Worst fenders ever, or "stylish" air brakes?
11-11-14, 06:14 PM
#26
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I asked a dealer once and he said it was a legal thing to prevent roadspray from hitting vehicles behind it. The original GS's were more off-road oriented and had more tread on their tires than the current models. Other DP bikes don't have them so <shrug>.
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11-11-14, 06:21 PM
#27
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I have raceblades as well, and I found them to be a bit inadequate. I hated having the front tire essentially spit water at me all of the time, and the water coming off of the mini fender in the back and falling direction onto my feet/chainrings. As luck would have it, my first rear fender broke, so I contacted SKS to get a replacement. They sent me an entire new set of SKS's minus the front large fender (since mine wasn't broken. Everything else was included, including hardware.
So I took my old broken fender, epoxied it to the bottom of my front fender to extend it by 2-3 inches, then put the mudflap on the bottom of that. It works MUCH better now. Sure, it's a bit less stable, but it works great! I also extended the mini fender in the back, bolting it to the frame at the bottom. That fender also works a heck of a lot better now! Why they didn't make those full length fenders, I have no idea...
So I took my old broken fender, epoxied it to the bottom of my front fender to extend it by 2-3 inches, then put the mudflap on the bottom of that. It works MUCH better now. Sure, it's a bit less stable, but it works great! I also extended the mini fender in the back, bolting it to the frame at the bottom. That fender also works a heck of a lot better now! Why they didn't make those full length fenders, I have no idea...
I guess my question is that if you had room for full length fenders and were willing to bolt them the frame, why did you get raceblades ?
11-11-14, 08:12 PM
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EDIT: Here you go: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...rid-urban-carb
Last edited by Medic Zero; 11-11-14 at 08:14 PM. Reason: the infos
11-11-14, 11:46 PM
#30
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In the latest iteration they added water cooling and a lot of power, don't know why as my oil cooled '07 never seemed like it didn't have enough.
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11-12-14, 06:50 AM
#31
contiuniously variable
Useless front fender, spray up onto handlebars. The full fender on rear isn't just to keep me clean but also my bike.
No thanks.
- Andy
No thanks.
- Andy
11-12-14, 07:51 AM
#32
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Well, be of good cheer! There's a whole thread about them here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...l#post12066269
I agree with all of that from an armchair analysis point of view. But I haven't tried the offending fenders and wouldn't be too surprised if they turned out to be reasonably effective. Not that I care; I will have the real ones on my bike, with a good mudflap on front, please. For group riding, a mudflap in the rear is considerate as well.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...l#post12066269
My take:
1) water from where the rear fender isn't and should be (full coverage area) is going to pour onto your BB and into your shoes as your feet pass through the rearmost part of their arc.
2) Fenders DO have an aerodynamic component. Now I'm the kind of guy who rides upright on an old steel MTB with multiple lights and half the accessories you can imagine, so I'm no weight weenie, but those sure look like inefficient air scoops (read air drag brakes) to me. The forward terminus of both fenders is about the very worst place for this aspect.
3) The stays. Single point of attachment? Forked stay close together for a ways as it approaches its mount? That's going to be trouble.
4) Your gonna get a rooster tail off the front tire at speed. It'll be interesting and maybe amusing the first few times you see the water shoot straight up in the hair, appear to hang there for a moment and then smack you in the face. The first few times.
and at least one other thing I'm forgetting at the moment.
I'd love to see this in a wind tunnel.
1) water from where the rear fender isn't and should be (full coverage area) is going to pour onto your BB and into your shoes as your feet pass through the rearmost part of their arc.
2) Fenders DO have an aerodynamic component. Now I'm the kind of guy who rides upright on an old steel MTB with multiple lights and half the accessories you can imagine, so I'm no weight weenie, but those sure look like inefficient air scoops (read air drag brakes) to me. The forward terminus of both fenders is about the very worst place for this aspect.
3) The stays. Single point of attachment? Forked stay close together for a ways as it approaches its mount? That's going to be trouble.
4) Your gonna get a rooster tail off the front tire at speed. It'll be interesting and maybe amusing the first few times you see the water shoot straight up in the hair, appear to hang there for a moment and then smack you in the face. The first few times.
and at least one other thing I'm forgetting at the moment.
I'd love to see this in a wind tunnel.
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11-13-14, 08:11 AM
#33
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OP rear fender should come up closer to the seat stays. Rear brake caliper is the first limiter it would come to on a road bike. That bike doesn't seem to have road calipers so they seem to be doing it just for looks.
A rider in the Tour de France was running a rear fender similar to that in post #18 this year. Should help reduce that high colonic effect of rain riding at 30 mph
A rider in the Tour de France was running a rear fender similar to that in post #18 this year. Should help reduce that high colonic effect of rain riding at 30 mph
Last edited by LesterOfPuppets; 11-13-14 at 08:14 AM.
11-13-14, 09:20 AM
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Let's go into the front fender a bit more. It does throw up a rooster tail, which can be seen directly if you've ever had occasion to ride in the rain, in the dark at night, with a headlight on the handlebars. I've watched it, having just the back side of the fender like that, and gave it a little thought to take my mind off the cold rain which was a little miserable.
