# Fender recommendations?



## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

I'm compiling parts for my new touring frame and would like some nice fenders. My bike will be used mainly for commuting on decent roads, and I don't ride that much in the rain. I'll probably be running 700 x 25 or 28 tires nearly all of the time (unless I decide to do some touring). My only real requirements for the fenders are that they be: silver colored, relatively easy to mount and remove, and not too heavy.

Some of the options I'm considering are:
-- SKS - Esge composites.
-- Berthoud composites (sold by Peter White), made by SKS but lighter aluminum stays.
-- Planet Bike Cascade or similar models, plastic.
-- Velo-Orange house brand aluminum.
-- Soma house brand composite.

My main questions are:
What size fenders should I be getting if I plan to run 700 x 28 tires with max size 32 if I do some occasional touring?
Do I need something like the leather washers sold by Velo-Orange to keep them from rattling? Could I just use rubber/plastic washers from the hardware store instead?
Any advantages/disadvantages to aluminum vs. composite/plastic fenders?
Are stainless steel fenders worth considering even though they are heavier? It's very hilly where I live and weight is a factor. 

Thanks for any input.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

overlap (35 fenders for 32 or smaller tires) is not a bad thing. metal fenders can get dinged, plastic can get scratched... none a big deal unless you are really anal about looks. never have needed washers for rattles w/ planet bike fenders, which are a pretty good deal imo (not the best, but fenders are a somewhat disposable item when you really or depending on how you think about it)




.


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## irotsap (Mar 31, 2008)

I have SKS Bluemels 42 mm on my bike. Manufacturer says those are suitable for 25 - 35 mm tyre. My regular tires are Schwalbe Marathon Plus 622-25 and those fenders work fine with those tires. My winter tires are Schwalbe Marathon Winter 622-35 and they work fine with those too, but I had to push connecting part to the maximum position. This way the connecting part between support shaft (stay?) and fender itself is not so close to the tyre. Last winter I had SKS Bluemels 45 mm and those are for 28 - 35 mm tires. I had no problems with those fenders and winter tires, but rear fender went broken last summer, after 2500 km (1500 miles). Those 42 mm fenders look much better with 25 mm tires. I have Tektro CR 720 cantilever brakes on my Surly Cross-Check and there is plenty of room for fenders; as there is with Avid 4 shorty cantilever brakes.

I have steel washers (DIN 125) and no noise problems from those. With winter tires there were noise problems before that connecting part adjusting. Especially in looking over my shoulder and releasing other hand from the bar and simultanelysly driving on rough surface, like badly ploved road.

I would go with 42 mm fenders, they looks better than wider
There is no need for leather washers.
Plastic/composite is lighter (and maybe not so durable). Aluminium is heavier but almost bullet-proof. Stainless steel looks great and is durable than aluminium. Heavier they are too.


-irotsap-


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

IME, tire size is ultimately determined by frame/fork clearance. On my Soma Smoothie ES, a SKS fender mounted flat against the unicrown fork would only clear a beefy 25mm. I tried a 28mm but any amount of mud or debris would scrape the fender. The rear could have taken a 32mm with fender. My normal Hawaii commute setup was 28 rear, 25 front. My current commuter is a Gunnar Crosshairs with narrow planet bike fenders and 25mm tires. With different fenders it could handle 32's.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

_My main questions are:
What size fenders should I be getting if I plan to run 700 x 28 tires with max size 32 if I do some occasional touring?_

most folks say 10-12 mm bigger - so 32s would fit best under 42s. They will fit under 38s but it is tight and the second your wheel goes out of true, you've got some seriously annoying tire rub.(I know this from personal experience.) 

_Do I need something like the leather washers sold by Velo-Orange to keep them from rattling? Could I just use rubber/plastic washers from the hardware store instead?_

I'm using stainless steel lock washers with no problem, but rubber will corrode over time. Leather lasts close to forever. 

_Any advantages/disadvantages to aluminum vs. composite/plastic fenders?_

Aluminum fenders look better, but they can dent. So far, I've had no problem with denting on my VO house-brand aluminum fenders, and they handle salt and snow pretty well.

_Are stainless steel fenders worth considering even though they are heavier? It's very hilly where I live and weight is a factor._

I've got a set of SS berthoud fenders on my Rivendell- they're f'ing bulletproof. They are heavy, but honestly, that's not the extra weight isn't what's slowing me down on hills. THe SS fenders are just about impossible to bend or dent- they were pretty tough to drill out when I installed a set of mudflaps.


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

Make sure your frame has clearance first, then choose which fenders.

I used SKS fenders on an old conversion commuter for 6 years before they started to crack/look horrible and I wasn't kind to them at all. The rear fender would rattle against the brake bridge but some bar wrap held down with electrical tape fixed that. Otherwise painless.

