Why fenders bike

So, pretty cut and dried, bicycle fenders do actually have a purpose, which is to catch the water spraying off of a tire. So, another term for a bicycle fender would be a mudguard. Just like a car, something like that. If there's water on the ground, your tire rolls through it, that water is going to spray off of the tire, a lot of times up onto the back of the rider.

So, for people riding in very wet areas, Seattle comes to mind, the UK perhaps, where it rains a lot, there's gonna be water on the ground frequently. Now if you don't think you're ever gonna be riding when there are puddles, wouldn't be an issue, but if you're gonna be out riding a lot you'd think it's gonna be hard for you to avoid water on the ground, I would advise using some kind of fender.

Now, fenders have kind of evolved. I think they started as sort of a purposeful element, to protect from the spray up of the water, but in the cruiser market, in particular, cruiser comfort, some hybrid, like our EVRYjourney, Ride in the Parks, the fenders have become this design element.

So, on mountain bikes they're not quite as pretty, they're more there strictly sticking out of the back to protect from the water splash up. They don't have as pretty, elegant of a look as on the bikes that we do here at sixthreezero. A lot of times, they're color matched to the frames, things like that. Fenders also protect the rider and the frame from dirt, dust, sand, etc. I remember reading UCI rules from the past that fenders were banned as they were an aerodynamic advantage.

I grabbed these, which I had made during the days when fade paintjobs were still fashionable. I am glad they amused you! Do you think that the shallow profile of the Berthouds contributes to the lack of coverage? Taking into account the limits of the clearances in a road bike, bx42 has proven to be the perfect wheel size for a randonneur bike.

Yes, the domed shape keeps more water inside, but width is as important. Your last test showed that light rims might actually be better in the bigger diameter. Agreed — with carbon rims, disc brakes and lightweight tires, C is a better choice up to 44 mm — except for the difficulty to fit the big wheels into a frame that also accepts fenders. And if you are running discs anyhow and no fenders , why not go to 48 mm — at which point B is better to keep the handling nimble.

They come with a cutout where the the chain otherwise rub the fender. The terrain where that bike is ridden roads that may devolve into a rough neglected trail pose increased hazards to the fender in the way of crashing or debris caught in the fender.

One hates to wreck Honjo fenders. I wont lose any sleep if I wreck the SKS fenders but so far it hasnt happened. Also, my biggest problem with SKS fenders is the sliding bracket that mounts to the seatstay bridge. Always loosens and breaks.

If there is a threaded boss perpendicular to the tire as there should be! If a tyre rotates 50 cm the bike moves 50 cm in the same time no? It may work best to look at the wheel as a lever. The bottom of the tire touches the ground.

The top of the tire is at twice the distance from the ground compared to the hub, so it rotates at twice the speed. To visualize this more, think about rubbing your tire to clear off debris. You are moving, yet the tire moves under your hand. Good thing I live in California and get away with not needing fenders most of the time. The solution is not something you can retrofit — you need about 20 mm of clearance between tire and fender. Only small stones stick to the tire enough to go up into the fender — if the clearance is enough, then they will go through without you ever noticing.

These days, I hear the scraping sounds once every few hundred miles. My bike has 17 mm clearance, but the fender stay eyebolts take up mm of that. Sure would like to see a stay design that only has a low profile, rounded screw head as internal mounting. So you gain a few millimeters. We also sell the eyebolts separately. The alternative is to use a set of Berthoud stays and rivet them to the fender. It seems that the biggest issue is at the top of the tire, not so much on the shoulders.

That is one more reason to use two eyebolts to attach the fender stays the other being that this makes for a stiffer connection, which prevents the fender from vibrating or breaking. Zip ties can be used on some fenders to attach fender to frame. I did that when I misplaced the mounting hardware.

In particular, there are some bikes where the chainstay bridge is positioned such that a fender will interfere with the front derailleur if it is bolted to the bridge. Never attach the fender to the fork crown with a zip tie! They are fine for lighting wires and other non-stressed parts that you just want to hold in place.

The tire clearance was really tight too. Racers probably wanted to save weight, so fenders got associated with slow commuter bikes? I know when I raced, fenders were considered heavy and not cool. I believe the short fenders were intended to protect the headset from grit that was thrown up by the front wheel, not for aerodynamics….

I guess you could also use button headed nuts on the outside, might look a bit neater! The second is using R-clips instead of eyebolts.

You can slide one or two up the stays and use them as the mounting on the fender, as above, small button head screw from the inside and bolt on the outside. The second option is a bit cheaper as R-clips are chap, you can use your existing stays, and probably re-use the existing holes too.

I shortened the screws and filed down stainless steel nuts for the inside. For the other screws I replaced the Allen screws with normal bolts changing to stainless steel at the same time and filed their heads to 2. When it comes to selling a product, everything comes down to the end cost.

Adding fenders to bikes may not add to the value of a bike, but do add cost. So you have read through the article, understand the pros and cons and are now asking yourself if you really should add fenders to your bike.

I think you should add fenders onto your bike, if you fall into the group of people that plan on ever riding your bike in the rain, or in the mud. Not having mud on yourself, and on important parts of your bike far outweigh any downsides that I can think of. On the other hand, if you are the group that has to transport their bike inside of cars and remove the front wheel on a daily basis, fenders just may not be for you.

You have decided you want to add fenders to your bike! Now how do you move forward? Lets see. From my research you want to make sure your fender is wider than your tire by up to 12mm. This is a personal preference. Upsides of plastic are that they are inexpensive and lightweight. However metal fenders are going to look nicer, and last longer.

There are a few things to take into account before making a purchase of bicycle fenders. This guide was created to help you get started when selecting which bicycle fenders are best for you. Mounting a quality set of bicycle fenders, also known as mudguards, to your bike will have a number of benefits. For most, reducing the amount of water, mud, and grime that sprays up into your face, all over your bike and your backside is enough to warrant their use.

In reducing the amount of grime sprayed onto your bike, fenders carry the added benefit of reducing the amount of grit that can work into your bikes' moving components when riding in wet conditions.

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.