This could end up saving you money by prolonging the life of your bike's components. Lastly, a set of fenders will keep other riders around you clean. Keeping this road spray out of yours and everyone else's vision is undoubtedly safer too. Bicycle fenders are not a one-size-fits-all accessory.
They not only differ depending on your riding discipline and bike type, some bikes may not be compatible with a set of fenders at all. Typically 15 - 20mm of clearance is all that is needed, however, it is worth double checking with the bike manufacturer to be sure. Bolt-on fenders are traditionally found on touring, commuter, vintage, cruisers, cyclocross, endurance road bikes and some lower-end mountain bikes.
These bikes will often have pre-drilled holes or eyelets for screwing the fenders in place. Bolt-on fenders are designed to be more permanent options which makes them a popular choice for those using their bike year-round regardless of the weather conditions. The main disadvantages of bolt-on fenders is that they will not fit a bike that lacks the necessary mounts and often greater frame clearance is required to fit them. If your bike is suitable, the key advantage of a bolt-on fender setup is how secure they are.
The longer length of these fenders means that they also offer the most coverage, often keeping your feet and legs dry and more importantly, deflecting water and grime away from your brakes and drivetrain. They are also typically lighter weight than permanent fenders, which is sure to please more performance orientated riders.
Most clip-on style fenders will have good coverage, ensuring they shield you from the worst of the spray, however full-length bolt-on options will typically offer more coverage. Clip-ons will typically attach to the front fork, seatpost, downtube or rear seatstay via zip ties or simple and removable rubber, plastic or velcro mounts. This means installation is relatively quick and usually tool-free.
This makes these fenders a sound option if you have multiple bikes you wish to alternate between or plan to ride fender-free whenever the weather is clear. Grime is often part and parcel of hitting the trails.
When riding in wet and muddy conditions, installing mudguards can add to the quality of your ride by keeping you dry and keeping debris out of your eyes. Mountain bike specific fenders will typically be more robust in construction to deal with the harsh terrain that riders cover when out riding.
In addition to mud, a mountain bike mudguard must be effective at deflecting rocks, sticks and everything else that comes with riding off road. A minimalistic front fender is a popular option for most riders these days.
Typically positioned under the crown or on the downtube, these fenders stay out of the way of your suspension and sit at a perfect position to keep your vision clear. It's more likely to be taken out when the roads are a bit moist or when the skies are a bit threatening. There's less dirty road spray, and no wet stripes up the cyclist's back. The bike and the rider stay much cleaner and much happier. And that includes the chain and sprockets, too.
This is important! After flat tires, the chain is the worst maintenance annoyance on a bike. But if you've got fenders, your front wheel throws much less dust and road soup on your chain.
Your chain needs less lubrication, it stays cleaner and it lasts longer. So why don't American bikes come with fenders, like sensible bikes in most of the world? It's an image thing! Americans buy rugged-looking SUVs to drive to the grocery. They buy tough- looking mountain bikes, or sophisticated-looking road racers, to pedal on an afternoon jaunt.
You've gotta look cool! And the cool off-road dudes and road racers don't use fenders, because they've got to shave every ounce! Well, maybe it's time to admit that we're not trekking across the outback, and we're not climbing the Pyrenees just behind Lance. We're using our bikes to get out, see the sights and get some exercise. If fenders allow us to worry less about the weather, we'll see more sights and get more exercise. We'll be in better shape when we do trek the outback, and Are there negatives about using fenders?
If you're worried about the extra weight, don't worry , you'll never notice it. Modern plastic fenders weigh only one pound - the same as your lightest sweater. But if you like, it's easy to put them on for the rain, and take them off to save weight, once they've been adjusted to your bike. I can do mine in just five minutes. How about some "shorty" fenders, for even less weight?
How about some "clip on" fenders that snap on with no tools? Unfortunately, these aren't nearly as good. To really keep you and your bike clean, it's best to go with traditional full-coverage fenders. In fact, it's even better to extend them a bit! Cut a mud flap out of a plastic bottle and bolt it to the bottom of your front fender. The next time you ride through a puddle, you'll see it shield your feet from an unwelcome shower.
Fenders - a classy European look, a clean bike, a longer-lasting chain, and the ability to handle wet roads without worries. What joy! OK, fenders can make it more pleasant when the weather gets uncooperatively wet.
The more it rains in your area, the more sense they make. But the weather gets uncooperatively dark each and every night! To handle that, you need lights. And these aren't optional, folks. You NEED lights! Yes, the Consumer Products Safety Commission has decided that bikes must come with reflectors. The good part is, uninformed cyclists riding in the dark with no lights may be seen because of the reflectors. The bad part is, most people seem to think that reflectors are all they need!
