Originally Posted by mattyknacks
I dont know about that. This isnt my first bike. I have had other bikes in my lifetime with full fenders on them, and didnt like then better or worse then the clip-ons I have now. Although, I must say that factory installed fenders look a whole lot better then some of the aftermarket stuff that people are putting on there bikes. Some of the pics on here show the wrong size fenders that dont conform to the wheel, or have been sqeezed or bent to fit on a bike that they dont belong on, or a flimsy plastic ones on an expensive mountain bike that dont even have fender eyelets and have to be jury rigged. Those look good to you?
The other thing is I DONT get wet with these particular clip-ons attached to this particular bike, so why would I think the full mounted fenders would be better? I dont think ANY fenders look good on a mountain bike, personally. Not even the ones that I have. That is why I like the fact that: A) I dont get wet with my fenders and B) they come right off when not needed. Its great that people have different opinions and different tastes. My original post was to find out what full fender people thought, thats all.
What I gather from your posts is that you obviously don't ride a lot in the rain. I mean, I don't like the look of fenders either but I'm slowly but surely coming around to appreciate the practical uses of my bike, both in terms of utility and aesthetics. I can appreciate that a bike with fenders, particularly here in Seattle, is used throughout the year -- ridden in the rain when it's 38 degrees and raining sideways, as is the case so many days here in Seattle.
I don't think to myself, 'boy that bike looks silly with fenders', even if that's the case. I tend to appreciate that the rider of that bike is hardcore too, not afraid of a little rain and crappy conditions, but willing to bike through a Seattle winter. Maybe I'm stretching it a bit, but it's so much more than the looks of the bike with fenders, it's the attitude that bikes are as much a vehicle for transportation & utility as they are for recreation. There's a certain beauty in that too.