I've been commuting on my trusty city bike for the past year and a half now, but starting in April, my job will move to a school about 8.5 miles from where I live. I could just take the train (one of the perks of living in Japan), but the route is fairly indirect, and I could get there just as fast--if not faster--by riding a bike instead. The only thing is, my mama-chari weighs a ton, and isn't exactly what I'd call 'responsive'.

As a result, I'm looking to get a different bike more geared to slightly longer rides. I've got it pretty much narrowed down to the Giant Escape R2. It's an aluminum-frame hybrid bike with carbon front fork, and all the requisite mounting brackets for rack, fenders, and such. (Jamis Coda is a close second, since it's heavier, and the parts aside from the frame are a bit lower-spec.) The only thing is, the fenders Giant offers don't appear to provide as much coverage as the ones I usually see. Since it rains a fair bit in Osaka--and when I say "rain", I mean torrential downpour--this is of some concern to me.

So, what do you guys think? Should I just go with the manufacturer's stock version, or get some full-length fenders elsewhere? Any brands/models you recommend in particular?