Rear Rack as Fender?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 485
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Rear Rack as Fender?
How well will rear racks with solid platforms function as a fender for rainy day rides?
Thank you.
Thank you.
#2
Car-free in the South
Mine works, but only barely enough to prevent the skunk stripe. You will still get grime allllllll over your drive train, and your feet will still be soaked. To me, fenders need to do more than protect my back. The front fender has always made the most difference in comfort to me.
#4
Car-free in the South
#5
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 44,814
Bikes: everywhere
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12759 Post(s)
Liked 7,672 Times
in
4,070 Posts
Mine's not quite long enough to be an effective fender so I bolted on a rectangular piece of aluminum that extends about 7" aft of the end of the rack. Just beyond the vertical tangent of my rear wheel.
#6
Commander, UFO Bike
On my older bikes, my rear racks (various brands) were not enough to prevent me getting a little grimy. So, I added a fender to prevent that. The added benefit was that my front derailleurs didn't get packed with dirt.
On my newest bike (GF 2011 Trek Montare), however, I had to cut away bits on the Planet Bike Freddy Fender to get it to work w/the derailleur and Planet Bike Eco Rack. My clothes still stay clean, but my components, not so much. I probably could have spent more on a rack that would have had an adjustable height preventing that, but I couldn't find one that would hold my U lock in the slot w/o having to be locked in place.
On my newest bike (GF 2011 Trek Montare), however, I had to cut away bits on the Planet Bike Freddy Fender to get it to work w/the derailleur and Planet Bike Eco Rack. My clothes still stay clean, but my components, not so much. I probably could have spent more on a rack that would have had an adjustable height preventing that, but I couldn't find one that would hold my U lock in the slot w/o having to be locked in place.
Last edited by K'Tesh; 09-18-11 at 09:37 AM.
#7
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 44,814
Bikes: everywhere
Mentioned: 71 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12759 Post(s)
Liked 7,672 Times
in
4,070 Posts
Found a pic of my add-on. The rack ends where the top portion of my bags end. The material I used was from a trashed sign it's actually a plastic core with aluminum veneer on both sides.
DSCN2024 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr
DSCN2024 by Lester Of Puppets, on Flickr
#8
Senior Member
While we are at this, can anyone recommend an idea how to put a full rear fender on mine?
' might be a hopeless case, but I'd ask anyway.
' might be a hopeless case, but I'd ask anyway.
#9
Banned
Front spray, coming back at you favors a long full mudguard,
I'd get a good pair of rain pants , for your Minimal mud guard concession.
With a cycling, rain cape ,, I need full mudguards , then I'm good to go..
I'd get a good pair of rain pants , for your Minimal mud guard concession.
With a cycling, rain cape ,, I need full mudguards , then I'm good to go..
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 485
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#11
Thunder Whisperer
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NE OK
Posts: 8,843
Bikes: '06 Kona Smoke
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 275 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
2 Posts
Couldn't you use p-clamps to create eyelets?
__________________
Community guidelines
Community guidelines
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 485
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#13
Randomhead
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,394
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,693 Times
in
2,515 Posts
Last edited by unterhausen; 09-18-11 at 01:24 PM.
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 485
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Noobie question: If you're riding a dedicated bad weather bike on paved roads/MUP on rainy days when you'll be dressed in rain shell and rain pants and shoe covers, are fenders really needed at all?
#15
always rides with luggage
I do the same thing as Lester on both a MTB frame and a CX frame. In both cases, the combo of rear fender and rack created a mess of metal at the back of the bike that rattled too much for my taste and looked awkward. In addition, the CX frame was missing the bridge between the chainstays, so I would have been a little short on places to mount a fender down there.
