fat2fit

I just picked up my 2019 Trek Dual Sport 2. LOVE the bike, most comfortable ride I ever had.

Considering getting some fenders. Wondering for those who have them, do you regret buying them? I'm not concerned about bike-weight at all. I already "pimped my ride" out with a bell, phone mount, light kit, x2 water bottle holders, and a saddle bag. If I cared about weight I would have went with an FX3 or something else.

I'm wondering if fenders actually do a good job? I heard they just spit the dirt/water back into the tires and into the brakes and could cause more trouble than they're worth, and you still get dirty with them on. I live in Vancouver BC area and we get lots of rain, so that's why I'm considering them. IF you do suggest them, what brands are the cheapest yet best bang-for-buck quality?

Thank you

subgrade

If you get the right size, full fenders, they do a great job of keeping you and the bike clean. Mudflap on the front recommended. They may not look stylish in some people's eyes (I'm one of them), but are very practical, especially in winter.

fat2fit

I found these on Trek's website. They are on sale, full fenders for both front & rear. I'm assuming these will fit my bike? I personally hated the look of the fenders at first but I kinda like them, maybe it's because I'm getting older lol

https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en_CA/e...olorCode=black

hokiefyd 

I have a 2018 Giant Roam 2 -- basically the same bike. I have run Planet Bike Cascadia 45mm fenders on this (which are supposed to be good for tires up to 35mm wide). I didn't buy these fenders for this bike, but they fit really nice with 40mm tires, as depicted below. I currently have a totally different tire size on this bike (27.5x1.9), so I don't have the fenders on it right now. But they did an EXCELLENT job of keeping water and mud off me. But these are pretty full coverage fenders. Ones without a rubber flap, especially on the front, wouldn't be as effective.

However, in addition to the tire size issue, I decided that I don't ride in the wet enough to justify having the fenders, and there are some annoying aspects of them. They can catch sticks and stuff and you hear everything the tires pick up. There also may be concerns with fenders and wind if you transport your bike on your vehicle, especially on a roof rack.

So they have pros and cons.

HTupolev

Depends on the fender. Unfortunately, a lot of bikes are designed to not take fenders, and a lot of fender designs are more concerned about fitting on such bikes than being good fenders. And a lot of fenders - perhaps even most fenders - are also just really poorly designed, seemingly designed by people unaware of where water travels after getting picked up by the tire.

A well-designed fender on a bike designed to accommodate fenders can provide good protection from filth, and if it's mounted cleanly and is the right color, it can look great as well.

The top of the front fender should extend far out in front so that your cockpit and torso/face are protected against spray from the top of the front tire. The bottom of the front fender should be low enough to protect your drivetrain and feet. The back of the rear fender should, ideally, extend low enough to protect the person behind you. The fender should be wider than the tire, and on its sides, it should have channeled edges that route water to the front and back of the fender so that blocked water doesn't simply drip onto your bike.

No, avoid those. For several reasons.

Firstly, the only option in the page you linked is the fender designed for 18-25mm tires, which is waaaaaaay too narrow for the tires on your Dual Sport. You'll get loads of side spray even if you position the fender dangerously low over the tire.

Secondly, here's a slightly-wider version of that same fender, mounted on a former bike of mine:



Both fenders are too short. The rear fender didn't protect the person behind me at all, water sprayed into my face from the top of the front tire, and most importantly for my own solo riding, the front fender's mudflap was far too high up to protect my feet from the spray off the front tire. It's better than no fender because it protected me from *most* of the spray, but the experience is nothing compared with a fender that blocks nearly everything.

Unfortunately, sensibly-designed fenders don't seem to exist at a low price point. The cheapest fenders that do a truly-proper job are probably Velo Orange fenders at ~$80, and those are lightweight classic aluminum fenders, which require a careful install if you want them to last a long time. They work very well though, particularly once you add a front mudflap:



Some sizes of some cheaper fenders do okay. For instance, the road-width Planet Bike Cascadia fenders on my old Fuji are *reasonably* effective, although some sizes of some variants don't extend as far at the mudflaps. The super-fat 26er Bontrager NCS fenders on my gravel bike extend considerably lower in front than the skinnier NCS fenders in the above photo, and do a surprisingly good job with foot and drivetrain protection, although they still don't help the person behind me.

79pmooney

Htupelov has good advice. Fenders need to be big enough and they also need to have long front flaps like his bike's got. I add a real flap (removing the toy one that came with the fender). But here you have to be careful. A fender without stiff enough support will vibrate wildly at speed from the turbulence coming off the flap. Planet Bike fenders are especially bad for this as they start with a plastic that is not stiff, then choose to use just one set of stays for the front (and sometimes mounting that one too high to be fully effective).

Flaps can be thick leather or rubber. Cut up waterbottles are very popular in Portland. I make mine from two sheets of 1990s graphic film. (The mylar-like stuff architects used for overhead projector presentations and tape the edges together with packing tape.) You do NOT want a very stiff material because the day will come when you wheel the bike off a curb and forget - and crunch, there goes your fender.

I haven't looked into their wider fenders, but the narrow SKS fenders are very good. Stiff and a joy to ride. I use my big flaps with them and have never had issues. Their front fenders also have break-a-way attachments so if a twig gets jammed in the fender, the stays just break off the bike. Haven't done it yet, but that is good to know.

Ben

Skipjacks

I hate the look of fenders.

I also never ride my commuter hybrid without them because as much as I don't like the look...they do exactly what they are supposed to. I can hit a mud patch or wet road grit that the tires would otherwise spray all over me....and the fenders trap it nicely. They also keep wet slop out of my pannier bags and off my tail light that is supposed to be weather proof but I have no desire to fully test that since it's not cheap.

