Re: [CR] Fenders-All or Any type

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Ideale)

From: <Stronglight49@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2009 09:47:44 -0400
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR] Fenders-All or Any type


Not only aluminum, but plated steel and stainless steel have been used for On Topic lightweight bikes for many decades - at least since the 1930s. And aluminum was not exclusive to French and Japanese bikes and fender styles. Bluemels also made aluminum fenders which were popular on British bikes and theirs used the same Non-French style mounting struts and brackets as their plastic models.

The preferred mounting hardware would depend entirely on the design of the fenders. Stays have been made of steel, stainless steel and aluminum rods... and also stamped and formed steel and stainless steel.

For lighting mounted directly on fenders you can pretty much rule out plastic. But, aluminum, steel and stainless steel would all work fine. That is, so long as you mount the light properly onto the fenders and fasten the fenders to the bike with consideration given to the additional weight of a lamp and any wiring.

You can use racks over, or fastened to, supporting or supported by a fender. So the preference there would depend entirely on a specific bike and rack.

Personally, I would think that stainless steel would be the most durable for any application and for all conditions. But, I've seen some used on mid-range Peugeots which still dented and bent somewhat easily, while others from Gilles Berthoud seem virtually indestructible due to their design and construction.

Whether mudflaps are used would depend on the style of the fender and what purpose is require of it. During at least a couple decades there were very short fenders made which would mainly keep the brake calipers protected from dirt and mud. And now again there are short fenders produced for what seems to be the same purpose. Longer and wider fenders, and then with mudflaps added as well, will of course offer greater protection to both a rider and a bike.

And, the width of a fender does not necessarily even depend on the clearance between the fork blades. I have a Bluemels "Airweight" front fender made of aluminum which was factory formed with a narrower "waist" at the point where it would fit through the fork. In this case, that fender narrows from 52 mm to 42 mm. for a distance of around 2-1/2 inches.

Afraid I'll have to agree with others that such a broad and vague question is like asking "what are the best tires to use for bikes" without taking into consideration the specific intended purpose and the style of bike a given tire might be used on.

BOB HANSON, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, USA

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