Originally Posted by
wolfchild
How could anybody deny the benefits of full fenders on a commuter bike ,which is used in all weather conditions ?? I can easily ride without a special cycling costume but I could never ride without fenders...Do you ride in Minnesota winter without fenders ??..If you do, I don't know how you do it...Even during summer time I run fenders on my bikes, it really helps during those thunderstorms and heavy downpours.
Having benefits and being necessary are entirely different things.
For example, it's hard to argue that lighter bikes don't have benefits yet many people decide that there are more important considerations.
I have fenders on my winter bike until the summer. I have fenders on my road bike until late spring or early summer then they come off. I'm going to get soaked during a sudden downpour regardless and it's rare enough during the summer months that I'll just clean up the bike after. A lot of times the bike will be cleaner after a downpour anyway.