For my weekend cross bike...I don't run full fenders. But since I don't like the stripe up my back after riding dirt trails I'm looking for an more aggressive looking rear fender. Because once again...they do work.

FiftySix

Yay.

I can ride right after a rain and not miss a day riding. Which is important because what day I get to ride isn't chosen by me, it's chosen by when my work or family lets me ride.

I have three sets of fenders, all are full coverage, but don't have the mud flap extensions. So, the front tire will spray the chain ring and downtube a bit.

One set is aluminum and is very dent prone. In fact, the rear one got a good smash that I couldn't pull out cleanly.

My other two pair are plastic, which can take a smack and not show a dent. They could crack, if hit too hard, but so far so good compared to aluminum.

One of the plastic sets are an old pair of Avenir branded fenders which are likely made by SKS. The other pair is still sold by Planet Bike.

Edit: Added pic of bike with the Avenir fenders that replaced the original aluminum fenders.

FiftySix

Indeed. That is a bit disconcerting when you first get fenders. Especially if they fit snugly to the the tire. Around here I usually hear pine needles or small twigs "zip" through a tire rotation. Othertimes a dry leaf will get stuck and stay there . . . right when you were wanting to be stealthy around other people or animals. Arrrgh.

FiftySix

I've been lucky enough to not experience water in my face from my own bike. Usually water in my face is from rain.

What conditions and speeds were throwing water on your face from the front tire?

Skipjacks

I've had that happen.

Water collected on the front tire rides all the way to the top of the tire and flies straight up, giving you a mist of water that you are constantly riding through.

The vast majority of water your tire picks up flies off in the first quarter rotation, or right into the direction of the chain rings. But some sticks to the tire and doesn't come off until 50% through the rotation and flies straight up. Not nearly as much through. I'ts not a big deal when riding on wet pavement, but if I go through a puddle at speed without a front fender....I'll see the water go straight up, which ends up in my face.

FiftySix

Maybe I misunderstood what HTupalev wrote. I was assuming the water in the face was from a bike with fenders on both ends. Maybe it happens with a fender that is too narrow for the tire?

HTupolev

I'm talking about spray that gets flung off the top of the tire, after it moves beyond the front of the front fender. It goes up, and then back toward the bike (because the bike is moving forward through the air). Mostly it hits stuff at headtube level and below.

OldBike876

I live in Vancouver as well, and rode without fenders for about 2 weeks before realizing how bad that idea was. Fenders are very much worth it for a bike you ride daily in this town.

fat2fit

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think I'm going to pick up some fenders for sure based on everyone's suggestions. My LBS recommended me some, but they're kinda narrow for my liking although they said up to a 40 tire.

AlmostTrick

Yes, fenders work. I really dislike the times I'm caught in the wet on a bike that doesn't have 'em.

I have a few bikes with Planet bike and SKS fenders. I've not had issues with either. The main factor for good results is buying the right width, and taking the time to do a meticulous install.

I also don't find I need (or like) long mud flaps. Maybe if I was riding in rain more often I would.

I especially like the look of the painted to match PB fenders on my Raleigh. I shortened the rear for looks, less weight, and because I often wheel the bike through my shop and garage on the rear wheel. (long fender would scrape the ground) I never have others on my tail in the rain to be concerned about spraying them.

FiftySix

Nice pick on the color.

What Raleigh model is that?

FiftySix

Same here. I'm a George Thorogood type of bike rider.

rumrunn6

count me in as a fender fan I have them on hybrids & a mountain bike. but not on my road bike which I will ride thru some light sprinkles but not for rain. I used to have hybrid that I roadified for commuting & kept the fenders on for fair weather joy rides too

the front mudflap keeps the MTB chain way cleaner





the front mudflap still allows a little splash on the bottom bracket but it keeps most of the the mud off the chain. & it's not from looking at it that I know. I know because w/o the mudflap mud will gunk up the chain so much that it sticks to the front chainring & binds up (aka chain suck) so I have to stop & wash the chain. w/o the mudflap the grunge guard gets splashed but my water bottle is always clean

AlmostTrick

Thanks. It's a 2015 Roper

subgrade

Agreed with the last sentence. And even if there is someone coming right after me, the spray is that persons problem, not mine; it's not obligatory to follow me so closely.

That said, the rear fender on your bike looks a bit too short for me. I have ridden a bike with a rear fender of approx. the same length, and at higher speeds some of the spray still did land on my back. I reckon the minimum length is such as to reach the imaginary vertical tangent of the rear wheel.

Skipjacks

I would have thought you customer pained that the way the fenders match. That is slick looking!

rumrunn6

what do you plan on riding thru?



don't forget "wake" meaning water doesn't just flow in line with the frame. it sprays sideways. plus if you turn the wheel a smidge the main spray with hit your shoes as well



mud flappery ...










if it's just line rain, no major puddles, maybe just get good shoes & a cap for your water bottle? I do envy road bikes with low front fenders & flaps that go even lower

AlmostTrick

I carefully calculated the length at install to avoid back spray. (eye ball and 3 foot steel ruler ) I've not noticed any road gunk on my high vis yellow jersey/jacket after a messy ride.

Thanks. It was done with Krylon Fusion, designed for coating plastic. They just happened to have an orange that worked well with the original finish on the frame. Stays were sanded (to rough the surface) and finished with flat black to match the spokes and the rest of the bike. Leaving them stainless / chrome would have looked out of place, I thought.

fietsbob

Super rugged is planet bike's grasshopper fenders ...