General Cycling Discussion - bike fenders...........need em?

I'm thinking about buying fenders for my hybrid bike. I have a rack for my saddle bags on the back, but some say that simply isnt enough. I live in New Orleans, where it rains plenty, so a fender isnt out of the question. But is that rain water harmful to my hybrid? Do I just need one on the front b/c I have the rack on the back?

You dont need to protect yourself from the water but from all the other stuff that is mixed in with the water on the road. The rack at the back doesnt extend far enough to avoid painting a skunk stripe up your back. You can probably make yourself an extension to the rack from a piece of stair tread. If you ride with friends a full rear fender will make it more comfortable for them if they ride behind you.

I have fenders on two of my bikes. One has the front only. The other, I haven't decided yet.

Real bicycles have fenders, without fenders they are just a toy...

After putting fenders on my bike, I would never want to ride in the rain without them. It's much better to only have to worry about the water falling from the sky and not the muck spraying off the wheels.

Some people like them, others don't. Get a set, try them out and if you decide they are not for you, sell them on e-bay.;)

If you ride in the rain treat yourself to the widest full fenders you can fit on your bike. You won't regret it.

Like others have said, its not the rain, its what comes off the road. Auto oil, grit and general nastiness are not things I like to be washing in on a ride :)

Yep. Real bikes have fenders. Especially those in areas it never rains or snows. :rolleyes:
Neither of my "toys" have fenders and I have not ridden in snow or rain for a few months.
I do have a set of raceblade fenders for when it does actually rain or snow when I am riding.

Real bicycles have fenders, without fenders they are just a toy...

What are fenders?

If you have to ask, you quite likely don't need 'em. But it's just really irritating to me to get sprayed by water from my tires. One alternative is to ride very slowly when it's wet or when you go through a puddle. One alternative is just don't ride when it's wet. Or go for the skunk-stripe look. Or get fenders.

I was out riding a while back and came to some standing water on the paved bike trail. Just then, a couple of kids maybe 11 or 12 or so came zipping up to the puddle on their 20" bikes. When they got to the puddle, they stood on their seats and coasted through. Worked for them, I guess, I'd probably hurt myself if I tried that.

Full fenders will keep grit out of your drivetrain. Your tires do pick up dirt and grit along with that water. And they're just nice to ride with. No more worries. It's not bad weather anymore. Just a ride like every other day.

A rear rack wasn't enough to keep my butt dry on my hybrid with 700c wheels. It depends on the models involved.

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/PracticalCycling/JoyofFenders.htm

Nuff said.

Fenders or not? Hell, this is a fricking no brainer if you ride
on the street at all. That is unless you like a stripe up your
butt,back & crotch.

gimme a break already. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/PracticalCycling/JoyofFenders.htm

Nuff said.

+1

Real bicycles have fenders, without fenders they are just a toy...

Now why would a 'real bike' need a fender in a climate that gets 11" of water a year? Where 39" of snow can be a distant memory 3 days after it falls? Where most of the summer moisture comes in downpours of 15 minutes or less? Where a 20 minute one is a long one? Where the roads are dry 10 minutes after the last drop falls?

With rare exceptions...winter 2006...fenders in Colorado just aren't needed. Just 'cause you need 'em in the jungles of New York, doesn't mean that they are needed everywhere.

If you live in a place without rain or snow, I guess you don't need 'em. In a lot of places, though (maybe moreso in the northeast? I saw a ton of it in New Jersey last year on vacation), you can get a kind of slushy hybrid monstrosity of precipitation on the roads that's messy, cold, and collects all kinds of dirt. I have been lucky enough to not ride in that yet, but now that I have fenders I'm glad to be prepared.

bike fenders?

Why not?

When I bought my Raleigh Sports, about 40 years ago, the first thing I did was remove the fenders and chainguard. But, I was young and stupid. I've matured, and learned a lot since then...

I love mine. Absolutely love them. Here in Oregon, a couple inches of rain is spread out between a week or two, so there is always water on the ground. And avoiding puddles won't work- tires fling the little bit of water off the road right into the air.

