turtlespeed

Hello.

I recently decided why drive to work when I can use my own pedal power for my 14ish mile daily commute. My plan is to start making the commute via bike in a couple weeks, and until then I am working at getting in better shape by making a morning ride ranging from 6 to 9 miles. (Not in shape)

The bike I am riding is the one I had, which is a few years old Trek 3500. My commute will vary from street riding to dirt trails. One thing I have determined I need is a set of fenders. Can someone recommend a set of fenders that would fit a trek 3500. Ideally the fenders would work with a rear rack as I am thinking of using panniers once I identify which panniers are good.

I am thinking these fenders:
https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-Ha...A2P5I4NW0QQAX1

I currently have a couple head and tail lights, helmet, RoadID, but am searching for a set of fenders and pannier and perhaps anything else recommended.

Sure appreciate the help.

fietsbob

Lots will fit, Buy some ..

IDK your Mechanical skills.. Maybe buy them at a Bike Shop , and have their mechanics install them.

Marcus_Ti

How much do you value your time?

Knowing what you are doing, fitting fenders on a bike can take 2-3 hours between measuring and fitting and adjusting and back and forth. No matter what you're in the $450-100 territory on parts depending on how chic and nice you go.

"Polycarbonate" is code for plastic, meaning those fenders will be light but will probably be whippy and unstiff.

fietsbob

Poly carbonate is also Lexan a trade mark the bubbles on Battle tested airplanes are made of that .

Struts are the stiffeners

SKS is a thermoplastic It is made over a Metal core ..

Martin Makes guitar cases with ABS thermo plastic Shells

dim

decide what is the widest tyres that you will use with your bike, and buy fenders to suit.

Fenders need to be a minimum of 10mm wider that the widest tyres that you will ever fit (so if you are using tyres that are 25mm wide, you can use 35mm wide fenders, but if in winter you decide to use 28mm wide tyres, you will need to have 40mm wide fenders fitted (which will also work well with the 25mm wide tyres)

Marcus_Ti

The SKS "thermoplastic" fenders are about as stiff/rigid as a dry bowed postal envelope you get your paycheck in. Although the SKS have double the stay bracing points as the Planet Bike, the SKS are still quite whippy IME and therefore prone to inducing noise and tire wear due to contact when riding on anything other than good roads.

Least that was my experience with their longboard 35mm fenders.

dim

there's not much difference in price between plastic fenders and stainless steel.

turtlespeed

We do not have much a winter here. It is more like summer and spring are the seasons here. SO I will stick with the same set of tires year round.

I think I may go with steel ones that are less flexable. I found these which I think should work with 2" tires.

Sunlite Fenders Steel 26X2.125 Black Full F&R

alan s 

Here are some great pointers. What are you using them for?

turtlespeed

so confused by the picture.

dim

2.125 inches equals 53.9mm so they will be too narrow for 2 inch tyres (50mm wide) .... you will need 60-65mm wide fenders

turtlespeed

Thanks, I miss read your earlier post about the additional centimeter!

dim

no probs ... I'm also learning about fenders as I have to buy some for my new bike .... that's what I have learned so far. I have also learned that it's best to have them fitted by a bike shop as there may be lots of work needed to get them to fit properly

nosloedone

Great choice of fender. I have been running those for 5 years now and no problem with Schwalbe snow stud 26 x 190's in the winter here in Maine for my daily commute on a converted Raleigh M60. You will be happy with them. As far as a luggage rack and panniers on the mountain bike your chain stay tube is short by design for mountain bikes. I tried thru trial and error a few different racks in which my heal of my foot would not hit the panniers with the result because of the forward design of the mount on the JANDD mountaineer rack solved my problem. Enjoy. Every ride so far over the past 5 years as been a joy.

jetta_mike

Those Planet Bike Hardcore fenders will be good, if you're looking for a little more coverage get the Planet Bike Cascadia's. I have two years on my Cascadia's and they are still going strong. If you're mechanically inclined they shouldn't take more than an hour to install, super simple.

turtlespeed

Awesome thank you for feed back on the fenders.

after more thinking I. Think a trunk bag may be a better fit for my needs. On my ride ill take:

Slacks
dress shirt
socks/drawers
shorts/bike shorts
T shirt
socks
wipes
tire tubes and hand pump
bike tool

so I don't think I'll need too much space. I just need to identify some good trunk bags! Or just a duffel back?

fietsbob

your installation mechanical skills must really suck ! My SKS i fitted in the mid 70's are still fine 40 years On.

I Now have several Bikes with SKS,

& 1 with Planet bike Injection Molded Polycarbonate I bought for My Bike Friday.

20" using the Bike friday mounting scheme the front one doas not even need a strut , I made a custom strut for the rear one.

turtlespeed

In honer to my user name a dude on a road bike blew by me this morning, but this turtle never passed him.

I am debating between the following trunk/pannier bags

Topeak MTX Trunk Bag EXP - I like how the bag can be used as a trunk bag and expanded as needed. Not crazy about
property mount. Has large and flexible storage.


Jandd Mini Mountaineer Pannier - Factory seconds seems like a great value, and my understanding is these guys make great gear. Has large but not flexible storage.

rumrunn6

14 miles round trip?

bmthom.gis

IME, I would rather ride with a pannier than a trunk bag...just getting the weight lower makes the ride feel better. Fenders won't interfere with a rack.

turtlespeed

around 7 miles to work and about 6 miles home. So not too bad of a ride.

PatrickGSR94

I've been using the Topeak bag with expandable panniers for 2 years now (currently on its 3rd season, year round commuting) and I love the ease and versatility of the system. Sure the panniers are fairly small compared to other "real" panniers, but it serves my needs just fine. Being able to fold the panniers closed, and slide the trunk bag off one bike and onto the rack of another bike in just a couple of seconds is a huge plus for me.

robert schlatte

I have used SKS, Planet Bike, hardcore and cascadia, and stainless steel- velo orange. Nothing wrong with any of them if installed correctly. If you do the installation yourself, be prepared to make a lot of adjustments and tweakings.

bmthom.gis

I have to say it's probably just as easy for me to take off my panniers to put onto another bike, as well. Just pull up to unhook the top, then unhook the bungee at the bottom. I've used a trunk bag, and I've never like having the weight that high up over the rear wheel. If it's a light day, like today, I'll even ride with just 1 pannier. Do what works for you. Topeak makes some good stuff. I don't really like proprietary parts and components.

turtlespeed

I ended up springing for the topeak for 59 bucks on amazon. Only concern is will my rolled up pants fit in it.

I have a set of planet bike fenders arriving today. I will need to get mentally ready for the many adjustments to get them set up just right.

I appreciate the help.