Originally Posted by
Colorado Kid
But what about the rear? How many have a Mud Flap back there? I understand why but who does that?
Like one poster said, it's to prevent spray from spraying up and into the rider behind you is you ride in group. The problem is, I see people riding in groups in the rain around where I live with NO fenders...but those are road bikes and it's so uncool to have fenders on a road bike!
All I know is that I haven't noticed anything unusual from my rear spray with the Topeak Defender fenders I use, as I mentioned in an earlier post.
Keep in mind, the wider the tire the more spray there will be, but my fenders were originally installed when I had 45c tires on the bike, I now use 38c tires and I haven't had a chance to test the fenders and spray in the rain yet. but most wider tires like those have more of a tread pattern than a smooth road tire will have, and those treads do kick up more road spray.
But fenders are very much needed to keep dirty road spray from making a rooster trail up your backside. Even a smooth tire road bike will do that, you have to decide if that bothers you, they do make a very lightweight fender for the back tire of a road bike called an Ass Saver, very effective for preventing the rooster tail and for keeping your saddle bag from getting soaked, not effective at keeping spray off of close followers, or off your frame and components. With an Ass Saver a mud flap is completely useless and will do nothing, a mud flap is only good for full fenders, but again you have to figure out if you need that sort of protection so as not to bother those behind you with road spray.
I don't use an Ass Saver on my road bike...yet, I do plan on buying one though, they are cheap.