I'm all for fenders. I went to the cyclocross state championships this last weekend. It was a mud pit. In fact, most won their heats by jumping off and running, slipping and crawling to the finish with their bikes slung over their shoulders.
I thought to myself, I WANT TO RIDE IN THE MUD, maybe not competitively, but it looked like a blast.
I live in Portland. Fenders allow someone to commute year round and not have a stripe up their back.
Even the Italian racers....most had eyelets on their drop-outs. Why?? So they could train in the winter too.
Go team fenders.
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"Leave the gun. Take the Colnagos."