EGBigelo

Hi everyone - It's still winter here in Western PA, but the roads have been dry lately. So I'm thinking about taking my Trek (Dual Sport 2, last years model) out to start getting in shape a little earlier this year. The roads are still cruddy and wet in spots, so I'm looking on Amazon for fenders. I've never had fenders before, and wonder what's the best for my scenario. I've seen plastic and metal, and some that go around most of the tire, and others that are just mud guards.

I'd like something that's easy to take off and put on as needed. My DS2 is running the stock tire sire, if that' makes a difference. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

DrIsotope

The absolute best "better than nothing" set of fenders is the PDW Sodapop. Put 'em on or take 'em off in less than a minute. Do they work as well as full fenders with all of the stays and whatnot? Certainly not. Are they fantabulous when it rained last night, the roads are still gunky, and you don't want a skunk stripe up the back of your jersey? Yessir. (there's also a pair in the Amazon Warehouse for about 19 bucks)

hokiefyd 

Similar to the PDW Sodapops, I have the SKS Velo 65 fenders on my bike. Like the PDW fenders, they can install only on the fork and brake bridges, and pop on and off without tools. What's nice, however, is you can also use a U-stay kit and mount them to the bike with a little more structure. Here's my bike with the Velo 65s, with a U-stay on the rear. I am adding one to the front as well, as I added a rubber flap to the bottom of the front fender, and the added weight makes the fender a little less stable than I'd prefer. I need to take a better picture of the complete setup, now that I have it more dialed-in.

IMG_20200103_110805831 by jnjadcock, on Flickr

DorkDisk

Aluminum fenders wrap the tire more and the rolled edges keep the water in, where plastic drips. The more the front fender comes down towards the rear, the less your shoe gets wet; the longer the rear fender extends towards the rear, the less you will spray the person behind you. Honjo and SKS make the best fenders I have seen.

rumrunn6

the past few months I've had 2nd thoughts about fenders. if you're not a "commuter" maybe you don't need the hassle & expense. you're gonna get a little wet, so what? just toss your clothes in the dryer & wipe down your bike

that said, I like plastic cuz they are forgiving


even with fenders you're gonna get a little wet & dirty




this Trek FX had
SKS FENDERS SKS F&R COMMUTER II B53 700x53mm SL



but when I thought I was selling it I removed the fenders. but then I started riding it again & put the rack back on. been riding it & not worrying about the occasional moisture situations (my road bike doesn't have fenders)


back to my 1st comment, are you really going to ride in a steady rain on dirt trails? if so, w/o fenders it's waay more messy, but how many times will you actually do that?


again I like plastic cuz it's forgiving & easy to cut/modify if necessary. my MTB has fenders. it's my only bike w/ fenders. I definitely take it out in poor weather on a regular basis

SKS Velo 65 Mountain 29 Bicycle Fenders - Pair

I like to have the stays on the front fender cuz I bang the bike around a lot. plastic works fine for me

subgrade

If you aren't commuting, the plastic clip-on versions should be enough for you. There are many options to choose from, the main differences being the mounts. Also, as mentioned before, some of the longer ones have an option to add U-stays for added rigidity. My SKS Velo 42 Urban have this option, but I don't have the stays and haven't gotten around to acquire them, although the fenders are rather long at 42mm width and thus can get quite wobbly over rougher terrain. However, I was thinking about getting solid full fenders for the winter season, like these, and leave the clip-on's for the occasional rain during spring/summer/autumn season - but the winter never came this year so far.

Actually, when commuting, the length of the front fender is of no less or probably even of more importance than the rear one. Wet an dirty feet aren't a pleasant thing. The back is fine if the rear fender reaches the vertical tangent of the rar wheel, but to keep feet dry, the front has to have a decent mudflap that reaches down low. It protects the chainring(s) and BB as well.

EGBigelo

Thanks for these suggestions everyone. I went with DrIsotope's suggestion and got the PDW Sodapop fenders. Unfortunately we got a decent amount of snow here so it's going to be a few days before I can try them out.

denada

my fenders are plastic with rubber flaps. they work perfect. they're not copy on, clip off. it'd tale a more than a minute to remove them. they encase a lot of the wheels.