Old Dirt Hill

I'm looking to purchase these fenders for my Trek 7200:

Freddy Fenders

Will these work ok on my bike since the tires are 700x35? The fenders are listed as 45mm...should I be worried? Since I'm asking about fenders, does anyone else have any better suggestions (other brands/types/etc.)?

Thanks

Old Dirt Hill

Looks like Planet Bike also makes a 35mm option. Should I use these instead? If I do, they're not available at REI or Nashbar...where should I purchase them?

dynaryder

45mm is the right size,35 will be too narrow.

I personally prefer the standard Freddys over the HC models. The sliding mounts for the HC's struts just add extra fiddling during setup. Also,the stock mudflaps aren't really large enough to do much.

Old Dirt Hill

Thanks for the advice...where did you purchase your Freddys? I can't seem to find the 45mm in too many places (although stumbled across plenty of 35 and 60).

jnorcross

I thought I was buying the 35mm when I ordered the Freddy Fenders from Performance, but was actually sent the 45mm fenders, which turns out to be a good thing as I think more coverage is better. I'm running 25mm tires.

ItsJustMe

I just ordered some new fenders today. I got SKS 45mm wides. I currently have Zefal full fenders, but the back one shattered a few months ago when my pannier bumped loose and got stuck in the spokes.

Alfred E. Bike (AEBike.com) has SKS 700c/45 for $29.95 - they are probably a way better fender than the Planet Bike ones. They don't come with mudflaps, but that takes about $1 and 5 minutes to fix.

Old Dirt Hill

Alright, well I ended up buying these from REI:

SKS P45 Fender Set

With shipping and a 10% off coupon, I was able to get them for $37. After this past week of slop on the roads, I can't wait for them to arrive.

michaelnel

Good move on the SKS vs Freddys. The SKS is a little more fiddly to install, but overall it's a much better quality fender. I own both.

Old Dirt Hill

Thanks for helping with my usual post-order-pre-arrival buyer's remorse. Everyone talks up the Freddy's so much, I felt kind of odd going for the SKS. Glad to know there are others...

chennai

I had a Freddy Fender break on me, and they rattled and banged on bumpy (and so bumpy) stuff.

The SKS fenders are sturdier, look better, and fit better. BUT they are also significantly shorter. The front one definitely requires a mudflap to keep water and crud off feet and chainrings. Also the breakaway mounts on the front required some grinding to get them to fit around my wide fork blades.

EDIT: I just realized that my comments about the length of the SKS fenders may only apply to the P50s and only with 700C wheels. Perhaps the P50s are shorter because they also fit 26" wheels?

georgiaboy

Don't hesitate to order your Freddy Fenders or else there will be Wasted Days and Wasted Nights and will not go away until Before the Next Teardrop Falls.

Old Dirt Hill

By the looks of the screenshots, there doesn't really look like much difference in length between the P45s and the Freddy Fenders. I guess I'll find out first hand when they arrive in a few days. Still...I can't wait.

dynaryder

I've got both SKS and Freddys on my bikes(my Coda has one of each in fact). The SKS's are a little sturdier(composite construction vs all plastic),but require more fiddling and are more expensive. I'm also not impressed with the 'safety release' that's supposed to go on the fronts. On both bikes I've mounted SKS's(Trek 7200 & Jamis Coda),I've had to leave them off to get the fronts to fit right. I also didn't like the rear that came with my 35mm set;it sat too far away from the tire. That's why I mixed the set on my Coda;the front Freddy was too wide to fit between the fork legs and the rear SKS sat too far out. This is weird because my 45mm SKS set fits my Trek perfectly.

Personally,I like the cleaner looks of the Freddys,but the SKS's have held up well under much abuse on my Trek. I'd say just get whichever set you think looks best.

RonH

I know you've ordered the fenders, but the Freddys have the mud flap which is great when riding in the rain or on wet roads.
I have the Freddys on my commuter.

Old Dirt Hill

I plan on making a flap as soon as they arrive. I've seen quite a few threads on the site about custom mudflaps that look excellent, so I'm actually looking forward to the challenge.

ItsJustMe

Yup, the mud flaps on the Freddies looks totally insufficient. 50 cents and 10 minutes and you've got great mudflaps.