lil'hobo

I have been looking at the Planet Bike 60mm fenders for a while now and about ready to buy them. I was wondering if anyone had any advice or opinion on them. You know, fitment, durability, noise, looks, etc. I figured that the collective commuter knowledge would be invaluable in my decision.

My Bike is a 90-91 Raleigh USA Talon mountain bike with 26x1.95 Bontrager Hardcase tires. I don't get to commute with it (I work construction: tools, equipment, and 100+ miles a day) but it gets real regular library, store, etc. runs. I really like the bike, it fits me well and I've owned it since new but it sat for a while unused and now I'm back at it. Rainy days and some of the threads in this forum are convincing me that perhaps the stuff splashed up may not be water, so it's time for fenders.

Thanks in advance.

CCrew

Planet Bike or SKS, it's really hard to go wrong with either.

Sailguy

I have been using PB Fenders for years and love them. I just "upgraded" to their Cascadia fenders since it has the mudflaps. I haven't gotten the chance to put those through the rain paces yet, but I am optimistic that they will keep more road grime off my feet.

Consularrider

I've been using Planet Bike fenders for two years now on a '95 Raleigh M60. First was Full ATB and then Hardcore to get the mudflaps (moved the full ATB to my wife's bike, same model). I am a year round commuter and have used these quite a bit in the rain and highly recommend fenders. Also, one of the purposes of fenders is to keep your spray off other cyclists, so I push for people to get full fenders instead of the seat post mounts or shorter clipons if your bike can take them. One negative issue I have had with the rear Hardcore fender was that the attachment that held the rear horizontal post broke after six weeks on the bike while on my car's bike rack. I expect it vibrated too much at highway speeds.

crocodilefundy

just make sure they are rigid enough for your applications. The ones i have are plastic with metal supports and they are not rigid enough. They bend a little bit every times they get bumped and then rub the tire.

iforgotmename

I love my planet bike cascadia fenders, they really keep the road mess off of you. I spray painted mine with grey rustoleum hammered finish paint...not a fan of the silver and have enough black on my black bike. The paint is holding up and they look great

exile

For full coverage I love my PB Cascadia's on my LHT. The silver aluminum (covered by clear plastic) provides a nice contrast to the blue LHT color.

Scheherezade 

I've got two sets of 45mm PB fenders for my 700c bikes. They work great.

mslanh01

I just bought a set of PB Freddy Fenders. I haven't used them in the rain, but after the rain while the roads are still damp and they work great. I put them on my 7.3fx and I think they make it look better than without! I had to cut the clip on the rear fender to make it a little skinnier for my application, but aside from that installation was a snap!

newbeat

I use PB flipper fenders. Haven't let me down once.

tarwheel 

Get the PB Cascadia. The built-in mudflaps work really well and look nice. The fenders are easy to install and adjust, and they don't rattle.

zoodude

i have the PB speedz ones for my hybrid, they mount nice but you still have to use screws or zip ties. So not worth the extra $$ for the so called fast on off. the front do not come with a good mount for suspension forks if you have one. I had to use zip ties to finish it off. The PB hardcores are a lot better. Or SKS.

helmut

I got the PB Hardcores. Some of the mounting hardware didn't fit in my fork crown or seatstay mount, but I got imaginative with some cable ties. The fenders do move around some if I go over bumps, but a trip to the hardware store to get the proper hardware should remove that problem. I'm also running 700x23s, so it's a rougher ride. I'm planning on going to some 28s or even 32s to give myself a softer ride.

CliftonGK1

Velo-Orange has a set of 60mm polished aluminum fenders if you want the classy chrome look.

MondoSam

I use SKS race blades. Go on and off in 30 seconds. Not full coverage, but good for my Raleigh Road bike with 700c wheels.

HardyWeinberg

Get the Cascadias, the only real mudflap on the market. Any other fender is for looks.

sonatageek

Just got a set of Cascadias for my Nashbar Touring Bike build -- they look nice and the mud flap looks better compared to the Hardcore Freddy Fenders I have on my current commuter bike.

gdpdl

I just bought the Planet bike fenders Cascadia Hybrid Fenders to fit on my 26inch wheels. *(I originally bought the 26in fenders but there was not enough clearance). I also had to rig the front fender as I have a Marzzochi EXR pro fender on the front and have not found a suitable out of the box solution for fenders with good coverage.

Lots of rain recently and what a difference! I d'ont even need to wear full raingear if its only a light rain!

EKW in DC

No SKS fans/users? I've had my eyes on the SKS Commuter fender set for my 700c hyrbid w/ 40mm slick tires. Wondering what some fellow BFers might think about them...

ahmose

have the PB hardcore fenders. Highly recommend them. They are very durable, easy to mount.
Didn't notice any noise.

ClanLee

+100 I have these installed on my Miyata 600GT and they are awesome! I used them in the rain and didn't have to worry about spray from the tires at all. The rain falling on my head was another matter...

fifo

another vote for PB fenders

grimace308

thanks for the input, i was also looking at fenders. planet bike it is...now which model?

yall familiar with planet unicorn?

Randochap

In terms of durability, the PBs are good enough. My only criticism is that the fenders -- esp. the rear -- are a little short. The mud flaps are also too small to be of any great utility.

SKS are more generous with their coverage. But no off-the-shelf mudguard will give you a decent mud flap. Those are better home built or aftermarket options.

sauerwald

I have two commute bikes set up with fenders.

One bike has the planet bike fenders (not sure which model). They work, they didn't cost too much, they could provide a bit more coverage, but they work, and they didn't cost too much.

The other bike has a set of fluted Honjo fenders on it from Velo Orange. They cost much more than the planet bike fenders. They were much harder to mount on the bike, they make more noise than the PB fenders, but they are soooo pretty, and they have excellent coverage. Did I mention that they were really pretty?

A toyota Camry gets better gas mileage, costs less and is more reliable than a ferrari enzo so why does anybody ever buy the ferrari?

(If my argument has you wondering why you bought that red car in your garage, PM me and we can arrange a trade for a very economical vehicle)

The PB fenders will work well - a heck of a lot better than no fenders, but they are not the only option. I have used SKS in the past, and they are pretty good too.