colorplast and if that works make more permenant ones out of sheet steel.

Good idea. Now that you mention it, I remember a couple of cases where knobby tires were too big for the old balloon tire fenders.

If you've still got the balloon tire fenders, the stays might come in handy, or you could use then as a template for more fender stays.