Safety Beware the fenders!!!

[retromike3]

fenders again

I just got done putting new Planet bike fenders on my "new" ride. I think I did ok by them this time. First, I reenforced the front one by making another bracket going in the other direction because the fork is longer than stock so I cut a piece of steel the same diameter but about four inches longer than the stock piece bent it at a right angel in the other direction as the stock one then I driledl some holes in it and then stuck it in the hole that was there for the original front mount. Then I pop riveted it to the plastic facing the other way as the stock mount. There was a hole that let me bolt the new mount to the old one effectively doubling the surface area of the mounting plate.

As for the rear, I did not mount it to the seat stays at all I just had a zip tie at the front and the stays bolted to the rear dropouts. I figured that they could "float" there and if they aren't mounted directly then they hopefully won't brake.

I will check on them daily and give you a report later.

Mike The Bike Guy.
:-/

Since I live in Beaverton OR. and its now monsoon season it is very important to me to have fenders. Even my track bike has a small rear fender So, if I ever decide I want to risk my sew-ups outside and not on the rollers my backside will stay clean.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

I had my first fender "breakout" a few weeks ago. Luckily it was the rear. It bound up behind the seat post. (right in a particularly dangerous section of road, wouldn't you know) It didn't completely lock up the wheel. I thought that my chain had jumped the sprocket and was getting bound up. The only damage to the fender was a long, lengthwise scratch. Plus the broken mounting tab, of course.

This is a tough problem. The fenders are clearly somewhat dangerous, yet they're essential for anyone who wants to use their bike in anything less than perfect weather.

A month or so ago I experimented with making my own plastic fenders on a pedal bike. I just cut strips of plastic out of the sides of those $4.00 plastic tote boxes that you can get from the Beast of Bentonville. The stays are all thread. This gives the advantage of being adjustable.

They're not beautiful. But with a bit of practice, maybe I can make them look decent. With three or four stays per fender maybe they could be made pretty safe. Being softer, maybe they wouldn't lock up a tire. I'm afraid that those extra stays might be a problem there, though.

Still, it's an idea that might have some promise. Maybe it's worth working with.

Though maybe I should just buy new fenders once a year or so. They're not all that expensive.

 

[retromike3]

update on fender

Well its bin about a month since I hooked up the fenders and they still seem OK. No visible cracks. I'll keep you updated.


Mike Frye-the bike guy

 

[happycheapskate]

Surely Wongmart is off the hook though because their bikes come with tags saying cruiser bikes are made for short distances at low speeds on flat ground.

Why don't any fenders use star nuts (the press fit type of device with a threaded hole, that 1 1/8 headsets use for the top caps) If I were going to use any fenders, I think I would use those for a mounting point, and probably some kind of soft plastic, with rolled up rearmost ends so if it touched the wheel because of broken stays, it would probably just brake on the tire some like an old spoon brake.

So what has happened? 100 years ago motorised bicycles used the fender for a front brake, ironically.

 

[happycheapskate]

BEWARE the Handlebar bag

I got one of those 10$ Bell black zippered handlebar bags. It is very tough, but the velcro straps are not made for carrying wieght of tools or batteries. Mine tore loose and launched off the front wheel. Luckily it landed in the mud and I could reuse it. I reinforced the bag with a metal flat bar inside the bag (about 1x6") and 2 industrial hose clamps. So far so good.

Beware of baskets, bags, crates, racks etc on the handlebars (and never put a kid carrier on a mb, my opinion.)

 

[CaptJ]

I have been keeping an eye on my fenders but last week it happened after
78 miles the "L" bracket broke it was very thin a piece of c**p.
The fender is shaped so it will not past forward thru the fork. "Lucky Me"
Pic.bkt.. I formed a backing plate and an 1/8 x 3/4 steel bracket.
Pic.1.. The backing plate was formed to fit the shape of the finder.
Pic.2.. The "L" bracket was formed to fit the backing plate.
Pic.3.. The plates were riveted to the fender after paint.
The finshed assemble was covered with a rubbery seal for mounting side glass in autos. "TBT20"

Hope it will last. I'll Keep an Eye on it!

.. Jim

 

[retromike3]

Still look-en good

well its been over a year now and I have had nothing fall off or brike yet. On the front fender I doubled up the length of the mount by adding another strip of steel the same size of the hole that the original fender mount goes in. Then I bent it the other way so it doubled the surface area of he mount. I pop riveted the new plates to the underside of the fender so they didn't look so bad.

for the back fender I removed the rear triangle mount completely and used a zipp tie to hold the front of the fender to the cross stay near the bottom bracket.Then I just used the stays that hooked up the fenders to the rear mounts so that the fender was not directly connected to the frame This way there is no stress on the plastic,if something happens then the fender can deform and reform without having to brake under loads it was not designed to handle.

Mike Frye the bike guy

 

[CaptJ]

Hi Mike,
The repair on my front fender went well, there's on ring or noise it's solid.
I also installed a piece of "TBT20" rubber between fender and fork.

I next project will be working on the back fender.

 

[happycheapskate]

Made my own fender: safe product, see photo

The Walmart Bell $10 handlebar bag has held up now for a couple hundred miles, after the modfication (using steel worm type hose clamps, and a aluminum 1x6 bar inside the bag, under the clamps).

I made my own rear fender, which has worked well now for 1 week.
It is made from corrugated plastic (think of discarded garage sale signs or campaign signs).

It is ziptied 2 times at the seat stays where they meet the little cross bracket (where the caliper brake would go), 1 time at the seatpost, and one time under the seat bag. Even without the seat bag tie, it did not flop down onto the wheel, but it did bounce some. Now it is mounted to a rubber strap under the seatbag. It can move a little, but doesn't bounce or wave.

If you do not use a seat bag, you could do some other improv to stabilize it, such as cut a 1" wide reverse fold (think convenience store display signs, picture stands, and pop up books) at the bend, or zip tie a piece of heater hose in the bend to prevent it from flapping.

Even if the fender were to touch the wheel, it would just scuff or fold up. It could not stop the bike.

I used Krylon Fusion black sparkle paint on the plastic. It has withstood rain, mud clumps, and little rocks.

The front fold stabilizes the fender and prevents water from flinging onto the air intake filter.

I plan to make a front "fender" to zip tie onto the downtube, but I don't really seem to need it. I rode home in the rain today and didn't get any spray on my legs or back. (wide downtube steel frame beach cruiser) .

I got one of those 10$ Bell black zippered handlebar bags. It is very tough, but the velcro straps are not made for carrying wieght of tools or batteries. Mine tore loose and launched off the front wheel. Luckily it landed in the mud and I could reuse it. I reinforced the bag with a metal flat bar inside the bag (about 1x6") and 2 industrial hose clamps. So far so good.

Beware of baskets, bags, crates, racks etc on the handlebars (and never put a kid carrier on a mb, my opinion.)

 

[happycheapskate]

Have any of you used racks as fenders?

I think a common type of rear rack, esp with an added piece of stiff rubber as a "mud flap" would do nicely, for the rear.

One of those plate type downtube attachment fenders should do for the front on most bikes. Zip ties are cheap enough you could even take it off when its unwanted (or use a small pick to open the zip tie locks). Hose clamps work if you put some kind of protective tape or shim on the tubes first.

http://www.motoredbikes.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=24112&d=1264680118 MB with bike rack