wrote:
I got a funny look the other day for having a traditional set of
fenders on my bicycle...

Worrying about people's "funny looks" leads to a very dull, unpleasant
life!

On Jun 26, 9:52 pm, "David L. Johnson"
wrote:

Well, most fenders are pretty much garbage. The constraints of a bike
fender design, very light weight, close tolerances between frame, brake,
and wheel, and limited mounting options give you a fender that either
breaks from fatigue soon after it's installed (I have one of those), or
which rubs against the wheel half the time, or which does not do the job
for which it is designed.

???

Since about 1977 (when I started commuting by bike) I've had fenders
on my bike whenever I thought it might rain. Since about 2000, I just
leave them on all the time. I've had none of the problems David
describes.

I think I've broken three, maybe four fenders over the 31 years. That
includes on my mountain bike (the only one to ever swallow a stick).
The front fender that came with my Cannondale touring bike (Esge
Chromoplast) cracked after about ten years, because of the way I was
forced to flex it when I carried my bike on a roof rack. Its
replacement has been perfect.

Mounting takes only moderate mechanical skill, but details can be
finicky. Just take the time to get them right. Remember it's
possible to trim them or (in some cases) warm the plastic to re-shape
them if necessary. I prefer to use blue Loctite on the mounting
screws, unless I'm doing a sort of quick-release configuration. It's
usually a good idea to add a front mud flap - say, cut from a milk jug
and bolted in place. This keeps your feet much dryer.

On top of that, most recreational cyclists do not ride in the rain,
anyway, and those are the ones that actually buy equipment.

It's true that if you are more into just biking for play, plus trading
parts to match Buycycling's "gotta have" list each month, you're not
likely to bother with fenders. I'm not so much into fashion; I'm more
into practicality. YMMV.

Most commuters use 20-year-old bikes.

Oh, and that relates to David's comment about "The constraints of a
bike fender design, very light weight, close tolerances between frame,
brake, and wheel, and limited mounting options..."

Fashionable racer bikes are built to reduce every gram of mass, and to
pretend to be aerodynamic. Those, and other elements of fashion,
forbid attaching threaded bosses to mount fenders (2 grams each!!!) or
leaving enough space between the tire and frame or brakes for anything
but a $50 bill. (You could test it with a $1, but that ain't
stylin'!)

Before "playing Lance" was fashionable, bikes had more clearance for
fenders. They were more practical. Commuters (and tourists) prefer
that practicality. Hence the older bikes. But again, YMMV.

See http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Practic...yofFenders.htm

- Frank Krygowski