mtn.cyclist

Here is my mt. bike to touring set up so far. I want to install fenders but can't decide what format to use. I will be touring on surfaces ranging from smooth bike path to remote single track. I like the look and function of full "road" type fenders but I worry about the possibility mud clearance issues. What do you recommend? Thanks!

irwin7638

You might look at SKS Velo 55 or 65 fenders. They come in 4 sizes and don't require stays on the front forks or the chainstays. They may work well. I put some on my Hunq and they provide both great clearance and good coverage.

fietsbob

https://www.cyclofiend.com/working/20...clark1008.html

suspension fork was factory modified to accept both racks and mudguards. mudguard strut is bolted to the rack

the rack is mounted on bolts threaded in to the Fork.

Drill press will be better than a hand held drillmotor.

you may get away with just threading the lower casting behind where the front axle is ..

but not cutting into the spring cavity .. then using the arch over the wheel to mount the top of the mudguard.

if there is a hole there?



Steel rigid forks on all my other, bikes I fitted with mudguards..


(No camera, since that one failed)






....

wahoonc

I use the Planet Bike Hardcore Fenders I haven't had a chance to ride them in really sloppy off road conditions yet, but think they will do fine. As a general rule I prefer full fenders on most of my bikes.

Aaron

xilios

I would also recomend an extension to the front mudguard. Ever since I've installed them on our bikes we rarerly have to clean the chains.

It's just a rectangle piece of semi stiff plastic held by a small screw. We've had them for several year and has worked great.

jabantik00

rigid fisher mtb with xtracycle and planet bike fenders. occasionally a rock gets sucked up into the fenders and makes a bad scraping noise but it eventually is ejected. i haven't had much experience with mud but i guess that it would behave similarly

MassiveD

jbphilly

I had Planet Bike Hardcore fenders on my Surly Troll for a while, but found I didn't like them when riding off-road - they just seemed to get in the way, and get bashed around too much (once requiring a creative in-the-field repair) when I wiped out. I'd put them back on if I were doing a lengthy on-road tour with the bike, but for riding trails like you plan on doing, I prefer going without them.

However, they are a great deal and a good product so if you really want fenders I could recommend them.

tarwheel 

Here are some photos of my bikes with Planet Bike Cascadia fenders. I don't have a mountain bike so these shots may or may not be useful to you, but I have been satisfied with the Cascadias. They were easy to install, have built-in mudflaps, and don't make a lot of noise. They are plastic but I consider that a plus because they are lighter than metal fenders and won't dent. They are available in a range of sizes, including 26" wheels.

bikenh

Ok like everything else...I don't follow the crowd. Here my fenders. I got the idea off the web and that was maybe a week or two from now last year. Hence the perfect timing for coming up with the idea. I waited around until Wednesday, November 5th(if I remember the date correctly) and I went out in the evening and went scavenging for election signs that hadn't been taken down yet(NH laws says they have to remove within 24 hours after the election is over or the candidate will be fined...I helped a few people not have to cough up any money). They work great and only the front one rubs occasionally against the tire. Their is a piece of straight chloroplast I have wire tied to the seat tube, you can see the wire ties in the first photo and you can barely notice the piece in the photo as well.

RaleighSport

Only fenders currently in my fleet...

(unless you count certain bikes in storage)

mtn.cyclist

I failed to mention in the original post....I have no eyelets of any kind for mounting!

tarwheel 

If you don't have eyelets on your frame, you might want to consider SKS Raceblades, which are quick-release (Planet Bike has a similar fender). They come in 700c and 26" sizes as well as black and silver. Although they don't provide as good coverage as full fenders, they have the advantage of being easily attachable and detachable. SKS also has started selling a Raceblade Long version with longer length. I've had some Raceblades for years and they are certainly better than nothing and perhaps the best option for bikes with no eyelets and/or limited clearance for regular fenders. Sorry, but I have no photos of the Raceblades attached to my bikes because I usually remove them as soon as they are no longer needed.

bikenh

My Specialized Allez Comp doesn't have eyelets either, hence one or many reason I use a backpack instead rack and panniers. Hence also why I use coroplast(spelled wrong before big time) homemade fenders. I was trying to redesign the idea but never got around to finishing it off. I want to have them so they Velcro on and off so I pop off the front wheel and Velcro it right in place and put the wheel back on. That would also help to keep the brakes clean. I had the front brake seize up on me last winter...just got the brand new bike in March last year. The rear brake is pretty much toast also but I never use the rear brake so I haven't bothered to replace it.

mdilthey

Fenders are for people who are afraid of getting dirty.

wahoonc

Or people that would rather spend time riding rather than repairing or cleaning...

