Commuting with Fenders question
 

This is the 1st bike I have had with Fenders on, I don't ride in the rain but thru small puddles sometimes and not dried out streets.
As you can see in the pics I don't have the best fender set up right now. I am getting dirt and water on my back and the front is still getting splashed with crap.
For the people who have full fenders do you have this problem? Should I chuck what I have or with better fenders do you still get wet in the back and crap from the front.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...pssnptigye.jpg
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ps9wobfiyg.jpg

Chuck the fenders. 'Proper' fenders have full coverage (with mud flap in front and not the plastic fenders with hardwear on the inside), keep spray off the drivetrain and you. These look nice but don't do too much.

Yeah, thats what I was thinking. Got to pay up for better stuff and forget the money spent on the Fenders I have.

You might be able to attach a big flap to the back of the front fender to knock down anything thrown from the front wheel. Putting full fenders on a bike with a suspension fork can be a challenge.

Not sure why the rear fender isn't keeping your back clean. On one of my bikes I have one that just attaches to the seat post and it works fine for that. Not so great for keeping the seat post clean though.

Well its not that bad at the back, I usually use a backpack and see drips of dirt that was sprayed up. I am thinking going for "real" fenders would not do that at all. Just hard to throw away stuff you just bought.

Some creative mounting can get a full fender on a suspension fork. If that's a Suntour, it probably has a crown mount drilled already, so point for you. Axiom makes QR attached mounting holes that you can then mount the fender struts to.

It's worth the trouble to get full coverage fenders on a commuter.

Full front fenders make for clean riding. The back doesn't need to be so full. Also, FWIW: On my old MTB-based commuter I added a flap cut from a flexible rubber yoga mat and attatched with nylon nuts and bolts. The original fender comes to within 4 or 5 inches of the ground, but still allowed water to spray my shoes and chain. The front flap I added comes to within an inch of the ground and keeps everything dry and clean. My new touring-style commuter has fenders that curve under the wheel to within an inch or two of the ground, but are more rigid. Although the rigid fenders look nicer, they sometimes get caught on a curb or rock or lump of dirt. None of this bother the flap, and now that I'm using it as a snow and ice bike (with studded snow tires) I don't see how full rigid fenders would work in the snow.

My, that is a big motor you have ;-)

I use a clamp to the seat post rear fender. works great and does stick out a little farther than yours does (which clamps low on the seat tube). If you are having problems, try clamping it higher on the tube so it extends back farther.

Personally with the riding you do, I don't need a front fender. I dodge the puddles, or when I ride through them I go straight so the downtube acts as a fender. But I'm guessing you ride a lot faster than the average commuter here!

Yes, for the front, you need a good deep fender - those short ones you have don't do any good at all (mine is lying in my garage - its more effective there than on my bike! LOL).

mudflaps can also be crafted by cutting up a gallon milk jug, or a 2L soda bottle, a coroplast election sign, etc. BobbyG is right, you want the bottom of the front fender to be below the line between the bottom of the tire, and the bottom of your crank, in order to block water that wants to spray onto your feet.

I'm not sure why there are splashes on your rear fender - is it narrower than your tires?

Agree with the previous responders that your front fender is not giving you enough coverage.

Just put on full fenders today. Much better for me and the bike.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...psqn981ocp.jpg

Wow that's one great-looking steed. Full fenders look way cooler than the previous ones you got and more functional too! Say goodbye to splash and dirt. Congrats!

Those fenders look great, and they will work much better.

Look around and see how people have attached mud flaps to fenders like yours. They say they help a lot. I still have to try them. The folks say you need one on the front as much as the one on the back.

Aren't those mud flaps on it in the picture or do you mean to add different mud flaps?

The full Monte is a wider flap that rides near the ground, sometimes it's a soft flap like a semi truck. This keeps spray even off your toes at the bottom of the stroke. People above were saying you need less rear coverage... you need it out nearly beyond the wheel because if it's fast enough and wet enough, the tire will launch spray over your head and into your face. You can use longer than that if you are worried about spraying behind you, like a trailer.

I had SKS longboard fenders on my bike for a while but it rains seldom enough around here that I took them off again. They were much like this, though. Here's a photo from someone else on Bike Forums

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-1992-a-3.html

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8068/8...d13a3878_b.jpg