# What is the BEST fender system for racebike turned commuterbike?



## Ride-Fly

Both my wife and I have standard roadrace bikes that we currently use for commuting. When the winter wet wx comes, we will need to get some fenders on our bikes. What are the best ones out there? I did a search of this forum and the SKS raceblades seem to get good reviews but are they more trouble to put on since they are not the snap on design? Does the snap on style work as well? For reference, my daily commuter is my Fondriest Carb Level and my wife will probably start using her Orbea Mitis Dama for the winter. Will the Raceblades work on these type of bikes? Also, we will probably change the tires to 25c Conty 4 seasons. What is the best for my situation? SKS Raceblades, or SKS/Planetbike/PortlandDesignWorks snap ons? TIA!


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## seeborough

Your determining factor will be tire clearance, especially when installing 25mm tires. None of my road bikes (Colnago, Litespeed, Pinarello, Cannondale, etc.) have enough. Snap ons work better than nothing, but are not even close to full fenders to keep you dry.
I used this as an excuse to buy more bikes.


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## brucew

I'll be ordering a set of Crud Roadracer Mk. 2 towards the end of the week. I'm ordering early in case I have to drop down to a 23mm tire in the front. It's always the fork and front brake that give me clearance issues.

I'll report back.

BTW, I'm super pleased with the wet weather performance of the Conti 4-Seasons. Good choice.


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## PdxMark

Full fenders give the best covereage. If you're committing to using the bike for commuting, you can use a split fender, or cut fender ste-up like this:

http://www.bikejournal.com/thread.a...rumCat={D42B7A5A-80A5-4234-BA14-56FBF1CC96E6}


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## Ride-Fly

brucew said:


> I'll be ordering a set of Crud Roadracer Mk. 2 towards the end of the week. I'm ordering early in case I have to drop down to a 23mm tire in the front. It's always the fork and front brake that give me clearance issues.
> 
> I'll report back.
> 
> BTW, I'm super pleased with the wet weather performance of the Conti 4-Seasons. Good choice.


those look great! Where do you order? Couldn't find it on their site to order them.


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## Fogdweller

brucew said:


> I'll be ordering a set of Crud Roadracer Mk. 2 towards the end of the week. I'm ordering early in case I have to drop down to a 23mm tire in the front. It's always the fork and front brake that give me clearance issues.
> 
> I'll report back.
> 
> BTW, I'm super pleased with the wet weather performance of the Conti 4-Seasons. Good choice.


Cruds are cool. A guy on my Sunday group put them on a Giant TCR last winter and they worked great. We kept him on the front of the group for months and fought for his wheel.


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## logbiter

Ride-Fly said:


> those look great! Where do you order? Couldn't find it on their site to order them.


crud usa?


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## brucew

Crud USA, the distributor, is local to me. They don't have the Mk. 2 version yet. They have both models at Ribble Cycles UK.

The price is right, but international shipping is high if you're ordering just the one item. It's time to replace most of my winter kit, so I'm adding the fenders…erm…mudguards to that order.

BTW, that's where I get my Conti 4-Seasons too.


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## Slim Again Soon

Winter ... when does that start, again?

Still in the 90s down here.

I'm keen on some fender I got from Velo Orange ... but fitting them on a race bike might be tough.

Might want to check *Velo Orange* Web site, though, to see what they might have.


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## mike2g

I've been thinking about this too, and here are my thoughts (I haven't tried this yet but am acquiring all the pieces to get it to work.)
Full SKS fenders (P35)
Reacharound Fender Mounting System (pics here about 3/4 way down the page: http://rivercitybicycles.com/about/the-store-in-pictures-pg95.htm)
Sheldon Fender Nuts (http://harriscyclery.net/product/problem-solvers-sheldon-nut-fender-nut-set-2467.htm)

I've used Raceblades before and like them (better than nothing) but want to try for more complete coverage.


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## tarwheel2

I got some Crud fenders earlier this summer and have used SKS Race Blades for years. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The Cruds are lighter and look better, but clearance is real problem if using tires larger than 23 mm. I was running 25 mm Conti GP 4000s when I first installed the Cruds but couldn't get them to fit without rubbing. Switched the tires to some old 23 mm Michelin Pro2 Races, and they fit just barely. I had to remove the front section of the fenders because they kept rubbing.

SKS Raceblades are much clunkier looking, heavier and don't provide as much coverage -- despite being wider -- because they stop short of the brake calipers. However, I can use them with 25 mm Conti GP 4000s no problem and used them with Panaracer Pasela 28s with a fair amount of tweaking. They also are easier to install and remove if you don't want to leave them on when it's not raining.

