Are all fenders the same?

**doebedoe** · 09-19-2017, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Groomer Gambler

Hm might swap out the cross tires for a 38ish fall commuter/rando tire. Like a Pasela, etc. with the P45s fender. Any other suggestions? Trying to keep tires around $20-30 apiece

I commute on Paselas and dig them. Their PT doesn't ride quite as nice, but its a good tire and a bit more flat resistant. Either way I go a long ways between flats by keeping them at proper pressure. Would recommend.

Also -- SKS for the win. Their front fenders have a release in case you get something stuck between fender/tire/fork crown. Without that release in the front, you're asking for a bad time.

**bodywhomper** · 09-19-2017, 05:43 PM

Those fenders should work great. Those panaracer tires look good. I commuted rain or shine on slicks (riding hard) for over a decade w/o issues, on road only. Are you planning to bike commute rain or shine, day or night? If so, consider a means to have a dry set of clothes and a place to hang your wet and grimy kit. Also, consider reflective and blinky shit everywhere, especial reflective shit on legs, shoes, and pedals.

**Groomer Gambler** · 09-19-2017, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by bodywhomper

Those fenders should work great. Those panaracer tires look good. I commuted rain or shine on slicks (riding hard) for over a decade w/o issues, on road only. Are you planning to bike commute rain or shine, day or night? If so, consider a means to have a dry set of clothes and a place to hang your wet and grimy kit. Also, consider reflective and blinky shit everywhere, especial reflective shit on legs, shoes, and pedals.

I drank the Rivendell Kool-Aid (minus an actual Riv frameset) and have lights galore, basket, racks, and a sweet Spurcycle bell. Decent rain coat and pants, too, and I just ordered the SKS fenders. This is coming from a kid who grew up riding BMX bikes where the first thing you do is rip every reflector off the bike.

I bike commuted most days back in upstate NY last year including the winter, but expect wetter conditions (albeit much warmer) here in western Oregon.

**bodywhomper** · 09-19-2017, 06:35 PM

I have many rivendell parts on my older commuter and I used to ride with the jack brown tires.

You'll have to make a visit to their "shop" in Walnut Creek someday.

I consider that reflective stuff a necessary safety item for winter weather nighttime commuting. Getting hit by a car sucks.

**ill-advised strategy** · 09-20-2017, 08:44 AM

I sort of feel like I wear all the reflecto and blinky stuff out of spite, because as an accident reviewer at a transit agency I understand no amount of visibility keeps shitty drivers from hitting anything and everything. They hit police cars with their emergency lights on...so you can only control so much. The spite is that if one of these fucks hits me I want the blame to be properly assigned. I wear an actual construction-worker reflective vest, again for the ability to say to a police officer at some point: this is what the city and utility and road construction crews wear, so if he hit me, he could have just as well hit a worker from the city works, or even a patrol officer directing traffic because they wear those vests when they're doing control work also. That takes some of the anti-cyclist bias out.

Also as a commuter I ride slicks until it's ice and snow season. The only problem I've had with slicks is when there's sand over smooth concrete.

**Groomer Gambler** · 09-23-2017, 05:10 PM

Went with the P45s and new Schwabe 38c tires. Fit is spot on and easier to adjust the fenders than I was expecting. My only complaint is the plastic tabs that go over the struts are pretty damn short. Wouldn't you want to leave some extra for adjustments? I cut the struts about half the length in pic below and need some electrical tape or tabs over the ends.

Attachment 212609

**GeezerSteve** · 09-23-2017, 05:29 PM

^ ^ ^ yo bro you might wanna trim the end of those fender stays

**El Chupacabra** · 09-23-2017, 05:58 PM

X2 on trim those.

You can make little caps to cover the sharp ends of the stays from presta valve caps. Cut off the threaded bit, glue the cap onto the stay.

**Groomer Gambler** · 09-23-2017, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by DIYSteve

^ ^ ^ yo bro you might wanna trim the end of those fender stays

Yeah I cut em about 1/2 the length you see in the pic (about flush with the top of the fender). The plastic tabs they provide hook over the bolt and then cap over the top of the stays, but they seem wicked short