__________________
--Ben
2006 Trek SU100, 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX, 2011 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, and a Bakfiets
Previously: 2000 Trek 4500 (2000-2003), 2003 Novara Randonee (2003-2006), 2003 Giant Rainier (2003-2008), 2005 Xootr Swift (2005-2007), 2007 Nashbar 1x9 (2007-2011), 2011 Windsor Shetland (2011-2014), 2008 Citizen Folder (2015)
Non-Bike hardware: MX Linux / BunsenLabs Linux / Raspbian / Mac OS 10.6 / Android 7
--Ben
2006 Trek SU100, 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX, 2011 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, and a Bakfiets
Previously: 2000 Trek 4500 (2000-2003), 2003 Novara Randonee (2003-2006), 2003 Giant Rainier (2003-2008), 2005 Xootr Swift (2005-2007), 2007 Nashbar 1x9 (2007-2011), 2011 Windsor Shetland (2011-2014), 2008 Citizen Folder (2015)
Non-Bike hardware: MX Linux / BunsenLabs Linux / Raspbian / Mac OS 10.6 / Android 7
#16
always rides with luggage
Fenders will ensure that most of the water is coming down from above and not from all directions, thus increasing the effectiveness of the selected rain clothes.
__________________
--Ben
2006 Trek SU100, 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX, 2011 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, and a Bakfiets
Previously: 2000 Trek 4500 (2000-2003), 2003 Novara Randonee (2003-2006), 2003 Giant Rainier (2003-2008), 2005 Xootr Swift (2005-2007), 2007 Nashbar 1x9 (2007-2011), 2011 Windsor Shetland (2011-2014), 2008 Citizen Folder (2015)
Non-Bike hardware: MX Linux / BunsenLabs Linux / Raspbian / Mac OS 10.6 / Android 7
--Ben
2006 Trek SU100, 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX, 2011 Motobecane Fantom Cross Uno, and a Bakfiets
Previously: 2000 Trek 4500 (2000-2003), 2003 Novara Randonee (2003-2006), 2003 Giant Rainier (2003-2008), 2005 Xootr Swift (2005-2007), 2007 Nashbar 1x9 (2007-2011), 2011 Windsor Shetland (2011-2014), 2008 Citizen Folder (2015)
Non-Bike hardware: MX Linux / BunsenLabs Linux / Raspbian / Mac OS 10.6 / Android 7
#17
Banned
Riv nuts re how you can add bosses to aluminum frames, to bolt stuff on.
as P clips are a way to add bolts to hold something onto a small diameter tube.
as P clips are a way to add bolts to hold something onto a small diameter tube.
#18
Senior Member
see if you can put a water bottle mount on the seat tube near the derailleur. Minoura and Zefal are two companies that make them. This appears to be the ultimate guide in mounting water bottles when there are no mounts, lots of ideas there
#19
Senior Member
That's not to say that you need fenders. They are made to deal with the exact situation that a bad weather bike would encounter, so it makes a lot of sense to have them, but if you have a compelling reason to go without, there's no reason why you can't.
#20
Senior Member
Raingear will help keep you dry, and more importantly, warm.
Fenders will help keep you and your drivetrain dry, and more importantly, cleaner in rain, snow, mud or if it is just wet, and even helps in dry, dusty conditions if riding offroad.
Fenders will help keep you and your drivetrain dry, and more importantly, cleaner in rain, snow, mud or if it is just wet, and even helps in dry, dusty conditions if riding offroad.
#21
Pedaled too far.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: La Petite Roche
Posts: 12,851
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
7 Posts
When I lived in the desert, my rear fender was a copy of the entertainment weekly paper jammed into my Pletcher rack. It worked fine, but then again, we might go 15 months without rain.
Since moving to Arkansas, I quickly adopted some Planet Bike fenders.
Since moving to Arkansas, I quickly adopted some Planet Bike fenders.
__________________
"He who serves all, best serves himself" Jack London
#22
Senior Member
For one of my winter bikes, I put some plastic house siding under and extending past the back of the rear rack. I put another 2-3" wide strip on the back of the seat tube, narrowing down by the front derailieur. It works good on the spray and does not clog up with slush and snow.
#23
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 485
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I just saw in another thread that Planet Bike makes a fender called SpeedEZ that can be fitted onto bikes without eyelets. It appears they attach at the forks and seat stays with rubber straps. Who knew? I'm going to ask our LBS to see if they think they'll work on my MTB.
#24
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Madison, WI
Posts: 31
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I wish I had a pic of this, but in Coralville, IA, I spotted a Pugsley with a Rollof 14 hub sporting a chunk of driftwood jammed under the rack, acting as a fender. If you can rock it, anything goes.
#25
Senior Member
IMHO, the best method of keeping relatively dry in wet conditions is a set of full fenders. The type that wrap around the tire and have mud flaps. A rack with a platform will protect some but not fully.