Aaron

mdilthey

I think it's a case of coming up with a crisis where there is none. I've done three tours and about 4,000 miles with no fenders on my bike. A quick rinse after I get into camp is all I do, and I can hear when my chain needs more lube.

Everyone puts fenders on, and fiddles with them for ages, and replaces them when they break, and buys new sets when they wear out. How many people actually try taking them off and going without them?

Even with full-coverage fenders, I still got sandy and dirty in a rainstorm. So did the bike. Now, I just accept it and plan accordingly, and I can't think of a single deleterious effect.

wahoonc

I ride my bikes in all weather, fenders go a long ways towards keeping the chain, bottom bracket, brakes, pedals, headset and me clean and minimize maintenance. FWIW I also use chain guards and chain cases In nearly 40 years of riding I can only recall having to replace one fender, and that one got broken while the bike was on a car rack. I do have a couple of bikes without fenders, but those are the exception rather than rule. One is an MTB that gets used for aggressive trail riding, the other a go fast road bike.

Aaron

mdilthey

To each their own! Just don't confuse your practice with the rule... my stainless steel cables and chain eat winter weather and spit it out in the spring.

MichiganMnmlst

Here are mine. They are from Woody's


https://i.imgur.com/UcsdNli.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Lpb2eJ2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yWWMGfr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iLwq9Yt.jpg

mtn.cyclist

Fenders are about more then being afraid to get dirty and it seems pretentious of you to suggest that. Being filthy and wet during a long bike tour is hard on bodies and equipment. I don't consider dry feet and a clean chain to be only for people who aren't as strong as you but a smart way to tour. I ride in the mountains where conditions can be extreme. Fenders are a necessity not some kind of light weight luxury.

mdilthey

I ride in the Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont winter. I ride in torrential rain. I ride on the coast of the Atlantic. I ride in Canada. I ride on muddy trails and logging roads and campground paths and I put down thousands of miles a year. I still don't use fenders and haven't done excessive maintenance. The fact that you consider them a necessity means I'm either insanely lucky, or you're wrong about them being crucial to the survival of your drivetrain.

Your attitude seems to be exactly why I posted the alternative mindset. "I use them, so they must be essential." How much riding have you ACTUALLY done without them? Did you burn through chainrings and cranks and downtubes by the dozen before fenders saved you? Unlikely. You put them on because the hivemind told you to, and the lack of maintenance self-fulfilled your decision.

What I have done is broken two sets of fenders through rough roads and impossible attachment mechanisms. No thanks! I'm reformed.

Come on in, the water's fine.

mdilthey

This is unrelated, and meant for the OP:

mtn.cyclist, your bike is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. I love it.

MassiveD

Gotcha, some of us don't get into a camp. I guess it's pretty sweet when you are doing your apres cycle thing in your jamies. I prefer to stay clean and not predetermine the facilities I have to stay at.

That's wackaddodle. I made my fenders but they were secured with standard off-the rack fittings, that I modified slightly. I put them on, adjusted them only slightly for harsh conditions, like first time on mud. Never touch them and they are fine. Your inability to make them work tells us little about them.

As far as trying without, duh. The whole bike scene since the 700s started with people taking the fenders off their bikes to make them more like racing bikes. We all have plenty of bikes that don't have fenders, it is harder to find fenders in NA than the reverse, We also know that in wet climates people tend to prefer them. There is nothing new about touring without them, it is well known they are less needed on touring bikes to the extent that most of us have paniers, racks and clothing that provide some of the protection of fenders. Fenders are just better.

There aren't any problems at touring speeds with fenders either. I get perfect catchment with fenders and would like to try some that are 1" wide. I think part of the reason for that may be slick tires don't just throw crud everywhere.

mdilthey

I had a hard time reading this, but I'm assuming you're implying that since I don't have fenders, I can't camp. Rather than just tell you you're wrong, and that I've NEVER used a hotel, I would actually wonder if you yourself are used to getting hotels every time you get dirty. I wouldn't suggest primitive camping if it bothers you like that.

They're just better for you. Just because you like them doesn't make them the rule. There's a good reason there's no fenders on your road bike; nothing slows a bike down more than wind resistance with the exception of maybe tires. On a downhill stretch, your fenders are likely costing you several miles per hour in cruising speed. I would hazard an educated guess and say that I've likely gotten 300 extra "free" miles out of my tours just from decreased resistance alone. Couple that with a decrease in weight, a decrease in time spent fiddling... It's worth it.

You say you don't need to make adjustments, but even you admit you need to fix them in mud. They're not maintenance-free. Ever accidentally hit a branch with plastic fenders on?

This entire thread is amusing. You'd think I just denounced Brooks saddles.