My only complaint is that when you do hit a puddle, water still sprays out the sides in a wake pattern. Nothing you can do about that though, other than avoidance.

After putting fenders on my bike, I would never want to ride in the rain without them. It's much better to only have to worry about the water falling from the sky and not the muck spraying off the wheels.

Some people like them, others don't. Get a set, try them out and if you decide they are not for you, sell them on e-bay.;)

+1.
Plus the fenders give you a place to put stickers and lights.

I set up my first fixed-gear bike as a commuter, so it had to have fenders (it rains a lot here). I found that after I put them on I would ride happily in the rain, or after the rain, without worrying about being drenched with dirty water.

I bought a new bike (also fixed) and thought I'd keep it 'cool' and light, and did not put fenders on it. I got caught out in the rain once, got wet and dirty, and promptly went out and bought full fenders.

The h*ll with cool!! I'll take practical any day.

My carbon bike doesn't have fenders, but I will not ride it in the rain. It is not a very practical bike. For fun mostly.

The bikes that I really use all have fenders.

I have them on my Hybrid as it is my bad weather bike. Since I live in Florida, it gets a lot of use.

If you live in a place without rain or snow, I guess you don't need 'em. In a lot of places, though (maybe moreso in the northeast? I saw a ton of it in New Jersey last year on vacation), you can get a kind of slushy hybrid monstrosity of precipitation on the roads that's messy, cold, and collects all kinds of dirt. I have been lucky enough to not ride in that yet, but now that I have fenders I'm glad to be prepared.

That's the point, isn't it? If you live somewhere that you need them...use them. The world is a whole lot bigger than just where you live. If not don't go around saying that a 'real' bike has then and everything else is a toy. All of my bikes...the touring, 2 mountain bikes and road bike...get used for commuting. I actually do very little recreational riding on them. They aren't toys!

My townie came with fenders. I wanted to keep them both, but I had to remove the front fender. With the pedal position of the townie, my feet would hit the fenders when I turned at lower speeds.

My townie came with fenders. I wanted to keep them both, but I had to remove the front fender. With the pedal position of the townie, my feet would hit the fenders when I turned at lower speeds.

I've got a 700 wheeled bike with fenders and I get toe overlap too. You learn pretty quickly to adjust. When you turn sharp just keep your foot down. It's not very often that it is a problem. Not enough that I'd give up fenders for it.

I've got a 700 wheeled bike with fenders and I get toe overlap too. You learn pretty quickly to adjust. When you turn sharp just keep your foot down. It's not very often that it is a problem. Not enough that I'd give up fenders for it.

I found it to be unridable. I was getting more than just toe overlap. I just barely clear the tires without the fenders. If it was closer I'd probably learn to just adjust. The combo of my foot size and the townie geometry just won't work for me with the fender. I don't think this is likely to be a problem for too many people. My wife has NO problems with fenders on her townie.

^^^^hmm, that's too bad.

For me, the amount of overlap really doesn't matter. The fact that the foot hits the wheel at all has taught me to just keep the foot down on the rare occasion that it's a problem.

Same problem with my 27's (toe overlap). You learn to deal with it, as it is well worth it to have a front fender.

I have fenders on my commuter bike. This is the one I ride in bad weather so they come in handy.

I'm thinking about buying fenders for my hybrid bike. I have a rack for my saddle bags on the back, but some say that simply isnt enough. I live in New Orleans, where it rains plenty, so a fender isnt out of the question. But is that rain water harmful to my hybrid? Do I just need one on the front b/c I have the rack on the back?


I commuted many years ago in New Orleans. Used to take the Jackson St. ferry to Gretna; I worked in Harvey. Fenders were nice in that they kept my clothes from getting nasty from the wet pavement. Fenders didn't help with the afternoon showers, though.

Well I like toys...
but think my bikes are more then that...

Living in the dry-est land on earth I don't need them...

If you are wearing rain pants and a rain jacket, the skunk stripe thing isn't as much of a concern. But what I noticed is that at high speeds (downhill) the water coming off the FRONT tire would actually end up right in my face. That really sucks. So yeah, fenders are nice.