Sixty Fiver

I have only worked on a few thousand bicycles and ridden a few hundred thousand km so I am just a beginner compared to some.

My observation would be that high mileage bicycles that have been equipped with fenders tend to be in better overall condition than those high mileage bicycles that do not have fenders... most notable would be the lack of abrasive wear to the down tube and bottom bracket because of the lack of deposited crud, and the reduced amount of crud that has been tossed into the drivetrain.

Headsets also survive much longer when there is a fender to prevent water from being shot up into the headtube and in some cases a rear fender will prevent water from being shot up under the saddle which will then run down the seat tube and cause corrosion. Bicycles with front fenders or plugs in the steerer can enjoy nearly indefinite headset life if they are serviced with regularity.

My own experience in riding with and without fenders is that when you are commuting and touring, fenders serve to keep the grit out of the drive train and keeps things running smoothly and that not every puddle you ride through is full of crystal clear water... in the city is usually a cocktail of petrochemicals residue that can often come with a splash of urine and fecal material. Mmmmmmm !!!

I also ride a lot without fenders... if my travels take me on trails where there is a lot of debris fenders add a fair amount of risk and this is why newer fenders have breakaway designs to prevent things from lodging between the wheel and fender and causing damage.

Good quality fenders with proper installs do not need to be fiddled with.

alan s 

I ride the C&O Canal towpath frequently, and wouldn't do it without fenders. When wet, mud and all sorts of other debris will cover you head to toe. I rode it a couple years ago during a hurricane, and caught up to four guys without fenders. I was clean and comfortable, while they were a muddy mess, and had to hose themselves off. When dry, the grit and dust is mostly contained, and I don't inhale fine particles that are kicked up at face level by the front wheel (best seen at night). I can actually ride much faster than someone without fenders in muddy, wet conditions, because they have to slow way down frequently. And another important reason is the bike components last longer and require less cleaning with fenders. I've broken fenders, and realize there is some risk of an endo if a stick jams in the front fender, but they are a permanent fixture on my bike.

bikenh

I live in west central NH and wouldn't ride without fenders on the bike. Sure their homemade but the difference they make during the winter months is priceless. I come home nice and dry and clean as well. Before makeshifting fenders for my bike last year I would come home from a winter ride caked with salt and sand...not anymore. I have to do a lot less cleaning during the winter months which results in more time doing what I love...riding the bike. As for the summer months I can see riding without them most of the time but I keep them on as I still end up getting crap thrown up at me when I don't have them on. I was out riding a couple of days ago in the light rain and I got home and my shoes were nice and dry. That wouldn't have happened if I didn't have the fenders on.

I will agree, since I stealth camp every night and don't want to have to hassle with hosing the bike down after a rainstorm...I keep the fenders on and don't have to worry about being someplace where I can get ahold of hose to wash the bike off. I'm never around a place where I can wash the bike off. I stealth camp.

Niles H.

I like that end section on the rear fender in the picture. I have old SKS and Esge fenders (which didn't have that section), and have added extra mud flaps, both front and rear (which I have found to be worth having).

Did that end section come with the fender? Is it enough to keep the water and mud (that flings up from the back of the rear tire) from getting on anything on the bike? (assuming there isn't a good tail wind that could blow it forward)

irwin7638

Yes the fender is molded that way. I added a Rivendell mudflap to the front and it provides great coverage for the BB and drivetrain. I am really happy with them, especially since the stays are optional. They work quite well without them.

Marc

rifraf

Just recently got my fenders on and am very happy with them.
Gilles Berthoud 60mm stainless steel on my Surly Ogre.
Still some tidying of the spacing to be completed and yet to do the final cut of the stays but you get
the idea:









I found it best to order from the manufacturer direct for speedy service, dispatch and delivery.

Doug64

My leg on the left with no fenders. My wife's leg on the right with fenders. Her leg sure looks a lot drier and cleaner to me! However, it must just be an illusion



“It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
― John Wooden

mdilthey

Hey man, you tour how you tour and I'll tour how I tour. Both of you look muddy enough to have to wash the pants and shoes, so I don't really see a difference.

I NEVER said you don't get dirty or wet without fenders. I said it didn't matter if you get dirty or wet, because it's going to happen anyways. Your wife's pants look plenty dirty to me, so I guess fenders aren't that great

And oh, look! Your chain in the background looks pretty clean!

djb

Doug, Im sure Im not alone with this, but when I first glanced at the photo, I immediately thought, "how the heck did he manage to put his shoes on the wrong feet like that?". Weird photo, I like it, and yes it does show your legs got more stuff on them than your wifes.

mdilth, we get it, you have your strong opinion and attitude. Ride your bike as you wish, but you are pretty strident about this topic. The bike I like riding the most of my two bikes is right in the middle of this topic, I put the rear fender on, but not the front. Yes the rear fender keeps gritty gunk off my fd and the cables, but because I dont ride in the rain that much the lack of front isnt too bad, plus I really like to be able to remove the front wheel and toss the bike into the rear seat of my car, a front fender would make it harder to fit in. If I rode more in rain I would definitely put the front one on, especially on dirt roads thats for sure.

