Originally Posted by
northernlights
I had an opportunity to test ride two Specialized Viennas at an LBS. One had SKS chromoplastic fenders installed and one had no fenders at all. There was a big difference that I noticed immediately. The one with no fenders felt ultra light and effortless to ride. but when I got on the bike with the fenders it felt like someone put two large lead weights on each tire. it changed the feel of the bike completely. I had flashbacks to riding riding my dads old 1970s era steel Schwinn bicycle it felt so damn heavy. keep in mind these fenders will change the feel of your bike a lot. dont be mislead by the plastic material. the steel stays are what make them feel heavy as heck. if weight is an issue to you I would suggest for you to keep looking.
I'm not sure what you were smoking that day, but fenders absolutely DO NOT have that much effect. Period. They have EXACTLY the same amount of effect on a bike as a water bottle. That's like saying a bike is fast and light with an empty bottle, but fill it up and it's suddenly like riding a "1970s era steel Schwinn bicycle". This is patently false. Either you are crazy, out-right lying or have some other agenda (trolling perhaps), but adding 1lb of non-rotational weight to a bike has almost no effect. I'd wager that if I got these two bikes, took the one without the fenders and put 5lbs of lead in the frame so you couldn't see it, you'd still say it was light and fast and the one with fenders was slow and heavy...