vol

Since I avoid riding in rain (except for drizzles) or dirty roads, I don't think fenders are that important to me. Fenders add weight, and sometimes cause rubbing the tires; also, it's hard to clean underneath the fenders without taking it apart. For this reason, I guess I'll pass any so-called urban/city commuter bikes that have fenders. How about you?

tjspiel

I have fenders and use them in the wetter and winter months. I take them off for the summer. It still rains of course but it's usually fast moving storms and the weather is warm so if I get wet it's not as big of a deal. I also change at work.

While I'm not particularly fond of fenders, they serve a purpose.

Sixty Fiver

Those puddles aren't always water.

Jus sayin'

CliffordK

Around here... we get wet winters and dry summers.... virtually no rain from mid-June to mid-September.... then the winter comes back.

I generally ride without fenders, although I think I will probably end up with a dedicated winter bike... shortly. I tried strap-on fenders last winter and never quite got them adjusted right, but I'll probably try outfitting it with fenders again next winter.

I still prefer skinny tire road bikes year around.

gregf83 

I like to have fenders when the road is wet which is most of the winter even if it's not raining. I use a cross bike with full fenders in the winter.

ShortLegCyclist

I run fenders all every bike I have that can take them.

My one road bike doesn't have the clearance to mount fenders and the folding Montague bike I have is just to weird of a frame to mount standard fenders.

I tried running without them and discovered the hard way that a streak of cold muddy water up your back makes for a miserable day. I'm sure the cleaning staff at the restaurant I sat down in that day for dinner would agree.

kickstart

5 out of 6 of my bikes have them. I ride for utility and recreation on all types of roads in all weather. Comfort and convenience are more important to me than whatever miniscule difference the weight may make, and prefer that my bike and I not get get covered in wet grit, and grime. They also make the difference between just getting damp rather than soaked in the rain.
I don't race or ride fast, and I don't need to advertize my perseverance, fenders simply best suit my environment and riding style.

Gresp15C

My main commuter has fenders. I would describe them as being less inconvenient than getting off my bike and putting on my rain gear when it's just a drizzle, or even when it's not raining but the streets are wet from recent rain. The problem of cleaning under them is solved by... not cleaning the bike. The only cleaning my bike really needs is any dirt that might get on my clothing.

On days when I'm reasonably assured of dry weather, I sometimes ride a more stripped-down bike for fun, and it is sans fenders.

Plus, they came with the bike and are painted the same color as the frame, so I have to keep them.

rhm

Delete. Sorry.

rhm

How do you avoid riding in the rain? I have no control over the weather. My choices are, shall I go to work, or not? A bike without fenders is a toy. My bikes are useful.

Wittyname

I have fenders on my commuter all the time, largely because rain is sneaky, I ride to work when a number of businesses are watering (yes, they water the road, no, I don't know why), and I'm too lazy to take them off

CrankyOne

All of our bikes except my Scott Addict road bike have fenders. So about 9:1 in favor. Can't imagine riding without.

AlmostTrick

My previous main commuter bike did not have fenders. The lightweight, "clean look" was important to me, and I had a backup bike with fenders for days I thought it would rain.

But I preferred riding the main bike, and therefore would sometimes end up getting caught in the rain with it... which is uncomfortably messy for both me and the bike. So I decided to break down and put fenders on my favorite bike and never regretted it. I can ride it any day and not worry about if it might rain.

When setting up my latest bike, the fenders went on right away. I think they look quite good...

Bill Kapaun

I have 2 bikes.
The grocery getter with rack & folding baskets has fenders year round.
I have fenders for my hybrid, but only mount them when I go on vacation AND the weather report is iffy. When on vacation, it's my sole means of transportation once I'm there.
I generally try to avoid rain, but it's near impossible to avoid wet streets during winter, unless I want to go hungry.

MZilliox

fenders can be sexy when you get them right. I'm not racing anyone so what do i care about weight?

New_IA_Rider

Absolutely. It isn't just the wet they protect against. The underside of my fenders are coated in mulberries & goose poop. That would be on me and all over my bike if not for the fenders.

We've had flooding all summer here, and right after I got my new bike, no fenders yet, I took it over the trails. They still had puddles with muddy riverbank ick. When I got home, my bike (and me) were covered in mud. There was mud in my wallet which was inside my jersey pocket. And this is with me slowing down to a crawl before approaching a puddle.

Fenders for me.

MZilliox

what fenders are these? love the bright color. looking to get a green or blue set for my wife's bike.

unillenium

One of my bikes has fenders and the other doesn't. And on the one that doesn't even with a relatively light rainfall the rear tire is kicking up so much water at your butt it will soak right through "water resistant" over pants (learned that one the hard way). Although those older rear racks that have the solid platform seem to do a decent job at playing fender for light rainfalls.

At the same time sometimes it's nice on a hot day to ride through a puddle somebodies lawn sprinkler left and feel the spray off your front tire on your face.

vatdim

I love my fenders, but I can understand some people's frustration with them.

When I was around 8-10 years old, my first bicycle had metal fenders. Since I was still learning how to steer and we had bike races, etc. with the other kids, falling off the bike was a frequent occurrence. These falls would often result in me getting a painful cut due to the fenders. I hated them back then and I didn't want to have anything to do with fenders at all throughout my teen years. As I was riding mostly MTB's in fair weather conditions, that wasn't really an issue.

However, once I grew up and started to use my bicycle for some actual commuting, I was quick to realize that heavy rain is something you can't always predict. Riding without fenders in the heavy rain or right after it, while the streets are still covered with a layer of water, is also one of the worse cycling experiences I've had. That's why I decided to give fenders a try. Although they can be fiddly to fit on bikes that don't come with them as standard, they offer huge benefits. Even in serious rain, I don't get soaking wet the way I used to before. My clothes are spared of the grime. Riding in the rain has actually become a pleasure.

BTW, these are some beautiful bikes, AlmostTrick and MZilliox. I truly believe fenders actually add to a bicycle's desirability, they don't take away from it.

vol

So do you thoroughly clean the fenders once in a while?

Sixty Fiver

Looks great.

Our summers here are typically made of endless blue skies during the day with evening thunderstorms but this has been a dry year with little rain... I caught 3-4 drops yesterday.

My primary commuter bikes have fenders as do my touring bikes, there has never been a problem with them getting out of line and some bikes just don't look complete until they have mudguards.

The road bikes and mountain bikes don't have fenders.

MZilliox

not really why? they sort of like being dirty

Walter S

I don't even clean the bicycle, much less the fenders. If I have time to mess with the bike then I'm going to ride. The important dirt washes off by itself. The rest adds character.

I-Like-To-Bike

Why would you be concerned about cleaning underneath fenders? Sounds a little OCD to me.

phughes

I wouldn't be without them, keeps me and the drivetrain clean.