Commuting through a lot of rain recently with my Soma Es 64cm + 28c Marathon + tires. I'm kind of a newb at all this - and I assume (aside from wanting to stay dry) that the main purpose of fenders is to prevent all the gunk and dirt getting into components?

So looks like the best options are SKS Longboard and Planet Bike Cascadia? Can someone also advize on size I need? Does the 28c on a tire spec mean 28mm?

PB 35s, with the long mud flaps. Look nice, not bulky, will take a little fiddling to get them just right, but will look nice and work well..... with 30s on there, 35 barely fits on my Sirrus........

I'd rather have them small and neat, than big and bulky..... I run 45s on my other bike with 40 and 35 tires.

Yes, the 28 is the size of the tire. And, you are correct in your assumption. Keep you and the bike cleaner, even in the dry.

I've installed a lot of fenders, and I would rather install PB than SKS.

Never had a rattle with any PB, can't say the same for SKS!

Planet Bike Cascadias or SKS Longboards should fit 28 mm tires just right with 35 mm fenders. Both are similar in quality and function, but PB fenders are much easier to install than SKS.

The Planet Bike Cascadias are great fenders; their plain Jane fenders are alright, too. I used to use SKS fenders, but I didn't have any luck with them. In addition to the rattling that I could never completely get rid of, I also had them break on me on cold, snowy days. I'll likely stick with Planet Bike from now on.

I run the 35mm SKS P-35 Chromoplastics Longboards over 28mm tires in the three seasons. The 45mm ones go over my 35mm snow tires in winter. I like that the front longboard hangs to so close to the ground. The bike and I stay a whole lot cleaner.



FWIW, I've had exactly the opposite problem as TomCat_Ford. I could never get Cascadias to stop rattling, and the SKS are silent as a tomb.

My SKS fenders only rattled while riding on rough streets; it certainly wasn't enough to prevent me from using them for a few years. I couldn't look past them splitting (width wise) in two different places, however. I haven't had the PB fenders as long as I had the SKS fenders yet, so I'm not sure how well the PB fenders will hold up. PB does have an excellent warranty and excellent customer service (from previous experiences), so I'm not too worried about it.

i rode after a downpour yesterday with my sks raceblade fenders and it seems like i kicked off the mudflap for my front tire's fender. i definitely got wet from water popping up off the ground. :/ i didn't have an issue before that

but yes when it rattled i asked my LBS after i couldn't figure it out and they somehow made it not rattle.

Thanks all! Ordered my PB35 Cascadias today

Hmm, got lazy and went over to my LBS. They'd rather have me return my PB35 and get Hybrid/Touring (45mm wide) ... I'm thinking with how tight the fit on my 28mm tires they might have a point?

If they're confident that the 45mm fenders can fit between your seat stays and fork, I'd probably go for the larger fenders, just in case you ever want to change tire widths. I also like to buy fenders in the store so I can at least visualize how they look. Some fenders accommodate multiple size tires (26", 700c, 29") and look pretty bad on any but the largest wheel size, though I'm sure they still get the job done.

I run 28c tires on my fendered bike, and I went with the 28c+ fenders just in case I ever got wider tires. As long as they'll fit, that's what I would go with.

that is what i have quiet and have worked well. i think like [MENTION=55787]tsl[/MENTION] said I could use a little more coverage around the wheel on the back side but I think they look good and work well on my bike now.

best of luck

I tried to mount Longboards today but could not make them fit over my 28's. Don't seem to have enough clearance between the tire and the fork. Just put the 28s on so don't really want to get a smaller tire.

Anyone know of another solution?

I believe someone makes a special bracket for this. Or if you're handy, you could just make your own. Basically, you have to cut the fender where it meets the fork. Instead of going under the bridge, the fender just butts up to it on each side.

+1