daoswald

I have a Cannondale Quick CX 3 with 32mm Continental GP4 Season tires and a Tubus Cargo Evo rack. I would like to use the bike when the roads are wet but lack a set of fenders.

Characteristics I seek in a set of fenders:

• Accommodate my current 32mm tires, but possibly up to 38mm. My bike can take up to 40mm tires, but I doubt I'll ever go larger than 38s. If I must be limited to 35s when fenders are installed, that would be alright, I suppose. But accommodating up to 38 is best for me.
• Lightweight. The holy grail of cycling. I already have a rack on the bike, and the Quick CX3 isn't the lightest bike to begin with, but I hate making it worse by adding heavy fenders. If I lived on flat terrain it wouldn't matter but there are about 800 vertical feet in my 4 mile one-way commute, and longer rides can easily get to 3k feet.
• Sturdy. The antithesis of lightweight, I suppose. But I prefer not to have something flimsy that will start cracking a year down the road, or just generally looking like a disaster on wheels.
• Metal (maybe). I don't care for the look of plastic, but (unlike metal) I'm flexible on this issue.
• Full sized. I want full coverage.

I don't really care what they cost if they will last a few years. My bike has plenty of room to accommodate typical fenders, and does have fender mount points built into the frame and fork.

suncruiser

I can't tell by the stock images, does it have mounts up Front for a fender with it being a suspension fork?

suncruiser

pardon my last post, guess i got ahead of myself and didn't read all the way through. I'm running a set of Velo Orange hammered 45mm fenders on my vaya with 38s. It cuts a bit close (I think my lowest point of clearance is 1/8") but I'm also lazy and don't feel like re-adjusting if they work fine

They're not particularly heavy as far as I'm concerned, though weight isn't really one of my priorities on my bike. Seem Pretty sturdy and the leather anti rattle washers they provide with them made things super easy to set up and adjust.

seeker333

These would be nearly perfect; Al so no rust, up to 37mm tire and come in Noir finish so no shiny fenders to clash with all black components. You may need a fender flute or similar extension due to your bike's inordinately wide gap between fork crown and tire, although if you get fender too close to tire you risk tire rub / fender damage / crash / injury. Suspension fork and full fenders are not an ideal combination. If fork has compression lockout capability, then you should use it as long as fenders are mounted. You might consider a rigid fork substitute for ~$100.

https://velo-orange.com/collections/fenders

https://velo-orange.com/collections/...ather-mud-flap

https://velo-orange.com/collections/...s-fender-flute

These appear suitable too, but unlike VO fenders I have not tried them. PDW fenders include breakaway "safety tabs" similar to those included with many SKS fenders. They happen to fit VO fender stays and can be purchased separately, highly recommended for this specific application:

https://ridepdw.com/collections/fenders/products/full-metal-fenders-safety-tabs

daoswald

Thank you for the replies. I had not considered the Velo Orange before. They look nice.
I had looked into the PDW City fenders. They seem to be another great alternative. ...but at 2x the price of Velo Orange, which tips the scales toward VO unless there's some important feature missing.

seeker333

I want to reiterate the risk you take using fenders with a suspension fork. If the fork compresses and tire contacts fender, this could result in a crash and serious injury.

daoswald

Not a problem. The fenders attach to the in-motion portion of the fork, and under the in-motion portion of the fork's crown. In other words, the fenders move with the fork, and with the under side of the fork's lower crown. As long as the FRAME has clearance with the fork fully compressed (50mm max travel) everything is ok. The fenders move with the fork's hoop, along with the wheel and tire. The tire clearance never changes relative to the fender, and fender clearance never changes relative to the lower hoop. And the lower hoop can never meet the underside of the upper crown.

The fork used on this bike has fender mounts on the aft side, and a mount under the in-motion fork crown. It would be impossible for the top of the fender to contact the bottom of the upper crown, unless there were a catastrophic failure of the suspension hoop.

rumrunn6

some suspension forks have more room between the hoop & the tire, than others, but one doesn't always have to mount the fender under the hoop. for example I cut my fenders & mount the halves separately. btw does your hoop even have a hole in it for a fender bolt?

wombat_alex

Planet Bike Hardcore bike fenders - 700c x 45mm are for $30 on Amazon. The only downside I see is the "commuter yellow" color which is not of everybody's liking. It might go relatively well with green-ish bikes though. Bought a pair of these about a month ago but still debating whether I want fenders on my bike at all so can't speak to how they perform from personal experience.
If a fender is 45mm, I'd say max tire width is about 35mm. 37s might be OK but I wouldn't try because of increased risks of debris finding a way in and not finding a quick way out.