Originally Posted by
Gresp15C
Are you sure you didn't mean to say that the overwhelming majority
do have fenders? Indeed, open-wheel cycling might be a peculiarity of the US.
Here's China and Netherlands:
Yes in Europe most bikes have fenders. Over there the bikes are utility vehicles first. Yes they ride fender less mountain bikes and road bikes too but the majority of the bikes are the utility bikes you ride to work, school, haul your groceries and run most of errands with. And since people wear their regular clothes on these bikes they just don't want to get dirty.
When you go to bike store here in the US they mainly have three types of bikes: road bikes, mountain bikes and cruiser. All tailored towards the recreational use. Hardly any US bike store carries bike pictured above. In Europe it is just the opposite. The majority of bikes sold are bikes with fenders, racks and fixed installed dynamo driven lights like shown above.
This is what I grew up with and what I still ride today. I have fenders on almost all my bikes except a mountain bike. I just don't want to get dirty or wet when I ride to work or get my groceries.