If your frame has braze-ons, then full fenders are far superior to either the Cruds or RaceBlades. My next frame will have braze-ons for fenders, I have already decided. My commuter/touring bike has braze-ons, and I easily installed Planet Bike Cascadia fenders on it, and they provide way more coverage than the Cruds or RaceBlades.


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## igerdog

Cruds work great with the tight clearances on my frame. Haven't tried anything bigger than a 23c though. Only problem I've had is one of the screws worked loose after several months and got lost on the road. Going to contact them for a replacement.


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## bluebirdbiker

I like (and use) the SKS fenders for my road bike/fixie commuting to work. 

http://***************/2010/03/sks-commuter-fenders/

I like the ability to add them when needed or take tham off and just slip them into my backpack. Works well for me. No matter what fender one uses, the problem is wet feet that I simply overcome by:

1) Placing Safeway shopping bags over the bike shoes;
2) Place neoprene booty overtop of bags; and
3) Place leggings on and OVER the neoprene booty. That keeps the rain from trickling into the booty.

This keeps the foot 100% dry, except sweat of course. The fenders are there to keep the back splash off the and the water from spraying in the face. I live in Vancouver BC. We get rain! This method works REAL well.
My 2 cents
BBB


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## nayr497

Great thread! I had a question on this and tarwheel answered it...before I asked

I have the Crud Mud Guards (from last year, not the updated ones) and really like them. I used them on my LOOK last fall/winter and they worked well. I now have a new winter bike and put them on there, an older Cannondale. Very excited to have a dedicated winter bike that I don't mind getting dirty and gritty. It sucks to ride and think about how long it is going to take you to clean your bike and now I won't be doing that.

1) Yes, the Cruds are a tight fit and probably just won't work on some bikes. (I'd like to use some 25s but I don't think they'll fit, as the 23s I have on there now are a tight squeeze)

2) Yep, check the screws regularly. They can come undone and fall off. I had this happen. Seems like they have a U.S. distribution which is in upstate NY that can help out with small parts.

3) I think they are the best looking fenders for any sort of nice road bike. Sleek and slim looking and maybe not the same level of protection as some full-on, full sized fenders, but hey, they are light, quiet, don't rattle, etc. And the protection is pretty darn good too. Probably better with the updated design.

4) Like most of what I need, PBK has them and usually at a good price.

I also have some SKS P35 fenders on a commuter bike of mine. They rattle a bit but are solid fenders. But, of course, these won't work on most of our race/road bikes because you need eyelets to mount them.

Enjoy your winter riding everyone! I am going through the stage of starting to consider it and when I look at my winter clothes in my dresser I think, "Wow, I used to put all of those on to go riding?" Hard to believe after a summer of just bibs + jersey. I'm wintering 600 miles south of where I spent last year...so that ain't so bad


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## nayr497

And Ride-Fly...why don't you just throw some fenders on your Tommasini and use that as your winter bike


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## Fai Mao

If you are really going to commute you'll need wider tires. The way to get that is to get a set of these wheels and an inexpensive set of long reach brakes. You'll need the right sized tires of course. This will probably let you use at least a 28 mm wide tire and that is a huge plus if you have to ride after dark.

http://www.rivbike.com/products/show/budget-synergy-wheelset/18-330

Fenders are are like gym-socks. they are all pretty much the same as long as they do the job. Mavic, SKS, Bluemels, Honjo get what fits your budget


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## saf-t

Picked up a pair of cruds from PBK last year, and really like them. They don't turn my good bike into my full-fendered commuter, but they work pretty well, given what they're designed for. Fit? Yeah, a little tight, and I had to trade out a 25 for a 23 tire, but it beats getting wet.



nayr497 said:


> I am going through the stage of starting to consider it and when I look at my winter clothes in my dresser I think, "Wow, I used to put all of those on to go riding?" Hard to believe after a summer of just bibs + jersey. I'm wintering 600 miles south of where I spent last year...so that ain't so bad


I'm already wearing some of that stuff :cryin:


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## Fixed

*luxury*

While it's not essential, it really feels luxurious to have a separate commuting bike with full fenders, racks, lights, reflective stuff, etc. My primary commuter is a $200 fixed gear frame with tons of fender clearance. I run cheaper fixed gear drivetrain and other components. I can just leave everything on it almost all the time, and I love that bike. It also saves the wear and tear on my better bikes of riding in crud and at night.


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## ClarkinHawaii

Thanks, Guys--

I've been hassling with the fender problem--didn't know such a thing as those crudracers existed.

Just happened to have a remaining gift certificate from PBK that covered the full cost, so they're on the way!


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