Commuting - What kind of fender?

I am using my 20 year-old Bridgestone MB-2 MTB as a commuter and want to get a fender set. I bought the Topeak Defender seat clip-on but I don't think it will be adequate. Should I get a more substantial set, like the Planet Bike Hardcore ATB? Other suggestions?

I use Zefals (only have backfender on at the momen) and they stay put - even hitting potholes or zipping down some stairs! Have had a couple other clip-ons that I had to be sure to keep an eye on it during the ride so I could move it back into place.

Doesn't use that rubber band thing to keep it in place either. (this morning's commute got it a tad dirty ...)

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I use the Topeak Defender on the front with my suspension fork, and it works fine. The Defender will keep stuff from flying into your face, but it doesn't have the best coverage and your bottom bracket area will get hosed with muck.

Full coverage fenders like the PB hardcore ATB or Axiom roadrunners are good coverage. I ended up buying a set of the roadrunners because the mounting hardware worked better with the Xtracycle, but the Planet Bike fenders seem better (they have quality hardware and mud flaps)

I upgraded mine from clip on fenders to the PB Hardcore ATB and it made a huge difference. One of the best upgrades I could've done to the bike. With the new fenders my feet stay dry and I don't have a skunk stripe running up my back. Did I mention I love those fenders?
It really is a huge difference, provided you see any rain. With the clip on fenders rain rides are just slightly painful, with full fenders they are not a problem at all.
Well, I think that's enough glorification of fenders for now. It's just that I would never have believed how big of a difference they made. The clipons were already an improvement over no fenders and the full fenders were another equal step up.

I just use clip ons to keep the spray off my back and face.

Even if I had full-length fenders with flaps that dragged on the ground, the bottom half of bike and rider would still get lots of road funk kicked up by other vehicles.

I also often pop the wheels off to load it in the car, and full-mount fenders would slow that down quite a bit.

Even if I had full-length fenders with flaps that dragged on the ground, the bottom half of bike and rider would still get lots of road funk kicked up by other vehicles.

In my experience that's not really the case. I don't know why. Maybe I have less traffic or something.


I also often pop the wheels off to load it in the car, and full-mount fenders would slow that down quite a bit.

That's definitely the case. Cars hate fenders. I wound up getting a rack for my car so I didn't have to deal w/ that.

Love the PB Cascadias, rode in this morning through mist and puddles, pretty much clean legs and dry feet. A year into these particular fenders and they are still making me marvel at them.

i ride an xo-2 with some 'wide' reg mount zefel(1.5-1.75 tire will fit ) fenders on it i got from NASHBAR...i had an mb-2 ages ago pretty sure it has eyelets if you got the Ritchey front fork on it...been so long to i can't remember. i've never tried clip on fenders my self...i'm of the philosophy if you can mount it with a bolt...then by all means bolt it on.

Even if I had full-length fenders with flaps that dragged on the ground, the bottom half of bike and rider would still get lots of road funk kicked up by other vehicles.
That is also not my experience, but that's probably a factor of not riding much in traffic, Reykjavik has a pretty decent and improving system of bike paths. All the road funk that would get on me is supplied by my own wheels and with the clip-ons it was getting on me. ;)


I also often pop the wheels off to load it in the car, and full-mount fenders would slow that down quite a bit.
My commuter seldom gets loaded into cars and if it does they're mostly big enough that I don't have to take the wheels off. My own car has a trunk rack that I leave on permanently.

I've had the PB hardcore fenders for half a year or so and they are still my favorite part on the bike.

I am using my 20 year-old Bridgestone MB-2 MTB as a commuter and want to get a fender set. I bought the Topeak Defender seat clip-on but I don't think it will be adequate. Should I get a more substantial set, like the Planet Bike Hardcore ATB? Other suggestions?

I have both SKS (black) and Planet Bike full fenders and the work out really well. I dig the PB fenders best.

That is also not my experience, but that's probably a factor of not riding much in traffic


Word. One car passing three feet away with their right-side tires in the slush ridge (i.e. instead of the tire tracks) can hit me with at least three or four big glove-fulls of slush.

I guess that's an obscure advantage to the right-side drivetrain.

And the trucks blast stuff in all directions, and it seems to hang in the air for a while after they've passed. Salt-spray is a constant issue on my goggles, I was experimenting with moto goggle tear-offs at one point.