"SKS" Fenders??

[SilasTarr]

Greetings, my friends.

While researching and purchasing my gear for my first tour, I've come across a topic that's got me rather confused!

Everyone recommends (and I agree) that getting fenders for your front and rear tires is the way to go.  Beyond that, though, I don't know what to think!  I see a lot of people recommending "SKS" fenders, but I don't know what this means.  Is "SKS" a brand?  A style?  A model?  I've been unable to find anything in these forums or elsewhere online that points me in the right direction.  I figured out that "ATB" fenders are for "All Terrain Bikes," and I've realized that fender "sizes" are talking about the fender width in millimeters (mm), but that's about all I know.

I've got a Surly LHT with 26x1.5" wheels, so what type/brand/size/etc. of fenders would you all recommend for me?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[litespeed]

REI and Peter White Cycles sell SKS fenders. Here is a link to REI:
http://www.rei.com/search?query=SKS+fenders&button.x=43&button.y=15

[driftlessregion]

Lots of good fenders out there (Soma has great colors-one  matches my Waterford's blue perfectly). Planet Bike is another good one. The main thing is to get full coverage fenders not the quick-on shorties.

[happyriding]

SKS plastic fenders look like shite.  Get some nice aluminum fenders at VO:

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/fenders.html

Fenders should be roughly 10mm bigger than your tires.  The problem with fenders is that things can get jammed between the tire and the fender with catastrophic consequences.  So the more clearance the better.

I've been unable to find anything in these forums or elsewhere online that points me in the right direction.

The first hit on google for "SKS fenders" is the Universal Cyles web page, which shows pictures of all the different models of SKS fenders.  That is followed by links to Peter Whites website and the Rivendell website, both of which sell SKS fenders.  You couldn't find any information on "SKS fenders"? ??

[SilasTarr]

The first hit on google for "SKS fenders" is the Universal Cyles web page, which shows pictures of all the different models of SKS fenders.  That is followed by links to Peter Whites website and the Rivendell website, both of which sell SKS fenders.  You couldn't find any information on "SKS fenders"? ??

Oh, I didn't say I couldn't find anything about "SKS fenders;" on the contrary, I found SKS fenders everywhere I looked.  What I couldn't find was anything that told me what "SKS" was.  A brand?  Style?  Model?  I originally thought it was a specific type/size of bike fenders since the bike shop that sold me my Surly LHT recommended "SKS fenders" when I asked what kind of fenders would work on my bike.  I think I've now realized that "SKS" is a brand (still no idea what it means, though), and that they make just as many different kinds of fenders as any other company in the business.

Thus, I'm still at a loss for knowing what makes "SKS" fenders unique/special/good to see them recommended so often, and I'm still trying to figure out what size I should be looking for to fit my 26x1.5" wheels.

[tsteven4]

SKS is a German company:
http://www.sks-germany.com/index.php

They market their attachment system:

Function Secu -clip
The SECU-Clip is the smart problem solution for foreign parts
caught up by the tire, which sometimes lead to the blocking of
the front wheel in the past. In cases like this, the SECU-Clip
releases the stay and prevents possible crashes.

You will see their size recommendations here:
http://www.sks-germany.com/?l=en&a=product&r=mudguards&i=6409800121&CHROMOPLASTICS

It is desirable to have a fair amount of clearance between the outside circumference of the tire and the inside of the fender.  When mud/sand sticks to your tire it can get caught between the tire and the fender and make it hard to pedal.  Although others may disagree, in my experience this has never been dangerous, but it can make pedaling quite difficult!  Now a stick in the spokes is another story, that sounds downright dangerous, but even with SECU-Clip fenders a stick could cause a crash when it hit the fork, chain stays or seat stays.  The clearance is a function of your tire size and your frame, not much you can to about it after you have the frame.

Personally I have always used brands other than SKS.

[SilasTarr]

Personally I have always used brands other than SKS.

Yet you were the most helpful in answering just what an "SKS fender" is!  Thanks for providing links to the company's website.  I now feel that I can make an educated decision here.

Would you recommend a different brand of fenders?  Why or why not?

Thanks again!

