Fender question

[T-Crush]

Given the price of gas, I've started thinking about a townie/commuter bike that I can ride 6 miles each way to the train station. It will need to be a lock and leave bike, so I'm going cheap/used/parts bin as much as possible.

My question is this: I've got an older road frame that would fit the bill, but it doesn't have fender eyelets. I live in so-cal, so I will make other plans if there is a threat of rain, but I will need some sort of fender to help keep the occassional gutter crossing off my backside. Will SKS raceblades do the trick, and are they likely to survive the unattended time in the rack?

Thanks in advance.

Tim

[goonster]

The raceblades will not keep you very dry. They are possibly better than nothing though, depending on how much water will run down the inside of the fender and onto your shoes and bb.

If you have clearance between tire and the bridges/crown, don't get raceblades. Use p-clamps and real fenders.

http://www.wallbike.com/accessories/jpgs/pclamps.jpg

edit: I'm a doof for not properly reading. Raceblades will probably keep occasional traces of SoCal moisture off your back. :beer:

[d_douglas]

If you have several bikes (and I think most of us do....) you might want to have a dedicated townie and mount old school full coverage nerd fenders (SKS makes great ones) When rpoperly mounted, they work VERY well, and any thief will need to take 10 minutes to get them off, as they are a bit of a hassle to install.

I know fenders look goofy, but for me, I have a strict one-fendered bike policy. I live in a rainy climate, so rain is a constant reality, not a relative rarity as in SoCal.

Just a thought.

PS P clamps will solve any problem. They aren't exactly pretty, but totally functional.

[Bob Ross]

I know fenders look goofy, but

Embrace the goofiness! I put full coverage fenders (the Esge/SKS ones) on my backup bike (a 1985 Bridgestone 600 lugged steel 6-speed, updated to Shimano 105 7-speed) and started bringing it to high-speed weekday training rides. It's such a gas to get those disparaging looks from all the team kit clad racers on their lightweight rigs when I roll up with fenders...and then to see those looks turn to incredulity when I drop them on the hills. I'm thinking of sporting fenders when I do my first CAT5 race just to fuk with people's minds.

[Oirad]

Embrace the goofiness! I put full coverage fenders (the Esge/SKS ones) on my backup bike (a 1985 Bridgestone 600 lugged steel 6-speed, updated to Shimano 105 7-speed) and started bringing it to high-speed weekday training rides. It's such a gas to get those disparaging looks from all the team kit clad racers on their lightweight rigs when I roll up with fenders...and then to see those looks turn to incredulity when I drop them on the hills. I'm thinking of sporting fenders when I do my first CAT5 race just to fuk with people's minds.

Fenders are the new black or new gray or whatever ... and they serve a good purpose too!

Oirad

[bfd]

If you want to be "fancy" with your fenders, at a reasonable price, check the new colored fenders from Soma:

http://www.somafab.com/eurotripfenders.html

I just put on a set of the ti colored fenders to match my new black with ti panel Paul Taylor bike. Sweet looking and at under $40 retail, a bargain!

[ewwhite]

Since Soma doesn't actually show real photos of the fenders on their site.... I recently installed a pair on a commuter bike I built for a friend...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2608626399_21c8b617b4.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2608633031_a21ec58600.jpg