The water appears to be thrown off the tire straight up in front and then drops, but that's an illusion because the rider is moving forward at close to the horizontal speed of the water. It's actually thrown forward, at about a 20° angle from horizontal. Water flies off tangential to the tire's curve, not straight out from the center. So it's coming towards me really slowly as it falls (maybe 7 inches every second) and won't be hitting me in the face or shoulders. We'd get some spray down lower. But it's really not as bad as it looks, on the front fender anyway.
The water appears to be thrown off the tire straight up in front and then drops, but that's an illusion because the rider is moving forward at close to the horizontal speed of the water. It's actually thrown forward, at about a 20° angle from horizontal. Water flies off tangential to the tire's curve, not straight out from the center. So it's coming towards me really slowly as it falls (maybe 7 inches every second) and won't be hitting me in the face or shoulders. We'd get some spray down lower. But it's really not as bad as it looks, on the front fender anyway.
11-13-14, 10:00 AM
#35
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The rear fender looks as if it is designed to direct water onto your back. If true, it's worse than useless.
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11-13-14, 10:21 AM
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Let's go into the front fender a bit more. It does throw up a rooster tail, which can be seen directly if you've ever had occasion to ride in the rain, in the dark at night, with a headlight on the handlebars. I've watched it, having just the back side of the fender like that, and gave it a little thought to take my mind off the cold rain which was a little miserable.
The water appears to be thrown off the tire straight up in front and then drops, but that's an illusion because the rider is moving forward at close to the horizontal speed of the water. It's actually thrown forward, at about a 20° angle from horizontal. Water flies off tangential to the tire's curve, not straight out from the center. So it's coming towards me really slowly as it falls (maybe 7 inches every second) and won't be hitting me in the face or shoulders. We'd get some spray down lower. But it's really not as bad as it looks, on the front fender anyway.
The water appears to be thrown off the tire straight up in front and then drops, but that's an illusion because the rider is moving forward at close to the horizontal speed of the water. It's actually thrown forward, at about a 20° angle from horizontal. Water flies off tangential to the tire's curve, not straight out from the center. So it's coming towards me really slowly as it falls (maybe 7 inches every second) and won't be hitting me in the face or shoulders. We'd get some spray down lower. But it's really not as bad as it looks, on the front fender anyway.
One year I used Raceblades on a winter bike. It's why I got them really. I was squeezing 35 mm studded tires into an old road bike frame. There was barely enough room for the tires, let alone fenders. These tires were knobby and snow has different flight characteristics. On some days it was like I was riding a little snow thrower, - the snow was definitely being thrown forward by the tire and fender, - not up.
11-13-14, 01:01 PM
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I've seen the same effect but would hesitate to call it a rooster tail. Again it might be tire dependent. The tires I have on the bike with the raceblades now have no tread and are pretty skinny. They don't pick up as much water.
One year I used Raceblades on a winter bike. It's why I got them really. I was squeezing 35 mm studded tires into an old road bike frame. There was barely enough room for the tires, let alone fenders. These tires were knobby and snow has different flight characteristics. On some days it was like I was riding a little snow thrower, - the snow was definitely being thrown forward by the tire and fender, - not up.
One year I used Raceblades on a winter bike. It's why I got them really. I was squeezing 35 mm studded tires into an old road bike frame. There was barely enough room for the tires, let alone fenders. These tires were knobby and snow has different flight characteristics. On some days it was like I was riding a little snow thrower, - the snow was definitely being thrown forward by the tire and fender, - not up.
I've never seen the snow-blower thing. Maybe it takes more than a quarter inch deep that I see every couple of years. I guess that would make the missing front part of the back fender more important.
edit, well the top of the tire is moving at twice the speed as the bike, so it's logical that there'd be more throw forward.
Last edited by wphamilton; 11-13-14 at 01:05 PM.
11-13-14, 02:04 PM
#39
Banned
it just does a little CYA.. other than that it's a Gimmick.. just fit proper Mudguards or HTFU
No Pro racers ride the spring Classics using Mudguards. Young Belgians , I was told, dont use Mudguards on their Training rides
lest they be mistaken for Tourists.
YMMV.. of Course..
No Pro racers ride the spring Classics using Mudguards. Young Belgians , I was told, dont use Mudguards on their Training rides
lest they be mistaken for Tourists.
YMMV.. of Course..
11-13-14, 02:34 PM
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11-13-14, 05:53 PM
#41
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Actually,I got a chance to check out the bike,and they're not bad. Those fenders suck,but you could use others. The nav system is useless,and I'm not too sure about the integrated lights since the designer doesn't specify how they're powered,but the bikes themselves are all right. Full carbon,full Alfine,belt drive,hydros,38mm tires;not bad specs for an all-weather commuter. Price isn't bad either,the old Civia Hyland's original price was actually a couple hundred more.
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11-13-14, 05:59 PM
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The rear looks like it's designed to keep road spray out of your partner's face, not your ass... the front will keep the majority of road grit out of your face, but yea- stuff does still arch over the handlebars right into your eyeballs.
11-13-14, 06:01 PM
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I think it's an attempt to be as absolutely minimalist as possible for pacelining. Doesn't keep your clothes clean, just keeps the spray out of peoples faces.
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