Baytree

This is super obvious to most people, but fenders keep you dry.

I've never been able to afford fenders for my bike before. Finally installed a set recently (SKS Chromoplastics), and today was the first serious rainy day I've commuted since. Normally I'll be soggy and striped by the end, but today I was only a little damp and COMPLETELY CLEAN. The price seemed high upfront, but they're worth every penny even after only one ride.

Matariki

They also keep the road grit and grime from coating your bike.

chefisaac

I LOVE FENDERS! I have them on my commuter bike and soon on the touring bike once thats built. Thought about pulling the trigger on fenders for the sporty road bike. We will see.

-=(8)=-

I finally found a set of pink ones that match the color of my bike on E-Bay, and bought them last night
After fridays sleet ride, cardboard and duct tape just weren't working for me any more . . .

KonAaron Snake 

I can do without fenders for the most part. I'm getting wet if it's raining regardless and I don't think they make much difference - not enough to justify the PITA factor anyway. I like the protection of the DT, but that can be addressed by using unpainted ti for gravel/winter/rain. It's nice to have some fendered bikes if you have multiple, but if I only had one or two, I wouldn't bother. They can be nice for aesthetics.

DocsDad

Good to hear. My LBS has had my fenders on back order for a few weeks. UGH. I'd go elsewhere if I didn't have a gift card to use and since I don't need anything else from the LBS... I wait.

Pics?

dynodonn 

I have Planet Bike Cascadia fenders on both my commuter bikes, they definitely keep the foul weather grit and grime accumulation down to a manageable level.

Having fenders on a bike seems to be uncommon in my locale, since I have gotten numerous comments about them over the years.

lostarchitect 

It's true that you'll still get wet when it's raining, but I avoid riding in the actual rain anyway. Where they are a value to me is when the road is wet after it rains. Not to mention the crap they keep off your bike.

Monster Pete

I've ridden through countless deep puddles that resulted in a torrent of water pouring out of my fenders. Without them I would have been very wet. Not counting the time I took a puddle in a turn, with the wheel at just the right angle to direct all the water into my shoe...

mikeybikes

Fenders are important, and the bigger the better. Mud flaps are great too, especially on the front one.

seafood

While you still get wet in the rain, you don't get as much water on you and you don't get the nasty road grime with it on your clothes and cargo. Same goes for your bike. Anyone riding in the areas and times of year to encounter road salt has to be concerned with what all that stuff does to your bike. I'm lazy and I appreciate not having my bike filling up with all the rust-inducing road debris without my wiping it down after every ride.

Bluish Green

For commuters, who ride every day rather than just when the weather is nice, fenders are a logical and extremely helpful choice.

I just got a second bike last month, a "Commuter 3" from Jamis. It is designed specifically to be marketed toward bicycle commuters. It has paint-matched fenders and paint-matched rear rack as standard, included equipment. It also has the 7-speed internal rear hub standard. I love it so far, it is my perfect commuting machine. Because they included the fenders, etc., it has been pretty perfect right from the get-go, just add lights and roll. I hope that becomes a trend - manufacturers designing great commuting bikes specifically for that purpose. Of course, everybody has different preferences, and you can successfully commute on any bike if it works for you.

DVC45

Crud fenders is what you need.


https://www.amazon.com/Crud-Products-...d+bike+fenders

Jseis 

Here in the coastal PNW, if I waited for nice weather..wouldn't be riding. Fenders significantly reduce the road and trail grit...much of which has salt, off of bike. Still means washing down the bike after a ride though. I spray clean bike with pledge to make it easier to clean.

wolfchild

All of my 3 bikes have full fenders. I can't imagine riding without them especially during winter time. I don't care too much about getting wet, because I still get wet when it rains, getting wet with clean rain water is OK ..but the best part about fenders is that they keep all the road grime, muddy water, dirt, salty slush away from my clothing. If I didn't have fenders my clothes would of been destroyed from all the salt spray... It's just too bad that so many people think of fenders as being a PITA, or because they think it looks dorky and they don't want to spoil the look of their bike.

