My love/hate relationship with fenders

[rugbysecondrow]

How can I love something so much, but hate it also?

I love the convenience of fenders, the freedom to ride in nastier conditions, to keep sand and road debris off my chain and my person, and I think they really make the bike pop too.

I hate having to baby my bike, be concerned with bumping it while out lest I knock them out of alignment, that I have to listen to additional pings, pangs and other noises and think about when/if my fender is going to start rubbing, that I have to be concerned with traveling with it on a hitch mount or in the car, that they hit steps, curbs etc.

Anyway, I am just bitching. I think I need to get rid of the VO fenders and go for some solid two bolt style or some solid Berthouds. I will keep riding with fenders, but I think this love hate relationship will just have to endure.

Thanks for listening.

[bicycletricycle]

sks fenders are the easiest fenders to own

[bironi]

Berthouds :beer:

[pavel]

honjo :)

[dhoff]

Set out yesterday on a sunny day 200k at 6AM. Was eyeballing my fenders like they were the enemy, catching the wind, holding me back, but at noon, when I heard the first clap of thunder, a few things happened. I hit the switch on my hub generated lights, and I smiled at the fenders. I too, love/hate them, sometimes only moments apart.

The Berthouds are tough enough that I dont really have to baby them and they dont ever do that terrible thing, shaking back and forth, looking like something isn't built right, something loose.

I have thought of going to a wider fender and if I do that it will be the hammered honjo's.

[sg8357]

honjo :)

Honjos installed with Berthoud hardware.

[zap]

I love not having fenders.

Fenders are so so so umm, un-rugby like.

[michael white]

SKS or nothing. Not even willing to discuss it.

[oldpotatoe]

SKS or nothing. Not even willing to discuss it.

You just did. I'll need fenders this winter, the SKS raceblades work well enough. I don't have enough clearance for even carbon fenders on the Moots, my wet weather bike. It isn't wet enough around here for fenders all the time.

[rugbysecondrow]

I love not having fenders.

Fenders are so so so umm, un-rugby like.

During the summer I don't mind not having them which is why I took them off. When the temp drops, then I can enjoy my ride a little longer with them.

One of the things I have noticed ia that with two little kids, I need to fit in rides/fitness whenever I can. I don't have the luxury of waiting for dry days, warm days. Cool days, daylight, big blocks of time etc...I just need to fit it in.

Funny, the only fenders nobody has recommended are the ones I own, telling. :). I am might have to check out the SKS fenders, they are cheaper and easy to setup. Berthoud might me good as well, sturdy.

Ahhhhhh, my love hate shall continue a while longer.

[d_douglas]

I love fenders and need to have them on one bike. Can you buy good coverage snap on/snap off fenders for 28mm tires?

I use SKS and they are great, but I would love to have a set that could mount in 2 minutes. Any recommendations?

[Bob Ross]

I love SKS full-coverage fenders. I hate SKS RaceBlades.

And I agree w/ pretty much everything in the OP


...except for this:
I think they really make the bike pop too.




...unless that's a typo and you meant to write "poop"?

[xeladragon]

If your bike doesn't have fender eyelets, and you're OK with not having full-coverage, then SKS Race Blades are great. I love that I can put them on and take them on in less than 5 minutes. I recently bought some Planet Bike Cascadia fenders for my wife's road bike... what a PITA. I put them up for sale on Craigslist a week later.

[roguedog]

Love my sks race blades not so much the mounted fenders on my commuter so feel ya there.

Saw this vid from NAHBS. Love this bike built by Shamrock Cycles. I'm really liking his vision and execution on his bikes.

Anyway, here's some eye candy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y48idpnkltY&feature=player_embedded

[russ46]

I use Crud Products Road Racer 2 (rear fender only) on a Concours w/25 tires. Put it on in the winter & haven't taken it off. I suppose not super cool this time of year, but I've found it helps on dirt roads & I was dryer than everyone else at the end last Sunday's group ride when we were caught by a storm in the NW corner of CT.

[Frankwurst]

I don't own a bike without them and won't buy a bike that won't fit'em. :beer:

[Germany_chris]

I have no love hate, just love..all my bikes have a set (though not always mounted) even the Legend...

