Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Why not use mudguards / fenders?

I admit it, I've been riding fenderless this week during our California rainstorms. The reason: my fendered rainbike is out of action with a broken brake cable. Yes, I should fix it, but it's just so much easier to grab another bike, and it really hasn't rained that hard (until today). My raingear has kept me dry, but I'm sure the spray is annoying to following cyclists, and spray from the front tire hits my face.

Here in the Bay Area, even the recreational road cyclists have fenders on their bikes. The Guardian has a humorous piece shooting down the usual excuses people don't use fenders.

See also Velo Flaneur's Southern California Fender Primer.

4 comments:

gazer said...

Here in OH, I'm running into the issue of snow clogging up the fenders.

I'm thinking that I may need a fenderless snow bike for those situations...

Curtis Corlew said...

I got fenders when my shoes got so wet they wouldn't dry at work. A long front with a mud flap really made a difference in keeping my shoes less wet.

Brian Miller said...

I live in NYC, rains sometimes. I avoid riding in the rain - very dangerous and uncomfortable, And I enjoy danger. Mostly I don't like getting road grit in my drivetrain.

I use clip on fenders when the forecast is questionable.

Carrying bolted on fenders all the time when they are needed 2% of the time is inefficient.

MELI. said...

article says: richard, you like a wet bum
ja jaja LOL