Classic & Vintage - Red, white, yellow, blue, black...Show us your Bluemels fenders, Jack!

Installed my first set of Bluemels this week, on my recently acquired Mercian. These are the narrow Club Specials, which work well for tires up to 30mm wide. Man, that shoddy quality control so quintessential to British cars applies equally well here! These were most definitely made after one too many pints, as the mudflap was riveted to the fender at a sharply crooked angle, requiring me to trim off a significant chunk of it to make it symmetrical. Otherwise, I like them! They're super light, lighter than modern SKS chromoplastics, and possibly as light as aluminum Honjos. And coverage is pretty good, especially in front. Anyway, I wanted white Bluemels to match the Mercian's accents, but after a few weeks of no luck sourcing them, I went with black. What do you think? Keep the black or hold out for white?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6269577104_a58b2be363_b.jpg

And while we're at it, show off your Bluemels in all their flavors!

I think black on that bike make it a bit more serious, buisness-like. White would look to fancy or foppish for me.

+1 Black was certainly the best choice for your Mercian, Southpaw.

('scuse me while I mop the drool off the floor here).

here's my Bob Jakson with Black Club Specials (now with hammered painted honjos - see other thread!)

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk216/devonbay/017.jpg

here's my Bob Jakson with Black Club Specials (now with hammered painted honjos - see other thread!)

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk216/devonbay/017.jpg

Oh, that bike has a seriously sinister look to it. I like it equally well in this as well as its current form. And damn, I wish my mudflap hadn't been so crooked that I had to trim it. Did those stay caps come with your Bluemels or did you add them? Or are you using modern SKS stays and hardware?

Hi southpaw,
thanks for the compliments - love the Mercian!
well spotted - i used SKS chromoplastics stays as they were easier (and lighter!) to put on.
I still have the Bluemels - now with a Black Brooks leather mudflap as the plastic one fell to bits after a fair bit of wet/gritty riding.
Cheers!

I think black on that bike make it a bit more serious, buisness-like. White would look to fancy or foppish for me.

Since i don't think Anton wants this to be his business-like bike, i say keep on the search for white! This bike is definitely fancy, no doubts.

That is a real nice looking bike, southpaw. Your taste is in bikes and parts is always good. The black fenders look good on there. However, if I had that caliber of bike, I would probably hold out for some vintage aluminum fenders(Airweights, or some other funky foreign model that is hard to come by). Regardless, that bike looks pretty damn nice as is.

Here's my white Popular mudguards. They are too big for these skinny 23s, but they were nice looking plastic fenders. I rode this bike all of last winter, and the fenders couldnt take the beating, due to being old and brittle. They cracked, and the flap tore in a couple of places.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff169/72tunaboat/fall2010251.jpg

^^ Tasteful use of White on that bike. Very nice.

http://www.jaysmarine.com/paramount61_041610_1.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/raleigh_comp_nott_20.jpg

-Kurt

^^ Tasteful use of White on that bike. Very nice.

Thanks Zaphod. I did have some SKS black fenders on it after the white ones got trashed. The black on that Peugeot did not look nearly as nice as the white.

It looks a bit different now.

http://www.mijnalbum.nl/GroteFoto-87J3KFYS.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-f-i6pooa-to/TqBH7_fCCZI/AAAAAAAAFp0/qWXyl1VFpaw/s800/1000003251.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h7yq0AYwu4o/TdQVB7NrgGI/AAAAAAAADWM/f5qkHhsayRE/s640/1000002362.JPG

White...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/1954raleighsports5.JPG

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/reg2009a.JPG

I gotta white Bluemel for ya, mate;
http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll299/sailorbenjamin/Raleighs/IMG_7827.jpg

^^ Tasteful use of White on that bike. Very nice.