[Andrewlcox]

I love fenders and need to have them on one bike. Can you buy good coverage snap on/snap off fenders for 28mm tires?

I use SKS and they are great, but I would love to have a set that could mount in 2 minutes. Any recommendations?

I have some Trek / Bontrager fenders
http://store.trekbikes.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1201&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=1201&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C15%2C411%2C414&bShopOnline=1
that has a QR style mount that stays on the bike at the brake mount and then you simply slip in the fender and lock it down. How does 10 seconds sound. I use the fenders for oil and rockchip roads in the summer heat and they work great.

Andy

[buck-50]

I've had berthoud, VO and Honjo fenders.

So far, honjos have been the best bet.

Berthoud Stainless steel were heavy and tweaked out of shape easily- it seemed like it didn't take much for them to start rubbing my tires.

VO were OK. No real problems. Hardware was solid.

Honjo has been fantastic- super light, easy to manipulate- if they get tweaked out of shape they bend right back. Hardware has been very solid, coverage is amazing- almost no need for a mudflap in the front.

[NateM]

I mounted a set of these on my Calfee w/AlphaQ GS10 fork and 24mm Veloflex Roubaix tires.A really tight fit but nice if you have the clearance.They rub a bit under hard acceleration and cobbles but have been effective this summer with the thundershowers.

[palincss]

Set out yesterday on a sunny day 200k at 6AM. Was eyeballing my fenders like they were the enemy, catching the wind, holding me back, but at noon, when I heard the first clap of thunder...


And yet, UCI bans fenders because of concerns about unfair aerodynamic advantage. Odd...

[palincss]

I love not having fenders.

Fenders are so so so umm, un-rugby like.

There's nothing like fenders on a ride through Amish country like the Covered Bridge Metric in Lancaster PA (last Sunday) when it rains and the horse dung-covered roads get wet and the road spray hoses riders and bikes down with a dilute solution of horse sh1t and road grime. I really enjoyed my Honjos on Sunday!

[palincss]

Funny, the only fenders nobody has recommended are the ones I own, telling. :).

You began the discussion by saying you wanted to change to something else. Why would anyone recommend the VO's in that case?

Actually, your problem isn't with the VO fenders, or even with the VO fender stays. It's with the single drawbolt attachment. Have you considered getting some more drawbolts and drilling 2 holes, filling the existing hole with a nut and bolt and maybe covering it with a decal? That would give you a more secure, rattle-free mount at far less cost than a set of new fenders. You could do the same thing with a set of Berthoud fender stays - in fact, the flat part of the Berthoud stay might even cover the existing hole.

[cyclebencycling]

Cavendish trains with fenders on in the winter. I do not think they are slowing him down or too much of a bother to do away with.

[Bob Loblaw]

I have had great luck with planet bike fenders. They rattle over bumps but don't rub and are lightweight.

BL

[NHAero]

Love Planet Bike Cascadia, have 'em on two bikes. Haven't noticed noise, getting out of alignment, worry about bumping them, etc. Ride a lot on washboarded dirt roads so they get plenty of vibration.

I have had great luck with planet bike fenders. They rattle over bumps but don't rub and are lightweight.

BL

[Dekonick]

I love not having fenders.

Fenders are so so so umm, un-rugby like.

Hehe - Paul rode with Avalon' for the first time a few weeks ago... it was classic Paul. He was riding a beautiful Bedford S&S, and wearing sandals :) Sandals with cleats, but sandals:)

What is perfect about the outfit is it was clearly the perfect 'kit' for an after ride coffee (or beer!) on Main Street Ellicott City... unfortunately, weather intervened.

Soon we should try again!

[rugbysecondrow]

Hehe - Paul rode with Avalon' for the first time a few weeks ago... it was classic Paul. He was riding a beautiful Bedford S&S, and wearing sandals :) Sandals with cleats, but sandals:)

What is perfect about the outfit is it was clearly the perfect 'kit' for an after ride coffee (or beer!) on Main Street Ellicott City... unfortunately, weather intervened.

Soon we should try again!
:beer: Of course!

[COYO1]

NateM, those fenders are awesome. Well done. BTW, what kind of calipers are those??

[NateM]

ZeroGravity