I never could get over the goofy look of fenders, but I've witnessed how practical and functional they can be. Years ago, I lived down in the tropics, where rain be be unexpected, and frequent, and I commuted daily on a mtn bike (and raced and trained on a road bike). I found out that if the roads were even a tiny bit wet, it was virtually impossible to ride slow enough that I didn't sling road grime up onto the back of my t-shirt. And that stuff can be harder to get out than chain grease !!!!