This is a shameless attempt to save the the most advanced civilization in
history from imminent self destruction by eliminating carbon emission,
dependence on foreign sources of fuel,obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
Cycling accomplishes all those things at once and helps us develop a better
understanding of ourselves, each other and our relationship to the cosmos.

Oh, horse puckey!
I like to ride bikes, have been doing it all my life.
The rest of that crap is just a fringe benefit,
and the blogosphere gives me a chance to share my interior
monologue with virtual rather than imaginary friends.

Monday, October 15, 2012

SKS 29er Fenders

  I really didn't get over the virus I got very quickly and there just hasn't been that much cycling going on since I have been constantly coughing up a lung every time I exert myself.
  The good thing is my inner consumer took control of my credit card while I had nothing better to do and went into some dark areas I now feel qualified to describe.
   Anticipating winter and all the chemical gobble-de-gook the Michigan Road Commissions pour all over the pavement; I have been looking for fenders to protect the Hunq's frame while riding on studded 29er tires going to and from in the worst of weather.  Here is what I have been using while single tracking out in the forests:
the usual beaver tail to keep my back clean and that dumbass MudX thing which does nothing but keep the bottom of the water bottle clean.  Obviously that does nothing to protect the frame or control the spray away from the drive train.  A few searches on that interweb  thing introduced me to the 
SKS Velo 55 Cross fender.  It's another very thoughtful and pretty well designed product from those German plastic fender people.  They come with the two blades and big fat L-brackets for mounting.
Sorry, that shot doesn't show it that well, but 
once the brackets are in place the fenders just slide on using the grooves in fender.  It's a very clever arrangement and actually allows a semi-quick disconnect if you want to remove them.
Once in place there is a plastic collar to attach to the seatpost in the rear.  It's really very clever and will accommodate most large fat tires on bikes built with a lot of clearance.  We are talking about a whole lot of clearance.   They advertise the fender to handle a 52-622 tire, but on the Hunqapillar (a Rivendell design, noted for excessive clearances)  I could not make the the fender fit over the max diameter using the provided hardware.
If I rotate the fender back about 2 inches, I could get the necessary clearance with a 52mm tire, but would have to drill some holes in the blade and use zipties to attach it to the seatstay bridge.  That's not a bad idea, it's just not the way it's supposed to work.  Any tire smaller, say a 45mm knobbie with studs will work just fine, but I was disappointed.
Obviously the fender will provide much better protection, especially in the winter when compared to the beavertail, but it just won't work with the big ole fat tires on my bike.
The front, on the other hand, fit just fine.  No, I mean it JUST barely fit fine.  The 52mm ties really maxxed it out, but there was no contact and a couple mm to spare.  There are optional fender stays available which I think should be made standard.  When working with an off road bike it can be very dicey getting the clearance correct, but again we have to worry about branches, twigs and ground squirrels getting mashed up between the tires and fenders, so the stays would still be a judgement call.
Now getting these is an issue.  They aren't showing up at American dealers yet.  I got mine from Chainreaction Cycles on the web. That was one of the highlights of the past couple of weeks.  I ordered these on Saturday the 6th.  They were shipped on Wednesday the 10th and I received them on Saturday the 13th.  They came from Great Britain.  The price was quoted in dollars (18.18) the shipping was reasonably priced ($10) and they were delivered within 3 days of shipping.  You cannot expect better service for an overseas order.  I highly recommend giving these people a try, I bookmarked them for future reference myself.

2 comments:

  1. Very nice write up about those fenders! Thanks. Quick question, do you think those fenders will fit on 700x40 wheels (Giant Roam 2 Performance Hybrid)?

    Thanks again

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  2. They will definitely provide plenty of clearance for 40mm tires. In fact you might look at the smaller version. They are being offered now in 4 sizes 42,47, 55 and 65 mm. Check them out here: http://www.aebike.com/bike-fenders_c_.html#/?_=1&filter.manufacturer=SKS&page=1&filter.extrafield5=Velo

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