RGNY

my go-to commuter has fenders. makes even moderately heavy rain rides no big deal. SKS Longboards.

droy45

I installed the Planet Bike Cascadias earlier this winter because the road slush and road salt spray was so extreme I couldn't keep my chain and bottom bracket area clean. They are especially good to keep your feet dry and the spray from the front wheel off of them. I don't know how I rode without them before now. I thought they would make my bike look somewhat "freddie" but no, they just installed so cleanly and close to the tire that is actually made my bike look classy and luxurious. I love them.

KonAaron Snake 

I ride to work 5 days a week, all year. I don't drive. I commute in rain, snow...etc. I find fenders mostly worthless. There's a better solution to salt - it's called titanium. The grime is a slight benefit, but with fenders I have to get the grime off of them, and I think it channels water to the rim, tires and hubs. There's still grime and I still clean my bikes. I know some like them - I'm not one of them. If I go through water deep enough for fenders to help much, my pants are still getting soaked. I find the best protection is to slow down as I go through. You folks are entitled to your opinion - but my opinion is not as a Sunday rider from April to October. I ride through snow and slush and if it's that ugly, I use rain paints.

zacster

I just installed my very old Bluemel fenders onto my commuter bike, or at least the rear one. We shall see. I'm not much of a rainy day rider, but I've been caught in a few on the way home from work. These were 27" fenders that I put onto my 26" MTB, they seem to fit, except for the chain stay bridge clip. It is way too small for the fat bridge on my Trek 7000. I'll drill a hole in the clip and attach it there with a bolt. The bridge has a hole for one already. Maybe I'll check to see if it is threaded.

For the front I need a longer brake bolt. I have cantis on it so it didn't have a bolt, and the one I bought is still too short. The only other problem I have is that the front mudflap has bent itself into an unusable shape from sitting in a closet for 20 years. I'll see if soaking it in hot water will straighten it.

And, the proper size for dropout eyelets is 5Mx.8 not 10-32, as I found out.

bro

are there any fenders that are like, quick release? like something that doesnt need tools and can be removed in less than a minute

i know if they do exist they wouldnt work as well as full fenders and might look weird but im open to it if anyone knows about any

pfletch

And when they crack(plastic) you can repair with duct-tape. Black on black....most folks will never notice.

clasher

I love fenders and I've commuted a few winters with them... an old VO style, 52mm wide. The only time it's a pain is riding in deep fresh snow, but that's still kind of a pain without fenders too. I get a chance to leave my bicycle in a garage so it dries out, I think that helps with the ease of maintenance... they're aluminum and stainless so there's not a huge worry of corrosion. Cracks in metal fenders can be repaired with foil tape or gorilla tape and painted if you care that much (might as well just buy new fenders if you're paying for paint). I enjoy the spring tear down anyway so whatever. I also wear tall riding boots so the wet feet and cuffs aren't a problem... kind of a good idea either way I think.

KonAaron Snake 

Fenders need to be adjusted and tightened down. They can interfere with rack use - they certainly made putting on low riders more time consuming. They limit tire size options. They can get rub when the tire isn't true or when they creep. They add weight. They decrease space between wheel and dt so that you can't get he wheel over some racks. They can collect snow and mud.

It's reasonable to decide the negatives don't outweigh the positives, but there ARE negatives.

Personally, I'd rather use rain pants and a ti frame. I lie fenders on some bikes, but it's more aesthetics than any actual advantage.

CliftonGK1

I have fenders on my commuter and distance bikes because it rains for 9 months out of the year. Commute 30 miles a day for near-record-breaking 27 day stretch of rain, or ride a 300k in the rain and they start to seem like a wise investment.

I have some crud blockers on my CX bike for training rides, but they're just clip on dealies that I can remove easily for race days.
I want to get a short front-guard for my enduro bike because it will keep down the amount of muck getting thrown up at my face on super muddy descents.

rsacilotto

I have SKS Chromoplastic with Planet Bike Cascadia mud flaps - I had to use screws to attach the flaps, the snap-on system didn't work. Very satisfied with the result.