spock

I understand all the positives on having fenders, but does anyone find them to be a bit non-aerodynamic, especially the front one, or is the difference miniscule in your experience?

DoB

Considering the rack, two panniers, lights, water bottle and thickish 700c-32 tires I guess I cannot say that I think the fenders make much difference in the speed of my Bianchi San Jose. It weighs a good 40 pounds when ready to go (with lunch, clothes etc onboard) and I chug along at a steady 17 mph.

Removing the fenders might get that up to 17.1 mph.

dynaryder

If they won't,these will:
https://ecom1.planetbike.com/7015.html

CliftonGK1

For the minimal aerodynamic impact, you have to look at the trade-off in not having them:

Will the road grit that gets in your drivetrain cause an equivalent amount of mechanical resistance as the aerodynamic loss of having fenders?

Would the amount of water saturating your shins, feet, and up your back weigh more than having a pair of lightweight fenders?

etc.

I have full fenders/flaps and I leave my generator light on all the time. I'm not worried about aerodynamics and drag resistance.

harleyfrog

+1,000,000 I'm not riding the Tour de France, just the Tour de Work.

3bikes

Fenders came with my Globe City 6 and I really like them. They have two metal strips in the plastic fender that allow for electrical contact to the rear LED tail light.

It doesn't have to be a rainy winter day to appreciate them. In Los Angeles, lawns are wastefully drenched with sprinkler systems that over spray into streets and shop keepers spray down sidewalks each morning instead of sweeping. Even during the long dry LA summer, I am riding through puddles and on wet pavement each day.

The rear fender is made a bit short with a rubber extended lip, so the bike can be brought upright without digging the fender into the ground. Like that feature.

-3bikes

Sonoma76

My fender installation failed. I think I stripped the thread out of one of the front fork's eyelets.

I'm paying for it today during the first rain of the season. my saddlebags are a dirty mess, my water bottle is covered in dirt, mud and dirty water.

I will give a heart Atta Boy! to the guys at Nashbar though, whose rain jacket and rain pant combination kept me warm and dry.

CliftonGK1

If you don't want to re-tap the eyelet, then another option is to drill out the threading entirely, get a machine screw that fits through the threadless eyelet and an appropriate nylock nut. Put the screw through the eyelet from the inside to avoid any overhang toward the hub.

Randochap

Was there ever a question? It rains + brains = fenders

On edit: I did, however, feel ever so slightly naughty riding my naked Marinoni, on a cold and sunny 100k today

spock

Well, when you ride faster, the water coming off your tire changes its trajectory, so it misses your back.

Anyway, I love having them on when it's raining and I hate having them on when it's not.

weather channel= +/- fenders +/- 15 labor minutes = happy

spiker

the first time riding with the fenders late at night, no traffic, no noise, it took a minute or two to figure out that new sound i was hearing was a result of the air moving between the tire & the fender.

unterhausen

I just put fenders on my commuter. First bike with fenders since I was 12.

For the person above that stripped their eyelet, just go to Lowes, buy a 5mmx30mm long
bolts and nuts, and run the bolts from the inside of the dropout. I did this on my bike to accommodate my rack. For just fenders, I would install the bolt through the fender, put a nut on there, then a washer, then the fender stay, a washer, and then another nut. The locking nuts might be a good investment.

KrisPistofferson

I hit a massive stinky dogturd the other night and if it had not been for my front fender I know I would have gotten a face-full. It was a mess inside the fender, but certainly not as bad as it might have been.

mountaindave 

Zombie thread, rise!!

I went for a shop "gravel ride" last Wednesday and brought my usual, fendered ride. It started raining immediately after we left and did so for the first half of the 30 mile ride. The last part was to include gravel, but nobody was much interested - nobody had fenders. I was able to convince them that, because the rain had stopped, it wouldn't be bad. I had a few splashes on my shins and shoes, but I was otherwise unscathed by the mud... unlike my compatriots.

Vive le garde-boue!

qwaalodge

When you ride in rural gravel / paved roads, you might want some fenders because if it rained, that water / mud over the road may contain dissolved horse / cow / sheep / goat *****!

Ignorance is bliss!

Colorado Kid

I'm getting a Wabi Fixed Gear (Classic) that doesn't have anyway (That I know of.) of mounting fenders. There has to be a way to get them on but but how?

Germany_chris

P clamps

mountaindave 

Check out Speedez Fenders, they use straps to attach to stays and fork. I have used them to good effect on bikes without eyelets. Once fitters, they are fairly easy on/off so you don’t have to have them on all the time if you don’t need them. But be sure you have clearance for fenders in the first place.

8000jcp

I put SKS longboards on a 1992 hardrock. Took a picture of it before I put the fenders on and it looks naked and sparse without them. Fenders are like Mastercard on a commuter, don't leave home without them

couldwheels

On some parts of the city, there can be urine, puke, "garbage juice" from leaky bins, even poo from God knows where it came from.

And then it rains, all that nasties get mixed with rainwater on the road. Who'd want that on your pants? Definitely not me!

RidingMatthew

I agree I have an experience like that. In the 40°s and just rained or light rain and pleasant commute because of my fenders.

datlas 

Wow, my first Zombie thread!

chaadster

I’m a fender-lovin’ man.

dmark 

chaadster:
Sharp looking ride.

chaadster

Thanks!

I have to admit that since I sold my biz in ‘20, I’m not a commuter anymore, and this bike never was. This Breezer Doppler is versatile enough that it would have been great in that capacity, but it does gravel cruising and urban utility primarily, so the post is really just about the fenders!

I started commuting to school and work in the late ‘80s here in Michigan, so a fendered bike was a must and has been a staple of the stable ever since. I actually have 3 fixed-fender bikes, and 1 with removable fenders, so i’m all in on fenders. Praise due to fenders!