zze86

Any recommendations for fenders that would look appropriate on a C&V ride that is not metal? Metal ones sure are pretty but are a PITA to setup and make god awful noises if there are loose rocks of any kind around.

willydstyle

Blumel's are highly regarded.

steelbikeguy

maybe some of the old Bluemel fenders, such as the Popular model? I've got a pair sitting in the closet, but I do wonder if the plastic hasn't gotten brittle over the decades.

Steve in Peoria

Salamandrine 

Geez just get the new Bluemels made by SKS. They look the same as the old ones, but they are better because the have the SKS laminated plastic tech.

ascherer 

IIRC these are Planet Bike Cascadias.

fietsbob

SKS bought out Blumel so its all the same company now.

I still have the SKS Chromoplast on a bike I built up in the 70's

so they pass the C&V judge's .. time line..

rhm

Yeah, any color you want, as long as it's black!

They are indeed a more durable material, so better in that sense. I can't agree that they look the same, though. Bluemels used to make some interesting looking fenders, including some with a ridge down the middle etc (Club Special, Lightweight, Featherweight) and interesting colors. Maybe the metal flake green was a bit much, but is it too much to ask that someone make white plastic fenders?

Salamandrine 

Yeah, I'm not always terribly imaginative.

IOW black works for me... There's always hammerite.

That's true, Bluemels had some more interesting fender styles. The ones I remember from my youth were just like these though. Plain rounded shape. They had a much cooler gold embossed logo it's true. Even new they were known to be brittle. Not sure when they stopped making the fancier types with the ridge and what not.

Someone makes a white plastic fender I think. I swear I saw them somewhere. Maybe they were painted aluminum? Can't think of where I saw them offhand.

himespau 

SKS makes a cream colored Longboard model that might look ok with some paintjobs.

63rickert

Buy SKS fenders, any flavor, and get them painted to match. It always looks good. Admirers will mistake them for OEM. Even if you use the regular chromoplasts with the readily identifiable shape they will be seen as original.

Steel fenders are quieter than aluminum. Definitely not easy to set up, at least you don't worry about breaking them while getting them to fit.

JaccoW

source: Theeverydaycyclist

Didn't know these were available. I have a red gazelle that needs those... maybe for the winter project.

noobinsf 

Ribble usually has good prices for SKS fenders, and several varieties. @Andy_K managed to match his powder coat job to the SKS cream color. It looks sharp!

ascherer 

Black Mercian + Black Fenders = Hot

himespau 

If you ignore the ugliness (though high functionality) that is the Velo Orange Casey's Crazy Bar (and the unmatching wood on the rear rack and terrible adapter to a threadless stem and...), I think the cream goes well with a dark red (my wife's bike):

Andy_K 

Yep! It's RAL 1015 (confirmed by SKS) if anyone else wants to give it a try. I think there's always a possibility for color drift in the application process, but it came out nearly perfect for me.

Bandera

The original set purchased for my International's winter use has, no surprise, cracked at the rivets and hangs on on hook in the shop.
For safer functional use with the front break-way struts and decent aesthetics the modern Blumel/SKS and Planet Bike are good choices.
I prefer the PB Cascadias for the long mud-flaps F&R and 28mm tire clearance.

-Bandera

Andy_K 

I would add that I'm also quite happy with the silver SKS Longboards on my Sequoia



and the black Planet Bike Cascadias on my International



I like both of the above both in appearance and function, though the mud flaps on the Cascadias aren't quite long enough for full effectiveness. On the other hand, the front fenders on the bikes with SKS get in the way when loading the bike on a car rack and can occasionally scoop up road debris (luckily the safety release mechanism actually works!).

IMO, it's a matter of matching something to the color scheme of your bike. Some bikes need shiny metal fenders. Others look good with brushed or hammered aluminum. Others work well with plastic.

fliplap

79pmooney

The fenders I lust for SKS doesn't make (yet). (Somebody show me I am wrong and make my day.) Yellow to wheatstraw yellow (not neon yellow!) narrow road fenders. I had my best bike custom built to accommodate fenders and painted to look striking with those fenders. Haven't found a pair yet and I have had my eyes open for a decade. I''ve struck out with Planet Bike in that color also.

Ben

rhm

Oh, I forgot about those, thanks for reminding me!

I haven't actually seen them on a bike. I'd like to see what they look like in natural light, especially the white.

While I lament the cool old Bluemels fenders, odds pretty easy to understand why they aren't made any more: they were never that good. Hard to get a decent fender line, flimsy, and sensitive to cold temperatures. On a cold day you could hit a bump, the fender catches on the tire for an instant and explodes into tiny shards. The first time I saw that I was clueless what had happened, and only figured it out when the fender stays started hitting the wheel. The fender was completely gone.

thumpism 

Is it carbon? Linguini? Get fenders whose materials match the frame.

Grand Bois

The Peugeot I just sold has Bluemels Club Specials on it. They were still fresh and pliable. Maybe it's the way they were stored. The original hardware included wingnuts for quick installation and removal, but you still needed to remove the brake nuts. I wish I could find another set.



These were made by a now-defunct company called Headland. My LBS bought up their stock and was selling them for $20. I should have bought more.

thumpism 

If your brakes have a long pivot bolt (not recessed), just use an additional nut to attach the fender mount bracket. I did this on my old PX-10 to make the fenders quick release but only took them off once in the years I had it set up that way.

Grand Bois

I don't have any bikes with pivot bolts long enough for two nuts.

nlerner

The SKS fenders I have on my '73 Raleigh Competition are grey with a black stripe along the length:


Untitled

They're a bit on the short side and could use mudflaps, but otherwise I'm pleased.