[happyriding]

Oh, I didn't say I couldn't find anything about "SKS fenders;" on the contrary, I found SKS fenders everywhere I looked.  What I couldn't find was anything that told me what "SKS" was.  A brand?  Style?  Model?  

Bejesus.

I think I've now realized that "SKS" is a brand (still no idea what it means, though),

What does Mercedes Benz mean?

[BrianW]

I have SKS full-coverage fenders on several of my bikes, and have no complaints. They aren't as "sexy" as some of the fenders out there, but who really needs hammered metal fenders made by artisans in Japan, anyway? (Apparently people do, as they sell for premium prices.)

I've also used SKS "clip-on" style fenders in the past, with pretty good resutls, too. They definitely aren't as good as full-coverage fenders, but are much more convenient to use when packing up a bike for traveling, for example (we used them on our S&S tandem, and they make it much easier to fit the tandem in the S&S cases when compared with full fenders. In this case, I'm willing to give up some of the performance of the full-coverage fenders for ease of mounting/unmounting and overall packing size.

[paddleboy17]

Yet you were the most helpful in answering just what an "SKS fender" is!  Thanks for providing links to the company's website.  I now feel that I can make an educated decision here.

Would you recommend a different brand of fenders?  Why or why not?

Thanks again!

Fenders are not that complicated.  A polymer set, front and rears, is on the order of $50, regardless of who makes them.  And as has been implied, you can spend a lot more for aluminum or carbon fiber fenders.  Actually, aluminum fenders aren't too bad as I think they are $100 per set.  

For the record, when I built up my touring bike, I bought a set of Soma Fenders (http://www.somafab.com/eurotripfenders.html).  I bought them because they had a nice fluted look.  They do not appear to have fluted fenders anymore, but they do come in some pretty colors.

[happyriding]

A polymer set, front and rears, is on the order of $50, regardless of who makes them.  And as has been implied, you can spend a lot more for aluminum or carbon fiber fenders.  Actually, aluminum fenders aren't too bad as I think they are $100 per set.

Last spring, I bought these fluted aluminum fenders:

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/fenders/fender-sets/vo-polished-52mm-zeppelin-fenders-700c.html

in size 50mm (700c) on sale for something like $35, and regularly they are $55.

[eddiefromohio]

SilasTarr,

I am in the process of looking for fenders also for the same size tires- 26 inch x 1.5 inch.

The SKS Esge Fenders P55 (55 mm) would fit your tire. 

I have a question of my own for anybody to answer.  A lot of companies make fenders in size 45 mm and a size 60 mm.  Which one would be a better fit for 26 inch x 1.5 inch tires?

[happyriding]

1.5 in = 38mm

38mm + 10mm for clearance = 48mm minimum

However, often times tires are smaller than their listed size, so to get a more accurate minimum size, you could measure your tire with some metric calipers.

[ReCycledNE]

New to the board and I appreciate some of the guidance and experiences posted here.  I'm just getting into the touring style of riding an the posts here helped me out.  I just purchased a set of SKS fenders and I'll let you know how they worked out from a rookie perspective.

[ReCycledNE]

Okay fenders arrived in mail and just finished installation.  Now that they are on, I love the looks and style.  I have a black bike and these matching fenders almost blend in so well that you don't notice them.  I installed the P-45s and I use both 700cx28s and 32s for tires.  They also seemed to be very solid and high quality, once installed.  Before I got them on, I had some concern...

Now the bad:  The instructions were practically useless.  There was no parts list and SKS includes several "extra" nuts and bolts to accommodate various frame types and installation methods.  This is a nice thing but I still wish they provided a parts list and indicated this fact on the instructions.  Before installing, make sure you have a Drimal, bench grinder, or some other easy way to cut and trim pieces.  I had to take off between .5 and .75 of an inch from the mounting stays because they were too long.  A Drimal worked perfectly and I used a bench grinder to re-smooth the ends.

Lastly, There are lots of little parts to put together and line up in order to mount the fenders on the ends of the stays.  This was a royal P in the A, especially after getting them together, mounting them on the bike and realizing the stays were too long and needed to be cut down...build, tear apart, repeat...

At the end of the day, patience overcame a fairly difficult installation and adjusting process but now that I'm finished, it was worth it.  Hope this is helpful to someone out there.