Originally Posted by 79pmooney

My observations re: fenders from someone who has ridden year 'round in Boston, Ann Arbor, the San Francisco East Bay, Seattle and Portland, all places with roughly 40" of rain in various forms per year: Fenders should have ...

Two front stays, not just one unless the fender is designed frm the start to use just one set and be as rigid
Solid mounts at the brake bolts
A deep front flap that can be bent back without damage to either it or the fender
Breakable front stay ends at the dropout
Be rigid enough to not vibrate at speed and/or on rough surfaces, especially after front flaps are installed
Should be offered in yellow or white

I haven't had anything jam in the front fender and stop me yet and have never had or needed the front stays to fail but I have been wondering when that "yet" will happen for decades. I have had fenders that pass the rest of the above and fenders that flunk many of those standards.

There are several easy ways to make good front flaps. Cut down water bottles are very popular in Portland but I worry about them being stronger than the fender and breaking it. (If you ride a loaded bike with a heavy front end, ie loaded LowRiders; my preferred snow setup, the day will come when you wheel it off a curb and forget to lift long enough for the fender flap ti clear the curb. Crunch! Did your fender and flap pass the tests?

My preferred flap - I make them from 1990s era architect's film (as used for overhead projectors, large displays, etc. I double it up and tape the edges with clear packing tape. Plenty stiff enough to not deform in deep puddles but folds back with little damage when that curb thing happens. I only get several years out of each flap, but they are easy to make and install. (First one is the hardest. I drill out the rivets and replace them with #10 or M5 bolts, nuts and washers before the fender goes on the bike.)

When my film runs out, I will try leather since we have a very good leather store here, Oregon Leather. I'll report back when I do but don't hold your breath. I still have a few years of film to go.

Popular US made fenders that sadly flunk almost all of my standards are the Planet Bike fenders. One set of stays for a fender with less than rigid plastic. Front vibration happens very regularly, esp after you put on a real flap that generates air vortexes. Mount at the brake bolt is very poorly designed and not remotely stiff enough. The flap is a joke (but takingit off is just the drilling out of the rivets so work that was happening anyway). The plastic hanger at the brake bolt in back changes shape and fit relative to the plastic fender, becomes loose and starts rattling. I always end up making my own fitting at the chainstay gusset, again to stop rattling.

Fenders that pass all those standards save the flap are the SKS fenders. They are a joy. Now it they would just make yellow and white.

I keep posting about my experience re: Planet Bike fenders in the hope that someone there will see them and get the message. All they have to do is find an ancient set of Blummel fenders at some yard sale and copy them. 50 years ago, the British were making good fenders that passed all of my standards with flying colors (and in colors that could be seen on dark, rainy/grey northern winter days like today).

Ben