Since nobody has mentioned it, I suppose I should at least suggest old school chrome fenders.

Just about every pair of plastic fenders I have ever owned or seen eventually breaks. I don't know if it is because of the UV light and being outside all the time, or being subjected to cold temps or what, but plastic fenders don't hold up like metal fenders.

You might at least consider getting some WALD fat-tire chrome or stainless steel fenders. They are far more rigid than plastic. They don't wiggle or shimmy so they don't rub against the tires when you hit bumps.

If you REALLY want the ultimate in quiet, get chrome or stainless fenders and spray the underside with rubberized spray coating that you get at the automotive store.

Wald fenders really aren't that expensive and they don't weigh much more than plastic - they might even be lighter.

You can get WALD fenders in chrome or stainless (black):

http://www.bikepartsplace.com/images/med/31132441.jpghttp://www.bikepartsplace.com/images/med/31242845.jpg

So how many years old are the plastic fenders before they crack? My PB Freddy Fenders are about 3 years old and still are good as new, although they are almost always a bit muddy. Having flipped a lot of bikes, I see a lot of rust on chrome fenders and doubt that Wald lays the plating on very thick.

The OEM fenders on my Kettler rusted out after eight years. The bike is old enough that factory replacement fenders are unavailable. I've also found that typical aftermarket fenders are flimsy, rattle, and rub. My solution: Berthold stainless steel ones:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/imag...tstainless.jpg

They are absolutely the same quality as the Kettler fenders, but stainless steel. This morning, I enjoyed a whisper-quiet ride to work.

Paul

SKS Chromoplastics. Awesome - they're not just plastic, but have a metal core, so they're really strong. The mounting brackets are are stainless steel, so they feel pretty structural. I've tossed my bike in the cargo hold under a greyhound bus multiple times, which definitely knocked it around, and the fenders never budged. No built-in mudflaps, but still great coverage, and the sturdiness is awesome.

SKS is also a great company - very responsive customer service in my experience!

I can't imagine the pure plastic ones from PB being as strong, but everyone says great things about those too.

+1 for the PB Cascadia's!

The past summer was very rainy here in Ottawa, I only had to get out a jacket a couple of times. I love not having to deal with the road grime.

Size 45 SKS chrome plastic with velo orange mud flap.

Good question. I am not sure how old some of the broken plastic fenders usually are. Mine cracked at about five years.

You are correct that chrome steel fenders will rust. They will also dent. Usually, this takes a long time. Most of the rusty fenders I have seen have been abused for 20 or more years. If you want to keep them snappy, the best thing to do is put some kind of coating on the underside and keep the shiny side waxed with a good automobile wax. I wash and wax my bikes about twice per year. I use good synthetic car wax on painted surfaces and Turtle brand chrome wax/polish on the chrome. It seems to do a good job.

You know - what the heck. They are only fenders. Get something that does the job. looks good, and keeps the noise down. If they break or rust or dent or whatever in a few years, get new fenders. New fenders make the whole bike look new.

Thanks for the input everyone. It sounds like PlanetBike fenders are pretty universally liked, so that's a good sign. I think I am going to check out the Cascadia model. I Like the way they look with their more wrap around design.

Also, cool idea on the metal fenders. I have a "mind" bike I keep dreaming of and when it finally gets to come to life it'll definitely have those hammered Honjo type fenders. They are just so cool. On reflection this is a bad sign, wanting to build a bike around some fenders. Oh boy, this return to biking is going to get expensive.

Thanks again.