Fenders on the Commuter
#1
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I ride a Giant Rincon MTB everyday to work, and decided that I should add fenders in the front and back as it is starting to get sloppy and rainy, and being a rook to the commuting world I have a few questions.
Both the front and rear fenders are mounted to posts, the rear fender is mounted to the seat post and works GREAT, but the front fender offers little to no protection from water, mud and other road crud.
I have this fender by Headland but I still get water kicked up in my face and on my jacket. I have it mounted as high on the tube as possible but the water seems to be getting kicked off the top of the wheel. Any ideas, other than going to a full front and back fender, which I suppose I could bring myself to do.
Both the front and rear fenders are mounted to posts, the rear fender is mounted to the seat post and works GREAT, but the front fender offers little to no protection from water, mud and other road crud.
I have this fender by Headland but I still get water kicked up in my face and on my jacket. I have it mounted as high on the tube as possible but the water seems to be getting kicked off the top of the wheel. Any ideas, other than going to a full front and back fender, which I suppose I could bring myself to do.
Last edited by Special K; 12-01-04 at 01:48 PM.
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That's not a fender, that's more of a frame mounted mud flap. Remember to have a fender extend down and forward far enough on the front wheel that the water coming off the side doesn't splash over to your shoes and that the water being thrown back out at the top of the tire going forward doesn't end up being blown back into your face.
Also I don't like seat post mounted fenders, they always find a way to get misaligned.
Go to nashbar for examples of real fenders. https://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?c...it=y&pagename=
The first pic below is probably what you're trying to avoid. What about something like the 2nd pic?
Also I don't like seat post mounted fenders, they always find a way to get misaligned.
Go to nashbar for examples of real fenders. https://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?c...it=y&pagename=
The first pic below is probably what you're trying to avoid. What about something like the 2nd pic?
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Good information. How do I know if I can mount a fender on the fork. I looked where it would mount and all I see is a big hole, about an inch in diameter.
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I have Planet Bike Freddy Fenders on my commuting only MTB (hard to ride off road with these babies on there!) and they are great in the rain. To keep the rain off, the fenders should be as close as possible to the tires. My front fork crown wasn't drilled for a fender bolt, I just cable tied it on, works great!
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The fenders in picture 1 are also the ones that happen to actually work. The rear fender will keep crud from getting into the front derailleur, which is something a seatpost fender won't accomplish.
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Originally Posted by Special K
Good information. How do I know if I can mount a fender on the fork. I looked where it would mount and all I see is a big hole, about an inch in diameter.
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I used the SKS shockboard front fender on my hardtail. It's like the 2nd pic in slvoid's post. They mount using a star-fangled nut in the bottom of your steerer tube, which (I think) is included with the fender. The fender is low enough to keep most road crud from hitting you, but not your feet and drivetrain. What I did is drill a few holes near the bottom of the fender to attach a flap made of semi-rigid plastic (e.g. 4L milk jug, 2L coke bottle, etc).
But if you're serious about fenders, rigid fork is the way to go. With shocks you have to keep the fender a few inches away, which drastically decreases their effectiveness. I have a rigid fork on my MTB commuter now and it's great. Lighter, zero-maintenance, cheaper. Might even make your bike less appealing to thieves. I don't even notice a difference in ride quality (don't see many logs or drops while commuting).
But if you're serious about fenders, rigid fork is the way to go. With shocks you have to keep the fender a few inches away, which drastically decreases their effectiveness. I have a rigid fork on my MTB commuter now and it's great. Lighter, zero-maintenance, cheaper. Might even make your bike less appealing to thieves. I don't even notice a difference in ride quality (don't see many logs or drops while commuting).
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Zip ties are useful for attatching fenders. Can you zip a proper fender to the cross-piece of the fork, so it remains a constant distance from the tyre?
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Originally Posted by MichaelW
Zip ties are useful for attatching fenders. Can you zip a proper fender to the cross-piece of the fork, so it remains a constant distance from the tyre?
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Also make sure you buy UV resistant outdoor zip ties. I've had non-uv resistant ones wither away and die after a couple of months of continuous use outside.
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What if I sing in the rain even without full fenders? Do I still need them? </sarcasm>
Just to present my dissenting view, I don't much care for fenders on bikes, including commuters. I will occasionally use a flinger-type fender for the rear wheel when it's cold and raining, but not when it's just cold, and not when it's just raining.
Just to present my dissenting view, I don't much care for fenders on bikes, including commuters. I will occasionally use a flinger-type fender for the rear wheel when it's cold and raining, but not when it's just cold, and not when it's just raining.