LHT Fenders
 

Hello All,

I have a set of Planet Bike Hardcore fenders installed on my LHT (700c) and today I rode in my first real rainstorm and my feet were soaked from water spitting off the front tire. It seems these fenders do not go down far enough on the wheel and the rubber flap at the bottom just sprays water out into the airstream which then caries it to my feet...

Other suggestions? Or is that just going to happen with any fender set.

No - you either need skinnier tires or wider fenders and/or front mud flaps.

Most stock mud flaps on fenders are ridiculously too small and seem to be designed by people who have NEVER ridden in the rain - one exception being the PB cascadia fenders with the long flaps that actually work pretty well. I ride a LHT with 35mm tires and fenders rated to a 42mm tire...but are actually better for tires at 35 or smaller to be honest.

If your tire is nearly as wide as the fenders are rated for (which they over-rate also) you'll also get some water on you as well.

I've also made my own flaps by cutting stair tread (home depot) and using little bits of hardware and it works great.

I have the PB Cascadias on my LHT. They are full length fenders with built in mud flaps. I also attached these mud flaps for greater coverage and glued on some heart shaped reflectors for increased visibility. When I ordered them I wanted the red ones, but when they shipped them they sent white, red, and blue ones. I actually got a compliment about my mud flaps when i was locking my bike up.

Cascadias are the way to go. They sell the mudflap separately, I don't know if you could swap it for the mudflap on your hardcores.

the hardcore fender is too narrow for any tire if you ask me.

I don't know if you can. I simply punched through the rubber part of the built in mud flaps with a hole puncher and attached the mud flaps I had bought with two bolts and wing nuts. I increased the coverage downwards by about a inch and a 1/2. The mudflaps I bought also increased coverage about a 1/2 inch each side beyond the built in mud flaps.

+1

I follow the old constructeur rule of at least 10mm wider on the fender than the tire you're using. This gives adequate side coverage along the tire to protect from spray, even past the length of the front flap. Sure, an SKS P-35 is rated for a 28mm tire... But if you actually use one you're just asking for spray, regardless of mudflaps.

I have a 47mm stainless fender over a 32mm tire (previously used an SKS P-45 fender) and I have no problems with side spray. I made a 4" long, 3" wide extender for the front to eliminate any road spray at all. Attached to the long stainless fenders, this gives me about 2" of clearance from the road, and the entire fender/flap combo is a fairly tight line with the tire.
In the back I used a commercial 10" flap that hangs within 3" of the ground and keeps my riding partners clean of all spray and grime.
Both the front and rear flaps are attached with blind (pop) rivets and aluminum rivet washers. See the attached pix. Fenders are VO 47mm smooth stainless. Flaps are Sammamish Valley Cycles narrow "jelly" flaps. Blind rivets through fender, flap (on interior of fender), and rivet washer for backing.

Why the cascade mud flap gets so much praise is beyond me. It's bigger than most, buy not adequate at all. Most home made versions nearly drag on the ground, and for good reason, the Cascade just gives you an extra inch or two.

it's kind of funny, the Cascade mudflap may be longer than other mudflaps but the actual fender it attaches to doesn't extend down as far as the regular PB or SKS fender so you only get another inch or so of actual coverage. One good thing about the Cascadia fender is that the bottom strut mounts higher so toe strikes don't get stuck on the strut.

note to Mgurtzweiler, get waterproof socks if you're going to be riding through standing water a lot. Maybe I haven't experienced the perfect front mudflap but it seems to me that riding through standing water and turning sends up water that flaps just won't get.

It curves around, forward (and to the sides). I have previously tried the 6" wide home-made stair-tread streetsweeper and the cascadia works better for me.

IMO it depends to some extend on how often it rains in your region. If I lived where it rained everyday, I think I'd kill myself. The issue is, the more coverage your fenders have, the more they slow you down, especially in nice weather. How about gumboots or hipwaders to keep your legs dry ? (j/k)

a front buddy flap solves this problem handily: http://www.buddyflaps.com/

Ordered a pair of the Cascadia mudflaps (https://ecom1.planetbike.com/7026_1.html) to replace the anemic hardcore's.

Hopefully this is a cheap solution!

I've got Cascadias on my bike and they've served me VERY well.

Even running 35 mm (nominally - I think they may actually be wider) tires w/ 45mm fenders I get really good coverage. Next set of tires will be 32s, so I expect the fenders will stop even more.

Put a Cascadia mud guard on the front and it cut down on the spray but my feet didn't notice. Maybe it will help when its not a "heavy rain" outside!

Yes you can.. I've done it. In fact the hard parts of the hardcore and the cascadia are exactly the same. Just drill out the rivet pull off the hardcore "shortie" put the cascadia on and then put in the two provided snap rivets.

Don't forget you can get waterproof booties that go over your shoes and keep everything down that end nice and dry. That's what I do (in addition to fenders).

If you install your own mud flaps that are wide and nearly drag the ground you'll have almost no spray whatsoever.

Just figure out a DIY way to put these on there. Problem solved. :-)

In all seriousness, though, even with my Cascadias, my feet still get pretty soaked. The volume of today's rain made not getting drenched head to toe nearly inevitable anyway, no matter what you wore or what kind of fenders you had.

Do I need any special tools to drill out the rivet? I have a drill and set of drill bits.

I'm thinking of putting the Cascadia mudflap on my Hardcore fenders as well.

Paul

Nope.. Just a drill and a bit to remove the flange of the rivit.

I pop rivit about 8" of rubber roofing material to the bottom of my existing PB mudflaps. About 2-3" wide at the bottom works wondrs.

I made my flap from scrap piece of leather, 8" long, 2" at the top, and flared out to 4" at the bottom. Attached inside of fender with one screw.
Does a great job of keeping the spray off my feet.
Had a pic showing it, but don't seem to be able to upload it.