For my CrossCheck I went with the Velo-Orange aluminum fenders. Kind of an ordeal to mount them/install the first time but they are easy enough to pull off when I want to run fat cross tires. Also I used some folded over bits of an old tube between the frame and mounting points, no rattling so far. I always worried that leather would hold moisture in spots are cause rust/corrosion issues which may be unfounded. The aluminum fenders have held up great so far, only a few months, and the arms/fenders flex enough to prevent any real denting.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I never had any issues with fender rattle. I have used SKS and Planet Bike mounted in accordance with their instructions. Rattles mean something is loose and can usually be adjusted to stop the rattle. My commute is early in the morning with little or no traffic for the first 15 of my 21.5 miles to work so any noise other than my breathing and the sound of tires on the road is noticeable. 

I really preferred the SKS fenders with the breakaway feature on the front. I haven't jammed anything in my non breakaway PB fenders, but I have had some pretty dramatic scrapes when something stuck to the tire.


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

I think the jury's out on whether metal fenders are in fact best. But they sure do look nice. I have 50mm Berthoud stainless fenders on my Bleriot with 32mm tires. I prefer plenty of room so there's no tire rub, sticks and rocks can get through, etc. 

Functionally I don't think there's any difference between Honjo, Berthoud and VO fenders, though the alumium ones are a bit lighter and easier to manipulate.

My next choice would be the SKS fenders. I used to chop them up to fit them on road bikes with little clearance and they worked great.

I think that if you won't be riding much in the rain you'd be fine with plastic fenders.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

My frame should have plenty of clearance. It's a Bob Jackson touring frame designed to handle tires up to 32 mm, and it has cantilever brakes. However, I don't want fenders wider than I need, mainly for appearances.

I have had pretty good luck with my SKS RaceBlades, so I might just go for some more of their fenders although they don't look as sharp as aluminum or SS. It seems that 42 mm wide fenders would be ideal for my purposes, but the only plastic/composite ones I've found are the Berthoud ones sold by Peter White.

I was also wary of using leather washers for the reason mentioned about possible rust. Seems like leather would absorb and retain water.


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## Mr. Versatile (Nov 24, 2005)

The only problem that I've encountered with fenders on my commuter is that it's hard to fit the thing in the car when I need to. Most of our group rides start ~ 25 miles from my house.


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## blakcloud (Apr 13, 2006)

I just installed SKS fenders on my second commuter bike because I was happy with the first set. I think they look sharp. I put them on my Kona Paddy Wagon and as Big Bill says the width for me was limited by the fork, the rear was no problem. Plus as fenders go they are not that expensive so if they last only a few years then I will be happy. 

The one thing I did do when installing them was to use Loctite on all the nuts because I would hate to lose one on a ride. For my 28C tire I used the P45 model which are 45mm. Yes, they look a little big for the 28 tires but that doesn't bother me too much.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

Mr. Versatile said:


> The only problem that I've encountered with fenders on my commuter is that it's hard to fit the thing in the car when I need to. Most of our group rides start ~ 25 miles from my house.


That's the one thing that really sucks with long metal fenders like the Berthouds and the V-O fenders- they're so long they interfere with putting your bike in a standard yakima roof tray.

Found that out the hard way.


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## lalahsghost (Aug 27, 2007)

I have a pair of SKS Chromoplast Fenders that I paid retail for, but do not find the need for them with a rear fender rack on. I'd be willing to part with them, if you want them for $20 + shipping. They may have around 200 miles on them. Mine are the silver, aluminum impregnated plastic 35mm fenders, and I have had no problem with 25mm tires with them.

May or may not have the typical fender side-bolts with them (depending if I find them), but all other hardware is with them. Still have package it came with.

PM Me if you want photos or whatnot?


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

buck-50 said:


> That's the one thing that really sucks with long metal fenders like the Berthouds and the V-O fenders- they're so long they interfere with putting your bike in a standard yakima roof tray.
> 
> Found that out the hard way.


They are a PITA if you have a Park 20 work stand as well. Cheapo SKS or Planet Bike with a rubber mudflap riveted on are the way to go if you have that kind of workstand or roof mount. 

I guess it all comes down to form and function. I've never had pretty fenders, I commute in all kinds of weather and mostly just keep the drivetrain clean. If I had a custom bike designed for fenders I might consider wood or metal.


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## JP (Feb 8, 2005)

buck-50 said:


> That's the one thing that really sucks with long metal fenders like the Berthouds and the V-O fenders- they're so long they interfere with putting your bike in a standard yakima roof tray.
> 
> Found that out the hard way.


Yeah, I agree this is a bother. I have a couple of bikes with this issue, and when I get around to it I am going to cut them back. I think a shorter fender with a really long mudflap would be better.


