Originally Posted by
robyr
While I will err on the side of your PNW knowledge, I will say that fenders make my life extremely nice. I expect to get wet, but here in the Red Clay South the roads will make you FILTHY. I also can handle the minor rain wetness from falling precipitation, but getting to work with completely soaked through pants and shoes is just not fun. Also, before I got my completely city-ready bike, my commuter was fenderless, and it flat out sucked. Rocks, sand, water all flew in to my face. Its not all about the wet.
I will choose to disagree with you my favorite time to ride is during rain and beaing wet dose not bother me at all. Plus I don't ever get spray in the face by my tires or I just don't pay attention to it. Are fenders nice thing to have? Sure, bu when I ride 95% of the time it is not raining and if it dose I am already wet and don't really care. It is kind of the same with paniers are they nice sure, but my backpack is just as nice and more practical than most paniers I ever seen, plus I need a rack for paniers and no additional accessories for my backpack. Essentials to have are only bike, will, and helmet (optional but I rather have one than be a veggy).