PSA: full-coverage fenders save you a lot of money if you ride regularly in the rain.

[u/Metaphoricalsimile]

I think everyone knows that fenders are necessary to riding comfortably in the rain.

I think the thing that people are less aware of is how much a set of full-coverage fenders can save you money in parts and maintenance.

Fenders that go low enough in the front to block spray off your front tire onto your drive train keep a lot of wet road grit and grime from coating your chain and gears. They also reduce the amount of road grime that gets on your rims (I'm less sure of how this works, but in my experience it does work this way). This wet road grime sticks in your components and grinds away chains, gears, brake pads and rims way faster than if the components were relatively clean.

This is why you should never rely on partial fenders or "ass savers" that only keep tire spray off your body. Your bike deserves protection too if you don't want to be replacing chains, gears, brake pads and rims 3x as often as you need to.

Tip: if your toes get muddy from your front tire, you need a longer front fender, or a mud flap attached to it. This is the proper length fender to also protect your gears from road muck.

[u/queen0fsewer666]

I can’t fit full fenders on my bike bc clearance btw tire & brakes, so I try to at least give my ride at least a quick wipe off after wet rides…anything more you’d advise I do?

[u/Metaphoricalsimile → u/queen0fsewer666]

River City actually specializes in fitting full fenders to bikes that don't have good clearance for it. They cut the fender and use a bridge to attach it on both sides of the brakes, IIRC, so if you want to pay for them to install fenders that would be an option.

When it comes down to it, bikes without good fender clearance don't make great all-year commuters in rainy cities for this reason, but I do understand we all have to make do!

[u/biosfearmag → u/Metaphoricalsimile]

Unless you use an internal hub with a Gates belt. That's the setup on the bike I ride most in the winter these days. It's pretty much maintenance-free. I'm using one of those ugly ass-saver win wing things because clearance is super tight.

I have full fenders on all of my other bikes though.

[u/Metaphoricalsimile → u/biosfearmag]

For sure if you have a belt drive and disk brakes none of this applies lol

It's worth pointing out though, thanks :)

[u/Metaphoricalsimile → u/[deleted]]

I would just google this :)

[u/Ol_Man_J → u/queen0fsewer666]

I have the luxury of a hose to rinse the crud off, but I also place my bikes in front of a fan to dry off quicker and stop rust (chain mostly )

[u/sparhawk817 → u/queen0fsewer666]

If you get one of those fender things that straps to your down tube, you can then dangle a wide mud flap almost down to the grown from it, it dangles in front of your pedals and helps catch what is getting splashed toward your chain ring.

Obviously the closer the fender is to the wheel, the more spray it catches, but if all you can do is protect your chainring, that's not nothing.

You do have to be careful with clearances, but you can buy a roll of rubber or grab a few car mats off the side of the road and cut a few different shapes until you're happy with one.

Sometimes I lay the rubber onto a piece of PVC pipe and heat it with a hair dryer to get a curve in it, things like that.

[u/Beekatiebee]

Shoutout to Portland Design Works, I have their fenders on all my bikes. Top grade stuff

[u/Sultanofslide → u/Beekatiebee]

The aluminum PDW fenders on my gravel bike have been a life saver and being able to still run 45mm tires with them has made winter riding a much more pleasant experience 

[u/MotoCentric]

I recently switched from an ass saver to full fenders and holy shit what a difference. They aren't quite long enough to provide the protection for the bottom bracket area of the frame, but I'm working on a remedy for that now

[u/tomjoad773 → u/MotoCentric]

Get a set of buddy flaps and install the long one in the front. Thank me later

Edit - Rather, it really depends which specific full coverage fenders you have. Go as long as possible without scraping ground in the front.

[u/greazysteak]

Ok big fender. Kidding. Occasionally my fenders it’s so stuffed with either Pineneedles or snow or mud that tires won’t even move. It’s a rarity but it does happen. Also, if you’re on tubeless, you can get some pretty good gunk in there as well so make sure you clean that out.

[u/Metaphoricalsimile → u/greazysteak]

Do you have at least 1 cm clearance between your fender and tire?

[u/greazysteak → u/Metaphoricalsimile]

yeah. probably 2cm or a little under.

[u/pdxwanker]

I rip through at least one park with mud or wooded area per commute man, I tried it, the stick in the front tire and the fender is terrifying.

[u/Gold_Cod1]

Also wash and dry your bike after riding in the rain and muck. 

[u/criddling]

They're standard equipment on dutch bikes.