Barrettscv 

Hi,

I'm considering fenders for my Soma Double Cross bike. Soma states that the bike will take 700x37 tires with fenders, I'll be using 700x35 Schwalbe Winter studded tires this winter and a 700x35 touring tire in warmer weather.

I'm looking at Planet Bike fenders in a 45mm width. Both the Cascadia Hybrid/Touring and the Hardcore come in a 45mm wide size.

Which is better? The Cascadia Hybrid/Touring is $10 more and offers "ultimate coverage" according to the Planet Bike website. Is that the case?

This bike will be used for local riding on damp days, winter riding and touring.

sonatageek

I have Hardcores on the bike that I ride everyday and a set of the Cascadia's on a bike that I am building up and I think the Cascadias are worth the extra $10. This just from eyeing things up and with only having riding experience with the Hardcores. Either will work and like just about any fender you can buy, the front can always use a little longer mud guard at the bottom.

Barrettscv 

Thanks, I'm leaning towards the Cascadias. Are they longer? Better materials? Better construction? $10 isn't much, but I would like to know what I'm getting.

tarwheel 

Cascadias are nicer fenders. The mudflaps are longer and wider, and I think they have an extra stay as well. I bought my Cascadias on eBay or online for the same prices as Hardcores with free shipping.

gmt13

I have the Cascadias. Coverage is great. They are the more serious fender.

-G

gear

Don't know about the others but the cascadias are great.

iforgotmename

I have cascadias...great fenders and I also have a pair of these https://www.woodysfenders.com/store/i...e9p489h3t07j17 ...awesome fenders. The cascadias will go back on for the winter though.

kjmillig

I too have Planet Bike fenders and they do a great job. They were also pretty easy to install and adjust.

Orange Hatter

I have a set of Planet Bike fenders (not sure of the model as they came with the bike) and they work great, but I get spray near the bottom bracket because there is a bit of distance between the fender and tire. As we approach the rainy season I am thinking about using a wine cork to try to reduce spray. If you find yourself with a distance problem you might consider the following:

https://www.bikehacks.com/bikehacks/2...k-cork-it.html

TurbineBlade

Cascadias have the "idea" of long mud flaps, but aren't adequate in practice -- at least I ended up extending and making my own flaps anyway. Other than this, the hardware is decent and they work just fine. I use rubber matting to have those suckers almost drag the ground .

alan s 

The Hardcores and Cascadias are the same basic fenders. The Cascadias have an extra stay on the front, but it attaches at the crown, and seems a little superfluous. You can buy the Cascadia mud flaps for about $5 for a pair from PB and zip tie it on the front. No need to install on the rear.

JAG410

I run the PB Hardcore Hybrid fenders with the $5 Cascadia mudflaps on my CrossCheck with 700x38 Marathon Cross tires. The coverage is great, but there's not a lot of clearance between tire and fender for mud/snow. I have other bikes for those duties anyway so it's not an issue for me.

MilitantPotato

Cascadia over Hardcores, SKS Longboards over Cascadia.

SurlyLaika

I'm gonna try the SKS Longboards after using the regular SKS P40's.

hopperja

First, I personally wouldn't use any fender but PB. I have had excellent luck with PB fenders. They are relatively cheap and amazingly durable. The SKS may (or may not) be as good, but I'll stick to what have been tried and true for me.

Second, if the mud flap makes the decision for you, well that's up to you. I have a pair of Freddy Fenders that I made mud flaps for out of rubber stair treads. Alex Wetmore details it here. They work perfectly, reach nearly to the ground, and cost me about $5 to make. I guarantee they're better than the longer ones that you'll pay $10 more for on the Cascadias. I have not found an extra stay on each side necessary or even wanted, and I use my rear fender to support my Nelson longflap and keep it off the wheel.

tarwheel 

Personally I don't see why you would need longer or wider mudflaps than the ones on Cascadias. Mine work perfectly well and I've never had an issue with spray getting past the flaps. Any larger, and the flaps would get in the way, IMHO. Plus, I occasionally carry my bike in the bed of my truck, and larger flaps would make it harder to mount the front fork on the rack.

BusterMcFly

I'm lookng at the ones from Velo Orange. Metal and wider. $60+ hardware.

SurlyLaika

petty but true, I am partial to SKS because the brand name "planet bike" sounds funny, cheap and corny. "this is PLANET bike!"

alan s 

Is that why you have a Surly?


sur·ly
   [sur-lee]

adjective, sur·li·er, sur·li·est.
1. churlishly rude or bad-tempered: a surly waiter. Synonyms: sullen, uncivil, brusque, irascible, splenetic, choleric, cross; grumpy, grouchy, crabby.

2. unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable: a surly old lion. Synonyms: threatening, malevolent.

3. dark or dismal; menacing; threatening: a surly sky. Synonyms: ominous.

4. Obsolete . lordly; arrogant.

TurbineBlade

To each their own, but this is not my experience. The cascadias (700c X 45) are still about 4-5 inches above the ground when installed stock....which still leaves some spray in large puddles and extremely wet sections of road.

Here's a picture with my own mud flaps bolted to the stock ones:

017.jpg

alan s 

Here's mine. PB Hardcores with Cascadia mudflap on the front. I don't want it hanging too low to avoid picking up debris and doing an endo or breaking the fender. Only the latter has occurred, thankfully.

hopperja

Let me get this straight... the fenders are outstanding, they look similar to SKS fenders, PB has a great warranty, and they give 25% of their profit to cycling related causes. But, you don't like the name, so you don't support them. Puerile if you ask me.

unterhausen

I've sworn off PB fenders since the front one on my commuter shattered overnight in my garage. I'm sure I did something to them, but the miles/$ just don't add up to me. They were made out of incredibly brittle plastic. I just looked at their warranty, seems like they would never cover a fender.

LeeG

+1
In comparison to the SKS I replaced them with the flap only extends down another 1", it's got a longer flap on a shorter fender.

LeeG

whole reason I got Cascadias was so that the lower strut wouldn't interfere with front of my shoe on the Cross-Check. The SKS were a bit more solid but my foot would hang up right on the strut hardware with low speed maneuvers. The upper strut is superfluous as it attaches only a few inches from the crown where it's already rigid. I brought it down so it was doubled on the lower attachment, made for less side to side wiggle.