I currently have the SKS Raceblade Pro XL for my bike, that show coverage per the picture attached. I bought these to protect against the elements when commuting, and have been happy with them particularly considering they snap on in 30 seconds and off in 10 second. There are 3 things that are limiting: 1) I still get some spray around my handlebar off the front wheel since the front fender doesn't extent far enough forward. It's minimal, even in bad rain. 2) The bottom bracket area still gets quite dirty (as well as drivetrain). 3) In heavy rain / downpour, my feet do still get wet, but I suspect much of this is not from spray
Now that I am no longer planning on using my commuter for other rides except for commuting, I've been toying with the idea of full fenders, however, I still prefer to not have fenders on in general. So… my main question is, will full fenders make a noticeable difference?
I think I'd only go full size fenders if I could see vast differences.
by MountainDS
6 Comments
[Yes.](https://velo-orange.com/blogs/theveloorangeblog/spray-patterns-without-and-with-fenders)
As you said it would keep your drivetrain much cleaner. In my experience even with full fenders + mudflaps you’ll still get some spray sideways from the fender blown back onto your shoes. The front one is probably sending most of the spray away from the bike, but it can and likely does blow back into you if there’s any headwind.
I use these on my road bike for regular road rides in the rain and they’re fine for that but for commuting I absolutely need full coverage fenders. These are just not long enough at the front in my opinion. And at the back you still get some spray from the front of your rear wheel. Do you really need the ability to take them off easily or can you just leave them on all the time?
Yes. It’s not just the water hitting you. It’s also the road grime being swept up onto the bike.
My vote goes for full fenders, but I’ve never ran half fenders like this. I agree with u/Bandit1379 in that you’ll get some side spray no matter what, especially in heavier rains. However, looking at the picture you posted, most of your issue is going to be the large, uncovered area between the bottom, trailing edge of the front fender and the ground. Your feet and drivetrain will be absolutely flooded with spray. A full fender with a mudguard running close to the ground will eliminate quite a bit of this.
Yes, and don’t forget to get a mud flap on the front that basically goes down to the ground
Fenders/Mudguards are the sexiest bike upgrade.