fenders....fairly lame question.

[wayne wayne]

what percentage of people on longer tours use fenders do you folks think? if so, is there an industry standard?

thanks.

[johnsondasw]

In my experience, most people on longer tours use fenders.  They tell me they keep them quite a bit drier.  However, I've never used them. I don't want the extra hassle, weight  (which is quite minimal), etc.  And if it's wet, I guess I'm just willing to get a little wetter than I would if I carried fenders.  Like most issues in touring, I think it's a matter of preference.

[paddleboy17]

During a rain storm, my criterium bike seems to deliver a stream of water at the crack of my tush.  It is most unpleasant, but I will put up with it on a day ride.

There is a time and a place for a zippy fast bike, but I like fenders on a touring bike.  There aren't that many vendors, and the product seem pretty similar.  Plastic is $50, and aluminum is $100.  I can't afford carbon fiber.

Buy what you like, I don't think it is that big of a deal.

[don quixote]

Check out this article by the late Sheldon Brown: http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/fenders.pdf  I use SKS fenders.

[tonythomson]

Hi I always use fenders - it's not so much the getting wet for me but muck that the tyres throw up off the road and getting things clean is sometimes a problem when camping.  So my vote is to keep the mud and muck off me as much as possible.

[cdevens]

I just leave them on the bike all the time.  Even on exercise rides I carry at least one pannier so the extra drag the fenders create just isn't that big of a deal for me. 
I commute by bike and the fenders keep me from having to ring out my clothes when I get to work.  With that said I hate the rattling noises, and I must have added 50 lbs of zipties to quite them down.

Fenders, they sure do look sexy, all the ladies stop and stair
then point and laugh
but whatch ya gonna do
at least I'm dryish

[ridebc2]

I used to remove my fenders in the summer but have left them on.  They keep the bike a lot cleaner and don't really get in the way. One issue that hasn't been talked about is fenders help keep the trailing rider clean and dry also. Living in the PNW we get a lot of rain and fenders with "mud flap" extensions are a must in the rainy season helping reduce the "rooster tail" off the back tire.   The extensions are a must with many cycling clubs and can be made a lot of different materials.

[driftlessregion]

Bolt-on fenders always for tours. Clip-on if it looks like rain for a non-touring ride, to keep my Brooks saddle safe from getting wet from the underside.

[sjp5107]

Fenders are lovely for a touring bike/commuter. If it is pouring, then yes, not much point but if the ground is wet or a lighter rain, fenders are a lifesaver. They keep your feet dry and a lot of road grime out of your bottom bracket and crank. A nice choice is Planet Bike Freddy Fenders, They mount securly and have quite a bit of adjustment in them and cost about $30.

[bogiesan]

On some recumbents, the front tire creates a fierce spray that comes right into the face. It's not just unpleasant, it's dangerously intense and one risks eye damage or ingestion of lots of crud. Touring isn't much different than commuting. The distance changes, but the bike is outfitted about the same.

I run a front fender all the time but the rear comes off for summer. Protecting my recumbent and my back/butt from road spray is a pleasant result of running fenders and the presence of the fenders offers a bike-favorable psychological boost on those mornings when the weather suggests I might want to drive.

david boise ID

[Tourista829]

A lame question deserves a lame answer. I am not sure anyone could give you an accurate answer. Maybe ACO should poll it's members. Looking at the loaded bicycle touring gallery of some 315 bicycles, close to 70% of that group had fenders. A majority of mountain bikes and older touring bikes did not. If you are riding, on a tour, you will encounter rain. Ride for a week in constant rain, without fenders and your next tour you will ride with fenders and even a mudguard. The problem with fenders, if you want to ride a certain size tire, or move up to a wider tire you may not be able to. Fenders usually force you to have to go down a size. If you are in the market for a new bike, make sure that you purchase a bike with more than enough clearance. In Europe most of the manufactures offer fenders or mudguards. I do not understand why, in America, most manufactures of touring bikes do not.