uke

It seems every person asking for a bike rec is told to find something with fenders. Does anyone else ride everywhere without fenders?

fluidworks

I don't, it rarely rains here.

ZombieButcher

I have a fender for my bottom tube for the off chance it might rain here. Lately I have had it on just to have that little resistance to push against. Also it gives me the Fred factor. Like my cargo shorts did today as well.

Andy_K 

Here's why I use fenders:

markhr

No, I'm trying to minimize the number of bikes, i.e., one bike will have many roles (CX, road, commute, tour, etc.), however, if I did get some, then Salmon are the way to go. 2mm thick extruded aluminium, bomb-proof quality, in almost any wheel size and width.

https://www.cyclesdsalmon.com/boutique/BOUTIQUE.HTML
https://www.cyclesdsalmon.com/gbdemon1.html

I suppose I could get cheap plastic clip on ones for those extra rainy days

El Pelon

They make fenders for bikes? Huh!

We get 7 to 9 inches of rain a year in San Diego. No reason to have 'em.

Caleab

I gotta say that I don't currently do not have fenders, but I do want to get some.
just because. I've not ridden in the rain yet (hasn't rained here in umm... about 4-5 months)

so I voted no, but I would (and will) have fenders mounted soon.

JeffS

My commuters don't have fenders.

That will have to change very shortly though. I no longer have a car, so I'll have to have some to make it through the winter - along with some decent rain gear, which I don't have either.

ricebowl

Never did when I commuted in the rain. A little debris on the back of my clothes didn't matter. Either I was wearing rain gear, what does it matter if that gets dirty. Or I was wearing regular clothes, which meant I was miserable anyway and a little dirt on my back was the least of my comfort worries.

ghettocruiser

Full length fenders have proven to be a dubious investment. Not worth the hassle so far.

bugly64

I don't have fenders --they are on order.

markhr

I recommend you try the Salmon ones - I think you'll be pleasantly suprised.

BurntPocketHole

I live in Portland, OR. Its a must, even in summer. weather is crazy here, sun, rain, hail all in one day sometime it changes every 5 minutes. with full length fenders on my road bike I take on puddles just for fun.

Wildcatnj

I added some to my commuter and they definitely help. There is a point where they are basically no use though. They are fine in most rainy situations, but yesterday I was caught in a downpour where the water was up to 2-3 inches high in most places. So my shoes ended up getting soaked through, although the fenders blocked the rest.

MadCapsule

I use one of those clip-on seat post fenders, when the roads are wet. It's only marginally better than not using anything at all.

It's totally a lame "image" thing, but I just don't like to have too much stuff attached to my bike and I don't want to go through the hassle of taking full-sized, real fenders on and off.

mtnwalker

I don't have fenders for my primary bike but I do have full fenders on my dedicated rain bike. I tried to ride without fenders in heavy rain once and it really bothered me when the rain seemed to be coming up from the ground too. I got home soaking wet all my clothes were filthy with muck. Its true that I was able to wash and clean them, but then again, why?

thehum

hehe, one of my sweatshirts is still stained from fenderless mud splash-wasn't paying attention to the stains before I threw them in the dryer ('doh!)

recumelectric

I used to always toss my Beach Cruiser on the bus on the morning. The clamps they have don't seem like they would fit over fenders without doing damage, so I never got 'em.

I've had water and mud splashed up my back a few times, especially that time when the middle of the MUP was flooded with over a foot of water and kids were riding boogie-boards in it. That was an interesting ride.

I haven't ridden in serious rain with the bent yet, so I'll see what happens when I do. So far, all the mud from little puddles seems to end up on the bottom of the frame and not on me.

Sixty Fiver

In this neck of the woods full fenders are a must as althouhg we don;t get the rain folks see in Cascadia... we get enough.

And when you ride all year you have to contend with snow, slush, and sand and keeping this off the bike is more important than keeping it off yourself.

My new winter bike just got it's full coverage fenders today even though it might be some weeks or even months before I really get to appreciate them.

Rollfast

I have no fenders but that is because Schwinn built it that way and I am still remedying the situation in the Rollfast Way. It will happen, as sure as Scatman Crothers was Hong Kong Phooey.

Rollfast

UMM...it does make sense to conquer the dirt and not invite it home. Excellent demo!

prawza

i only put mine on when it rains...

Bike-a-Boo

Really? Putting mine on were a PITA, so I can't imagine taking them off and on regularly.

As for the poll, my choice is secret option #4: riding with one fender only. I've got one in the back only because my front one got damaged and I haven't replaced it yet.

JMRobertson

It never really rains here... until it pours. When it pours, I'll probably take the bus over biking in.

ItsJustMe

I ride 8 miles a day over gravel road. If I didn't have fenders when it rained, I'd look like a mud man. Even with fenders with a full length mud flap, I get a little mud on my legs and feet.

In the winter without fenders I'd get totally covered with salty, sandy, muddy grime. My bike, where the fenders don't protect it, looks like a bike-shaped mud blob.