Originally Posted by BucksFanPedalin

Let me clarify I've got nothing against fenders in and of themselves. I have two single-speed Surly Cross Checks (it's a long story) - one is a commuter build for the smoothly paved bike path to my office, with North Road bars and black fenders that I think look sharp on that bike which is also a somewhat dignified grey color. The other is a less standard pea-soup green and more of an urban warrior build for the primarily awful streets of my hometown and some light off-road riding, with flat bars, fatter tires - it has no fenders, which I feel would be out of place on that bike, even though I'm often cursing the stripe up my back after I ride it. Fenders are on my mind right now because what attracted me to this thread is I've recently pulled the trigger on a Roadini frame from my phenomenal bike shop which happens to be one of the very few Rivendell dealers, and I'm debating the build and in particular whether I'm going to fender it. It will be the first geared road bike of my adult riding years...my knees are starting to ask for more than one speed. I'm not trying to be a racer or anything but I want this to be my fast bike relative to the others, at least in concept. I feel like fenders might not fit with the spirit. Again, though, stripes up my back. My Roadini will be the grey-silver, and for some reason I think fenders look more in place on a bike with that kind of more muted color. Your orange Roadini, to me, looks like it wants to burst out of the garage and roam free. "Don't put fenders on me! Don't make me an office bike!" Maybe I'm nuts though. Probably.