I have also had a touring bike with front and rear fenders on it for all its life, and never had to "fiddle" with them, they never broke and just worked from day one.

It really seems you are arguing just for the sake of arguing.

lhendrick

Fenders define me.

tombc

dude, if you don't like fenders get the hell out of the thread.

Murray Missile 

I know this thread has collected a little dust but having just got this put together today I figured I'd post it. Planet Bike fenders.... the instructions said they won't work with suspension forks. ********** They work with mine just fine. I do have mud flaps I haven't put on yet.



I put fenders on it to keep road tar off my bike in hot weather as much as anything. Around here most of the secondary roads are chip and oil and in hot weather your tires will kick up little blobs of tar that stick to everything. I've been riding these same roads and streets for 52 years, with and without fenders, when it gets hot the fenderless bikes stay home.

LaetaPuella

Rifraf, what kind of cages are those that hold the nalgene silos? Did you have to bend them out?

The stainless fenders are pretty, too. I'll have to look into that manufacturer, haven't heard of those.

rifraf

Hi LaetaPuella,
Glad you like the fenders.
The Nalgenes are held in place via BBB XL Fueltank's.
I had to remove the top clip from the Fueltanks to fit the 1.5 liter Nalgenes but had I left them, the cages fit pretty well 1.5 liter coke bottles.
I grabbed the Nalgenes for their ability to be used as hot water bottles when touring in winter.
Heres a link to where I bought them from:
https://www.charliethebikemonger.com/...cage-560-p.asp
Its been a while now, but I think I had to open them up slightly to accommodate the Nalgenes, but only a fraction.
I should really grab a couple of pedal straps to make sure the bottles dont fall out off road, but they've not fallen out yet so I dont really think its an issue.

Ridefreemc

Or who don't feel like getting soaked when they don't need to. Here in Florida it rains a lot, but often before you get to an area. The trail or road can be very wet and without fenders you will also be.

Bandera

Yep.
The fender equipped rider cycles dry through last night's rainstorm soaked streets while the un-equipped get a wet strip of toxic soup being spun up from wet roads. What comes down from the sky is just rain, what comes up from the road is not. 2 sets of Planet Bike for me.

-Bandera

williamogara

I live in Green Mountain Falls, not far from Colorado Springs. I take my bike on dry roads, wet roads, gravel, wet gravel, mud, some singletrack, snow, ice, it doesn't really matter to me. My planetbike cascadia ALX (aluminum) fenders are a must, especially when there is standing water on the surface I am riding on, and I happen to be on a ride far away from home. A couple of extra anecdotes: 700x38 Schwalbe marathon greenguards are amazing all terrain, all weather tires. Deflating them is key on snow, loose/ rocky terrain. Unfortunately, I cannot post any pictures.

niknak

Bicycle Quarterly tested a bike mounted with fenders in a wind tunnel. While the front fender does catch some wind, the rear makes the bike more aerodynamic. It evens out.

I prefer the look of a bike without fenders, and I do agree they can be a pain sometimes, but man are they worth it. While they don't prevent me from getting wet from above, they keep me from getting wet from below, where all the muck is. This is most apparent after the storm has passed but the roads are still wet. I can shed my rain gear and not worry about soaking my shoes and socks or growing a rooster tail.

BicycleCrazy

I modified my mountain bike too for my cross country ride this summer.
Here are all the modifications I've made...Good Luck!!

robert schlatte

I have ridden with SKS and Planet bike plastic fenders and they both do a decent job of keeping water and grime off both you and bike. Recently, I put Velo Orange stainless steel on my Soma touring bike. They are much sturdier and do a better job but are slightly heavier and more expensive. I use fenders not because I am afraid of getting dirty, I just don't want to. When on a long tour, clean is a relative thing. If fenders keep me a little cleaner without a skunk strip up my back, I am all for them.

jefnvk

Zombie thread, but since it is alive and well again:

Rode the first couple days of my first tour without fenders, until the better half told me that she was tired of getting sprayed in the face and she wasn't going any further until we stopped and got fenders. So, being the smart dude I am, we stopped and got fenders.

I'm hooked. The occasional fiddling is a small price to pay to keep most of that crap off me, my fiancee, my bags, and the bike. Will you stay absolutely dry? No. I stay far drier and cleaner than without, though.

Outside the shop we stopped at to install:

mdilthey

I just want to say that I wrote that more than four years ago.

-My opinions on fenders have evolved. I don't personally use them but I respect those that do.

-I apologize for being combative (four years ago). I am glad I have also evolved the way I discuss my opinions.

The trouble with zombie threads....

alan s 

You didn't respect people who use fenders four years ago, but now you do? What happened?

mdilthey

Hah, misquote! I always respect other people. I didn't think fenders were a good idea. I now think that everyone should ride however they want to, and I try not to waste time judging the choices of other people as "good" or "bad."

Tourist in MSN

Yes I am aware that this thread is mostly over three years old.

First photo shows what happened when I could not easily fit fenders into my S&S case with my bike. I went without. And this was the only trip I have ever done without fenders. Photo taken last summer.

Second photo is the bike I have done most of my touring with. Photo taken two months ago.

Third photo is the bike I finished building up about a week ago.