Originally Posted by
jlam
The reason why I don't have a full set of fenders is because I haven't yet come across one that I'd be able to attach to the front fork. Or should I buy a set with mudguards and just use it at the back while I wait to get a bike that could accommodate both front and back fenders?
I can't tell from the picture, does it have just a disc mount on one fork leg and nothing on the other? You can use zip-ties to attach stays from full fenders down to the dropouts.
I'll also be conscious of my pedaling to see how many RPMs I'm doing and if I'm spending too much time on the high gears before I start switching gears around. (By the way, how does one find out about the gear ratios on a bike? Would I switch just the front gear set, or the back as well?) A professional tune up would probably do my bike some wonders too.
You could switch both. This calculator is ground-zero for gear-ratio exploration:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gears/
if you have 44/11 you are probably as topped out as you should really expect to be. It's a rare person who can do a loaded commute pushing that high a gear at any kind of cadence anywhere but downhill.