+1. Very nice.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h7yq0AYwu4o/TdQVB7NrgGI/AAAAAAAADWM/f5qkHhsayRE/s640/1000002362.JPG

I've always admired that Lotus of yours. That's pretty much exactly the color contrast theme I had in mind for the Mercian.


I would probably hold out for some vintage aluminum fenders(Airweights, or some other funky foreign model that is hard to come by).

Yes! That was my thought as well. As far as I know, there were two models of Bluemels aluminum fenders, the Airweights, which are too wide, and the Tour de France, which would be the aluminum equivalent of the Club Specials. Alas, the TdFs proved to be unobtanium, as were the white Club Specials.

First pic is of a set of steel Bluemels. I forget what version is on the Voyageur, but I think they're lighter than the Club Specials. The final pic is of my old Motobecane. I put a lot of miles on those fenders and they are still in use. I gave them to a women in the neighborhood and she sports them on her Puch! Mudflap is long gone, though. :(

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee161/baxter67/PX-10/P4040008.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee161/baxter67/Random%20Shared%20Pics/P10100252.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee161/baxter67/Schwinn%20Voyageur/Voyageur026.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee161/baxter67/Summer%20Tour/1987tour19.jpg

This set of Blumel Popular's have been around a bit. Originally bought for my Raleigh Gran Sport (when it was my only bike), transferred over to the Magneet frame when it became my main tourer, then swapped to the No Dead Kittens Centurion fixie . . . . . . and I believe they've found the permanent home here. Unless I can find a nice set of white ones, of course.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q10/sykerocker/British%20Bikes/RaleighLenton7.jpg

White Populars on the fixed 57 Sports.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t9Y6GYHgYs0/TAxeqXnGZuI/AAAAAAAAAxE/DOxTOHr3P8Y/s800/canadianclub.jpg

Other white Pops on the fixed SuperCourse (bars were temporary insanity)

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ouqHXqGZgZo/TDEWZBWnF0I/AAAAAAAAAr4/xT6QmtRb82Y/s800/101MSD-DSC00664_DSC00664.JPG

Silver ESGE's (part Bluemels) on another fixed SR Triathalon

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S4qFkIufDsw/TqYGjpNxeHI/AAAAAAAAB3A/6tQw97mxzGE/s800/SRfixie.jpg

Black Lightweights on the old Herc roadster...it came that way.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-pioesXKgswg/TDEWeEKkGWI/AAAAAAAAAsE/pa7rfSu0eWU/s800/HERC1.JPG

Three out of 4 fixed wheels doesn't rep the whole stable but I do love riding them :D. They are usually rebuilt back to spec sooner or later.

I've always admired that Lotus of yours. That's pretty much exactly the color contrast theme I had in mind for the Mercian.


thanks Anton! Funny you say that because always taken functional liberties over aesthetics with that bike as it (used to) get ridden a lot. heck the bar tape doesn't even match the saddle :) ! this is also ironic because the Lotus is sitting now unused and redundant since the Portage I posted above has come around.

For all ya haters, Bluemels Shorties
224364

Bwahahahaha!

...the Lotus is sitting now unused and redundant since the Portage I posted above has come around.

I can fix that by taking it off your hands :).

For all ya haters, Bluemels Shorties
224364

Bwahahahaha!

do these fenders actually do anything, i had a pair on a flip bike last summer, they looked cool but didn't look like they'd stop anything

do these fenders actually do anything, i had a pair on a flip bike last summer, they looked cool but didn't look like they'd stop anything

They just look cool or stupid depending on your orientation. They don't seem to do anything but add a little bling.

they make a lovely rattling noise as you ride. Scares off Squirrels (and moose)

they make a lovely rattling noise as you ride

Hmmm, I musta installed them wrong...they're not rattling ;)

I can fix that by taking it off your hands :).

i believe you'd be second in line, but if you were serious and I decide it's time to part ways with it and the first person isnt interested anymore I will let you know :)

Southpaw,
I think the green and cream paint job on your Mercian is the prettiest combination ever. I'd like to have my Raleigh Grand Sports redone in that scheme. The black fenders, I think, muddy the contrast between the two frame colors and give the eye to much to do. I'd go for white or aluminum before black.