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## JohnnyTooBad (Apr 5, 2004)

DO NOT get 35mm fenders! Get 45mm. The measurement is the outside dimention of the fender. I have 28c tires and they just barely fit inside 35mm Planet Bike Freddy fenders. As a matter of fact, I can't get the rear to fit at all without rubbing (different tire with more tread). I'm about to buy some 45mm fenders to finally get a fender on the rear. I may or may not replace the front with the wider one, but I can get the front to not rub, but it takes a lot of messing around with it. And if you have to disconnect parts of the fender to remove the tire (I do on my rear, because I have a single speed with horizontal track drops) it would be a huge pain to get it rolling properly after fixing a flat. But know that you may have to trim some plastic to get some clearance around your forks and seat stay, depending on your frame (I have to do quite a bit of trimming).


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*35 Mm*



lalahsghost said:


> I have a pair of SKS Chromoplast Fenders that I paid retail for, but do not find the need for them with a rear fender rack on. I'd be willing to part with them, if you want them for $20 + shipping. They may have around 200 miles on them. Mine are the silver, aluminum impregnated plastic 35mm fenders, and I have had no problem with 25mm tires with them.
> 
> May or may not have the typical fender side-bolts with them (depending if I find them), but all other hardware is with them. Still have package it came with.
> 
> PM Me if you want photos or whatnot?


Thanks for the offer, but as Johnny notes, 35 mm fenders just don't work with 28 mm tires. At least not for me. I've got some 35 SKS RaceBlades and they rubbed my 28 tires a lot, so I ended up having to switch to 25 tires. The 35 mm fenders work well with 23 and 25 tires, however, at least for me they do.


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## brucew (Jun 3, 2006)

I've had different experience than JTB.

I have SKS P-35 (35mm) fenders that I run with 28s. Looks and works just fine. Last winter I ran my 35mm studded snows with them. With adjustment, they also worked fine--not perfect, but darned good.

This winter I'm running PlanetBike Cascadias in the 45mm size. Much nicer with the snows (better looking with them too), but boy do they look weird with the 28mm road tires.

Never had a rattle with either set, BTW, using the supplied mounting hardware.


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## bolandjd (Sep 12, 2008)

I recently got a set of VO fenders - the pre-drilled ones. Here's the view from my saddle:
Pros: They ook like a million bucks - fantastic. The matte silver matches a lot of the components on the bike and adds to the estetic. VERY full coverage - no need for mudflaps. I think if I tried to put a mudflap on the front fender, it'd just about drag on the ground. Seem very solid and no rattles (I did use the recommended leather washers). They've kept me and the drivetrain very dry in the little bit of rain and snow I've ridden in. And they were very reasonably priced compared to similar metal fenders.
Cons: I found them a little tricky to install, but I'm sort of a fender rookie. The fender stays need to be cut with a hacksaw or drimmel to fit properly, which means you have to bolt them all up on the bike, mark where they need to be cut, disassemle, cut, and reinstall. And the mounting equipment didn't include a bolt for the fork crown, so I had to go hunt one down since my bike has canti brakes. And, as mentioned, the front fender is so long in the back that the fork won't fit in a standard roof rack with it on. I did get a bit of toe overlap with the front fender, but its not a huge deal. 

Overall, I would recommend them, especially if you don't have a "take off the front wheel"-type roof rack or pick-up truck bed setup.


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## buck-50 (Sep 20, 2005)

bolandjd The fender stays need to be cut with a hacksaw or drimmel to fit properly said:


> Next time, install your fenders, leave the stays long until you get them just right (like you did), then just cut them with a pair of cable cutters while they're still on the bike- the aluminum is fairly soft, so it's a pretty easy cut and you save a PITA step.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

I've got 3 sets of Planet bike, just installed numero 3 last night....rode them today.....worked great....easy install, I prefer the hardcore's, they can be cut or trimmed with tin-snips and NOTHING sticks to them....ice...snow.....etc.


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## bolandjd (Sep 12, 2008)

buck-50 said:


> Next time, install your fenders, leave the stays long until you get them just right (like you did), then just cut them with a pair of cable cutters while they're still on the bike- the aluminum is fairly soft, so it's a pretty easy cut and you save a PITA step.


Good idea. Thanks.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

*35 mm fenders*



brucew said:


> I've had different experience than JTB.
> 
> I have SKS P-35 (35mm) fenders that I run with 28s. Looks and works just fine. Last winter I ran my 35mm studded snows with them. With adjustment, they also worked fine--not perfect, but darned good..


Tell me a little more about your experience with 35 mm fenders. I really like the looks of them, but don't want fenders that rub. I'm currently using 35 mm SKS RaceBlade (snap on) fenders. The work fine with 700 x 25 tires, but they rubbed a lot when I tried using them with Panaracer Paselas in 700 x 28. If I tinkered with the fenders, I could get them to work without rubbing until I bumped something or such. However, these are RaceBlade fenders that just hold on with rubber straps.

Do you think I could adjust regular SKS 35 mm fenders so they wouldn't rub with the Panaracer 28 tires? I assume the regular fenders are not only more adjustable than RaceBlades, but also stay in place better. Fenders are cheap enough that I could always buy some 45 mm ones later if I decided to run larger tires like 700 x 32, but I have no plans to run tires that large in the meantime.


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