But all reflectors can do is reflect headlights back to the driver. Get it? If they break, bend, or get dirty, they won't even do that. If the driver has one headlight out, there's much less chance he'll see your bike. And there's no way the reflectors can let you see the hazards of the road, like potholes, slippery gravel, and foolish wrong-way cyclists who might run right into you!
After all, if someone is foolish enough to ride facing traffic, they're almost certainly not sharp enough to use a headlight! The solution? You need your own lights. In fact, that's the law in every state of the Union, and in every province in Canada. Bicycle racing specifically prohibits fairings, otherwise we might see similar fenders in the Tour de France ….
What about the added weight of the fenders? That is roughly the weight of half a bottle of water. Plastic fenders weigh more — they are more flexible, so they need heavier stays made from steel, whereas the stiffer Rene Herse fenders use lightweight aluminum stays.
Reasons not to Use Fenders. There were other reasons why I used to take my fenders off the bike every spring. The plastic fenders I used back then resonated on rough roads. They tended to rub on the tires.
The gaps around the tires were uneven, making the fenders look like an afterthought. And every few thousand miles, the rear fender broke and needed replacement. During the summer months, I wanted to enjoy a quiet, smooth and sleek-looking bike. And if that meant getting soaked during the occasional downpour, it seemed worth the trade-off. With a bike that is designed from the get-go for fenders, like the J. Weigle from the Concours de Machines above , those drawbacks no longer exist.
The metal fenders are stiff, so they are quiet. The bike is designed with sufficient clearances, so the tire never rubs on the fender. The fenders follow the outlines of the tires, so they enhance the appearance of the bike.
And since the fenders are securely mounted without stresses, they will last as long as the bike. And the whole bike weighs just 9. There are some conditions where bikes without fenders work better: deep mud and snow — the same conditions that call for knobby tires. For all other rides, I prefer a bike with fenders, because it gives me the option of heading out even when the weather forecast is uncertain.
Find out why wide tires can be fast, how to find a frame that optimizes your power output, and how to get a bike that handles like an extension of your body. More information is here. Jan Heine. We spent two full days in the wind tunnel. It is likely that a rear fenders acts like a front one: The front portion shields the tire, the rear adds a little drag, the result is probably slightly positive or neutral.
There is about 20 mm around the tire, except where the fenders are crimped to fit the chainstays and fork blades. Hi I think you have mentioned previously that you prefer riding out of the saddle on a bike without fenders?
Is that right? On a fast-paced ride where I sprint out of the saddle, I prefer a fender-less bike. When I am riding long distances, it makes little difference. Since , my wife and I have been doing rides in the Pyrenees, Alps, Dolomites, and Corsica, a total of nine rides, ranging from five to nine days. It always rains at least one day, no exceptions.
Other riders in our group all ride fenderless, and have been highly upset when it rains, even panic stricken, but my wife and I have remained comfortable and content. One very rainy day in the French Alps, my wife rode 40 miles in heavy rain on a bike with fenders and a mud flap. And that was without rain boots.
I need to get another lightweight pair, though, to block the wind during night-time mountain descents in sub-freezing weather. Your myth-busting is great! But of course all that was just my subjective opinion — until you began to bust these myths via real research and testing.
Properly mounted, plastic fenders can work as well as aluminum. The cheapest Planet Bike fenders are actually the best — they use a single set of steel stays that make them just as stiff as my aluminum fenders.
The only downside is that two pairs must be purchased, so a rear fender can be used on both ends to provide proper coverage. The major advantage of plastic fenders is that they can be easily cut, trimmed, and modified to fit most bikes.
My experience: I think it was one of those fenders that I had on a bike I borrowed once. I took off the front fender because it oscillated so much that it touched the tire when riding at high speeds.
It was raining, but I prefer to get wet over having an accident…. Plus, they look cluttered and the pointy ends of the stays tend to snag on things. The Planet Bike fenders I use have a single stay that wraps around the fender in one continuous loop, the same as any good aluminum fender. They function much better than the fenders you experienced. Came here to say this. Never had durability or noise problems with SKS even after years of abuse in city racks.
Plastic just bounces back even after rather severe whacks. They do not make long enough front fenders thou. I am glad your fenders work well for you! When I used SKS fenders, they lasted at most two winters. It seems that the faster you ride, the more they vibrate. And of course, every bike is different. On some, you can install them without inbuilt stresses, and they last a long time. One more situation where bike fenders generally suck is when you have to disassemble your bike for transport.
You raise an interesting point. Cyfac presented a bike at the Concours de Machines with carbon fenders that came off without tools. Below is my Mule, which disassembles the same way. Probably not. Easy to check — if the bare frame fits in the box with a little room to spare, then it will work. The neat thing about Rinko is that the bike is reduced to the size of the frame, yet there is only very little disassembly necessary.
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