Bluemels on my wife's mixte

http://gallery.me.com/aaronshort1/100057/IMG_2962/web.jpg?ver=12840372090001

Doesn't show the nice silver stripe down the center of the fenders...

Nice set of lightweights that came on my 1974 Raleigh Gran Sport.http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000103a.jpg
http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000100a.jpg

Nice set of lightweights that came on my 1974 Raleigh Gran Sport.http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000103a.jpg
http://www.thejennifers.com/74GS/p1000100a.jpg

That's probably one of my favorite frame color + fender combos ever. mkeller has a very similar setup.

Here's a refresher pic of my Mercian, with the black Bluemels Club Specials:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6798932581_51a85ea9c7_b.jpg

I had to remove the original white mudflap because it had been installed wrong from the factory (riveted at a crooked angle) and was constantly rubbing the tire. I didn't want to remove the original rivets, so I cut it off and replaced it with a Planet Bike molded mudflap. Modern, but somehow I really like it:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6798925125_8e33db5dfd_b.jpg

White
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l283/frameteam2003/CBfrontview.jpg

Supplied free from Alex Moll, a nice used set of Club Specials with Star Wars Red Wing X-Wing squadron markings ;)

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6341398296_9f678c7e80_b.jpg

DD

Bluemels Club Specials om my Dawes Atlantis:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3039/2572732148_96de943c39.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22983673@N02/2572732148/)
NOS Bluemels mudguards I came across in a shop in Tokyo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22983673@N02/2572732148/) by Dawes-man (http://www.flickr.com/people/22983673@N02/), on Flickr

More Club Specials on my Peugeot:

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3188/2769034167_33fb920560.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22983673@N02/2769034167/)
Peugeot PX60 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22983673@N02/2769034167/) by Dawes-man (http://www.flickr.com/people/22983673@N02/), on Flickr

Not Bluemels but very nice... Bantels on my Hetchins:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6895393585_5628c031b3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22983673@N02/6895393585/)
IMG_1578 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22983673@N02/6895393585/) by Dawes-man (http://www.flickr.com/people/22983673@N02/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6341398296_9f678c7e80_b.jpg


That is a beautiful color scheme!!!



http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3188/2769034167_33fb920560.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6895393585_5628c031b3.jpg

Simply gorgeous, Dawes-Man.

That's probably one of my favorite frame color + fender combos ever. mkeller has a very similar setup.

Agreed. That bike is just- I don't know how else to say it- seductive. It calls and promises. In a bike-y sense o'course. : )

Installed my first set of Bluemels this week, on my recently acquired Mercian. These are the narrow Club Specials, which work well for tires up to 30mm wide. Man, that shoddy quality control so quintessential to British cars applies equally well here! These were most definitely made after one too many pints, as the mudflap was riveted to the fender at a sharply crooked angle, requiring me to trim off a significant chunk of it to make it symmetrical. Otherwise, I like them! They're super light, lighter than modern SKS chromoplastics, and possibly as light as aluminum Honjos. And coverage is pretty good, especially in front. Anyway, I wanted white Bluemels to match the Mercian's accents, but after a few weeks of no luck sourcing them, I went with black. What do you think? Keep the black or hold out for white?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6269577104_a58b2be363_b.jpg

And while we're at it, show off your Bluemels in all their flavors!
Is it too girly of me to suggest that that bike deserves both? I kind of like black for winter and white for spring! But if I had to choose, I'd say the white strikes me as the choice if you want to be consistent in your signature aesthetic, black if you want to branch out with something less whimsical.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6798932581_51a85ea9c7_b.jpg



Do you have a red seatpost bolt on this bike or something?


Wonderful use of color. Very tasteful red accents.